Teenage Engineering is a design company as much as a musical instrument company. Its devices rarely look or act anything like what you buy from Korg or Moog. It remains the best distillation of his identity OP-1Twisted GROOVBOX This has gained a lot of attention to its aesthetics, such as the features of music production in all. Impacts are accompanied by illogical graphics, such as the automatic cow, and they mainly force you to adhere to a virtual “tape” idea with a intentional editorial possibilities.
But all teen engineering tools are a little strange and often polarized in their own way. the OP-z It is an amazing sequence device, but its free screen design and a set of baffled symbols. The game is inspired Jeep operators Very simple but mainly eliminated games. And 1999 dollars OP-1 field It is its entire thing, avoid the Midi sequence in favor of direct registration.
The latest mobile tool for the company, $ 2,299 OP-XYIt represents some of the greatest triggers of teenager engineering. It is serial, like OP-zBut it also contains the direct effects of performance Pocket operator series. Proverb OP-1 field is similarIt is mixing and taking samples (from other things) and comes at an astronomical price.
The challenge in teenage engineering is to find a balance between these things, and OP-X is highly successful. A mixture of unparalleled musical transmission and depth. It is strong enough to be part of an ended song, but it is small enough to draw illustrations in a café, and a cycle enough to spoil the sofa accidentally. It is an appropriately developed feeling, and most importantly, it’s very fun. Certainly, there are some strange icing, and the price is clearly crazy. But for someone looking for the final music travel companion, there is a lot you like.
Although it looks like Synth OP-1 Dark OP-1 with another set of buttons, XY is a heart sequence device, such as OP-Z, and begins with the same workflow. This means that the sequence device of the four-bars of the step is delivered instead of that limited limited that you find on the OP-1, which you expect you to work with the recorded sound. Where the OP-1 atmosphere is fun, loose, and focuses on sound rings, OP-Xy is planted, on the point, and … German.
Even with 64 steps, the simple sequence device can get repetition. Many companies have tried to process this by using tools that allow you to change features other than notes. OP-XY contains the automation and locks of parameters-you can keep a step and convert a handle to the maximum frequency of one note or slowly open the filter during the direct registration of energy-building in the style-but the Jin-Z’s (and thus, the OP-XY) is the ingredients of the step.
This is similar Triple circumstances on Electron GROOVBOX where they can provide things like possibility, fall or complex operating patterns. (Run this note every time through, for example). But XY step ingredients exceed simple operating fluctuations. It can also be used to cause random explorations of a specific scale, keep a step on one path, or even control the extent of the repetition of other step components. (For example, add the stadium curve but only through the pattern.)
Fortunately, the OP-Xy interface is more clear and more intuitive than the OP-Z, which has always felt complicated for me, despite the teenage engineering allegations that it was built for direct performance. Style OP-z buttons, parameters change symbols flow with the body (Handles It is an additional $ 19), and you only have LED lights for visual comments unless you relate to the Companion application. The app makes the easier to use, but having to rely on Bluetooth and your iPhone during direct performance is not perfect. You don’t want to worry about a scales app or a scales of a scales when playing for a room full of people.
OP-XY looks completely expansion compared, with nearly twice the number of buttons and a screen on the plane. While some graphics are more strange than useful, it makes the device much easier to navigate.
You will still want to keep the guide within your reach while finding your foot with OP-XY. Frankly, even with evidence, some things like step ingredients are not quite clear. Part of this is due to the contradictions that can be easily avoided – unfortunately, do not always put a lot of love and care in the design of its products design. For example, in the guide, the components of the teacher’s step, component and third say that it will play every third, fourth, fifth step, etc., while it says it will work Transcendence Each third, fourth or fifth step. For the record, the evidence is correct.
However, although this is a complex device with a lot of features outside the simple “Note Place here”, I managed to discover most of the basics through experience and error. Unlike OP-Z, which thwarted me almost immediately, OP-XY is already fun.
Each of the XY eight tracks have its own perforated effects by pressing the Shift button and pressing one of the switches when you are in the tools. So, if you want to jump the bus line for a short period of Octav for a short period, to put a reckless vibration on your progress, or give your barrels an additional temporary plot of compressor, this is where you can do. There is also the path of the hole’s effects when you are in auxiliary mode. This mode divides the keyboard in half; The bottom octav play only affects the rhythm, and the upper octav is only affecting the tools.
These effects can get little repetition, but they provide much more capabilities than average repetition and wipe your candidate. It makes it very easy to launch a simple loop, start interference, conception paths, transfer notes, and add studies. This level of reaction and improvisation space is not something you can find in every baking box.
There is also the brain, which is a type of smart transformer. This discovers the key to a specific path or even your entire song, then allows you to convert it directly by running the keyboard or even sequence of changes.
Looper adds another opportunity for a direct switch. It is like Djfx Looper It was found on Roland SP-404 But with more flexibility. You can use encoders to contact the required speed and length of a loop and then run by pressing the keys, which, instead of repeating the steps, play part of the actual sound. Although it is better in the simple effects of repetition, it can be used to do some very dirty rings of your episodes.
All these performance and sequence features will not be very important if OP-X is terrible. Fortunately, compact synthesis engines are solid. Although the range of sounds is relatively limited and more audio design designs, it covers the basics, and most pre -settings are excellent. It is largely focused on the type of classic sounds that you find in the “1970s of the last century” such as KraftWerk or “the eighties of the last century”. Just do not expect to sit and create a precise correction of your dreams. This is more than the “pre -chosen and modified” type, like the last Ableton GROOVBOX Transfer.
If there is a sound you want but you cannot find it between the pre -settings or the re -creation of the eight synthesis engines on the plane, there is always samples. You can take samples of one 1/8-inch line, or above USB-C, or use the surprisingly built-in microphone.
What distinguishes OP-XY from most other tools (save Modern MPCs and 1010Music Nanobox TangerineIt is that, in addition to taking basic samples, there is a multi -time motor. This allows you to put different samples via the keyboard, instead of just speeding up or slowing down one note, to get more natural sounding spots. You can get a maximum of 24 samples here, so in theory you can record each note via octavin, or stick to three or four notes for each octav and still get a very convincing re -creation. I recorded my children’s game using the microphone on the plane, and the results were excellent.
Unfortunately, there is no way to cut a suitable sample on the current fixed programs. Surprisingly, there is no DJ candidate that allows you a low or highly high path for accumulation and details. There is a three -scale bonus that can approach, but it is not completely smooth.
Frankly, the blades are not great for direct switching anyway. Trying to change the speed or length of the tape on the fly can be frustrated. Often times, he will respond slower than I wanted, and then I will compensate by converting it faster, just to overcome my goal.
There are other bit of OP-XY when it comes to live performance, which is that the launch of patterns was not quantitative. If you change from the first style to the fourth style on your drums, this happens immediately. This may be what you want in some situations, but you are more likely to be in a direct setting you want the next style lines and then switch to the punching effects to soften the transition.
We hope these teenage engineering things will add future fixed installations if it is dangerous in OP-X as a performance tool. Currently, though, the company appears to focus on scales. This is definitely a good thing because there are a few. The company has already released four updates for fixed programs and repaired some problems, including a serious risk that caused a crash during the boot.
Regardless of a handful of insects and some individual icing, such as cutting the sample and a DJ filter, it is difficult to complain of OP-XY too much-with the exception of the price. You can build a well -equipped home studio for $ 2,299 that teen engineering asks. If you can handle the narrow and limited user interface or do not mind to rely on your phone screen, OP-Z will get many sequence features for a quarter of the price. You can use the remaining funds to buy some other tools to control OP-Z, such as a Roland P-6It is an affordable and excellent price sample that coincides with amazingly loved and effective coordinated. (You will need $ 69 OPLAB Unit Or $ 149 Font unit To connect it to OP-Z.) You still have enough money to get a nice or field recorder. If the transfer ability is not a worker at all, you can get each of Digitakt II and Digitone IIIn addition to a budget interface, which may be all the music you need for life.
But as much as these settings may be, they lack simplicity all in one and the tempting design of the OP-X. The quality of its sounds, the power of the series, and its live performance features are impressive. More importantly, when you realize that they are gathered inside something that easily fit all the bags (and perhaps this may be precisely within the largest charging pockets).
It may seem easy to hate teenage engineering at times. Many of its expensive products – sometimes it seems to be actively wandering. (Look $ 1,599 foldable table or 79 dollars distributed the tape) The focus on the design and the lack of clarification can lead to an individual interface options that may also be frustrated. But there is a reason because the company has fans of fans. Using a well well -designed tool. People boast of luxury elements all the time, and this is what OP-XY: luxury element. If the money is not an object and you love beautiful music games, then move to it: OP-Xy is a great and fun fun.
Photography from Terins O’Brien. Videos written by Owen Group.
