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And people fall for it. It's crazy how many people blindly buy into TE's "homestyle" marketing like they're some hibrow synth company. The OP-1 tickles every Am

And people fall for it. It's crazy how many people blindly buy into TE's "homestyle" marketing like they're some hibrow synth company. The OP-1 tickles every American's "Product Cortex" in their brain though, immediately associating brutalist design and Corinthian leather with quality engineering. It doesn't matter if we're not the target audience, we just want to spend money on pretty things that make us feel good. The OP-1 is like the rich man's fidget spinner, I see it on someone's desk and assume that they have too much time and money on their hands. Just goes to show that you can take pretty much anything, market it to relatively affluent and bored tech workers and make a killing.

kzrdude 4y ago
The OP-1 is an instrument though, it seems like a pretty amazing instrument for creativity for those that can use it. And most instruments are more expensive than it..
- smoldesu 4y ago
  I've tried a lot of grooveboxes in my time, and the OP-1 is one of the only instruments I've ever seen that has worse value-per-dollar than the DSI Tempest. Very few instruments are expensive and useless enough to justify this; the OP-1 is solidly among them though. All I'll say is that you should reserve your judgement until you've tried some competing products. The Playmobil laptop looks like a great way to do your Word documents until you try a Dell or Apple machine.
  - kzrdude 4y ago
    Which one would you recommend? For an easy to use low end starting point.
    - smoldesu 4y ago
      I'd probably recommend the Model: Samples if you're interested in sampling, or the Novation Circuit if you want to focus on synthesis. The Model: Samples in particular is great - it's an adaptation of Elektron's more expensive Digitakt that puts the core featureset in a more focused box. It would probably be my sub-$400 desert-island groovebox choice. Edit: it's worth noting that both of these systems are sequencers, not tape recorders. I consider that a benefit (much longer record times) but if you want a multitrack recorder then you should look elsewhere (maybe a 4iXo DAC?)
- ilyt 4y ago
  OP-1 owner eh ? Sure it's cheap if you compare it to Stradivarius, but if you use instruments in same type ("a CPU feeding ADC/DAC with some knobs and buttons") it is one of most expensive one in category. OP-1 field (the only version they sell) is 2000 EUR. That's top end of synth world and you usually get more knobs and keys with that. That's the price of Korg/Roland/Yamaha workstation-level keyboards. Do NOT try to compare it on price with anything, it will always look like a bad joke. Subjective, might be worth to you etc.
psychomugs 4y ago
So... you judge character based on appearances? No other gear company has tackled the all-in-one synth-sequencer-4trackrecorder-groovebox that is the OP-1 in the decade since its release. TE not capitalizing on this would be financially naive.
- whatshisface 4y ago
  I am pretty sure real professionals use carefully configured personal computers with keyboards plugged in.
  - psychomugs 4y ago
    The same as how professional photographers use expensive 'real' capital-C Cameras with interchangeable capital-L Lenses but still carry pocketable point-and-shoots for 'fun,' e.g. Ricoh GR, Fuji X100. Tools should be enjoyable to use, which these gadgets offer in spades.
    - whatshisface 4y ago
      But in this case, the just-for-fun pocket device is more often expensive than the capital-K Keyboard.
      - psychomugs 4y ago
        Both of the cameras I listed are more expensive than many perfectly capable interchangeable-lens cameras (Ricoh GR ~$1000, Fuji X100 ~$1300 [currently prone to scalping for even more]), but still rightfully warrant the demand because of their usability.
        smoldesu 4y ago
        Which is fine. If professionals collect them for novelty, nothing is lost. If a beginner were to spend all their money on a novelty camera instead of an interchangeable lens model, then it does become a bit of a waste. Almost like they bought into the hype because of the end-product or social sex-appeal, a phenomenon that ties neatly into TE's marketing.
sramsay 4y ago
They’re the Sharper Image of audio.
strawpeople 4y ago
> I see it on someone's desk and assume that they have too much time and money on their hands. Surely it’s suited to someone who is price insensitive but has too little time to take music seriously. Why shouldn’t there be a product aimed at such people? > Just goes to show that you can take pretty much anything, market it to relatively affluent and bored tech workers and make a killing. This makes no sense. The op-1 is a very unusual product. If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be discussing it.

kzrdude 4y ago

The OP-1 is an instrument though, it seems like a pretty amazing instrument for creativity for those that can use it. And most instruments are more expensive than it..

smoldesu 4y ago
I've tried a lot of grooveboxes in my time, and the OP-1 is one of the only instruments I've ever seen that has worse value-per-dollar than the DSI Tempest. Very few instruments are expensive and useless enough to justify this; the OP-1 is solidly among them though. All I'll say is that you should reserve your judgement until you've tried some competing products. The Playmobil laptop looks like a great way to do your Word documents until you try a Dell or Apple machine.
- kzrdude 4y ago
  Which one would you recommend? For an easy to use low end starting point.
  - smoldesu 4y ago
    I'd probably recommend the Model: Samples if you're interested in sampling, or the Novation Circuit if you want to focus on synthesis. The Model: Samples in particular is great - it's an adaptation of Elektron's more expensive Digitakt that puts the core featureset in a more focused box. It would probably be my sub-$400 desert-island groovebox choice. Edit: it's worth noting that both of these systems are sequencers, not tape recorders. I consider that a benefit (much longer record times) but if you want a multitrack recorder then you should look elsewhere (maybe a 4iXo DAC?)
ilyt 4y ago
OP-1 owner eh ? Sure it's cheap if you compare it to Stradivarius, but if you use instruments in same type ("a CPU feeding ADC/DAC with some knobs and buttons") it is one of most expensive one in category. OP-1 field (the only version they sell) is 2000 EUR. That's top end of synth world and you usually get more knobs and keys with that. That's the price of Korg/Roland/Yamaha workstation-level keyboards. Do NOT try to compare it on price with anything, it will always look like a bad joke. Subjective, might be worth to you etc.

psychomugs 4y ago

So... you judge character based on appearances? No other gear company has tackled the all-in-one synth-sequencer-4trackrecorder-groovebox that is the OP-1 in the decade since its release. TE not capitalizing on this would be financially naive.

whatshisface 4y ago
I am pretty sure real professionals use carefully configured personal computers with keyboards plugged in.
- psychomugs 4y ago
  The same as how professional photographers use expensive 'real' capital-C Cameras with interchangeable capital-L Lenses but still carry pocketable point-and-shoots for 'fun,' e.g. Ricoh GR, Fuji X100. Tools should be enjoyable to use, which these gadgets offer in spades.
  - whatshisface 4y ago
    But in this case, the just-for-fun pocket device is more often expensive than the capital-K Keyboard.
    - psychomugs 4y ago
      Both of the cameras I listed are more expensive than many perfectly capable interchangeable-lens cameras (Ricoh GR ~$1000, Fuji X100 ~$1300 [currently prone to scalping for even more]), but still rightfully warrant the demand because of their usability.
      - smoldesu 4y ago
        Which is fine. If professionals collect them for novelty, nothing is lost. If a beginner were to spend all their money on a novelty camera instead of an interchangeable lens model, then it does become a bit of a waste. Almost like they bought into the hype because of the end-product or social sex-appeal, a phenomenon that ties neatly into TE's marketing.

sramsay 4y ago

They’re the Sharper Image of audio.

strawpeople 4y ago

> I see it on someone's desk and assume that they have too much time and money on their hands. Surely it’s suited to someone who is price insensitive but has too little time to take music seriously. Why shouldn’t there be a product aimed at such people? > Just goes to show that you can take pretty much anything, market it to relatively affluent and bored tech workers and make a killing. This makes no sense. The op-1 is a very unusual product. If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be discussing it.