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I clicked through to the store thinking "Come on TE, what pricepoint have you set this time", and it's $2,000. Two grand. I chuckled, and closed the tab.

by 0atman 4y ago

motogpjimbo 4y ago
For the same money it would be possible to buy the full version of a DAW of your choice, Kontakt, Arturia V-Collection and a PC to run them all on. I'm sure the OP-1 is fun, but I doubt it's £2,000 worth of fun.
- capableweb 4y ago
  And the debate of hardware vs software continues! It's true that if you just compare the costs, it might be cheaper to go the software route. But I mainly make music to go away from the computer, as I spend a lot of my days programming on one already. And the ability of pulling me away from the computer you can't put a price on :) Plus, fiddling with real knobs that affect the sound in real-time, having a keyboard with a heavy feel, being able to turn on the hardware and instantly be able to use it (no fucking around with forced updates) and the ability to mod your own hardware with just a solder-iron is just like really really fun.
  - motogpjimbo 4y ago
    In hardware terms, it's the same price as a Yamaha Montage. The OP-1 isn't good value for money no matter how you look at it.
    - goldenkey 4y ago
      Utility decreases as one acquires more money. For someone with a lot of money the OP-1 might be worth it. But yes, on an objective scale, the OP-1 is not competitive.
    - capableweb 4y ago
      Sorry, didn't want to give the impression that the OP-1 (original or this one) is good money spent, because that I don't think. The price of this (+ the rest of their products) are wildly over-priced. I was more talking about the whole software VS hardware side of things. If I had $2000 to throw around, I'd buy a Syntakt + Digitone/Digitakt instead and get a setup that could do whatever I want + more.
      - motogpjimbo 4y ago
        No, I was just pointing out that its functionality doesn't really justify the price tag when you compare it with what's also available elsewhere. £2,000 would also buy you a Korg Minilogue XD, a Korg Opsix, a Korg Wavestate AND some form of groovebox or hardware sequencer to tie them all together, if you like small form factor gear.
        capableweb 4y ago
        > No, I was just pointing out that its functionality doesn't really justify the price tag when you compare it with what's also available elsewhere Yeah, I agree with that, which I thought my previous comment made clear, maybe I wasn't clear enough.
      - deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
  - hammyhavoc 4y ago
    Calling an OP-1 "hardware" is a real stretch considering it is digital and doesn't even have velocity sensitive keys.
- skinpop 4y ago
  I hate working with DAWS and plugins. I went all in on modular a few years ago and wish I had done so a decade earlier.
monatron 4y ago
I remember buying the first OP-1 when it came out for something around $700 and even then thought "wow, this is a stretch". Since then they _raised_ the price of the original north of $1k. Don't get me wrong, TE makes incredible stuff and the OP-1 is no exception, but the price point just doesn't make sense unless you have serious money to burn. I had the same reaction to you after seeing the price for the mk2. At least, like a lot of synths, they hold their value?
- capableweb 4y ago
  > At least, like a lot of synths, they hold their value? Like most synths, it seems so. Obviously not adjusted for the launch of the new "field" OP-1 yet, but locally (EU country) the OP-1 seems to go for about 700-1000 EUR second-hand. New one in stores here seems to still be 1100+ EUR (closest store to me lists it at ~1200 EUR new).
- agloeregrets 4y ago
  > but the price point just doesn't make sense unless you have serious money to burn. Meanwhile, the OP-1 was used on like 40% of all modern pop music production process. I think the market is massively successful artists and they know they will pay.
  - JoeyJoJoJr 4y ago
    40%? That seems like a lot. Where did that number come from?
  - objclxt 4y ago
    > Meanwhile, the OP-1 was used on like 40% of all modern pop music production process. I’d love to see a citation for that. Lots of artists use it for demos, and it’s a good live tool, but if you look at modern pop it’s being produced with soft synths or Sequentials, Rolands, Korgs, etc.
  - throw_m239339 4y ago
    > Meanwhile, the OP-1 was used on like 40% of all modern pop music production process. Citation needed, given how poorly its synthesizer engine sounds, I do not believe that the case one second. It's certainly hip among hobbyists though because praised by a bunch of youtube influencers... To me your comment sounds like something you just made up entirely.
xcambar 4y ago
TE does greatly, as a cult. Also, good products.
- bodge5000 4y ago
  > Also, good products Kind of. In my experience, design gets priority over things like usability and durability. My OP-Z is barely usable after a few years of owning it due to the (admittedly nice) material the chasis is made of. The buttons frequently double trig, the dials have popped out, and it's got a bit of a bend in it. I also get some mis-trig issues on the pocket operators, though for the price I don't mind them as much. The original OP-1 didnt seem to have these issues at least. That being said, I've never been able to fully replace my OP-Z with anything else on offer so yeh, they're innovative if nothing else.
  - hammyhavoc 4y ago
    Their support is piss-poor for their products. Would love an OP-Z, but quality and durability is unacceptable.
cushychicken 4y ago
If any business on this site has taken to heart the advice to charge more, it's Teenage Engineering. Doesn't really seem to be hurting them, now, does it?
- iamricks 4y ago
  If you can't be the cheapest be the most expensive
  - hammyhavoc 4y ago
    They aren't the most expensive though. Value-wise, perhaps.

I clicked through to the store thinking "Come on TE, what pricepoint have you set this time", and it's $2,000. Two grand. I chuckled, and closed the tab.

by 0atman 4y ago

I clicked through to the store thinking "Come on TE, what pricepoint have you set this time", and it's $2,000. Two grand. I chuckled, and closed the tab.

motogpjimbo 4y ago

For the same money it would be possible to buy the full version of a DAW of your choice, Kontakt, Arturia V-Collection and a PC to run them all on. I'm sure the OP-1 is fun, but I doubt it's £2,000 worth of fun.

capableweb 4y ago
And the debate of hardware vs software continues! It's true that if you just compare the costs, it might be cheaper to go the software route. But I mainly make music to go away from the computer, as I spend a lot of my days programming on one already. And the ability of pulling me away from the computer you can't put a price on :) Plus, fiddling with real knobs that affect the sound in real-time, having a keyboard with a heavy feel, being able to turn on the hardware and instantly be able to use it (no fucking around with forced updates) and the ability to mod your own hardware with just a solder-iron is just like really really fun.
- motogpjimbo 4y ago
  In hardware terms, it's the same price as a Yamaha Montage. The OP-1 isn't good value for money no matter how you look at it.
  - goldenkey 4y ago
    Utility decreases as one acquires more money. For someone with a lot of money the OP-1 might be worth it. But yes, on an objective scale, the OP-1 is not competitive.
  - capableweb 4y ago
    Sorry, didn't want to give the impression that the OP-1 (original or this one) is good money spent, because that I don't think. The price of this (+ the rest of their products) are wildly over-priced. I was more talking about the whole software VS hardware side of things. If I had $2000 to throw around, I'd buy a Syntakt + Digitone/Digitakt instead and get a setup that could do whatever I want + more.
    - motogpjimbo 4y ago
      No, I was just pointing out that its functionality doesn't really justify the price tag when you compare it with what's also available elsewhere. £2,000 would also buy you a Korg Minilogue XD, a Korg Opsix, a Korg Wavestate AND some form of groovebox or hardware sequencer to tie them all together, if you like small form factor gear.
      - capableweb 4y ago
        > No, I was just pointing out that its functionality doesn't really justify the price tag when you compare it with what's also available elsewhere Yeah, I agree with that, which I thought my previous comment made clear, maybe I wasn't clear enough.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
- hammyhavoc 4y ago
  Calling an OP-1 "hardware" is a real stretch considering it is digital and doesn't even have velocity sensitive keys.
skinpop 4y ago
I hate working with DAWS and plugins. I went all in on modular a few years ago and wish I had done so a decade earlier.

monatron 4y ago

I remember buying the first OP-1 when it came out for something around $700 and even then thought "wow, this is a stretch". Since then they _raised_ the price of the original north of $1k. Don't get me wrong, TE makes incredible stuff and the OP-1 is no exception, but the price point just doesn't make sense unless you have serious money to burn. I had the same reaction to you after seeing the price for the mk2. At least, like a lot of synths, they hold their value?

capableweb 4y ago
> At least, like a lot of synths, they hold their value? Like most synths, it seems so. Obviously not adjusted for the launch of the new "field" OP-1 yet, but locally (EU country) the OP-1 seems to go for about 700-1000 EUR second-hand. New one in stores here seems to still be 1100+ EUR (closest store to me lists it at ~1200 EUR new).
agloeregrets 4y ago
> but the price point just doesn't make sense unless you have serious money to burn. Meanwhile, the OP-1 was used on like 40% of all modern pop music production process. I think the market is massively successful artists and they know they will pay.
- JoeyJoJoJr 4y ago
  40%? That seems like a lot. Where did that number come from?
- objclxt 4y ago
  > Meanwhile, the OP-1 was used on like 40% of all modern pop music production process. I’d love to see a citation for that. Lots of artists use it for demos, and it’s a good live tool, but if you look at modern pop it’s being produced with soft synths or Sequentials, Rolands, Korgs, etc.
- throw_m239339 4y ago
  > Meanwhile, the OP-1 was used on like 40% of all modern pop music production process. Citation needed, given how poorly its synthesizer engine sounds, I do not believe that the case one second. It's certainly hip among hobbyists though because praised by a bunch of youtube influencers... To me your comment sounds like something you just made up entirely.

xcambar 4y ago

TE does greatly, as a cult. Also, good products.

bodge5000 4y ago
> Also, good products Kind of. In my experience, design gets priority over things like usability and durability. My OP-Z is barely usable after a few years of owning it due to the (admittedly nice) material the chasis is made of. The buttons frequently double trig, the dials have popped out, and it's got a bit of a bend in it. I also get some mis-trig issues on the pocket operators, though for the price I don't mind them as much. The original OP-1 didnt seem to have these issues at least. That being said, I've never been able to fully replace my OP-Z with anything else on offer so yeh, they're innovative if nothing else.
- hammyhavoc 4y ago
  Their support is piss-poor for their products. Would love an OP-Z, but quality and durability is unacceptable.

cushychicken 4y ago

If any business on this site has taken to heart the advice to charge more, it's Teenage Engineering. Doesn't really seem to be hurting them, now, does it?

iamricks 4y ago
If you can't be the cheapest be the most expensive
- hammyhavoc 4y ago
  They aren't the most expensive though. Value-wise, perhaps.