Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ten years of OP-1

teenage.engineering

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

181–190 of 213 posts

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#181

Post by bzzzt »

tjr225 wrote: post #152
megameter wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Modulars and multifunctional devices like the OP-1 or Octatrack seem to be what "the kids" are interested in, if they buy new hardware - there is just more "bang for the buck" when you go with those options. Vintage synths are fun curiosities, but with prices skyrocketing, most everyone turns to the very accurate software reproductions to actually use the sounds. It's a very rapid divergence between collectors and us…

There are plenty of musicians using classic hardware, not just collectors. Same with guitars. OP-1 and Octatrack provide a different workflow but the classic stuff provides a truly special sound. While the software reproductions of vintage analog synths get you 90% of the way there, musicians want 100% of the sound. If that weren’t the case then you would see prices of classic instruments go down. I am not a pro musi…

In my experience the collectors and 'gear junkie' crowd are the people buying the vintage stuff now (and obsessing which of the dozens of 303 clones sounds most like the original) while the pro's just make music with whatever equipment they have and like...

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#182

Post by bzzzt »

deeblering4 wrote: post #117
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.

Comparing the Octatrack which just had it's 10 year anniversary with newer devices seems a bit unfair. I think it was a nice machine for it's time (and at second hand going rate around 500-600 euro still a good deal). There's an advantage to not having to connect and configure multiple boxes if you just want to make some music.

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#183

Post by ollifi »

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 like high profit margins. It makes possible (but doesn’t guarantee) better design, better working conditions, smaller volumes, healthy second hand market etc. I love OP-1 but in the end it’s going to be waste. We are in huge trouble optimizing for ever cheaper everything on this planet. If we would be talking about healthcare, food, housing, education I would be more on consumers side, but teenage engineering makes toys for people who have maslows lower levels covered.

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#184

Post by bzzzt »

bsder wrote: post #158
sdenton4 wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A couple other sightings of my own: Nine Inch Nails live rig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMXEvNUjgCg Zola Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx6hFRW3Lyg Dan Deacon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEwpOKhLT7E (The Teenage Engineering page includes, amongst many others, Depeche Mode, Ariane Grande, Timbaland, Animal Collective, Deadmau5, Usher, Bon Iver, Childish Gambino...)

I never put any stock in what gear musicians use unless I see them before they became even slightly famous. Musicians get paid to use gear. I don't know of any moderately famous musician for whom that isn't true. My favorite examples of this are bands that have that cool Rickenbacker sound and shoot a couple of videos with them. And then suddenly once they get some traction, they're playing Telecasters in public all…

There's a national pop festival here which is broadcast on TV; for years I've noticed there's always a high-end Moog synthesizer on the main stage, even when the act only plays guitars... it's just product placement.

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#185

Post by ChrisLomont »

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…

>and plastic enclosure

The OP-1 is machined aluminum, not plastic.

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#186

Post by capableweb »

tomduncalf wrote: post #179
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…

> Octatrack Depending on your musical tastes and tolerance for UI complexity, you may be better served by other Elektron devices as your first purchase. The Octatrack is very powerful but pretty complex to wrap your head around. Personally I’d go for the Analog Rytm mk2, especially if you like drum-based electronic music... it sounds fantastic, is a great analog drum machine but each track can also be used as a synth…

I think the complexity of the Octatrack is a bit overstated and probably scares people more than necessary. Only confusing part is the whole track/machine/part/pattern/banks thing, but other Elektron machines have similar complexity. Or maybe it's the sequencer people are scared of? But it's a easy one with just a lot of depth.

But I'd agree with you, as a owner of both a Rytm and Octatrack, to go for the Rytm before the Octatrack as it's simply a nicer standalone machine, the Octatrack really needs companions to be fully useful.

> I agree that Elektron are making some of the most fun and exciting music gear out there, I love all their stuff

Hear hear! My wallet likes Elektron less though.

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#187

Post by capableweb »

SauciestGNU wrote: post #140
brandonmenc wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You seem to be seeing something nefarious in their discontinuing the OP-1, and then re-continuing it at a higher price. This is typical behavior of a certain large class of musicians, particularly electronic ones. The message boards are full of people complaining that these companies charge "too much." They will also then complain that Behringer sucks for "stealing" ideas and pricing them affordably. Meanwhile, it…

The Behringer thing is really confusing to me. I know there are other personal/ethical reasons to dislike them, but cloning out of patent devices is not one of them. That's what patents are for and why they're only valid for a defined period of time. It makes even less sense to criticize them when the originals they are cloning aren't even made anymore.

I don't think Behringer only creates clones of "out of patent" hardware but also current gear that is still being sold. I guess the latest example is the Behringer Swing that is obviously a clone of the Arturia Keystep.

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#188

Post by Toutouxc »

smoldesu wrote: post #61
Toutouxc wrote: post #4

I use a Mac. I have a PlayStation AND a Switch, I can come up with reasons to buy almost every gadget imaginable, but no matter how lovely and enchanting the OP-1 is, €1121 is just too much for something that wouldn't make me more money (as my job is not in music production).

Grab a Novation Circuit, sounds like the perfect musical gadget for you.

Wow, I've seen some videos and damn, I didn't know how capable those were. Thanks, I may end up with one.

Re: Ten years of OP-1

#189

Post by ybbond »

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.

I kinda agree with your cynical view, I often view that way too.

But I think not worth defending further than this. It will end up trash talks.

Post reply on HN