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Ten years of OP-1

teenage.engineering

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Re: Ten years of OP-1

#111

Post by mwfunk »

voxrumor wrote: post #89
mwfunk wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't heard about this. Were they busted lying about supply chain issues as an excuse to raise prices? Their stuff is pricey but cool, but if it's documented that they lied about that, that would be hard to get past.

They have talked about it some, seemed reasonable. Also understand why it would not be a popular decision though. Think running a business, and understanding success can be very temporary if you are not careful helps. "We have had to face other costs than the actual components’ costs of course. The currency conversion, inflation, sourcing of the new component, re-coding the display, re-designing the mounting, new too…

That seems unfortunate but reasonable. I don’t begrudge anyone making that choice, and I don’t begrudge anyone thinking their prices are too high (and I don’t begrudge anyone buying their stuff anyway because they think something’s cool). I was way more concerned about the claim that they lied about it and were scamming their customers somehow, but so far there’s no evidence of that.

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#112

Post by golergka »

smoldesu wrote: post #56

Teenage Engineering is a frustrating company. On the one hand, they set out to create some of the most fun music equipment you can own: their Pocket Operator line is awesome for beginners of the hardware world, and they've consistently innovated with their grooveboxes. The problem? They have absolutely no respect for their pricing model. The OP-1 used to cost $800, which was already a big ask for a microprocessor, OL…

You can't determine a synth's value based on it's components, or it's sounds. A PC with completely free plugins and VST will be always be much more customisable and "powerful" than any hardware device, and have better sound, too. That's not what you're paying for.

You're paying for UX that creates the pit of success for your music-making process.

You pay for the fact that you use knobs, not mouse — although you would be able to draw an infinitely detailed automation with it. You pay for the limited choices you have, and where these limitations lead you. You pay for the touch & feel. You pay for purely subjective, aesthetic factors, like look and smell — because music-making is a completely subjective, intuitive process and your psychological state is more important for it having a Turing-complete LFO system.

I like OP-1 and I like Octatrack, but there's just no way you could have any objective "measurement" for which one is better of has better value — because any value that these devices have is subjective. If you want to decide which one to buy, forget everything about specs, and just spend an hour or two playing with them, feeling them with your hands while you make music.

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#114

Post by mmastrac »

jaxwerk wrote: post #100
smoldesu wrote: post #56

Teenage Engineering is a frustrating company. On the one hand, they set out to create some of the most fun music equipment you can own: their Pocket Operator line is awesome for beginners of the hardware world, and they've consistently innovated with their grooveboxes. The problem? They have absolutely no respect for their pricing model. The OP-1 used to cost $800, which was already a big ask for a microprocessor, OL…

I bought my OP-1 at a steal for $600 two years back. I'd pay $1200 for it today, maybe $1600. There's a lot of more technically capable stand-alone gear that can be had for less of course. My MPC Live is what my finished (not good compared to others, I'm just an amateur making video game soundtracks for kids I teach game dev to) songs ultimately come out of, and the Octatrack is something I've really enjoyed playing…

I paid about the same... I am considering listing it. It's just collecting dust unfortunately.

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#115

Post by devin »

musicalynejd wrote: post #88
smoldesu wrote: post #56

Teenage Engineering is a frustrating company. On the one hand, they set out to create some of the most fun music equipment you can own: their Pocket Operator line is awesome for beginners of the hardware world, and they've consistently innovated with their grooveboxes. The problem? They have absolutely no respect for their pricing model. The OP-1 used to cost $800, which was already a big ask for a microprocessor, OL…

You don't understand their pricing because you don't understand what they are actually selling. They don't sell musical devices, they sell status symbols. You buy an OP-1 to look cool, not to actually make music with it. It's a bit like with the iPhone, but on a whole different level. Some buy fancy sneakers, others buy fancy pens and Moleskine, others buy an OP-1. And you can't have a cheap status symbol. This is al…

This is simply not true. I own a lot of synths, and the OP-1 is a very capable (and extremely portable) 4 track studio. I sketch a lot of music on it, and it sees regular use in the studio.

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#116

Post by musicalynejd »

devin wrote: post #115
musicalynejd wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't understand their pricing because you don't understand what they are actually selling. They don't sell musical devices, they sell status symbols. You buy an OP-1 to look cool, not to actually make music with it. It's a bit like with the iPhone, but on a whole different level. Some buy fancy sneakers, others buy fancy pens and Moleskine, others buy an OP-1. And you can't have a cheap status symbol. This is al…

This is simply not true. I own a lot of synths, and the OP-1 is a very capable (and extremely portable) 4 track studio. I sketch a lot of music on it, and it sees regular use in the studio.

Sure.

But that's not why most people buy it.

Just like most people don't buy a Rolex Submariner because they regularly do deep dives in the ocean.

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#117

Post by deeblering4 »

smoldesu wrote: post #56

Teenage Engineering is a frustrating company. On the one hand, they set out to create some of the most fun music equipment you can own: their Pocket Operator line is awesome for beginners of the hardware world, and they've consistently innovated with their grooveboxes. The problem? They have absolutely no respect for their pricing model. The OP-1 used to cost $800, which was already a big ask for a microprocessor, OL…

Honestly the octatrack is just as old and overpriced. Elektron has left it behind in terms of features like “overbridge” and after learning the ins and outs of my I much prefer separate sampler, sequencer and looper.

Don’t get me wrong, the OT is an amazing box. I just think that for the money a person can make much more interesting jams on a digitakt or midel:samples and an rc505, for instance.

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#118

Post by dag11 »

musicalynejd wrote: post #88
smoldesu wrote: post #56

Teenage Engineering is a frustrating company. On the one hand, they set out to create some of the most fun music equipment you can own: their Pocket Operator line is awesome for beginners of the hardware world, and they've consistently innovated with their grooveboxes. The problem? They have absolutely no respect for their pricing model. The OP-1 used to cost $800, which was already a big ask for a microprocessor, OL…

You don't understand their pricing because you don't understand what they are actually selling. They don't sell musical devices, they sell status symbols. You buy an OP-1 to look cool, not to actually make music with it. It's a bit like with the iPhone, but on a whole different level. Some buy fancy sneakers, others buy fancy pens and Moleskine, others buy an OP-1. And you can't have a cheap status symbol. This is al…

> black and full of ports and cables like an actual musical device.

Why does an "actual music device" have to be a certain color? I don't follow most of you argument, but especially that.

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#119

Post by dag11 »

musicalynejd wrote: post #116
devin wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is simply not true. I own a lot of synths, and the OP-1 is a very capable (and extremely portable) 4 track studio. I sketch a lot of music on it, and it sees regular use in the studio.

Sure. But that's not why most people buy it. Just like most people don't buy a Rolex Submariner because they regularly do deep dives in the ocean.

Dive watches aren't for diving, divers use dive computers. But lots of musicians seem to use OP-1s...

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#120

Post by hbosch »

smoldesu wrote: post #56

Teenage Engineering is a frustrating company. On the one hand, they set out to create some of the most fun music equipment you can own: their Pocket Operator line is awesome for beginners of the hardware world, and they've consistently innovated with their grooveboxes. The problem? They have absolutely no respect for their pricing model. The OP-1 used to cost $800, which was already a big ask for a microprocessor, OL…

Buy a Deluge. :-)
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