For live performance, the M8 supports using a Launchpad Pro with bidirectional MIDI as a control surface. Makes the M8 work similar to Ableton Live where you can trigger/loop scenes, individual chains, etc.
I have the OP-Z and the M8 here, and... while i suck at producing tracks at *any* device, the fun factor on both of these make these tools so fantastic. I like the OP-Z, but i really love the M8.
You got me onto the dirtywave m8 v2 and it’s become my favorite music device ever . I absolutely loved my Polyend tracker mini but the dirtywave is just so immediate with its workflow it blows everything away
11:15 Not sure if I missed it but M8 has recently got onboard 3-band EQ capability with I think 32 different EQ setup slots, each of which can be applied to an individual instrument or to the master output. Great video! Really interesting comparison. Still happy with my M8 but if someday an XY was available I'd have to at least try it.
@@MidlifeSynthesist No bother! Yes it's no easy task keeping up with the feature rollout! Someone may correct me on the details but I have played around with the M8 EQ and it's definitely real, I know that much for sure. 😅
Nice video. I agree that the M8 Dirtywave tracker has several notable positives that include but are not limited to: deep synthesis, flexible routing, midi capabilities, and is portable and user-friendly. 😃
Great comparison. As a someone who loves portable grooveboxes, I’ve been hearing about the M8 for years now and always been curious about it. This was a great way to see what it can do and how it differs from other boxes like the XY. The M8 still is not for me, but I appreciate what it’s capable of a lot more now.
The greatest feature of the M8 is Trash80 and the community. The M8 is constantly improving. The discord is very supportive. You can actually run an M8 for under 100 bucks if you use the headless option , and this is officially supported. Also to call the fax slots parameter locks is somewhat comparing apples to screwdrivers. The ability to control chance, jumps to different steps/phrases, control global parameters, has a learning curve but it makes generative/cybernetic style compositions far more easily than any other tool I have seen. As for polyphony, technically the hypersynth will allow you to create 6 note chords plus sub oscillator. The fm can give you 4 note chords. The big difference in these tools is that one is that you he m8 isn’t going to give you the experience of laying down tracks and improving over them unless you add external keyboard. While you can launch chains and do mutes and solo in live mode as well as map the touchscreen to parameters it isn’t like twiddling your fingers on a keyboard and jamming. But for composing music I find the M8 is genius. You can create your own scales with microtuning, you can use groove tables to generate unusual beats, using tables you can add modulations beyond the lfo or phrase based effects. You can do polyrhythms and polymeters and all of this can be modified by those effect slots. It’s pretty amazing what a teensy chip can do. To be honest I think the M8 is underpriced and having the v1 and now the v2, while the bigger screen and usb c and built in mic are all great improvements my v1 still is almost entirely the same general experience.
If you put gaps in the M8 song mode you can make phrases as they loop back to the first pattern in that section. In live mode can also mix and match pattern playing different tracks from different sections. You've also glossed over the powerful sequencer/patch/mixing parameters that can be sequenced in the three FX tracks and the three synth tracks.
I’m glad to hear someone mention the look and feel. I feel like a lot of people, especially non-musicians that just like to tour the tech, underestimate just how much the look, feel, and the feeling of the workflow affect your music. The OP-1f feels like it lends itself to totally different music for me, usually more happy, dreamlike, Owl City-like music, as compared to the OP-Z, which makes me go for more toylike or pure electronica kind of music, or the XY, which gets me much more in a NIN, MSI kind of mood when I play it. The M8 makes me gravitate towards chiptune, but also the more industrial feel of the XY. Despite the vast difference in the workflow, there’s a lot of similarity in feel between the M8 and XY, at least for me.
You hit the nail on the head! It’s wild how the feel and workflow of a device can totally change your creative direction! Lots of love and happy music making in 2025!🙌🏻
@ Same to you, dude! Can’t wait to see what you come up with in the next year! But yeah, I’ve really grown to appreciate just how much that has to do with a device, even above a lot of other features. Honestly, I gotta give TE credit for really putting a lot of thought in to that.
I think my favourite feature on the M8 is resampling. It's simple, but allows you to do some crazy chopping/mangling. I also love the way you're always in songmode. I struggled to make finished compositions on the Digitakt. I'd mostly end up with lots of really cool patterns. It had song mode and was always possible to make full compositions, but it didn't push me in that direction.
@@GregVKMusic Yeah, I’ve mentioned this a few times on forums discussions. The simplicity with how you can resample and then you have a new sample instrument to chop and warp is a thing of beauty.
With a bit of effort you can make the M8 play phrases backwards or the song screen using SNG and RMX, nice to see the M8 being compared to this much more expensive device in a sort of normal synth. For me it's how deep the rabbit hole goes on the M8. I'm sure as someone heavy into chiptune techniques I'd find lots of shortcomings with the XY as I do with most space (can it do a 50hz pwm arp dive is usually the first thing I ask about a new device) . good video, guess I'll go make some music standing up :p something so obvious and when playing live it's not something you really even think about.
This is a very useful comparison, thanks for highlighting the pros and cons of both. What I like the most about the op-xy is the immediacy to create an idea, and it has a great workflow… multiple patterns by track, ability to create scenes, and even have different arrangement versions when building a song… all very immediate. The brain, step components and effects are great features. Sounds like the M8 is very capable as well with a bigger learning curve and perhaps not the same immediacy as the op-xy. Not sure if this comparison is similar and fair, for example, I have the Helix multipedal and the Positive Grid mini amp for my guitar… with the Helix I know I’ll have to dig into soundcrafting, trying different effects, distortions, cabs… it is fun, very time consuming. Whereas the mini amp, It allows me to search an effect (or a song) and in 2 seconds I’m ready to actually play the guitar. Sounds to me like the op-xy allows you that immediacy or to get deep in sound crafting if wanted. Either one should be great to have fun… depends what you are after.
Just a comment to say that rather than it being impressive that the XY could power your keylab, we should all bow our heads to Arturia for some amazing power management and optimisation work they put into their controllers. ❤
I liked the way M8 can reuse patterns to compile scenes/chains. When saw that on a first YT review for XY was very happy. Hacky or lack of a song mode on a groovebox is a killer for me. Some keyboard with somewhat expressive keys/pads is a must too. And sequencer with running lights. And savvy synth engines. I’m asking for too much maybe 😂 XY is a hit on all must haves for me. Playing daily, nightly. M8 is great too though! It’s a bummer no rendering yet. I figured to make Scene Zero before the song for alignment. Duplicated project multiple times and record one track at a time (after removing all other track scenes). Took 20 minutes to render but it felt liberating to only mix results in the DAW. Hope handy rendering will be there soon. Otherwise feel archived with making just one but a very solid song I’m happy with in 3 weeks. Usually groovebox (or iPhone app) is an idea catcher I develop further, add more synth. Here it’s pretty much a full song, only polishing, fx-ing, and creative tweaking in Live. OP-XY is a dream device for a busy work week and a family man on duty lifestyle ❤ Cheers!
@@resetreboot So true! We need both audio and midi. I wish every lil thing would export .alp Ableton project too. Like Korg Gadget app. One of the reasons made iPhone my pocket instrument of choice and running it flawlessly for the past decade :)
*M8:* More portable, much cheaper, very detailed synthesis and sound creation from scratch, can run for free on a computer if desired, integrates with other gear better, extremely detailed sequencing, supports long, complex song structures. LSDJ inspired tracker UI. Bigger screen. Designed for composing intricate songs and polishing every detail. *OP-XY:* Has a chromatic keyboard and some knobs and some punch-in effects, for better performability and improvisation. Probably a bit easier to learn. Takes less time to get started, but has a lower ceiling. Built for quick idea generation and improvisation. Personally, *I prefer the M8.* The tracker UI isn't my favorite, and I'd really like to have keys for real-time note entry, but it's a lot nicer than other trackers I've used, and I love everything else about it. The OP-XY doesn't appeal to me very much, because it feels like it has less of a solid foundation for deliberate song composition, and is based more on gimmicks which would get old after a while. But instead of those, I've been using a Force. It's bigger than I'd like, but I love the workflow and feature set and Linux compatibility.
I played Force for a year. One thing (because I’m lazy lol) was knobs are too high over the device. I tried to bring it to sunroom one time, one time to kitchen. Really kept it bolted to studio table, that reduces Force value of being standalone. OP-XY is compressed version of Force. One strong side is song composing on XY. And having keys to play (==improvise). And I don’t give a sht about gimmicks like like perf fx. Synth tweaks automating, programming scenes, tracks, song is super easy and inspiring. Cheers! (I replaying to you because feel resonating on Force, and kinda missed it since sold. Other standalones either Machine+, VerseLab, OP-Z, and dozen other never replaced Force. OP-XY did)
If there was a “M8 XL” with knobs or faders, I might try a tracker… Polyend Tracker+ wouldn’t really cut it. I also have used the XY Multisample engine to put different samples on each key, similar to the Drum engine but with the benefit of sample loop points, it’s pretty cool!
You can get an equivalent of the XY’s drum sampler on the M8. Just render a single audio file with all the drum hits you want, load it in an instrument and use the slice function to map each hit to a different key. Great way to load drum kits on the M8.
Thanks for this. Had both devices. Was very happy about the M8 but was a little to small for my old hands and eyes. The TE is a marketing joke imho. But what you really should compare those to is an iPad M4 with Logic Pro, Drambo, AUM, Nerd Synth and a few dozens of apps more. It's absolutely insane! The sound coming out of the iPad via Audio Interface ot USB-C to jack adapter is crazy. You can absolutely replace your hardware synths AND full computer-daw with just an iPad.
Thanks for watching my friend! Sadly, ipads and computers don’t get my juices flowing in the same way. Same with ipad/iphone gaming. There’s something about the touch screen that sucks the joy out of it for me, but if that works for you, more power to you🙌🏻🙌🏻 see you soon 🤘🏻
@@MidlifeSynthesist yes but nevertheless: when did you try things out on an ipad. I mean you're also fiddling around on some MPC screens right? and I completely underestimated the power of ipad apps like loopy pro, AUM, logic pro and many other cool tools to generate mid patterns. The fabfiltersuite for example is so much fun with a touchscreen and very affordable on iOS. I'm sure you would be delighted. But if you tried it out lately never mind.
Both are great. I have my eye on the XY. Had an og OP-1 and loved it but was sold, it was good as a limited standalone device, but xy looks to work better with other gear. I'm a big fan of the M8, its exactly what I look for in a portable box. Picked up a v2 last month(got lucky), and keeping my v1.
Congrats on the M8!! And yes! The XY is definitely more friendly with other gear where the Op-1 was a more self contained loner. Thanks so much for watching!! Cheers!
I really love the idea of the M8, and actually bought one, but just really had a hard time getting my head around the tracker workflow. I haven't used any other trackers, so the whole concept it new to me. That said, I still have the urge to buy another one. I tell myself that my iPad is just as portable and has WAY more tools for making music(including a tracker, SunVox) installed already, but the M8 is such a cool device. The newer TE stuff is SO expensive that it's not even on my radar, while the Pocket Operators(I have the 33, I think) are too limited for me. The only one I've considered getting is the OP-Z, since it's fairly cheap now(less than the M8 currently, in the USA) and very portable.
It's amusing that both of these ultimate grooveboxes have some serious annoyances when it comes to programming, ya know, drums. Still love M8v2 and will probably get a XY eventually.
Btw.: For the price of an OP-XY you can buy an iPad Pro 256 GB M4, 10 year Logic Pro, a few great AUv3 compatible synth, a midi Keyboard, an Audio interface, a strong powersupply and a stand. Think about that!
Pros and cons for each, but for me the breakdown is like this. Sampler: M8, Synths: OP-XY, Sequencer: M8, Workflow: Depends on your preference, Cost: M8. For a tracker guy like me, the M8 is ticking all the boxes, and it works so well with external synths. Just wish I didn't keep showing up a few minutes late to order a V2.
Two portable devices. One balcony....and yet you (like almost everyone else) didn't compare how well the screens perform when outdoors. Gripe aside, excellent video.
Lol! You’re totally right!🤦🏻♂️ Just went out in plain sun light and both are useable, but the screen on the XY is more readable in extreme sunlight conditions🤘🏻cheers!
So I wanted to upgrade from the Ep133 would you say that this would be a good replacement and more from the ep133 to the OPXY I was wondering if you are able to use the opxy similarly to the EP133 as in loading on samples and playing them and recording like the EP133?
@@nachoviewfinder hello my friend! I’m actually working on a video using the sampler that way and it’s pretty powerful, might even be able to “replace” the op-1 tape! Hope to have it early next week, see you then!
@ can’t wait for that video I’m on the fence about this thing right now because I wasn’t sure if I should get this or the OP1 I mainly just want to be able to use it similar to the EP133 where I can just have samples loaded in and make a song on the device in that way then take it to a daw to expand later on it but it seems like maybe you are able to make a whole song on the opxy but not sure yet
Talking about random... With OP-XY you can hook it to an external synth set 8 CCs and then randomize!! Graciasy ciao compadre! Buenos videos haces ademas!!
This is a great service, thanks for the side-by-side comparison. The only question I'm left with after watching the video is: "where did you get the screen protector for the M8 MKII?"
Hi! Up until now I haven’t hit the pattern limit on any of my tracks. I think it’s also important to remember each pattern can be a different synth/sampler, which really opens it up. Thanks for watching!!
Yessss. Keep the comparison op-xy lokg term review! I have avery difficult time grooving with trackers. I got the polyend tracker mini over the m8 and regret my decision. Not sure if its the device or trackers in general.
I have both, OP-XY wins the race for me, however, the M8 is amazing and there's so many features on it that I wish they add to the XY. Still it's just so fast, inspiring and creative to get a track going on the XY there's not much that can beat it at the moment (at it's size and ease of portability)
Final Boss never shows up in the first episode😜 I’m working my way up to big daddy Deluge🤘🏻 gotta get familiar with the newest community firmware! Cheers!!
People go on about the XY graphix but im probably the minority who is finding there are quite a few places which feel like it still needs work. And the fonts for me are too small. But biggest let down is lack of a clock sync in. Besides these its a very nice machine. The microtuning and groove options are very welcome for me. Yes there is no Stem output but I anyway think stem output on the xy is kinda pointless cos its more fun to jam out your song switching scenes and patterns on the fly. And there is the aux output. So technically you can get 4 mono stems going out while you jam. Also most of us hardware guys have a buncha diff stuff in the studio so no single device is expected to do the heavy lifting.
Also fyi Dirtywave Model 2 is $650 - the "buy new" $599 price is no longer available as the M1 is no longer available. Also, Reverb has used M1's for under 599. And M1 is identical software-wise to M2, and M1 is a bit more "gen 1" hardware-wise. IMO, M8 is well worth the work of 1) buying one and 2) learning to use its tracker interface ["little sound dj" / "lsdj" variant]. Portability, battery life, great sound, and flexibility are chef's kiss. However the "winner" I feel is the XY .. (if it gets rendering) .. since the M8 input + tracker interface is fairly bespoke lsdj-style, and is not common like the piano-keyboard of the XY is.
I dig them both, but they seem like completely different beasts to my eyes. The workflow, cost, portability, and (mindset of use?), are soooo different between the two. Honestly, I'd love one of each. The cost for the OP-XY is the only thing holding me back. Whenever I watch a video like your's on it, I get tempted...and then I look at all the other sound toys out there, and it gets moved to the end of the list. It does look like fun though.
Great video as usual. Does the XY have the 1 midi channel limitation for the USB midi host? Because that would mean you can only use 1 external device at a time. The OP-1f has that limitation I found out and is a real let down for the price and shouldn’t carry the ‘midi host 2.0’ device feature.
EDIT: Sorry my take here is fake news. Please disregard. I *think* so. I have the XY. There is one dedicated MIDI track for sequencing outbound MIDI. I do not know if there is a stealth secret feature anywhere to switch any of the other 8 tracks to MIDI. I can understand why they don't have more dedicated MIDI tracks, as that would clutter things up. But to not be able to switch synth tracks to MIDI means effectively it isn't the sequencer for lots of external gear (unlike the Deluge or Oxi or Polyend Tracker or Mini, for example). It's good for one piece of external gear with the XY playing the backing band, so to speak. Like it or not, you are stuck with the XY's synths and multisamples.
@@aravartanian7578 You can have the 8 instrument tracks configured for midi (shift M1 -> external) + the one external midi track in the fx tracks. So 9 midi tracks available.
@@ATEAMPRODUCTIONS Ah just had to read the manual and then look up some video because it wasn't clear. But you're right. I stand corrected. You can ONLY get to it by hitting Shift M1 on an instrument track it seems to change the engine to MIDI.
@@ATEAMPRODUCTIONSCan you also assign different midi channels to each midi track? Or will each track play one single preset channel? Because that was the problem I run into with the OP1F. I can connect a usb hub to it. Connect USB midi devices to it. But these will only be able to communicate on the set channel. So, connecting a digitakt and a mono synth for instance, doesn’t let the digitakt play to synth on Ch1 if OP1 is set to Ch2. So it isn’t a midi host as advertised. I needed to add a raspberry pi for that. I wonder if the XY has that same problem. A proper host should handle 16 channels.
@@o3rMeNs Yes you can choose midi bank, channel & program + 9 midi cc's per external track. It is different from the op-1 Field. Page 91 of the manual has the info.
I'd also love to see the Woovebox in this Comparison, as it is the spiritual successor of the OP-Z and on the other side of the pricing-range of the OP-XY. And it packs a real punch aswell, while being the probably smallest groovebox out there.
@@MidlifeSynthesist Nice! I'm so looking forward to that video :O Maybe then I'll finally get one aswell, cause even though, I never fail to mention it everytime someone brings up the price of the OP-XY (yes I am that obnoxious) I haven't actually come around to buying it myself... Anyways very very interested in your take, since I like your taste in Music gear best.
You know, I really wanted a V2 M8. I just recently picked up an XY. I’d love to get a M8 but it’s hard to snag them as they are so limited. Both machines are powerhouse in different properties I think and using them to control each other would be a complete studio and almost a solution to investing in the rest of TE line. This debate is hard to have as well because XY will receive many more firmware updates, as M8 as well.
I used the first-generation M8 for almost two years, but I never really warmed up to it. Honestly, a tracker is just a completely different kind of workflow. Quickly throwing things together isn’t exactly the M8’s strong suit. 😅 Speaking for myself, what comes out of the OP-Z in just 10 minutes sounds absolutely amazing to me. With the M8, it always felt like way more effort. 😄 But thank you so much for all the work you put into it! 🙏
the OP-z is good at getting a simple four bar loop going but the M8 is much more immediate at building cop\paste\cloning phrases to make a song together.
I'm a longtime Op-1/Op-1f user who loves the tape workflow to death. The XY looks amazing, but quite similar to other sequencer-based groove boxes, like the Ableton Move, which I am having fun with. I'm more playing parts in live than sequencing and parameter-locking these days so my inner techno self must again re-emerge before I can really want an XY. As for the M8, it looks like a beautifully made, powerful and ultra-portable workstation but -- without ever trying one -- I fear the Tracker as it just looks like filling in a spreadsheet with values to manipulate parameters. That is even farther from the aforementioned "playing live" flow that I mentioned.
You definitely wouldn't *build* a track live, but once you understand how to use it, playing live is simple, and there is a live mode for triggering parts directly.
OP-XY getting midi and stem export would be a cool idea. 🙏 Future firmware, hopefully(though that doesn't interest me as much as fixing the micro tuning/user1 detune bugs). Stems would require it converting midi to audio, and if you're doing that, then let's update the firmware to make it an OP-XY[1/Field]. In order to get stems with the XY, you currently have to buy the TX6/TP7, and that means profit, so I doubt that update will be coming anytime soon. If anything, I have higher hopes for a blacked out TX6 with a jog button the TP7 has(with a shift button to change jog speed to go from tape to DJ scratch speeds), or both of them combined into one package to be half the size of the XY with a black and greyscale finish. I would probably think about buying something like that. But I probably won't as it's cost prohibitive and I'll make do with the XY. The reason why I got it is to get away from the DAW and it's overwhelming aspect for my spicy brain, and the XY is mostly capable enough to do anything I want, especially with resampling and linking tracks for massive sounds, that could be resampled and placed in a single track. I could make a drum beat, speed it up, resample it and turn it into a DnB sample. The M8 looks dope, and for it's size it's a powerhouse, but the tracker workflow is not my cup of tea. What all workstations, both big and portable need is a Hi-Z input and some guitar amp modelling like Boss' AIRd or something. That would be amazing. XY would need 1-2 audio tracks, to be sure. The ability to change tracks 1-8 into an audio track with a limit of 1-2 stereo audio due to processing restrictions is on my biggest wishlist. TE, if you're reading this, this I pray! lol. But for now I could just record guitar sample into it 20 seconds and put multiple recordings into the drum sampler to trigger on different keys. I hope this gives y'all some ideas on overcoming the limitations. 👍
Great video as always. I’ve only had my op XY for a little bit but I’m loving it too. I still have some mental memory hangups when it comes song mode and adding step components, but I’m getting the hang of it. We have a synthesizer meetup in Richmond Virginia, where I live and it was so nice to just bring a small backpack with my headphones, a couple cords, and the opxy. Portability is key. I can take it to work and jam in my free time. It’s a bit of a game changer.
I got the M8 recently and love it. This video is actually perfect as I’ve been wondering how these two stack up and if they would complement each other. The polyphony and sound quality alone were enough to make me wonder. The brain feature is amazing too. That price tag though…
The only few cons I have for the M8 are the fact that it can't record audio while it's playing back (so you can't record an external take synced to playback) and how parameter effects are not all implemented equally (some effect commands are offset while others are absolute) and this causes me frustration when I can't figure out workarounds. Other than those two, I would have loved more instrument presets (especially on the FM synth). Those things aside, I'm still happy I managed to snag one!
Not sure if you know, but you can record samples while playing back the internal synths. 😊 The limit you mentioned only applies to sample playback while recording.
That won’t work on polyend trackers either, not even with internal instruments. I agree that the challenge of trying to sample without having the existing tracks playing to get timing right makes things harder but at least with M8 you can run the internal synths.
I'm having hard time with creating some melodies on m8. But that's personal preference, seems like I prefer to play live melodies in order to find sth cool instead of putting each note manually into sequencer, which doesn't feel fun to me.
Some of the cost of the XY is to support bad design decisions like grayscale gradient design language, which is a triumph of style over substance. The Polyend Tracker should be in the room here.
Man, just got my DTII a few weeks ago. The perform mode makes it incredible to play and experiment around. I would like the M8 because portability, but i like more experimenting to find than to search.
Man, the M8, being a tracker, isn't really much cut to be a performing tool. But I'd wager that for "just in case I have some time to do some music" tool, being precise and able, I think the M8 is the tool. I wish it was more available and maybe a bit less expensive, but that's what we get with niche products like these. For now, I'm making do with an Anbernic RX35 and the Little Piggy Tracker to have a tracker at hand... and some games while on the go.
Just couldn’t get on with the M8, left me cold and uninspired which was gutting as loved the aesthetic. But the OP-XY has stolen my heart and totally won me over...just blends into my musical brain and has meant finishing music for once
@@MidlifeSynthesist you're really hitting your stride recently, you're differentiating your videos from other content-ites really well...thanks for the efforts you've been putting in, really appreciated
I bought the OP-XY because I started out years ago on an OP-Z, and the OP-XY fixes everything I didn’t like about that device (16 step sequence length, no screen, bad buttons) so I knew I had to try this one. And after now owning it for a short period I can really say that this is a totally amazing device, I am also very fast on it. I love it for generative music, the step components and the brain together allow for very deep sequencing. I would recommend less portable desktop alternatives to someone who was looking to get the most out of a limited budget. But if portability is really top priority, or if you can spare the money, you will get an amazing deep groove box for the steep price.
I can never pay that kind of money to teenage engineering no matter what that device does. M8 or polyend mini for an upgrade to my circuit tracks if I ever need something smaller for the road. I do need to thank you for the incredible review of each.
Another important thing: Eyes. You have to look at the M8 display and constantly read and write information. Not very good for users who work with a computer all day.
At this point I think you should really try the op-z. If I were in the US, I would lend you mine :) Just maybe don't compare it to the XY....makes the XY a really hard sell.
Yes, the idea that the sequencer of the XY takes from Octatrack or Deluge or whatever is funny. It's just straight up the OP Z sequencer with a few (very welcome) tweaks and enhancements.
@@MidlifeSynthesist Oh, i forgot (your english sounds american :)) Would love to swing by of course. Have to put it on my bucket list. The op-z had some crazy price cuts here in Europe when the XY came out. Could be had for 300-350 Euros.
For the budget minded and those getting started DONT DROP THIS AMOUNT OF CASH !!! : The option for an M8 "headless" set-up is MUCH cheaper. By running on a teensy via USB C cord to an Ambernic RG-351 total cost about $135 total. Now it is a bit technical to get set-up and running but an immense savings over an OP-XY or a stock M8 - plus you get the the side benefit of a Emulator/ ROM based gaming console (for all games console types) when your are not using for M8 headless.
I believe that features that set the XY apart like the brain transposition or punch-in fx will be replicated in other sequencers and synths with firmware updates this 2025. It's only a matter of (little) time. Thank you for such an excellent upload, allowing all this room for discussing both devices!
You might want to add the word “portable” to your title. These are two of the best portable groove boxes. There are probably better boxes out there, but they aren’t truly portable like these two are.
I really cannot imagine programming all the notes into the sequencer one by one. The very idea sounds too tedious to even try to learn the thing (m8). At the same time, I see how people have a lot of fun with it, I just don't understand how this could be fun. You just need a bit more controls.
@@Dionismgn hi and thanks for watching! As specified in the video, the synth engines are monophonic as in you can only have 1 voice per track, except the hypersynth which can play chords on a single track. Octatrack and digitakt are also considered monophonic per track even though you can make chords using multiple tracks. It’s a way to differentiate from other grooveboxes like for example mpc or op-xy where you can play multiple notes on the same track. It’s a big difference between workflows. Cheers!!
There have been a lot of videos talking about Ternage Engineering issuing a very questionable copyright strike against a reviewer, and suddenly all those videos are gone. My notifications about replies to my comments from those videos are all gone as well. So is TE issuing more and more strikes against the content creators? It was turning into a hot mess of really bad publicity for them, and now I wonder how this is quite suddenly just going away. "Nothing to see here - move along." WTF?
@@scottk3292 hi, sadly there was alot of misinformation about the issue, Florian (bad gear) himself had to clarify. The copyright strike was issued because he posted TE’s promotional video using the original music from that video and adding a few montypython clips in it. It is unknown whether the copyright was the youtube algorithm or was manual. The thing got alot of publicity when another youtuber falsely claimed that they had copyrighted his review (they didn’t) for using samples of the KO-2 (that didn’t happen either). Please fact check so false information isn’t spread around. Thanks for watching!
Hi! I believe they copyright claimed Florian for using footage from KO II medieval commercial, not the use of samples of the machine itself so hopefully I’m safe😂😅 thanks for watching! Cheers🙌🏻
@ XY is a midi device. There are no stems just magically sitting there. you still need to record (render) digital audio to export it, otherwise wtf are you exporting?? if you want an audio recorder buy an audio recorder. you will find 99.999999 percent of musical instruments on earth do not have an inbuilt recorder so you can "export audio." I wouldnt stress about that fact too much.
@nachonacho9011 sure, isn't xy a synth? My point is that for xy it's more easier to do such task.. and for 2k this isn't for debate... Something tells me it will come.
@@MotokoKusanagi find yourself a list of synths that let you "export audio." there arent many. i doubt they will ever add inbuilt rendering of tracks. its not the easy task you think it is. and why would you even want that? they will be far more focussed on adding interesting features rather than messing with the whole workflow to save people 10 minutes of recording audio.
It’s really not when you have it in your hands and start programming. It’s a dream machine! My top cons would be: lacking card streaming, no 1/4” i/o, lacking modulation, small screen, and half of the synth engines that I’ll never use. Other than that, with very precisely premade samples to make up for the overall lack of sound design, it’s a dream to compose with (anywhere!), powerful sequencing tools and just a joy to use.
Breaking news!!! I’ve been informed that The M8 ALSO HAS PATCH RANDOMIZATION! What a time to be alive🙌🏻🔥🔥
How??
@@KB28L All direction buttons and edit at the same time iirc (edit: while on the instrument page)
Cool! Got to try it out!
I’m glad you clarified this, as it stood out to me in the video that you’d missed this. Otherwise, great video, as always!
went to comments to say this hahah
For live performance, the M8 supports using a Launchpad Pro with bidirectional MIDI as a control surface. Makes the M8 work similar to Ableton Live where you can trigger/loop scenes, individual chains, etc.
I have the OP-Z and the M8 here, and... while i suck at producing tracks at *any* device, the fun factor on both of these make these tools so fantastic. I like the OP-Z, but i really love the M8.
You got me onto the dirtywave m8 v2 and it’s become my favorite music device ever .
I absolutely loved my Polyend tracker mini but the dirtywave is just so immediate with its workflow it blows everything away
That’s awesome! So happy to know I helped! The M8 is wicked and when it gets going it’s a BEAST! Thanks for watching!!
11:15 Not sure if I missed it but M8 has recently got onboard 3-band EQ capability with I think 32 different EQ setup slots, each of which can be applied to an individual instrument or to the master output.
Great video! Really interesting comparison. Still happy with my M8 but if someday an XY was available I'd have to at least try it.
@@PROGRAM_IX great catch and thanks for adding that info! M8 keeps growing so much it’s amazing! Cheers!🙌🏻
@@MidlifeSynthesist No bother! Yes it's no easy task keeping up with the feature rollout! Someone may correct me on the details but I have played around with the M8 EQ and it's definitely real, I know that much for sure. 😅
Nice video. I agree that the M8 Dirtywave tracker has several notable positives that include but are not limited to: deep synthesis, flexible routing, midi capabilities, and is portable and user-friendly. 😃
I have and love both, and using both together is a dream come true.
@@deyoungstar 100%! They complement each other extremely well!
Great comparison. As a someone who loves portable grooveboxes, I’ve been hearing about the M8 for years now and always been curious about it. This was a great way to see what it can do and how it differs from other boxes like the XY. The M8 still is not for me, but I appreciate what it’s capable of a lot more now.
Glad it was helpful! Both are amazing devices ! Cheers🙌🏻🙌🏻
Dude… 3:39. This is so relatable and precisely one of the many ways I love(d) making music with the OP-Z!
Lol! Thanks so much for watching bro! Happy new year and I hope to see you in Jamuary🙌🏻🤘🏻
I have them both and love them each for different reasons.
@@jasonfnorth 🤘🏻🤘🏻
The greatest feature of the M8 is Trash80 and the community. The M8 is constantly improving. The discord is very supportive. You can actually run an M8 for under 100 bucks if you use the headless option , and this is officially supported.
Also to call the fax slots parameter locks is somewhat comparing apples to screwdrivers. The ability to control chance, jumps to different steps/phrases, control global parameters, has a learning curve but it makes generative/cybernetic style compositions far more easily than any other tool I have seen.
As for polyphony, technically the hypersynth will allow you to create 6 note chords plus sub oscillator. The fm can give you 4 note chords.
The big difference in these tools is that one is that you he m8 isn’t going to give you the experience of laying down tracks and improving over them unless you add external keyboard. While you can launch chains and do mutes and solo in live mode as well as map the touchscreen to parameters it isn’t like twiddling your fingers on a keyboard and jamming.
But for composing music I find the M8 is genius. You can create your own scales with microtuning, you can use groove tables to generate unusual beats, using tables you can add modulations beyond the lfo or phrase based effects. You can do polyrhythms and polymeters and all of this can be modified by those effect slots.
It’s pretty amazing what a teensy chip can do.
To be honest I think the M8 is underpriced and having the v1 and now the v2, while the bigger screen and usb c and built in mic are all great improvements my v1 still is almost entirely the same general experience.
Agreed! And yes, the community surrounding the M8 is epic!! Thanks for watching!
@@dgoldstein Amen!
@@dgoldstein I second all of what you’ve said. The M8 is an all around amazing package.
Dope comparison.
Just sold my M8. I can hardly wait to get V2.
It’s amazing! Thanks so much for being here my friend!🙌🏻
I’m loving my XY after a few short weeks. The biggest 😮 for me is lack of stem export or rendering. Amazing tool to compose on!
Happy to know you’re enjoying it! I’m loving it so far, warts and all! See you soon!🙌🏻
If you put gaps in the M8 song mode you can make phrases as they loop back to the first pattern in that section. In live mode can also mix and match pattern playing different tracks from different sections. You've also glossed over the powerful sequencer/patch/mixing parameters that can be sequenced in the three FX tracks and the three synth tracks.
I’m glad to hear someone mention the look and feel. I feel like a lot of people, especially non-musicians that just like to tour the tech, underestimate just how much the look, feel, and the feeling of the workflow affect your music. The OP-1f feels like it lends itself to totally different music for me, usually more happy, dreamlike, Owl City-like music, as compared to the OP-Z, which makes me go for more toylike or pure electronica kind of music, or the XY, which gets me much more in a NIN, MSI kind of mood when I play it. The M8 makes me gravitate towards chiptune, but also the more industrial feel of the XY. Despite the vast difference in the workflow, there’s a lot of similarity in feel between the M8 and XY, at least for me.
You hit the nail on the head! It’s wild how the feel and workflow of a device can totally change your creative direction! Lots of love and happy music making in 2025!🙌🏻
@ Same to you, dude! Can’t wait to see what you come up with in the next year!
But yeah, I’ve really grown to appreciate just how much that has to do with a device, even above a lot of other features. Honestly, I gotta give TE credit for really putting a lot of thought in to that.
There’s a very effective time stretching trick on the m8 using the LFO
M8 always finds a way💪🏼
Can use an LFO to time stretch on OP-1 too :) It's a cool trick.
I think my favourite feature on the M8 is resampling. It's simple, but allows you to do some crazy chopping/mangling.
I also love the way you're always in songmode. I struggled to make finished compositions on the Digitakt. I'd mostly end up with lots of really cool patterns. It had song mode and was always possible to make full compositions, but it didn't push me in that direction.
@@GregVKMusic Yeah, I’ve mentioned this a few times on forums discussions. The simplicity with how you can resample and then you have a new sample instrument to chop and warp is a thing of beauty.
With a bit of effort you can make the M8 play phrases backwards or the song screen using SNG and RMX, nice to see the M8 being compared to this much more expensive device in a sort of normal synth. For me it's how deep the rabbit hole goes on the M8. I'm sure as someone heavy into chiptune techniques I'd find lots of shortcomings with the XY as I do with most space (can it do a 50hz pwm arp dive is usually the first thing I ask about a new device) . good video, guess I'll go make some music standing up :p something so obvious and when playing live it's not something you really even think about.
Fantastic video bud! My vote is on the M8 as it is truly a techno BEAST. I love mine and will never give it up 😂
Thanks so much for watching my friend!
Running m8 on steam deck oled is a dream come true :)
How??
I use M8 headless and the last few weeks it has started to flow. So an M8 is an option now.
I enjoy your videos. Have a good 2025 with your family.
Thanks so much for your kindness! Wish you and your family a beautiful 2025!
This is a very useful comparison, thanks for highlighting the pros and cons of both. What I like the most about the op-xy is the immediacy to create an idea, and it has a great workflow… multiple patterns by track, ability to create scenes, and even have different arrangement versions when building a song… all very immediate. The brain, step components and effects are great features.
Sounds like the M8 is very capable as well with a bigger learning curve and perhaps not the same immediacy as the op-xy.
Not sure if this comparison is similar and fair, for example, I have the Helix multipedal and the Positive Grid mini amp for my guitar… with the Helix I know I’ll have to dig into soundcrafting, trying different effects, distortions, cabs… it is fun, very time consuming. Whereas the mini amp, It allows me to search an effect (or a song) and in 2 seconds I’m ready to actually play the guitar. Sounds to me like the op-xy allows you that immediacy or to get deep in sound crafting if wanted. Either one should be great to have fun… depends what you are after.
Amazing stuff, super interesting comparison! Wishing you an awesome 2025!
One thing you forgot to mention is the M8 is completely bug free, and the XY is riddled with them. Great job, though!
yes I can double that totally. I had an M8 for over a year with NOT A SINGLE CRASH. I had an OP-XY for two weeks with 10 crashes a day.
Absolutely true! I should’ve mentioned that! M8 is insanely stable even after so many updates, what a beast!
The M8 doesn’t have a mic though
@@robertjamesonmusic The V2 has one actually...
Just a comment to say that rather than it being impressive that the XY could power your keylab, we should all bow our heads to Arturia for some amazing power management and optimisation work they put into their controllers. ❤
@@Equinoxalpha647 true!🤘🏻
I liked the way M8 can reuse patterns to compile scenes/chains. When saw that on a first YT review for XY was very happy. Hacky or lack of a song mode on a groovebox is a killer for me. Some keyboard with somewhat expressive keys/pads is a must too. And sequencer with running lights. And savvy synth engines. I’m asking for too much maybe 😂 XY is a hit on all must haves for me. Playing daily, nightly. M8 is great too though!
It’s a bummer no rendering yet. I figured to make Scene Zero before the song for alignment. Duplicated project multiple times and record one track at a time (after removing all other track scenes). Took 20 minutes to render but it felt liberating to only mix results in the DAW. Hope handy rendering will be there soon. Otherwise feel archived with making just one but a very solid song I’m happy with in 3 weeks. Usually groovebox (or iPhone app) is an idea catcher I develop further, add more synth. Here it’s pretty much a full song, only polishing, fx-ing, and creative tweaking in Live.
OP-XY is a dream device for a busy work week and a family man on duty lifestyle ❤ Cheers!
Happy New Year to you and yours, mate! 🎉 ‘25 gonna be great with so much music gear in hands!
I can attest that stem rendering is a game changer if you want to produce your tracks, I'm in love with it since the Deluge beta firmware got it.
@@resetreboot So true! We need both audio and midi. I wish every lil thing would export .alp Ableton project too. Like Korg Gadget app. One of the reasons made iPhone my pocket instrument of choice and running it flawlessly for the past decade :)
Glad to see you without a sling/cast! ✌️❤️
That's what i was thinking .. "where's the sling?!" Glad to see you healing and here's to an amazing 2025!
@@sarundayo thanks so much my friend! Still need some work to get my arm back fully, but I think the worst is over! See you soon🙌🏻💪🏼
*M8:* More portable, much cheaper, very detailed synthesis and sound creation from scratch, can run for free on a computer if desired, integrates with other gear better, extremely detailed sequencing, supports long, complex song structures. LSDJ inspired tracker UI. Bigger screen. Designed for composing intricate songs and polishing every detail.
*OP-XY:* Has a chromatic keyboard and some knobs and some punch-in effects, for better performability and improvisation. Probably a bit easier to learn. Takes less time to get started, but has a lower ceiling. Built for quick idea generation and improvisation.
Personally, *I prefer the M8.* The tracker UI isn't my favorite, and I'd really like to have keys for real-time note entry, but it's a lot nicer than other trackers I've used, and I love everything else about it. The OP-XY doesn't appeal to me very much, because it feels like it has less of a solid foundation for deliberate song composition, and is based more on gimmicks which would get old after a while. But instead of those, I've been using a Force. It's bigger than I'd like, but I love the workflow and feature set and Linux compatibility.
I played Force for a year. One thing (because I’m lazy lol) was knobs are too high over the device. I tried to bring it to sunroom one time, one time to kitchen. Really kept it bolted to studio table, that reduces Force value of being standalone. OP-XY is compressed version of Force. One strong side is song composing on XY. And having keys to play (==improvise). And I don’t give a sht about gimmicks like like perf fx. Synth tweaks automating, programming scenes, tracks, song is super easy and inspiring. Cheers!
(I replaying to you because feel resonating on Force, and kinda missed it since sold. Other standalones either Machine+, VerseLab, OP-Z, and dozen other never replaced Force. OP-XY did)
Also you can plug M8 into computer/laptop if you want to work on a bigger screen!
If there was a “M8 XL” with knobs or faders, I might try a tracker… Polyend Tracker+ wouldn’t really cut it.
I also have used the XY Multisample engine to put different samples on each key, similar to the Drum engine but with the benefit of sample loop points, it’s pretty cool!
You can get an equivalent of the XY’s drum sampler on the M8. Just render a single audio file with all the drum hits you want, load it in an instrument and use the slice function to map each hit to a different key. Great way to load drum kits on the M8.
Wait. I recognize those buildings and trees from your balcony. That's Santiago de Chile, right?
Asi es ! Abrazo!
Thanks for this. Had both devices. Was very happy about the M8 but was a little to small for my old hands and eyes. The TE is a marketing joke imho. But what you really should compare those to is an iPad M4 with Logic Pro, Drambo, AUM, Nerd Synth and a few dozens of apps more. It's absolutely insane! The sound coming out of the iPad via Audio Interface ot USB-C to jack adapter is crazy. You can absolutely replace your hardware synths AND full computer-daw with just an iPad.
If you love grooveboxes you HAVE to try out Drambo! Koala is nice too but Drambo is just fantastic.
Thanks for watching my friend! Sadly, ipads and computers don’t get my juices flowing in the same way. Same with ipad/iphone gaming. There’s something about the touch screen that sucks the joy out of it for me, but if that works for you, more power to you🙌🏻🙌🏻 see you soon 🤘🏻
@@MidlifeSynthesist yes but nevertheless: when did you try things out on an ipad. I mean you're also fiddling around on some MPC screens right? and I completely underestimated the power of ipad apps like loopy pro, AUM, logic pro and many other cool tools to generate mid patterns. The fabfiltersuite for example is so much fun with a touchscreen and very affordable on iOS. I'm sure you would be delighted. But if you tried it out lately never mind.
Both are great. I have my eye on the XY. Had an og OP-1 and loved it but was sold, it was good as a limited standalone device, but xy looks to work better with other gear. I'm a big fan of the M8, its exactly what I look for in a portable box. Picked up a v2 last month(got lucky), and keeping my v1.
Congrats on the M8!! And yes! The XY is definitely more friendly with other gear where the Op-1 was a more self contained loner. Thanks so much for watching!! Cheers!
dual M8 squad!
Good to see you without the sling. Hopefully that means you’re getting better.
Thanks so much! Feeling much better! 🙏🏻 lots of love my friend🙌🏻
I really love the idea of the M8, and actually bought one, but just really had a hard time getting my head around the tracker workflow. I haven't used any other trackers, so the whole concept it new to me. That said, I still have the urge to buy another one. I tell myself that my iPad is just as portable and has WAY more tools for making music(including a tracker, SunVox) installed already, but the M8 is such a cool device.
The newer TE stuff is SO expensive that it's not even on my radar, while the Pocket Operators(I have the 33, I think) are too limited for me. The only one I've considered getting is the OP-Z, since it's fairly cheap now(less than the M8 currently, in the USA) and very portable.
Excellent video as usual man 🤘
It's amusing that both of these ultimate grooveboxes have some serious annoyances when it comes to programming, ya know, drums. Still love M8v2 and will probably get a XY eventually.
Btw.: For the price of an OP-XY you can buy an iPad Pro 256 GB M4, 10 year Logic Pro, a few great AUv3 compatible synth, a midi Keyboard, an Audio interface, a strong powersupply and a stand. Think about that!
Pros and cons for each, but for me the breakdown is like this. Sampler: M8, Synths: OP-XY, Sequencer: M8, Workflow: Depends on your preference, Cost: M8.
For a tracker guy like me, the M8 is ticking all the boxes, and it works so well with external synths. Just wish I didn't keep showing up a few minutes late to order a V2.
Two portable devices. One balcony....and yet you (like almost everyone else) didn't compare how well the screens perform when outdoors.
Gripe aside, excellent video.
Lol! You’re totally right!🤦🏻♂️ Just went out in plain sun light and both are useable, but the screen on the XY is more readable in extreme sunlight conditions🤘🏻cheers!
@@MidlifeSynthesist ❤👌
🔥 Thank you for this video!
Thank you for watching!
So I wanted to upgrade from the Ep133 would you say that this would be a good replacement and more from the ep133 to the OPXY I was wondering if you are able to use the opxy similarly to the EP133 as in loading on samples and playing them and recording like the EP133?
@@nachoviewfinder hello my friend! I’m actually working on a video using the sampler that way and it’s pretty powerful, might even be able to “replace” the op-1 tape! Hope to have it early next week, see you then!
@ can’t wait for that video I’m on the fence about this thing right now because I wasn’t sure if I should get this or the OP1 I mainly just want to be able to use it similar to the EP133 where I can just have samples loaded in and make a song on the device in that way then take it to a daw to expand later on it but it seems like maybe you are able to make a whole song on the opxy but not sure yet
Talking about random... With OP-XY you can hook it to an external synth set 8 CCs and then randomize!! Graciasy ciao compadre! Buenos videos haces ademas!!
if the brain is the XY's killer feature, it would be great if it could be replicated with a Max for Live device somehow
Brain on Push 3 would be EPIC tbh!
@@MidlifeSynthesist+1
This is a great service, thanks for the side-by-side comparison.
The only question I'm left with after watching the video is: "where did you get the screen protector for the M8 MKII?"
I have one, in amazon search for 3,5” screen protectors.
XY users, do you find 9 patterns per track limiting for a full song?
Hi! Up until now I haven’t hit the pattern limit on any of my tracks. I think it’s also important to remember each pattern can be a different synth/sampler, which really opens it up. Thanks for watching!!
I would love to see you revisit this with the M8 V2 if you ever get one.
he is using the M802 in this whole video.
Hi! Thanks for watching! And yes, as the previous comment mentioned, this is the V2👍🏼 cheers!
@MidlifeSynthesist Ah, my bad, I didn't realise 😅 You mentioned it doesn't have polyphony, but I thought the V2 did. Sorry, bro!
@ no worries!! Happy new year!🙌🏻🙌🏻
@@RaijinHeavyIndustries V1 and V2 run the exact same firmware. and you have polyphony through hypersynth and FM
Yessss. Keep the comparison op-xy lokg term review! I have avery difficult time grooving with trackers. I got the polyend tracker mini over the m8 and regret my decision. Not sure if its the device or trackers in general.
@@kingof9x Polyend Tracker Mini just kinda sucks
I have both, OP-XY wins the race for me, however, the M8 is amazing and there's so many features on it that I wish they add to the XY. Still it's just so fast, inspiring and creative to get a track going on the XY there's not much that can beat it at the moment (at it's size and ease of portability)
what happened to our mighty Deluge?
Final Boss never shows up in the first episode😜 I’m working my way up to big daddy Deluge🤘🏻 gotta get familiar with the newest community firmware! Cheers!!
@ 😎🤘🏻1.2 Chopin is amazing…
Both XY and M8 synths sound MUCH better than the Deluge. I wish someone could explain what's going on here. And it's not just bad presets.
@ definitely don’t agree with you, as a person came from Elektron boxes.
@@orkunbagatur5055I believe 1.3 just came out, with stem export 😊
People go on about the XY graphix but im probably the minority who is finding there are quite a few places which feel like it still needs work. And the fonts for me are too small.
But biggest let down is lack of a clock sync in. Besides these its a very nice machine. The microtuning and groove options are very welcome for me. Yes there is no Stem output but I anyway think stem output on the xy is kinda pointless cos its more fun to jam out your song switching scenes and patterns on the fly. And there is the aux output. So technically you can get 4 mono stems going out while you jam. Also most of us hardware guys have a buncha diff stuff in the studio so no single device is expected to do the heavy lifting.
Also fyi Dirtywave Model 2 is $650 - the "buy new" $599 price is no longer available as the M1 is no longer available.
Also, Reverb has used M1's for under 599. And M1 is identical software-wise to M2, and M1 is a bit more "gen 1" hardware-wise.
IMO, M8 is well worth the work of 1) buying one and 2) learning to use its tracker interface ["little sound dj" / "lsdj" variant]. Portability, battery life, great sound, and flexibility are chef's kiss.
However the "winner" I feel is the XY .. (if it gets rendering) .. since the M8 input + tracker interface is fairly bespoke lsdj-style, and is not common like the piano-keyboard of the XY is.
I dig them both, but they seem like completely different beasts to my eyes. The workflow, cost, portability, and (mindset of use?), are soooo different between the two.
Honestly, I'd love one of each.
The cost for the OP-XY is the only thing holding me back. Whenever I watch a video like your's on it, I get tempted...and then I look at all the other sound toys out there, and it gets moved to the end of the list. It does look like fun though.
Great video as usual. Does the XY have the 1 midi channel limitation for the USB midi host? Because that would mean you can only use 1 external device at a time. The OP-1f has that limitation I found out and is a real let down for the price and shouldn’t carry the ‘midi host 2.0’ device feature.
EDIT: Sorry my take here is fake news. Please disregard.
I *think* so. I have the XY. There is one dedicated MIDI track for sequencing outbound MIDI. I do not know if there is a stealth secret feature anywhere to switch any of the other 8 tracks to MIDI. I can understand why they don't have more dedicated MIDI tracks, as that would clutter things up. But to not be able to switch synth tracks to MIDI means effectively it isn't the sequencer for lots of external gear (unlike the Deluge or Oxi or Polyend Tracker or Mini, for example). It's good for one piece of external gear with the XY playing the backing band, so to speak. Like it or not, you are stuck with the XY's synths and multisamples.
@@aravartanian7578 You can have the 8 instrument tracks configured for midi (shift M1 -> external) + the one external midi track in the fx tracks. So 9 midi tracks available.
@@ATEAMPRODUCTIONS Ah just had to read the manual and then look up some video because it wasn't clear. But you're right. I stand corrected. You can ONLY get to it by hitting Shift M1 on an instrument track it seems to change the engine to MIDI.
@@ATEAMPRODUCTIONSCan you also assign different midi channels to each midi track? Or will each track play one single preset channel? Because that was the problem I run into with the OP1F. I can connect a usb hub to it. Connect USB midi devices to it. But these will only be able to communicate on the set channel. So, connecting a digitakt and a mono synth for instance, doesn’t let the digitakt play to synth on Ch1 if OP1 is set to Ch2. So it isn’t a midi host as advertised. I needed to add a raspberry pi for that. I wonder if the XY has that same problem. A proper host should handle 16 channels.
@@o3rMeNs Yes you can choose midi bank, channel & program + 9 midi cc's per external track. It is different from the op-1 Field. Page 91 of the manual has the info.
I'd also love to see the Woovebox in this Comparison, as it is the spiritual successor of the OP-Z and on the other side of the pricing-range of the OP-XY.
And it packs a real punch aswell, while being the probably smallest groovebox out there.
@@trushreitsam5802 I’m currently learning it!! It’s an amazing device!🔥
@@MidlifeSynthesist Nice!
I'm so looking forward to that video :O
Maybe then I'll finally get one aswell, cause even though, I never fail to mention it everytime someone brings up the price of the OP-XY (yes I am that obnoxious) I haven't actually come around to buying it myself...
Anyways very very interested in your take, since I like your taste in Music gear best.
You know, I really wanted a V2 M8. I just recently picked up an XY. I’d love to get a M8 but it’s hard to snag them as they are so limited. Both machines are powerhouse in different properties I think and using them to control each other would be a complete studio and almost a solution to investing in the rest of TE line. This debate is hard to have as well because XY will receive many more firmware updates, as M8 as well.
I used the first-generation M8 for almost two years, but I never really warmed up to it. Honestly, a tracker is just a completely different kind of workflow. Quickly throwing things together isn’t exactly the M8’s strong suit. 😅
Speaking for myself, what comes out of the OP-Z in just 10 minutes sounds absolutely amazing to me. With the M8, it always felt like way more effort. 😄
But thank you so much for all the work you put into it! 🙏
the OP-z is good at getting a simple four bar loop going but the M8 is much more immediate at building cop\paste\cloning phrases to make a song together.
But where can we get the M8 Tracker Model:02, its been a moment now jeez...
I'm a longtime Op-1/Op-1f user who loves the tape workflow to death. The XY looks amazing, but quite similar to other sequencer-based groove boxes, like the Ableton Move, which I am having fun with. I'm more playing parts in live than sequencing and parameter-locking these days so my inner techno self must again re-emerge before I can really want an XY. As for the M8, it looks like a beautifully made, powerful and ultra-portable workstation but -- without ever trying one -- I fear the Tracker as it just looks like filling in a spreadsheet with values to manipulate parameters. That is even farther from the aforementioned "playing live" flow that I mentioned.
You definitely wouldn't *build* a track live, but once you understand how to use it, playing live is simple, and there is a live mode for triggering parts directly.
OP-XY getting midi and stem export would be a cool idea. 🙏 Future firmware, hopefully(though that doesn't interest me as much as fixing the micro tuning/user1 detune bugs). Stems would require it converting midi to audio, and if you're doing that, then let's update the firmware to make it an OP-XY[1/Field]. In order to get stems with the XY, you currently have to buy the TX6/TP7, and that means profit, so I doubt that update will be coming anytime soon. If anything, I have higher hopes for a blacked out TX6 with a jog button the TP7 has(with a shift button to change jog speed to go from tape to DJ scratch speeds), or both of them combined into one package to be half the size of the XY with a black and greyscale finish. I would probably think about buying something like that. But I probably won't as it's cost prohibitive and I'll make do with the XY. The reason why I got it is to get away from the DAW and it's overwhelming aspect for my spicy brain, and the XY is mostly capable enough to do anything I want, especially with resampling and linking tracks for massive sounds, that could be resampled and placed in a single track. I could make a drum beat, speed it up, resample it and turn it into a DnB sample.
The M8 looks dope, and for it's size it's a powerhouse, but the tracker workflow is not my cup of tea.
What all workstations, both big and portable need is a Hi-Z input and some guitar amp modelling like Boss' AIRd or something. That would be amazing. XY would need 1-2 audio tracks, to be sure. The ability to change tracks 1-8 into an audio track with a limit of 1-2 stereo audio due to processing restrictions is on my biggest wishlist. TE, if you're reading this, this I pray! lol. But for now I could just record guitar sample into it 20 seconds and put multiple recordings into the drum sampler to trigger on different keys.
I hope this gives y'all some ideas on overcoming the limitations. 👍
I'm loving xy but deluge continues to be my favorite
Loving the new Firmware! Chopin for the win!
@ yeah man, better and better
Great video 🎉 What is the button combination that allows to randomize synth patches on the opxy?
hold the track button (1-8) then press M1 which should now be labeled 'scramble'
for boom bap type beats, what is the best in your opinion?
OP-XY vs Polyend Tracker Mini?
PET mini is a poorly implemented toy in comparison
Watching 😎
🤘🏻🤘🏻🤩🤘🏻🤘🏻
Great video as always. I’ve only had my op XY for a little bit but I’m loving it too. I still have some mental memory hangups when it comes song mode and adding step components, but I’m getting the hang of it. We have a synthesizer meetup in Richmond Virginia, where I live and it was so nice to just bring a small backpack with my headphones, a couple cords, and the opxy.
Portability is key. I can take it to work and jam in my free time. It’s a bit of a game changer.
Thanks so much for watching! And yes!! For anyone with a dayjob, the ability to take your whole studio with you is priceless! Lots of love!
My ultimate portable groovebox is still the OP-Z.
I got the M8 recently and love it. This video is actually perfect as I’ve been wondering how these two stack up and if they would complement each other. The polyphony and sound quality alone were enough to make me wonder. The brain feature is amazing too. That price tag though…
Having both, I find them really complimentary.
My M8 is still my preferred travel companion though.
The only few cons I have for the M8 are the fact that it can't record audio while it's playing back (so you can't record an external take synced to playback) and how parameter effects are not all implemented equally (some effect commands are offset while others are absolute) and this causes me frustration when I can't figure out workarounds. Other than those two, I would have loved more instrument presets (especially on the FM synth). Those things aside, I'm still happy I managed to snag one!
Not sure if you know, but you can record samples while playing back the internal synths. 😊 The limit you mentioned only applies to sample playback while recording.
@ oh I did not know that. But it’s pretty rare that I don’t have any samples playing! I really wish the device had a small chunk of ram for recording.
That won’t work on polyend trackers either, not even with internal instruments. I agree that the challenge of trying to sample without having the existing tracks playing to get timing right makes things harder but at least with M8 you can run the internal synths.
Would you say it’s difficult to make a full song on the m8?
No. If you like the tracker workflow, it lends itself to making full compositions.
I'm having hard time with creating some melodies on m8. But that's personal preference, seems like I prefer to play live melodies in order to find sth cool instead of putting each note manually into sequencer, which doesn't feel fun to me.
Some of the cost of the XY is to support bad design decisions like grayscale gradient design language, which is a triumph of style over substance.
The Polyend Tracker should be in the room here.
Man, just got my DTII a few weeks ago. The perform mode makes it incredible to play and experiment around.
I would like the M8 because portability, but i like more experimenting to find than to search.
Man, the M8, being a tracker, isn't really much cut to be a performing tool. But I'd wager that for "just in case I have some time to do some music" tool, being precise and able, I think the M8 is the tool. I wish it was more available and maybe a bit less expensive, but that's what we get with niche products like these.
For now, I'm making do with an Anbernic RX35 and the Little Piggy Tracker to have a tracker at hand... and some games while on the go.
add a knobby midi controller, problem solved.
add a knobby midi controller, problem solved
Just couldn’t get on with the M8, left me cold and uninspired which was gutting as loved the aesthetic. But the OP-XY has stolen my heart and totally won me over...just blends into my musical brain and has meant finishing music for once
Awesome to hear you found something that inspires you!! Happy beatmaking in 2025!!🎊
@@MidlifeSynthesist you're really hitting your stride recently, you're differentiating your videos from other content-ites really well...thanks for the efforts you've been putting in, really appreciated
@@Farold_Haltermeyer thanks so much my friend! Truly appreciate the kind feedback!🙌🏻
I bought the OP-XY because I started out years ago on an OP-Z, and the OP-XY fixes everything I didn’t like about that device (16 step sequence length, no screen, bad buttons) so I knew I had to try this one. And after now owning it for a short period I can really say that this is a totally amazing device, I am also very fast on it. I love it for generative music, the step components and the brain together allow for very deep sequencing. I would recommend less portable desktop alternatives to someone who was looking to get the most out of a limited budget. But if portability is really top priority, or if you can spare the money, you will get an amazing deep groove box for the steep price.
Totally! I never owned a Z but I was instantly smitten with the XY🔥 I expect it will become a staple in my music and channel! Cheers🙌🏻
2299...
🫠
Comparing the most unavailable economically , and unavailable practically devices ever 😂😂
@@b3ch113 😂😂
@ great comparison though. I bought the XY as soon as it got out . Love it so far for the availability, pick up and use ..:
It's obvious you don't have an M8 to make that claim.
@@atumrexmy point exactly 😂
I can never pay that kind of money to teenage engineering no matter what that device does. M8 or polyend mini for an upgrade to my circuit tracks if I ever need something smaller for the road. I do need to thank you for the incredible review of each.
Thanks so much my friend! glad to know you found my videos helpful 🙌🏻 cheers!
Another important thing: Eyes. You have to look at the M8 display and constantly read and write information. Not very good for users who work with a computer all day.
Value for money. The m8 has got to be miles better.
At this point I think you should really try the op-z. If I were in the US, I would lend you mine :) Just maybe don't compare it to the XY....makes the XY a really hard sell.
Yes, the idea that the sequencer of the XY takes from Octatrack or Deluge or whatever is funny. It's just straight up the OP Z sequencer with a few (very welcome) tweaks and enhancements.
I’m in Chile though! Want to swing by😜? Cheers!
@@MidlifeSynthesist Oh, i forgot (your english sounds american :)) Would love to swing by of course. Have to put it on my bucket list.
The op-z had some crazy price cuts here in Europe when the XY came out. Could be had for 300-350 Euros.
For the budget minded and those getting started DONT DROP THIS AMOUNT OF CASH !!! : The option for an M8 "headless" set-up is MUCH cheaper. By running on a teensy via USB C cord to an Ambernic RG-351 total cost about $135 total. Now it is a bit technical to get set-up and running but an immense savings over an OP-XY or a stock M8 - plus you get the the side benefit of a Emulator/ ROM based gaming console (for all games console types) when your are not using for M8 headless.
OPXY for me
Non of these two can be called "Ultimate"... but M8 is a really nice portable tracker.
I believe that features that set the XY apart like the brain transposition or punch-in fx will be replicated in other sequencers and synths with firmware updates this 2025. It's only a matter of (little) time.
Thank you for such an excellent upload, allowing all this room for discussing both devices!
Totally agree!! It’s definitely something others need to copy in their devices🤘🏻 Brain on Push 3 would be insane!
Thanks for watching my friend!!🙌🏻
You might want to add the word “portable” to your title. These are two of the best portable groove boxes. There are probably better boxes out there, but they aren’t truly portable like these two are.
Done! Thanks for watching my friend! Cheers!
@@MidlifeSynthesistno problem! Great job on this video. You really did your homework!
Ohh el weon Seco!
Jajaja gracias loco!!
I really cannot imagine programming all the notes into the sequencer one by one. The very idea sounds too tedious to even try to learn the thing (m8). At the same time, I see how people have a lot of fun with it, I just don't understand how this could be fun. You just need a bit more controls.
I don't think it's correct to say M8 is monophonic. 8 tracks mean 8 voices.
@@Dionismgn hi and thanks for watching! As specified in the video, the synth engines are monophonic as in you can only have 1 voice per track, except the hypersynth which can play chords on a single track. Octatrack and digitakt are also considered monophonic per track even though you can make chords using multiple tracks. It’s a way to differentiate from other grooveboxes like for example mpc or op-xy where you can play multiple notes on the same track. It’s a big difference between workflows. Cheers!!
There have been a lot of videos talking about Ternage Engineering issuing a very questionable copyright strike against a reviewer, and suddenly all those videos are gone. My notifications about replies to my comments from those videos are all gone as well. So is TE issuing more and more strikes against the content creators? It was turning into a hot mess of really bad publicity for them, and now I wonder how this is quite suddenly just going away. "Nothing to see here - move along." WTF?
@@scottk3292 hi, sadly there was alot of misinformation about the issue, Florian (bad gear) himself had to clarify. The copyright strike was issued because he posted TE’s promotional video using the original music from that video and adding a few montypython clips in it. It is unknown whether the copyright was the youtube algorithm or was manual. The thing got alot of publicity when another youtuber falsely claimed that they had copyrighted his review (they didn’t) for using samples of the KO-2 (that didn’t happen either). Please fact check so false information isn’t spread around. Thanks for watching!
i have both. op-xy is very betterr, but M8 have a good price,... butt i prrefer also deluge to M8.
1- OP-XY
2- DELUGE
3- M8
Just look at the price.
TE is exclusively for rich people. Are you rich? Theres your answer for most people.
Nobody should ever give their money to Teenage Engineering. Any company that copyright strikes a parody video should not get your money.
So one is way too much money and the other is not possible to actually buy it... Ok then...
don't buy Teenage Engineering you get youtube copyright strike
Hi! I believe they copyright claimed Florian for using footage from KO II medieval commercial, not the use of samples of the machine itself so hopefully I’m safe😂😅 thanks for watching! Cheers🙌🏻
wait, what? A 2200 EUR MACHINE AND IT CAN'T, I REPEAT: IT CAN'T EXPORT AUDIO??? amateurism at its best...
it doesnt record audio. this is like complaining your prophet 5 doesnt "export audio"
@nachonacho9011 i guess p5 would have to render the music, despite having a cpu, as it is analogue. Thtat teenage thingy is just software... Soooo...
@ XY is a midi device. There are no stems just magically sitting there.
you still need to record (render) digital audio to export it, otherwise wtf are you exporting??
if you want an audio recorder buy an audio recorder. you will find 99.999999 percent of musical instruments on earth do not have an inbuilt recorder so you can "export audio." I wouldnt stress about that fact too much.
@nachonacho9011 sure, isn't xy a synth? My point is that for xy it's more easier to do such task.. and for 2k this isn't for debate... Something tells me it will come.
@@MotokoKusanagi find yourself a list of synths that let you "export audio." there arent many.
i doubt they will ever add inbuilt rendering of tracks. its not the easy task you think it is. and why would you even want that?
they will be far more focussed on adding interesting features rather than messing with the whole workflow to save people 10 minutes of recording audio.
$2300 is a joke.
It’s really not when you have it in your hands and start programming. It’s a dream machine! My top cons would be: lacking card streaming, no 1/4” i/o, lacking modulation, small screen, and half of the synth engines that I’ll never use. Other than that, with very precisely premade samples to make up for the overall lack of sound design, it’s a dream to compose with (anywhere!), powerful sequencing tools and just a joy to use.
i say thanks god te did not price it higher 😂 it totally pays of and more
First again!
@@sichtbeton on a roll!!! Lol! Happy new year my friend! See you soon!
Both ridiculously overpriced .. if you buy either one you must be a mug ..
Or just simply not poor? If either, or even both have what you want and you can afford them, then I don't see the problem.
Sorry.. what?😂😅
how is the M8 ridiculously overpriced?