I suggest LYRA-8. It's a bad, bad girl. This synth is freaking awesome and terribly freaky. It can irritate you so much, yet be pleasingly beautiful. It's very playable, yes, but has one distinct niche character. Weird CV that doesn't do much, 50 shades of noise 90% of the time that you use it with rare jems of gorgeous soundscapes that inevitably slide into horrible meat-grinder. Absolutely solid lifetime build quality with excellent knobs, but very specific usage. But if you sample it much, it doesn't matter, anyway it's a great synth. But bad :) You can't "program" this synth like you usually do with Moog Mother or alike, it does it's own thing while you go with the flow. Everybody on TH-cam refers to LYRA as a "beast" that need to be tamed, not your average jolly-molly poly synth, and that's something, innit?
Actually, I got checked by Berlin airport security for the OP-Z.. After taking a few minutes to explain the device is practically a portable DAW, security officer gave me a look of admiration and told me he used to dj
Find a job you enjoy. Life is too short, take it from someone who jumped into the abyss of quitting a shitty job with no backup plan. Best thing I ever did. That was 2018. Life has been pretty swell since! Cheers 🍻
I've been asking you to do this episode for years, thanks for delivering! The op-z is one of the weirdest modern instruments. It's simultaneously game changing and terrible at the same time. I will always love it but it's definitely the perfect material for this show.
What game did it change, and in what way did it change it? It's essentially a super-tiny, obfuscated grovebox with an inversely proportional price tag.
Took 20 minutes for me, too. We have to pause the video to thoroughly check the momentary meme. BTW it took me quite a while to understand 'Uranus' mode because the closed caption keeps telling me it's 'your anus'
For those outside of Sweden, a warning. All batteries eventually fail, right? Did you know that the OP-Z battery is unique/proprietary? That means that for those of us in the U.S. it has to be sent to TE's authorized servicer who charges a minimum of $50 to do anything. Add shipping and you're paying $70 for what should be a $10 battery. They weren't joking when they said it was engineered by teenagers.
It's incredible the music you are able to make with this. The sound quality of the device is top notch. It's great that it has a midi sequencer considering the OP-1 doesn't. If only the thing had a built-in screen, adult size keys and built-in line and midi I/O. But then it wouldn't be Teenage Engineering if it did.
Probably a more succinct, enjoyable and informative review in 10 mins than anything else on the net. If I'd seen this I probably wouldn't have wasted hours watching other videos after deciding not to get one.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Just another person projecting how broke they are. And projecting their poverty as a valid judgement against gear they can’t afford.
@@glynnpowell7864 Are you dense? I have a studio FULL of gear most of which is far more expensive than this piece lol. Good luck trying to flaunt "value" as "talent" mate.
Low pass before noon and high pass after lunch 🥪 😂 epic. This devices biggest problem is build quality double triggers, warping of device itself, they where close to making something good but at 1k after modules, I’m good. You made it sound good though as always.
Gotta say, while I'm not an OP-Z guy, Jeremy over at Red Means has been sooooo helpful at opening up things I can do on the OP-1. I'm very thankful for having that guy in my reality timeline.
The usb-c is actually quite powerful as it carries both midi and audio in and out and it's class compliant. If you plug it to a Digitakt you don't even need any other connection. You can plug a usb/midi interface for older machine. So the midi module is not as vital as it first looks. I love all the power packed in such a small form factor, it's all i expected to get when i bought a QY70 back then (which i still don't know how to use).
Until you said something about it, I honestly forgot this device had a pitch bend. Haven't even thought about that in years. You did a good job with it. It doesn't always click with everyone.
The OPZ is polarizing but to me it was/is an amazing device to get into building beats, tracks and just play around wherever I am. It's absolutely astonishing what they packed into such a small brick.
For being a good sport. The true sign of a meme king is not just being able to dish out jokes, but take them. Mad respect, salute! The content is also cream of the crop.
I think you overlooked one feature that I think is pretty rare in a sequencer - on the master track, where the tape reel is, you can use the "piano" keys to modulate all or some of the instruments. It shows you which key and mode it thinks your song is in based on what notes you have sequenced, and by lighting up various notes it recommends some other keys you can change to. You can also limit which instruments are affected by this, so your samples or percussion is not tuned. It's a powerful little box and every single feature can be used without the screen - as long as you can be bothered to learn the layout well. I miss mine sometimes.
@@quentindassance3244 I sold it because I didnt use it as much as I wanted to, got other gear instead that I've also since sold. Now it's elektron boxes all the way.
Another great Friday evening show! Thanks for trowing a light on this for me rather mysterious gear! Great DAW track this time! All the best and have a nice weekend! Cheers!
There is an Op-Z app for Android from TE. I've never used the iPhone version so I can't confirm that they're identically featured but it seemed pretty complete to me. One neat feature that I don't see mentioned very often is the global transposition via the master track. It detects the key of your song and will allow you to diatonically transpose some or all of your tracks. You can sequence it too so you can program in chord changes.
You finally listened! I really tried to like this thing and used it as my "travel synth" for two deployments. Needless to say, I didn't make much music then, atleast until I sold it..
Teenage Engineering owes a lot of credit to Casio. Form factor, with an abundance of features embedded into a dysfunctional footprint. I heard that Cyberdyne’s new T 3000 uses an OPZ, strap to his wrist giving impromptu video performances while hunting down Uli’s clones. True story. On the other hand, cough… This device I think is a great portable video processor for studio or live performance with a built-in audio engine for like accompaniment. The audio engine is totally optional. I bet it looks great on a 12.9 iPad Pro. ❤ Thank you for all the effort you put in these videos Florian. Equal balance of entertainment and education. We recommend this channel as it is not a waste of time.
The music I made with mine was original and fun and took me to new places. - multitracked it's a beast. The sequencer and re-heharmonisng/modulation function on the master channel was something I've been looking for in lots of gear and a great compositional tool. Sadly the build quality gave way after lots and lots of usage. Sticky keys, crashing, things bending and falling off. One day when the OP-Z Meadow is released for £1500 I will go back to making the best glitch Hop cafeteria music ever.
I use it a lot as a midi controller, wheather with ableton or ios..almost never playing it as a standalone instrument. It's super cool to make different lengthed sequences.
The final track was very nice. It's an achievement to make the op-z not sound like op-z :) And you summed it up nicely...i would also happily pay for the same internals in a more premium enclosure. I mean "premium" in TE terms...which is normal quality for other manufacturers.
Wasn’t expecting a burn of Chicago deep dish but I’ll certainly take it. Spot on that the final jam was dubbed “background music,” as the thing just sounds very, background-y. Nothing stands out or comes through, no punch, it’s like the sound of late aughts flash game music.
Ah yes.. that old double triggering issue with the op-1 🤦♂️ Thanks for sticking to your word and following up on the op-1, with a visit to the op-z. Kudos 👍
I love my OP-Z. I'm a total sucker for Teenage Engineering. OP-Z succeeds in so many ways, and for a company chastised for high prices, the OP-Z is an absolute steal.
I personally love my OP-Z. I find it to really gel with my creativity. Definitely not for everyone, though. Quick note: the Android app works great, and you can multiply your step count by pressing shift+number on any track.
There are actually 64 steps in the sequencer even if you disregard step components. You can just nudge notes offcenter in between two steps if you nudge four time you will nudge into the next step. If you nudge twice you’ll have a 32 note etc. You’ll see the colour of the lights change so you know your note isn’t centred, which is quite intuitive actually. Also, quantisation after live recording a sequence can be dialed in to taste as well and isn’t strictly fixed on a 16/16 grid either
I have the love hate relationship with my OP-Z. You find your self frustrated with it, and very impressive with the well polished tracks you can make with it. It’s a piece of gear you will hardly use but you will never get rid of. 😅
Teenage Engineering products always make me realize my older age . I guess I'm not the target demographic for this device. Where's my 4 track portastudio and Casio keyboard? Thanks for another great video , always enjoy your commentary and demonstrations.
I love your videos. Thoroughly impressed by your ability to understand and effectively use all the features of such radically different pieces of gear. I used to work at Ensoniq, so I was impressed with the FIZMO episode. You nailed it! Got a gear suggestion for you, if you can, please try the Ensoniq SD-1, TS-10. Roland JD-800 (or the JD-990 Rack version) and the Korg Wavestation (any version) and the Korg M3 (or even an O1W). And lastly, if you will ever be able to find one... The Peavey DPM-3. The Peavey will probably top the list of "Bad Gear" that you have ever tried.
Yay a piece of gear I own. I must admit it fascinates and frustrates me in equal measures lol. You really need the Line Module for this device to come to life (should have been included). I feel that with all the multimedia functionalities, someone will figure out how to do a whole album, music video, and light show with this thing. That someone isn’t me lol.
I have the QY-100, if you edit the cutoff / res / evelope stuff on the fly or other parameters via CC and use custom accompanyment parts its an absolute beast - that's why I didn't look at an OP-Z the QY-100 is all the handheld midi I need. Plus just sit it on a blank bit of any midi synth's panel to give it an instant sequencer. Sadly the battery runtime on AA's and no backlight are the only detractors that reveal it's age. It makes no sense that you get maybe 6 hours run time from some alkaline AA's on a midi sequencer with no backlight when the OP-1f gets over 24 hours with it's built in speaker, bright display and full audio processing pipeline. I guess that's what the future has brought. But yeah if you feed AA's and time into the QY-70 / QY-1000 with nothing but some headphones, decent music comes out the other end.
@@catmastertrash369 it does have a 9V-12V DC input jack anyway, but I enjoy using the OP-1f and QY-100 away from power, eg in a park, on the train and so on. I might check how much room there is inside the QY-100 as I might be able to replace the AA battery system with some lithium ion 18650 cells and a BMS. Bit of effort but maybe worth it. Or make an external power bank which can output that voltage, but it would be nicer if integrated. Will add a video about it on my channel if I do it.
Another good episode!!! I wasn't aware that it had an interface you can use via ipad or iphone! Duh, right? I may now consider this device in the future due to the cool on screen editing. Definitely this one over the OP 1. The OP Z is still listed between $400.00 - $500.00 (in the US) so I may still wait awhile. Keep up the fine work!!!!!
Great vid as always. With any of TE's stuff, I just can't get over the fact that if anyone who isn't in the know sees you using one, they're going to think you're using a toy. And this one in particular screams "toy." If you told them how much it cost I don't think they would believe you. Like, this thing costs more than a Polyend Tracker and only a little less than a Digitakt. The fact that, at launch, you had to have Apple to get the full feature set really gives away the game in terms of their marketing and branding strategies, if they weren't already transparent. I know real musicians use these things to make real music -- but as this show demonstrates, real musicians can make real music with anything, and these devices are clearly marketed more at the sort of person who likes to think of themselves as creative than actual pro audio.
I know someone who has had one for sale for less than 3 bills for about a year… I have an OP-1 OG…. debating this, but always come back to this review for clarity and sanity😂
Great as always. There is an android app however. Not that it would work particularly well, but I have it currently installed. It is early access and has not been updated since 2021 though.
My least favourite self-obsessed hipster yootoobas have all raved about this candy bar, but never produced anything that wasn't instantly disposable. You managed a nice fingertapping coffee bar jam for the closer, but forgot to dunk the OP-Z in a large frappacino for the finale. As a paid up member of the Bananafingers Resistance Battalion, this thing is unusable without a computer, whereby it has to compete with vsts like Falcon, Omnisphere, and the bundled Ableton instruments. That's like bringing a plasticine model of a chocolate bar to a gunfight. The substance is ok, but the style overwhelms the functionality in such a relentlessly cleverdickish way that TE will never see any of my shiny pebbles. Harrumph!
You should do the Elektron Syntakt next, it was all pure disappointment from what I read online. I love mine and would like to hear what you could compose on it. A salute, Florian !
👍🏽 That meme about the screen being more powerful than the device plugged into it is spot on. There are just so many amazing instruments and tools. You just have to understand digital audio is digital audio. The size of your jack is meaningless in this world.🙂
There is an Android app made by Teenage Engineering for the OP-Z. It’s seems to be the same as the iOS app and it works perfectly well. There is also a "line module" that give the same input/output midi capabilities of the OPLAB module and line in/out capabilities instead of CV/Gate. Nothing to add to your conclusion : It sums up perfectly my thoughts about the OP-Z.
This is the first time I watch one of your videos where you were unable completely to destroy the reputation of a pice of gear even though you tried in the end it was clear that you are quite impressed with the OPZ
Audiopilz: *slaps roof of YT channel*
Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs: www.patreon.com/audiopilz
🏆
where did you find a vanta black t-shirt?
I suggest LYRA-8. It's a bad, bad girl. This synth is freaking awesome and terribly freaky. It can irritate you so much, yet be pleasingly beautiful. It's very playable, yes, but has one distinct niche character. Weird CV that doesn't do much, 50 shades of noise 90% of the time that you use it with rare jems of gorgeous soundscapes that inevitably slide into horrible meat-grinder. Absolutely solid lifetime build quality with excellent knobs, but very specific usage. But if you sample it much, it doesn't matter, anyway it's a great synth. But bad :) You can't "program" this synth like you usually do with Moog Mother or alike, it does it's own thing while you go with the flow. Everybody on TH-cam refers to LYRA as a "beast" that need to be tamed, not your average jolly-molly poly synth, and that's something, innit?
Bad Gear: ostensibly a channel about synths that really exists to show off one man's complete mastery of memes.
Thank you so much!
hahaha so true
Truly! Lol 👊🤣👍
That is the definitely a good description for this channel😂
Also showcasing video editing (and clip sourcing) skills and last but not least some bangers I would buy on casette right now.
Actually, I got checked by Berlin airport security for the OP-Z.. After taking a few minutes to explain the device is practically a portable DAW, security officer gave me a look of admiration and told me he used to dj
Interesting story, thanks for sharing!
Nice!!! I assumed Berlin airport security is used to TE gear;)
Maybe he just wanted to take a closer look
@@AudioPilz probably was tempted to call them to the “Back room” for further “examination” for an hour or so on a little Bluetooth speaker.😏
I almost got arested with Korg nanoKey Studio in Milan 😀
Friday evening, there's nothing better than a bad gear episode to leave behind a shitty work week and kick start a nice weekend.
it certainly does
Have a nice weekend!!!
Find a job you enjoy. Life is too short, take it from someone who jumped into the abyss of quitting a shitty job with no backup plan. Best thing I ever did. That was 2018. Life has been pretty swell since! Cheers 🍻
I totally agree with this!!
@@areyoujelton Same here! Cheers! :-)
wow, the plants made it sound a lot better! hopefully they officially support that mod in the future
No succulents, no Bad Gear;)
I've been asking you to do this episode for years, thanks for delivering! The op-z is one of the weirdest modern instruments. It's simultaneously game changing and terrible at the same time. I will always love it but it's definitely the perfect material for this show.
I hope it was worth the patience!❤️❤️❤️
What game did it change, and in what way did it change it? It's essentially a super-tiny, obfuscated grovebox with an inversely proportional price tag.
@@lo-firobotboy7112 tennis
@@badlefthook624 I was thinking squash.
@@lo-firobotboy7112 It really revolutionised the "charging suckers an arm and a leg for less and less each time" game
That Teenage engineering burn right at the end is so good
Thank you!!!
Well, well, well…. how the turn tables
WoW nice comment 👍
"Maybe we'd make mass sales if we remake kid's toys." - T.E.
Brutal takedown, but fully deserved.
Ok, who else did the rewind of the "ressurected synths" section?
You've nailed it Florian, or on this OP-Z case, bend it
Thank you so much!!!
While the user interface seems impossible cumbersome, I gotta admit all the music you made with the OPZ sounded really good!
Thank you!!!
That's an episode I've been waiting for. Well done. You even had the obligatory succulent plants in it.
Thanky you!!!
Needed more cacti
@@ChiefExecutiveOrbiter The vines in the second jam more than made up for it.
florian, with your videos you defy timespace: it ALWAYS takes me at least 20 minutes to watch your 10 minute video 😂
great video as always 😉👏
Thank you so much!!!
Took 20 minutes for me, too. We have to pause the video to thoroughly check the momentary meme.
BTW it took me quite a while to understand 'Uranus' mode because the closed caption keeps telling me it's 'your anus'
@@midimoog same here 😂
For those outside of Sweden, a warning.
All batteries eventually fail, right? Did you know that the OP-Z battery is unique/proprietary?
That means that for those of us in the U.S. it has to be sent to TE's authorized servicer who charges a minimum of $50 to do anything. Add shipping and you're paying $70 for what should be a $10 battery.
They weren't joking when they said it was engineered by teenagers.
Sounds on par for the company that sold a fucking table for $1000
@@JustDatBoi I fucked on that table and its totally worth it
It's incredible the music you are able to make with this. The sound quality of the device is top notch. It's great that it has a midi sequencer considering the OP-1 doesn't. If only the thing had a built-in screen, adult size keys and built-in line and midi I/O. But then it wouldn't be Teenage Engineering if it did.
I'd buy a pro version immediately!
Probably a more succinct, enjoyable and informative review in 10 mins than anything else on the net. If I'd seen this I probably wouldn't have wasted hours watching other videos after deciding not to get one.
Thank you!!!
Ok, that second jam was actually sick.
Thank you!!!
I live my life one Bad Gear episode at a time
😍😍😍
We’re family here
"Too busy rebranding actual childrens' toys." 😆 Savage!
😀
Teenage Engineering...making novelty coupled with inconvenience a business model.
You want some Inconvenience... try changing an OP-1 battery.
Ooof size
Truth as well.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Just another person projecting how broke they are. And projecting their poverty as a valid judgement against gear they can’t afford.
@@glynnpowell7864 Are you dense? I have a studio FULL of gear most of which is far more expensive than this piece lol. Good luck trying to flaunt "value" as "talent" mate.
Low pass before noon and high pass after lunch 🥪 😂 epic. This devices biggest problem is build quality double triggers, warping of device itself, they where close to making something good but at 1k after modules, I’m good. You made it sound good though as always.
True that!
Imagine playing a Kind Granola Bar
Lol
#crunchy
Gotta say, while I'm not an OP-Z guy, Jeremy over at Red Means has been sooooo helpful at opening up things I can do on the OP-1. I'm very thankful for having that guy in my reality timeline.
Agreed, great channel!
Can’t stand that guy. Cringe and preachy.
The usb-c is actually quite powerful as it carries both midi and audio in and out and it's class compliant. If you plug it to a Digitakt you don't even need any other connection. You can plug a usb/midi interface for older machine. So the midi module is not as vital as it first looks.
I love all the power packed in such a small form factor, it's all i expected to get when i bought a QY70 back then (which i still don't know how to use).
Great idea with the Digitakt!
Until you said something about it, I honestly forgot this device had a pitch bend. Haven't even thought about that in years.
You did a good job with it. It doesn't always click with everyone.
Thanks, Matt!
The OPZ is polarizing but to me it was/is an amazing device to get into building beats, tracks and just play around wherever I am. It's absolutely astonishing what they packed into such a small brick.
The feature set is impressive!
This is one of the episodes I see myself coming back to in the future simply because of how funny it is
Thank you so much!!!
For being a good sport. The true sign of a meme king is not just being able to dish out jokes, but take them. Mad respect, salute! The content is also cream of the crop.
Thank you so much for the support!
Your videos are so fun I can watch the same one 10 times without realizing
I think you overlooked one feature that I think is pretty rare in a sequencer - on the master track, where the tape reel is, you can use the "piano" keys to modulate all or some of the instruments. It shows you which key and mode it thinks your song is in based on what notes you have sequenced, and by lighting up various notes it recommends some other keys you can change to. You can also limit which instruments are affected by this, so your samples or percussion is not tuned.
It's a powerful little box and every single feature can be used without the screen - as long as you can be bothered to learn the layout well.
I miss mine sometimes.
Thank you for the heads up!
what happened to your op-z ?
@@quentindassance3244 I sold it because I didnt use it as much as I wanted to, got other gear instead that I've also since sold. Now it's elektron boxes all the way.
Now this is some BAD GEAR!! really really BAD Gear! Thanks for the video, Great Tunes! you make any gear sound amazing
Thank you!!!
Just so you know there is an Android app for OP-Z it just came a year or two after launch.
Thanks for the heads up!
Yes its marked as "early access" but has around 100k downloads so I guess it can't be that bad... (arghh sorry about the pun)
I get so hyped when my gear is on Bad Gear! Fair points, it's all love.
Thank you so much!
Another great Friday evening show! Thanks for trowing a light on this for me rather mysterious gear! Great DAW track this time! All the best and have a nice weekend! Cheers!
Thanks! Have a nice weekend!
I never knew what this thing did until now. The visuals in the final jam are going to keep me awake at night o______o
That's what Meta is letting computers create on their own at the moment...
There is an Op-Z app for Android from TE. I've never used the iPhone version so I can't confirm that they're identically featured but it seemed pretty complete to me.
One neat feature that I don't see mentioned very often is the global transposition via the master track. It detects the key of your song and will allow you to diatonically transpose some or all of your tracks. You can sequence it too so you can program in chord changes.
Thanks for the heads up, my bad!
You finally listened!
I really tried to like this thing and used it as my "travel synth" for two deployments. Needless to say, I didn't make much music then, atleast until I sold it..
Always a pleasure;) Thanks for watching!
Look forward to your videos. Great stuff every time, love the gear, music, and humor.
Thank you so much!
Teenage Engineering owes a lot of credit to Casio. Form factor, with an abundance of features embedded into a dysfunctional footprint.
I heard that Cyberdyne’s new T 3000 uses an OPZ, strap to his wrist giving impromptu video performances while hunting down Uli’s clones. True story.
On the other hand, cough… This device I think is a great portable video processor for studio or live performance with a built-in audio engine for like accompaniment.
The audio engine is totally optional.
I bet it looks great on a 12.9 iPad Pro.
❤
Thank you for all the effort you put in these videos Florian. Equal balance of entertainment and education.
We recommend this channel as it is not a waste of time.
Thank you so much!!!
AI video. Always up to date and never late. Top Channel on top and over the top.
Thank you! That Meta AI video stuff is really creepy
Oh boy, gonna get some popcorn for this, my most loved and hated piece of gear
Cheers!
I love the opz so much. It was a game changer for me. Got me back into music in a way I never thought possible. Such an amazing machine.
Happy to hear that it worked for you!
Damn, I was legitimately grooving along to that demo with the fx pedals
Nice, thanks!
Such a powerful hit of infotainment. Bravo
Thank you!!!
Posted it on the OP Forums, nice to see my favorite device covered here… it‘s not bent, it‘s smiling!
Lol, good one! Thank you!
The music I made with mine was original and fun and took me to new places. - multitracked it's a beast. The sequencer and re-heharmonisng/modulation function on the master channel was something I've been looking for in lots of gear and a great compositional tool. Sadly the build quality gave way after lots and lots of usage. Sticky keys, crashing, things bending and falling off. One day when the OP-Z Meadow is released for £1500 I will go back to making the best glitch Hop cafeteria music ever.
Enjoyed it a lot when used for multi tracking!
Fuuck, the poor build quality is such a deal breaker at this price 😢
@@erikpoephoofdI've had mine for 5 years or longer, no issues
@@harrybatchelor7283 good for you bro! Personally im not risking it
Thank as always, Highlight for every Friday 🍷😊
Have a nice weekend!
I use it a lot as a midi controller, wheather with ableton or ios..almost never playing it as a standalone instrument. It's super cool to make different lengthed sequences.
Great sequencer indeed!
I love my OP-z so much!!
👍
The final track was very nice. It's an achievement to make the op-z not sound like op-z :) And you summed it up nicely...i would also happily pay for the same internals in a more premium enclosure. I mean "premium" in TE terms...which is normal quality for other manufacturers.
Thank you!
Wasn’t expecting a burn of Chicago deep dish but I’ll certainly take it.
Spot on that the final jam was dubbed “background music,” as the thing just sounds very, background-y. Nothing stands out or comes through, no punch, it’s like the sound of late aughts flash game music.
True that. I thought that was fitting...
Nice review! packed so much into 10 mins🎉 - Love using it to control external gear and videopaks of course😂
Thank you!!!
One of my favorite things in the world is how joyfully welcome I am to Bad Gear. Don't change.
Thank you so much!!!
Those succulents are just a little _too_ parallel. Gotta break up that space!
Great video as always. Keep up the good work!
That's some feedback I can work with, thanks!
@@AudioPilz Lol, sorry. I couldn't help myself. Also, maybe some reclaimed pallet wood table to finish the look.
Thank you for another entertaining jab at synths. I always enjoy your videos! Loved the shade thrown at RMR & Cuckoo! 😂😂
Thank you!!!
Another great Friday video. Thank you!
Now I'm off to watch Techno Viking getting handed a bottle of water upside down on repeat for an hour.
Thanks! That's time well spent!
Ah yes.. that old double triggering issue with the op-1 🤦♂️
Thanks for sticking to your word and following up on the op-1, with a visit to the op-z. Kudos 👍
Yeah, it's a major PITA. Thanks for the patience!
@@AudioPilzawesome content as per 👌
I love my OP-Z. I'm a total sucker for Teenage Engineering. OP-Z succeeds in so many ways, and for a company chastised for high prices, the OP-Z is an absolute steal.
👍
A breathtaking lung breaking genre name that would not be out of place in a verse from Anna Nalick's 2am. Well done.
Thank you!!!
I personally love my OP-Z. I find it to really gel with my creativity. Definitely not for everyone, though.
Quick note: the Android app works great, and you can multiply your step count by pressing shift+number on any track.
Thanks for the heads up!
that was so natural, lush and succulent. planted, yet growable. VERDICT: nothing to fauna over. I'm in-deciduous.
Grows on me too!
Opz Actually looks better than I first thought 😮 👏🏻
Great set of features and concept but a little too tiny for my taste
"for me to poop on!"
The time my main weapon of choice is finally bad gear ! I am delighted and posting even before watching
Nice, congrats!!!
@@AudioPilz after watched : u rock
There are actually 64 steps in the sequencer even if you disregard step components. You can just nudge notes offcenter in between two steps if you nudge four time you will nudge into the next step. If you nudge twice you’ll have a 32 note etc. You’ll see the colour of the lights change so you know your note isn’t centred, which is quite intuitive actually. Also, quantisation after live recording a sequence can be dialed in to taste as well and isn’t strictly fixed on a 16/16 grid either
Thanks for the heads up!!!
I have the love hate relationship with my OP-Z. You find your self frustrated with it, and very impressive with the well polished tracks you can make with it. It’s a piece of gear you will hardly use but you will never get rid of. 😅
That sums it up nicely!
Teenage Engineering products always make me realize my older age . I guess I'm not the target demographic for this device. Where's my 4 track portastudio and Casio keyboard? Thanks for another great video , always enjoy your commentary and demonstrations.
4 track portastudio and Casio keyboard all the way! Thanks!
The best sounding protein bar I've heard
Yummy;)
I love your videos. Thoroughly impressed by your ability to understand and effectively use all the features of such radically different pieces of gear. I used to work at Ensoniq, so I was impressed with the FIZMO episode. You nailed it! Got a gear suggestion for you, if you can, please try the Ensoniq SD-1, TS-10. Roland JD-800 (or the JD-990 Rack version) and the Korg Wavestation (any version) and the Korg M3 (or even an O1W). And lastly, if you will ever be able to find one... The Peavey DPM-3. The Peavey will probably top the list of "Bad Gear" that you have ever tried.
Very happy to hear that from you, thanks! Great suggestions!
"Unfortunately teenage engineering is too busy rebranding children's toys" OOOOF! hahaha SHOTS FIRED! great vid again!
😀
Gad damn the editing in these videos is just so snappy
Thanks!
Video length: 10 minutes
Time to watch, including rewinding/pausing to catch all the memes: 24 minutes
Yeah, Bad Gear isn't necessarily a linear medium;)
I screamed when you said "surprised Roland didn't think of this first"
😀
Yay a piece of gear I own. I must admit it fascinates and frustrates me in equal measures lol. You really need the Line Module for this device to come to life (should have been included). I feel that with all the multimedia functionalities, someone will figure out how to do a whole album, music video, and light show with this thing. That someone isn’t me lol.
The multimedia features are super rad!
Lol I caught “the VAPE” in there. Just found out about him recently. His Boss DS-1 review is my favorite. Man keep up the good work I love BAD GEAR.
Thanks! Petr is a legend!
i have been waiting for this for sooooo long
Me too! My love for the OP-Z makes me hate it more for its Pisa poor build quality
@@rrtramel OP-Z is just like your best friend in the middle school who never showered. You really liked this dude, but there are times you wonder why.
I hope it was worth the patience!
@@min-yishen9324 The OP-Z is like I am to my exes, amazing, unforgettable, and extremely irritating all at the same time
The OP-Z had it comin....
It was about time!
1:51 Wow, a man of culture I see. A true appreciator of the fine arts
The Vape!!!
@@AudioPilz the one and only
Do some pocket operator madness next!
Great idea, totally neglected these recently
Briljant review. Glad the Op-Z made the list.
Thank you!!!
The sounds are great but I'd get lost in the interface lol. Another great episode, man!
Thanks!
great! love the drifting AI knight and frens at the end during the cyberdyne cafeteria bg muzak
Thank you!!!
Great episode as always 👍
Is it finally time to give the Ya-ma-ha QY-10 a closer look?
Thank you!!! I'm still a bit afraid of that one;)
@@AudioPilz just 1 bit or 12 ? 😁
I have the QY-100, if you edit the cutoff / res / evelope stuff on the fly or other parameters via CC and use custom accompanyment parts its an absolute beast - that's why I didn't look at an OP-Z the QY-100 is all the handheld midi I need. Plus just sit it on a blank bit of any midi synth's panel to give it an instant sequencer. Sadly the battery runtime on AA's and no backlight are the only detractors that reveal it's age. It makes no sense that you get maybe 6 hours run time from some alkaline AA's on a midi sequencer with no backlight when the OP-1f gets over 24 hours with it's built in speaker, bright display and full audio processing pipeline. I guess that's what the future has brought. But yeah if you feed AA's and time into the QY-70 / QY-1000 with nothing but some headphones, decent music comes out the other end.
@@darwiniandude I'm sure you can fix the battery problem with a battery to wall plug mod. I've seen it on various models of gear.
@@catmastertrash369 it does have a 9V-12V DC input jack anyway, but I enjoy using the OP-1f and QY-100 away from power, eg in a park, on the train and so on. I might check how much room there is inside the QY-100 as I might be able to replace the AA battery system with some lithium ion 18650 cells and a BMS. Bit of effort but maybe worth it. Or make an external power bank which can output that voltage, but it would be nicer if integrated. Will add a video about it on my channel if I do it.
Another good episode!!! I wasn't aware that it had an interface you can use via ipad or iphone! Duh, right? I may now consider this device in the future due to the cool on screen editing. Definitely this one over the OP 1. The OP Z is still listed between $400.00 - $500.00 (in the US) so I may still wait awhile. Keep up the fine work!!!!!
That was one of its main features on release. Weirdly, most people seem to use it without the app.
It’s a great idea for small synths.
Team OP-Z here too! Thanks!
Great vid as always. With any of TE's stuff, I just can't get over the fact that if anyone who isn't in the know sees you using one, they're going to think you're using a toy. And this one in particular screams "toy." If you told them how much it cost I don't think they would believe you. Like, this thing costs more than a Polyend Tracker and only a little less than a Digitakt.
The fact that, at launch, you had to have Apple to get the full feature set really gives away the game in terms of their marketing and branding strategies, if they weren't already transparent. I know real musicians use these things to make real music -- but as this show demonstrates, real musicians can make real music with anything, and these devices are clearly marketed more at the sort of person who likes to think of themselves as creative than actual pro audio.
Thank you!!!
I know someone who
has had one for sale for less than 3 bills for about a year… I have an OP-1 OG…. debating this, but always come back to this review for clarity and sanity😂
😂😂😂
Great as always. There is an android app however. Not that it would work particularly well, but I have it currently installed. It is early access and has not been updated since 2021 though.
Thank you for the heads up, missed that one
I smiled see this on your channel. I love my OP-Z such a tiny beast.
Thank you!!!
16 steps is all you need. -- Church of the 909
But also, you also need a €700 phone just to use as a screen for your €500 synth , apparently...
Amen (break)!!!
@@AudioPilz😀
Been waiting on this one!
😀😀😀
@@AudioPilz love the show! You left out one thing tho! The retriggering when playing live makes this device a bit tricky but I love it still lol
My least favourite self-obsessed hipster yootoobas have all raved about this candy bar, but never produced anything that wasn't instantly disposable.
You managed a nice fingertapping coffee bar jam for the closer, but forgot to dunk the OP-Z in a large frappacino for the finale.
As a paid up member of the Bananafingers Resistance Battalion, this thing is unusable without a computer, whereby it has to compete with vsts like Falcon, Omnisphere, and the bundled Ableton instruments. That's like bringing a plasticine model of a chocolate bar to a gunfight.
The substance is ok, but the style overwhelms the functionality in such a relentlessly cleverdickish way that TE will never see any of my shiny pebbles. Harrumph!
...bringing a plasticine model of a of chocolate bar to a gunfight. Very poetic - LIKE!!!!
@@AudioPilz ~#&?D
Never seen anyone use or talk about the lego until now, I think that was why it pop up in my feed in the first place lol.
I think it was an official collaboration
You should do the Elektron Syntakt next, it was all pure disappointment from what I read online. I love mine and would like to hear what you could compose on it. A salute, Florian !
Great suggestion, thanks!
I love mine too!! i dont understand all the hate
@@rollingpeople79 - lots of people like to hate stuff without any particular reason. Shame.
@@leftmono1016 People online are like "the synth engines are terrible on this sampler"
@@JDLesemajeste - exactly 😂
A lot of people also listen with their eyes!
i didn't change anything in my listening settings or stereo set up, but the bass in this particular video is clean and very deeeeeeeep
That's something I noticed with the OP-1 too. They really got the bass right on these
The only thing worse than menu diving is having to bring your own screen. You might be one iOS update away from losing all of that functionality.
So true!
👍🏽 That meme about the screen being more powerful than the device plugged into it is spot on. There are just so many amazing instruments and tools. You just have to understand digital audio is digital audio. The size of your jack is meaningless in this world.🙂
Hey, it's all about jack size comparison!😂 🤣😂 🤣😂 🤣
OPZ sounds surprisingly good. Have any of your friends got an mc-909, still looking forward to this one!
No, but MC909 is still moving up my list! Thanks for the suggestion!
There is an Android app made by Teenage Engineering for the OP-Z. It’s seems to be the same as the iOS app and it works perfectly well.
There is also a "line module" that give the same input/output midi capabilities of the OPLAB module and line in/out capabilities instead of CV/Gate.
Nothing to add to your conclusion : It sums up perfectly my thoughts about the OP-Z.
Thanks for the heads up!
Sold my OP-1 and bought this. It's more limited, but I like the the simplicity... and the sequencer.
Thanks for watching.
I prefer the Z to the 1 too!
This is the first time I watch one of your videos where you were unable completely to destroy the reputation of a pice of gear even though you tried in the end it was clear that you are quite impressed with the OPZ
There’s some truth to that!
“The design that won’t get you searched at airports is a dream come true” - I have been through this too many times 😅😂
Security: Sir, you forgot to remove your computer from your bag
Me: “What do you mean, this is an MPC not a computer”
Gets me really nervous in countries like Singapore;)
I can't even imagine what trouble a circuit-bent Speak n' Spell would get you into 0_o
Glad I stumbled across your channel. Interesting info and your music is dope.
Thank you!!!
Funny as ever mate 🤙 Aren't TE the ones who made a tiny mixer and charge a grand for it?
Yes, yes they are...
@@mindexpansionpuzzles Thought so lol
Thanks! Yes, that one looks awesome!