Teenage Engineering OP-1 Quick Start Guide | How to Use and Make Music Fast
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- Опубліковано 2 чер 2020
- #op1 #tutorial #teenageengineering
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Timecodes:
1:35 - Navigating the OP-1
4:34 - Controlling the tape on the OP-1
5:51 - Recording with the metronome on the OP-1
6:32 - Copying and Pasting on the OP-1
7:08 - Using Sequencers instead of Quantization on the OP-1
8:13 - Controlling Input Gain/Record Level on the OP-1
9:03 - Recording to Tape on the OP-1
9:35 - Bouncing Tracks into the Drum Sampler on the OP-1
13:00 - Using the Synth Engines on the OP-1
15:00 - Recording External Instruments from the Line In on the OP-1
16:20 - Mixing a track on the OP-1
17:20 - Mute and Solo tracks on the OP-1
17:55 - Performance Effects on the OP-1
18:16 - Track Performance
I've seen too many people get excited about buying their Teenage Engineering OP-1 only to see them put it up for sale a few weeks after they buy it because they just couldn't figure it out, So, because I love my OP-1 so much and think that it helps you become a better musician, I decided to make a quick start guide. I go over navigating the OP-1 and the basics of making a track from scratch. This isn't a Masterclass on the OP-1 but more of a quick overview to get you started making music on the OP-1 quick.
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List your favorite OP-1 Quick Tips below!
Just bought one. My dbox is empty do you know how to get the packs for it?
@@shmeepmeep9983 I think you need the latest OS update for that. Sounds like you are on a real old one - if that is the case then bare in mind that all the drum presets will be replaced with new ones, I prefer the old ones, but you also get new synrh presets which are better. Hope this helps.
I love the OP-1, it's the Moleskine notebook for musicians.
That’s the perfect description!
I've had an OP-1 for years without understanding it too well, this was a tremendous help getting started. I feel like I finally understand how powerful this beautiful little machine is. Well done - thank you!
That's awesome to hear! Glad you found the video useful!
BRO! I have had my OP-1 for a year, and I've seen thousands of videos - but this one is insanely help full! Definitely do more like these! Would love a Synthwave tutorial. You got yourself a subscriber, mate. Cheers from Denmark
I’m glad it helped out dude!! Thanks for the positive comment!!
Thank you sir!!! I got my op1 waiting for me at the house and this was a super clean starter tutorial that you don't see to often now and days since the unit has been out for so long already, much appreciated
Awesome! That was exactly why I made this! They were all either an hour long or 6 years old or both!
Main tip for beginner is that the color of knobs is directly linked to the information on the screen and control respective color. So blue will change the blue parameter, green - green parameter and so on. Also, pressing shift gives you extra parameters.
Additionally, tapping the metronome button, will "tap" in the bpm, this way you can "guess" the bpm of any song, including the one you were working on on the OP-1 but forgot the BPM for.
Ahhh yeah those are great pointers! Thanks for posting!
Perfect timing! Just got my first OP-1 yesterday. Thanks for the basics overview. Can't wait to let it play with my SP as well 😉
Awesome! I hope it helps! The OP/SP combo is a lot of fun!
Great video Man. I appreciate that you were slow and methodical and pointing out what button you were clicking and what function it did and why you were clicking it during the video. That helped me a lot as a newbie to the OP1. Blessings.
Genuinely helpful with learning this. Thank you for a great introduction
Extremely helpful and simple to understand! Thankyou!
Wow, that 20 minutes flew by. Thanks! Learned a few things and I've had the OP-1 for a long time.
Awesome!! That’s super nice to hear. Thanks for checking it out!
nice dude, thanks so much for making this!
My OP-1 just came in the mail today! Perfect timing 👌🏼
Awesome! I hope this gets you up and running!
Hey Brad! Great video as usual. Well explained and nicely edited. Keep it up man :)
I appreciate that! Thanks for watching!
I was thumping a bassline to your track through the whole tutorial. Great stuff. Thank you
Nice! Thanks for watching dude!
Great content! Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
The way you awkwardly end all of your videos, really ripens my lemons ;O
Hahaha it’s such an odd thing to say goodbye to an empty room
Fantastic, i just bought a new op-1 and i wanted a refresher on how to navigate the op-1. quick easy informative video. thankyou!!!
Glad to have helped! Have fun getting back into it!
Just received my op1! Gotta say I am having such a tremendous amount of fun with it. I was also very happy to see your video was like the top quick start guide for the op1. Great job with this broooo. Also, that intro still gets me 😂😂😂😂
Hahaha that intro still gets me too!! Glad you finally got one man. Hopefully the video gave you some tips to get going on it!
Your videos is great 👍 Super helpful. Especially in explaining how it functions in a workflow and how to loop correctly. I've had mine almost a year a couldn't figure it out. Thank you 😊
Thanks for checking it out! I’m pumped it helped you out! ✌️
Had my OP1 for a while, and the TE documentation is decent (and I love that they are still issuing updates in 2021!) but I have to say this video is a fantastic way to suss the whole OP1 layout and the capabilities of this winder synth. Well organized and fun. THANK YOU!
Glad you liked it! Still my favorite synth ever!
Thank you Brad! My op1 arrives tomorrow. Your video makes it less scary!
I'm excited for you! Just remember to be patient with it - it'll make sense after some practice!
excellent video. thanks
Glad you liked it!
Just got an OP-1and watching your videos is definitely making me progress WAAAAAAAY faster than I would have trying to figure it out on my own. Keep the videos coming and thank you!
That’s awesome man! Glad to have helped out! Thanks for watching ✌️
I won't never get tired of your intro haha
Haha thanks! It makes me laugh every time still
Waiting on USPS to arrive with my OP-1 today. Thanks for the helpful startup guide! I’m sure I’ll be watching it several more times.
Good luck! Hopefully I've helped get you going in the right direction!
Thanks for this video. Can’t believe TE didn’t make one.
Love how you pinpointed the essentials !
Glad it was helpful!
I am sure not the only one who is just watching thise because this thing just looks so cool to use?
Haha looks cool to use AND super fun to use!✌️
Thanks, you got me jamming right out the box.
Awesome! Glad to hear it!
Found you in the FB group, thanks for the video! Excellent production quality, you deserve way more subs.
My spider web is effective! Haha thanks man! I’m glad you liked the video! ✌️
High quality ish 👍🏽 respect ✊
Thanks bud!
First of, best intro ever. I have watched countless OP-1 videos on UA-cam and own one for 5 years now but had no idea that when in tape mode shift+stop would give you smaller increments. I have struggled on so many tracks to get my timing right 😅
Thanks! Haha that intro makes me laugh every time. They introduced the shift/stop thing a few firmware updates back. I think it’s only been around for about a year or so.
Amazing tutorial and killer intro 🧠
Glad you liked it dude haha! Thanks for watching!
Great tutorial thank you.
Glad you liked it! Have fun with the OP-1!
this is a very informative video thank you.
I’m glad it was helpful! Thanks for checking it out!
Thank you very much for doing this video ! ;)
Glad you liked it!
Excellent. Just ordered my OP-1 and look forward to using it with modular. Did order a Kenton USB to MIDI host box and modular already has MIDI to CV so will be fun to use.
Sounds like some fun is headed your way!
@@BradTennant love it great combo and still learning my OP-1 a very deep machine that is powerful and ace.
10/10 man, recording directly off the tape is an amazing discovery cant believe i haven't seen it before!
A masterclass on some of the more obscure effects and when to use them would be great as well, i can never seem to find a place to use the phone effect, and the punch effect also escapes me!
I’m glad you got something out of it dude! I love the phone effect on drums. There’s a sweet spot to get some nice glitches if you fiddle enough. The punch effect only seems to come in handy for me once out of thirty tries.
I like to use it connected to the Ipad with the camera connection kit as a midi controller and 4 track recorder. I usually use Korg Gadget as the main audio source.
@@elsantoproductora That's a fun set up! I've done this with the Syntronik app for some synthy goodness.
This is a brilliant guide, I can't believe how few views this has!
I'm glad you like it dude! Haha it's my best performing video to date, so I'm happy with the views so far! (wouldn't be upset if the number was a little bigger tho)
Nice video 👍
Thanks!
you have my full thumbs up always only because of your intro
Haha score!! Thanks dude!
My favorite trick is to mute the drums and resample a melody into the drum sampler, now experiment with play back on the finger sequencer once drums are turned back on. You'll find some really cool grooves.
Now that sounds like a fun idea! Never tried that one before. Thanks for posting that!
I thought this video had 1M views...not 10k! That was great, loved it man. I have barely piano experience but as a drummer I can already do some cool chill beats with the OP-1, and this tutorial was a life-saver. So many things I picked up, but tbh I watched it slow. Especially the ability to merge two lanes in one, I managed to make it work but have no idea how it works :D
Haha I’m still impressed it’s got to 10k! Glad you liked the video dude!
Just bought my OP-1 last week and I’m so glad I stumbled upon your videos. Going to be watching at least 1 video a day from your channel to get familiar. Not sure if you’ll comment back but I found all but 1 script to sync the op-1 to ableton. I believe I am missing the “controller surface” script, which appears to be common for people.
Glad you found the channel man! Hopefully you find something useful! I'm a Logic Pro guy so I'm not sure about Ableton scripts
Brad Tennant no problem. I’ll figure it out eventually. Super pumped to get into your videos:)
lol have op1 for 2 years, never heard about the shift stop thing!
I’m glad you picked up some new info! Thanks for checking it out’
Wow. So informative. Then I went and checked out your album, doooope production. You’re a dope dude. Fireo
What a nice comment! Thanks a bunch!! Glad you dig my stuff!
Re 10:00 about turning off drive before lifting all four tracks, that wasn’t necessary as lifting and dropping is pre master effects stage. It’s only when you are recording/re-sampling what your hear (with the ear icon actor via the input settings screen) that you’d need to be mindful of your master effects settings.
Thanks for pointing that out Gary!
@@BradTennant you’re welcome, Brad! And nice work on the video!
@@bubba101010 Thanks!!
Drive is applied to the output, so I'm pretty sure you only need to turn it off if you're recording/sampling from the "ear" source. 😉
You might be right about that! Either way, it's a good tip to keep in mind. I've got some weird sounding bounces without knowing about turning the drive down. Thanks for checking the video out!
Yes! Give us more, please. I love it. Masterclass it now... 👍🏻
Haha thanks!! I'll look into expanding on all this!
Great stuff! thanks! any tips on where to download the best op-1 drum/synth packs?
Thanks dude! Glad you liked it. Op1.fun is a pretty good resource for drum packs and synth patches.
Tape speed is the best part brotha!! 😝
Messing with the tape speed gives some really fun results!
Thank you. This guide convinced me that I don't need to buy an OP-1. Way too hard for me.
Fair enough! It’s a fun little box but it’s not for everyone
Same here... In all the YT videos i´ve seen users "playing" the OP-1 there is a person in a slight agony lol
I just wish this device was a little bit bigger. I completely love the concept.
In a way I agree with you and in a way I love the size. It would be nice to have a few more keys on the thing though!
It is small but after a while you’d see the size is perfect.
Awesome tutorial! Finally one where the teacher isn't trying to display his awesome finger-drumming technique which leaves me behind trying to figure out how to fix the mistake before we've learned how to fix mistakes. Before: "Monkeys? Cows? HUH?" After: "Oh Monkeys! Oh Cows! Yeaaah!"
Glad you liked it man! Happy to have helped!
Brad, great tutorial. Thanks. I've had op-1 for a few months, just started to have time to learn it after some illness this summer. Is it possible to physically record the tape wow and flutter, slow/fast (like you get on playback when you turn the blue knob)? it sounds great. I cant figure how to record that tape wow/flutter Live while in sync. You can probably dump to another track on OP-1 or Ableton, but thought you might know a fast way, or if its possible. I see in theOP-1 Manual under tape tricks, but doesn't seem to answer what I want. thanks.
You may be able to record it into the album mode but the easiest way would be to record it externally. But yeah, I love messing with the tape speed. More gear should have a similar feature.
This is very helpful. Thanks. ~V~
Glad to have helped!
This was a great basics video BUT I totally had no idea about the direct record into Tape!! Mind blown a bit. :) So, does this mean that you are not limited to time when you record straight into tape, vs. sampling? (6 secs & 12 secs). This is a game changer for bringing in vocals, etc.
Yeah, no time limit when you’re recording directly in. Well, other than the limit you have on the tape itself. Thanks for watching! I’m glad you found a good piece of info in there.
Hi Brad! What are you using to record the output of the OP-1?
I was probably using my zoom h5 for this
I wasnt able to get the in and out point set for the 8 bar loop.
How do you extract the track you make ? Is it just connect via usb and find it on the OP1 via the pc or is there a save process ?
That’s pretty much it. All four tracks have their own files once you connect the OP-1 via USB. Alternatively you can record to the “album” on the op-1 if you want the mixed version without the 4 separate tracks. - I usually skip that part and record to my zoom h5.
@@BradTennant thanks for your response.
No problem!
The audio output volume through headphones appears to be low, any way to change that?
Shift stop just added more increments to my track I don’t know how to go even more specific on the lines what am I doing wrong?
To be honest I’d get an OP-1 if I had enough money. It’s great as both a serious instrument and a little toy to mess around with.
It's a shame the prices are so high because you're absolutely right!
Hey Brad. Great video! Quick question...when i but the drive over 30 on my OP-1, i get some static noise over the line-out (even when the OP istn connected to a power source). In your recording, i hear none / just some minor static noise. Do you have some sort of ground loop isolator in your setup? Or is your OP just "quiter" than mine ^^ Greetings from europe
I do have a ground loop isolator hooked up. One thing that I figured out early on with my OP-1 though, is to make sure your volume knob is turned down around the half way mark or lower (just turn up your input gain on your recorder to make up the difference). I found that the louder my volume was, the more static I got. But the ground loop isolator definitely helps!
Brad Tennant oh! Thank you for this tip! Will try it. I also didn’t know you could lift more than 1 track and drop it into the samplers. Excellent video!
Hey Brad! How do you get such a clean recording of the OP1? Do you use an audio interface or plug the OP1 straight to the computer and somehow into the DAW? I want to record live audio as well but it doesn't sound so great straight from my camera and speakers.
I record everything directly onto the OP-1. Then, when my tape is full, I’ll offload all the tracks into my computer via the USB disk mode (shift + com when plugged into a USB port). That allows me to take all 4 tracks separately into my DAW for further processing if it’s needed. Once the music is ready I can then sync it up to the video in Adobe Premiere.
@@BradTennant but hold on , didn't I see you effecting it with the 404 live?
@@Spherical_El Most of my old recordings were recorded live directly into my Zoom H5 so I was probably just running OP-1 audio into the SP404's input for the effects. It's pretty rare I'd go through the effort of mixing my OP-1 jams in the DAW but I've been cooking up some new stuff with the MPC One that's a bit more complex.
Nice guide ! Right now i'm looking to buy the OP-1, but i hesitate with the MPC Live 2. I know that both of these instruments are different
but what would you recommend to me ? One thing to know is that i have ableton to work with big projects, but i want something that i can carry around
and work with ideas, and maybe jam with other musicians.
Well, I have some bias since I have an OP-1 and haven't messed with the MPC stuff yet. But, the OP-1 definitely has the portability on lock. Connecting it to other gear is possible and depending on the gear, fairly simple. That said, it doesn't play well with ALL other gear. From what I know about the MPC Live 2, it has all kinds of connection ports, so it might take the lead if you're looking to sync up with other musicians. There are definitely going to be limitations with the OP-1, but in my experience, those limitations are what makes it such a fun piece of gear. In other people's opinions, it can seem pretty tedious. For a single stand alone synth that can do pretty much all I want for sketching out music ideas, I'm very happy with my OP-1.
@@BradTennant Ok thanks for your help ! Right now i'm looking for more info on the OP-1 because i kind of know a bit about the MPC.
It seems like the OP-1 is a little bit more complicated but less powerfull than the MPC, but i'm motivated to learn. I will take my time to decide and if i can try those, that would certainly make me decide !
@@AlexClc Yeah, I'd say you're probably correct about the power and workflow. It's not super complicated once you get familiar with the layout, but there's for sure a learning curve. I really appreciate that it has limitations as it pulls more creativity out of me. Good luck on making your choice!
I just listened ot your Nervous Album, what the ef, it's so cool, so smooth! Could you tell me more about yourworkflow? Did you use daw in the production process? I imagine you mixed with Logic/Ableton and mastered it there, but what about production: ) is it really that capable
Thanks, I'm Glad you liked the album! All the dongs were written on the OP-1 and recorded into a stereo wav on a zoom h5 with the exception of the two songs with vocals. For those, I recorded the vocals in Logic and for the Under the Covers song, I added some guitar and synth layers that weren't in the original OP-1 version. I also added a lot of processing in my attempt to clean up the mixes but I didn't really know what I was doing at the time haha. If I were to do it over again, I'd probably try to stem it all out and do a proper mix and master but I kind of like how lofi it feels the way it is.✌
@@BradTennant It's really brilliant, I'm an amateur musician and I wouldn't say it sounded bad, maybe audio levels differ sometimes, but that could be an interesting addition to the songs.
Well done! So should I get op-1? I think I should :D
@@user-zi2hg6mu2e I appreciate it! As long as you go into getting an OP-1 with the understanding that there is a learning curve and a lot of limitations, I think you'd be alright. Especially if you understand that those limitations are what makes the OP-1 so fun to make stuff with!
How do you record all tracks while playing over tracks with a lead, seamlessly into logic?
If you’re asking how to record each track separately, you have to record one by one. Logic (or any DAW) only sees the OP-1 as an audio device that can send stereo and receive stereo.
How did u sync the sequencer to the metronome?
If it's not automatically synced, make sure your Metronome page is set to Beat Match via the green knob (not in front of my OP-1 at the moment so I might be slightly off here)
How do I reset my OP-1 to its industry presets? Would love some help!
The easiest way I can think of is to plug in via usb into disk mode. Then delete the the files and folders in the main directory. Once you eject it and restart the OP-1 it should boot and up rebuild its database with factory defaults.
Do you have the ability to program chords to a single key button? I don’t like my mini midi keyboard and I can’t play piano nor do I like trying to create original music on my mpc one in chords or notes mode.
With the Endless Sequencer you can program a chord and it will transpose it depending on which key you press but I don’t really think that’s what you’re looking for.
Yo what happened to the high b note on the piano? It was raised and crooked then all of a sudden just fine😂
Somehow the key broke loose from the plastic clasp that keeps it in place so it wiggles out of place sometimes
Hey Brad, I have a question if you have some time to answer: when I record with the OP-1 on tape, to do loops (e.g. a 4-bar synth, that I want to constantly repeat), it seems that when I copy/paste it the beginning/end do not coincide correctly although they should, and I end up with a 'click' sound or a small empty gap, or something that anyway is quite hearable on tape. I don't know if there's some ways to scrub/join better the samples, maybe if you'll do a video on 'recording' tips I'm missing out on?
This is something that I run into every once in a while that I can only seem to fix by re-recording the part. I haven't had it happen in a while but it always frustrates me when it happens. It usually happens when there's a long tail on the audio either from a slow release or some reverb, so if you can mess with that, you might find some success.
9:35 how to bounce tracks
Are those synth patches you made available for download anywhere? 🙂
A couple are available but not my whole folder that you see in the video. My FM synth video has the links: ua-cam.com/video/ZJI-IeSx1jM/v-deo.html
Is the OP-1 worth the money just as a synth? I probably won't use any of the DAW features but I'm curious if the sounds & effects are worth it.
The effects leave a bit to be desired especially in 2022. The sounds CAN be worth it if you’re okay with twisting knobs and experimenting - which the user interface makes pretty fun. Just remember to use the LFOs and you’ll get some interesting results
This is a genuine question out of ignorance. Is it possible to control the OP-1 with two different midi controllers and simultaneously? For example if I want to play drums with a pad usb controller and the op-synth with a keyboard controller?
I don’t think that’s possible. The drum engine and synth engine can’t be played at the same time. Johnnybgood did a tutorial that set up the drum/sample engine to have some synth sounds as well as drum sounds so you could in theory do that as a workaround. Can’t seem to find that video tho
at 8:55 you finally fixed your key, it was sticking out.. :O
That pesky key has a mind of it’s own
Hey Brad, when can we expect more tutorial videos?
I’ve been working on some life stuff over the summer but I’m working on getting some videos going soon. No exact dates but I feel like there should be something new around here in September. October at the latest.
Thank you for this video. When I try to record a half loop (so like you did 4 instead of 8) my OP-1 fills in the rest of the loop with silence and I can not lift just the 4 beats and paste them. It makes it 4 beats with the drums and then 4 of silence. How can I address this please? Thank you again for the video. It is incredibly helpful.
If you set your in/out markers to an 8 bar loop and only need 4 bars in there the rest of the loop will be silent. You can set the markers to only be 4 bars. Or if you already have the recording in place, you should be able to use shift+ the arrows to jump to individual white notches and then make a cut where your 4 beats end. That should allow you to lift the part you want. Hope that helps! Glad you found the video useful!
@@BradTennant thank you so much! I will try that for sure.
Q: Can songwriters use this to make an actual song, ie with an into, verse ,chorus, bridge etc? It all seems to be loop based..
Ive had my OP-1 for about 9 months, I love it but I feel like I havent found a good way to integrate it into my other instruments. I learned a lot I never would have known, I didn't know you could record directly into it, something Ive been wanting to do since I got it. For some reason I thought you could only sample it into the drum or synth and make 12 or 6 second samples.
That's a feature that I didn't really start using until after having it for over a year. It's so simple that I assumed you'd need to do something else. I'm glad you found the video useful man! thanks for checking it out.
I'm enjoying it more by ignoring the ability to integrate other instruments. I'm writing songs with just the OP1 and my voice.
That’s mainly how I’ve always used it too. Except for my voice. Only sampled that a few times.
I play metal guitars with a really small Vox headphone amp into the OP-1 tape all the time. I also record into it with old low impedance mics and a tiny mixer for my drum kit. PO-33 into the OP-1 for more drum manipulation.
Also use a SC1000 turntable into the input from time to time.
I even import tracks from my DAW into the tape all the time just to use the OP-1s sweet sweet compression.
It really is a Swiss army knife for audio
It’s so flexible! Sounds like you’re getting your moneys worth out of it for sure!
Me: Jamming with the Op-1, taking myself super seriously, thinking I’m the man, basically Ratatat and Daft Punk combined 😎😎😎😎😎
My wife: Are you playing your little toy-sy toy 🧸🙈☹️
Haha the struggle is real! ✌
I'm now looking forward to the Ukulele / OP-1 mash-up :)
I have experience with guitar and basic music theory (except for piano). Let alone synthesizers. Would you recommend the OP-1 for a beginner with no experience in synthesizers?
It was my first synthesizer! I had mostly guitar experience as well but I also had been messing around with DAWs and midi stuff for a little bit before I pulled the trigger. But the nice thing is you can record your guitar directly into the OP-1 so you don’t have to be good with the synths.
Longtime guitar player, synth newbie, and I totally agree this is really fun! Got mine today and love it.
man on my op-1 in tape mode I cant seem to put those little bars. I press shift+ > but nothing happens.
If you don' t have the bars, try hitting shift + stop. Once they show up, shift+ >/< will move you around to the bars. If that doesn't work, make sure you're updated to the latest firmware. Good luck!
Great quick question ! Does the op-1 record several songs or only 1 that you need to export to a computer ?
Think of the OP-1 like a cassette tape. You have about 6 minutes total and 4 tracks. So if you have a 6 minute song that’ll fill the whole thing up. However if your song is based on loops you can have the op-1 repeat a 4 bar loop (or 8 or 16 or whatever length you want) several times and then jump to the next 4 bar loop (or 8 or whatever length). You can record that “performance” to the album part of op-1 or record it out to an audio recorder. Most of the time, what I do, is just import my separate tape tracks to my computer via USB and cut my loops out in a DAW.
@@BradTennant ah ok interesting feedback! So in fact it s not possible to record several different song ? It s just one take of max 6 min or different loops to be recorded into an album… in a way that s abit disapointing but well … as you say you can export it to a computer DAW each time ! Thanks 😊
Yeah the op-1 is built around creative restraints. Once you get used to what it can’t do, it pushes your creativity to find interesting workarounds. Before I got used to the machine i felt a bit overwhelmed but now I can’t see myself ever getting rid of it.
@@BradTennant i have the same feeling about the constraints and a bit feeling overwhelmed but it still looks promising ! And it looks so tiny compact and beautiful so prob i wont sell it anyway neither .... thanks 🙏
So uhh, that one key doesn't seem to be entirely happy with it's position on the keyboard.
hahaha that's my little broken key buddy. It's like 75% broken but KINDA stays in place for the most part. One of these days I'll get some replacements.
What is the car and the cow screen called? I don't know the specifics
I assume by “car” you’re referring to the Nitro FX? Both the CWO and Nitro, along with the other built in effects on the OP-1 can be found by hitting the 3 key while in the synth/drum engines or when you’re in mix mode from the tape screen. Hope that helps!
Thank you!
Brad, forgive my question, but why wouldn't you do all of that in Logic? Wouldn't it be much easier and quicker? I'm trying to wrap my head around the OP-1. My instinct tells me that it is useful, but... is it? Is it redundant? Thank-you.
It really comes down to workflow preference. I still use Logic and the OP-1. But I started with Logic. When I first got the OP-1 it was definitely easier and quicker for me to knock something out with Logic, but now that I've grown familiar and comfortable with the OP-1 it's a pretty close tie between the two in terms of speed. At the end of the day, what's more comfortable for your to get your ideas out on? The limitations on the OP-1 force you to think a little more creatively while the complete openness of a DAW let's you make literally whatever you can imagine, But having all those options at your fingertips can sometimes be daunting and cause option paralysis.
@@BradTennant Thank-you for the quick response!
man somehow i cant set the points as you said with the shift and arrows l/r but i can make the bars shorter or longer with shitft and the encoders. so why is that? i've got the op1 since couple of months and want to finally learnd it now.so why im not able to set the points as you explained in this video my man?
My guess would be you need to update to the latest firmware. You'll need to set your in point and your out point with the 1(in) and 2(out) buttons on the right of the track numbers. Shift + Stop should change the resolution of the white notches once you have the latest firmware. Then shift + will navigate between those notches. Hope that helps!
@@BradTennant actually idid the firware update. so firmware should be there if i press com??
@@BradTennant actually i did. im in 242 as it shows om the the TE webpage.
If you’re trying to jump from loop to loop, as long as you have in and out points you should be able to hold shift and tap left or right while the tape is playing. Let go of shift and tap the play button and you should jump. If that’s not what you’re asking, I guess I’m not sure what you mean
Do you know when is going to be available again? The official website says it is our of stock.
No clue unfortunately. There might be some stock at some third party stores online, but I'd try joining a TE/OP-1 community on Reddit or Facebook as there's usually someone that catches when stores are stocked back up.
Brad Tennant thanks a lot!
it's back in stock.
ShouriSeifuku i just bought one!! Thanks!!!
Hey man, I get to about 6:33 when I follow your instructions to record a take of my drums and then cut/paste it. For some reason, when I start recording the take, it automatically sets the entire length of the take to be equal to that of the loop length that I set. So when I try to paste, it doesn't just paste the 4 bars I recorded drums on - it pastes the entire 8 bars. Do you know what I'm doing wrong?
If i press "join", then I can cut it at the 4 bar point and then erase the last 4 bars and cut/paste the first 4 bars - but I am worried I'm doing something wrong that it matches the take length with the loop length automatically. I'd like to make sure I'm not messing up before continue the tutorial. Thanks!
I’m pretty sure that’s normal. If you have your white tape notches set, you can lock on to those with shift + < / > and then cut if you want to give you the desired bar length.
@@BradTennant yes, shift + > will take me down the white notches, where i can set “loop end”. It’s actually when i start recording the track - as soon as I press rec + a musical key, the blue line (track) automatically syncs to the end of the green line/loop - even if the track i’m recording hasn’t gone all the length of the loop (green line).
Yeah I think that’s a normal thing that’s supposed to emulate it being a tape machine. Shift + stop can change your tape notch resolution to help you get in and fine tune a cut that isn’t your exact loop length.
@@BradTennant thanks brad!!!
On mine, it always makes the recording the length of the in/out even if I don't record all the way through.
Pretty sure that happens to me too
Turn off loop point (while recording) if that's a problem. You can also then loop to the size of recording by pressing shift + loop.
I got this thing for Christmas (2020😬). Wish me luck. I’m scared.
Good luck! Be patient with it and remember to have fun!
Hey, I just bought one and I didn’t understand the first part about recording at all... I’m watching repeatedly but doesn’t make sense to me. I think it would be nice to explain what are the number, why you start to record on 4 something, why not zero? I don’t understand how many seconds it goes back, is there a count in? anyway its confusing, but thanks for the tutorial.
I'm not sure which numbers you're referring to. If it's the 1,2,3,4 under the screen, those are your tracks.
There's a total of 6 minutes of record time on each of those tracks (if that's what you mean by "how many seconds it goes back").
How to do a count in on the OP-1:
On the tempo page (the metronome icon) adjust your red knob to turn up your click track. On the tape page (the tape icon under the comment bubble icon) set your loop points (i go over this in the video). Hit the stop button to make sure you're at the beginning of your loop. Then hold shift while you tap the left arrow once. This should take you 4 bars before your loop (holding shift and hitting the stop button can adjust the white notches if you aren't ending up 4 bars behind your loop here). Now hold record and hit play and then let go of both. You should hear the metronome beep 4 times before your loop starts.
Hope that helps! Good luck and remember to take your time with it. It'll all make sense with some practice.
@@BradTennant Hey thanks a lot for your help. What makes me really confused still is , is there a way to quantize the notes after live record? I can’t seem to find a feature like this. If not what would be the trick here?
I see you editing but I cant replicate at all, even hitting the same buttons is not doing the same thing, I’m missing something about how you delete what you don’t want to or paste to duplicate it, fine trim to where u want. Appreciate if you can do a tutorial specifically about that. 🙏🏻
@@BettinaCalmon The biggest frustration I had was the fact there is no quantization on the OP-1. To deal with that, your best bet is to get comfortable using the sequencers (my favorite is the Endless sequencer and I made a tutorial on it).
As for editing, the scissor/join button will make cuts. The up arrow will lift it and the down arrow will paste it. Shift plus the up arrow will lift all tracks.
If that's not working for you, make sure your firmware is updated from the teenage engineering website. I hope that helps!
@@BradTennant Hey, I have another question. Initially I thought my sounds are stored in my tracks so I was changing tracks and choosing different sounds but once I needed the same sound I was using before, it was gone. I mean so the track is only for recording but if I’m using a preset and need to go back to it later, what should I do? Thanks!
Such a creepy vocal intro but I really dig it.
Hahaha thanks, Money Penny!
The knob is ORANGE. Not red.
I’m pretty sure I called it both colors throughout the video! So I’m only half dumb.
This is great. But is there a really beginner level video out there? Still confused.
Red Means Recording just released some in depth videos that might help you out. He put out a series that covers pretty much everything.
Brad Tennant thank you! I’ll check it out ASAP!
Good luck!
When I use the Op-1 alone I feel like I'm constantly fighting it's shortcomings, the barely usable synth engines, the limited sequencers and effects, etc. and when I hook up my other gear to the Op-1 I wonder why use it at all.
For me it is definitely a toy but a toy so cool I can't part with it
it definitely has it's shortcomings. But I actually kinda like the limitations it gives you. At first it seemed awful but now I appreciate them.
@@BradTennant I love your videos and the intro is pure gold
Thanks! I'm glad you dig 'em!
elsanto productora check out Red Means Recording, there you will learn the “short comings” are all you...
@@MrJackal43 I've had the Op-1 for years and I love it,
it's a great little groovebox and definitely a lot of fun.
I usually like to use more than 4 tracks, a nice sounding reverb, velocity sensitive keys, etc. I didn't say you couldn't make a great track on the Op-1, of course you can.
No wonder people sell these after purchasing it. Need to take a year corse on how everything works. I’ll stick to the Mpc one!
Love my MPC One. OP-1 is a great little sound module to pair with it after you figure it out