Teenage Engineering OP-1chat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

Many commenters say the OP-1's price has climbed dramatically over the years and call it at least twice what it should cost, comparing it unfavorably to other gear at similar or lower prices.

@spencereeves

I miss my OP-1. Bought it on a whim a few years ago to challenge myself with learning it as an instrument. I played with it for a couple of years until I felt like I exhausted its capabilities. I started learning Logic at the same time, and discovered I could recreate the same sounds on the DAW easier and without the limitations of the OP1, so I sold it. Looking back, it was a much more intuitive and fun way of making music on the go, and it really helped me learn the dynamics of making sounds from raw synths. Wish I had giving it more of a chance when I had it. I'd love to play with one again sometime, but I don't think I'll be able to buy another for a while since the prices don't seem to stop going up! Great video!launch

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August 26, 2025

@knowingwhatthebuttondoes3432

I have been in a debate with myself about getting one of these ever since I the 'daw-less'- game in 2015 (somewhere in between when we called it 'live PA' and 'out-of-the-box'). I have never been able;e to get past how esoteric/weird it seems, and that vibe to me just screams inaccessible in a wanky way. Maybe if I had a friend who had one and I could play around with one a bit, it might charm me, but I'm Robinson Caruso over here. \nI have avoided it over and over, originally opting for a Yamaha RS7000 (I could have spent that time and those brain cells on my masters degree instead of that infernal bloody thing), then I got the new Electribe (not the sampler) and loved it to it's limits. I've had a Roland TR8s (strictly a drum machine, but so incredibly fkn powerful and flexible that it stands firmly in groovebox territory), which even many years later I still find surprises me with it's usefulness and also just how damn well it always sits in the mix.\nAnd finally, a few weeks ago I got what is shaping up to be the great love of my life.... the machine I've been searching/waiting for all these years... It's my Polyend Play+.\nAnd on that musical note, excuse me folks... I have to go make box-love to Poly-dolly.launch

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May 25, 2025

@unemployablegraduate

I feel like the OP-1 was an attempt to design a music-making tool that Logan 5 from ‘Logan’s Run’ might have doodled away on in his spare time when he wasn’t shooting ‘runners’. I’ve always been curious about it because of the sheer novelty of its approach, but, as others have stated, at a price of over £1000 U.K. pounds new, I cannot justify buying what I strongly suspect is a cool recreational toy rather than a practical workhorse tool: especially not when there’s things like KORG Gadget around.launch

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May 7, 2022

@RaverOperator

My friend has one of these and I was impressed at the old Skool Ravey sounds that could be generated from this device, but in the end I'm glad I opted for an MPC one instead...\nAlthough I'd love to borrow his for the weekend and sample the synth sounds I make in there for future use!\n\nIf I had cash to splash of think about it but these are very pricey and have a lot of problems with their battery and the plastic casing warping.\n\nYou'd think at the price tag it comes with it should have a metal case to house it instead, and maybe some better outputs too.\n\nMy verdict, I like it, but it's at least twice the price it should be...launch

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May 6, 2022

Users report the I/O jacks break very easily, replacement screws strip, the plastic casing can warp, and the keys yellow over time, raising durability concerns for the price.

@chriskamerling4615

I don't know if you know this, but you can get those yellowed keys back to white. You have to take them off the unit, then submerge the yellowed plastic in some hydrogen peroxide (not sure the percentage). Then, using a black light (u.v. light), you can \"bleach\" them back to their original brightness. If you look this procedure up on YouTube, you should be able to find it pretty easily. It's in a lot of videos that show restorations of old pieces that have yellowed plastic (old NES systems, old computer keyboards, old game boys, etc..). Hope this helps.launch

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July 8, 2025

@1dkappe

The beef against the op-1 i had was build quality and repair and support. I look forward to your first repair video. 😢launch

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May 24, 2025

@RaverOperator

My friend has one of these and I was impressed at the old Skool Ravey sounds that could be generated from this device, but in the end I'm glad I opted for an MPC one instead...\nAlthough I'd love to borrow his for the weekend and sample the synth sounds I make in there for future use!\n\nIf I had cash to splash of think about it but these are very pricey and have a lot of problems with their battery and the plastic casing warping.\n\nYou'd think at the price tag it comes with it should have a metal case to house it instead, and maybe some better outputs too.\n\nMy verdict, I like it, but it's at least twice the price it should be...launch

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May 6, 2022

@timbrechopper

Excellent video!\n\nPro-tip: Do not drop this thing. The input/output jacks break easily (*very* easily). The screws to replace the I/O board are apparently made out of pudding and will strip faster than GG Allin at a gig. Need the analog input for the FM tuner (and the nifty antenna accessory you get overcharged for). \n\nWith that out of the way, I love the OP-1. It's expensive but you can also get a whole lot from it if you put in the time. Not sure the (kinda high) learning curve is worth it if you already use a lot of other gear. But if you don't, you can get a whole lot from this device. Also, the firmware update adding audio to the USB is a very nice addition (makes for a sweet addition to an aggregate device).launch

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May 6, 2022

Several commenters describe the device as obtuse or overwhelming, with a deep learning curve that can leave less tech-oriented or older users lost or unable to fully utilize its features.

@knowingwhatthebuttondoes3432

I have been in a debate with myself about getting one of these ever since I the 'daw-less'- game in 2015 (somewhere in between when we called it 'live PA' and 'out-of-the-box'). I have never been able;e to get past how esoteric/weird it seems, and that vibe to me just screams inaccessible in a wanky way. Maybe if I had a friend who had one and I could play around with one a bit, it might charm me, but I'm Robinson Caruso over here. \nI have avoided it over and over, originally opting for a Yamaha RS7000 (I could have spent that time and those brain cells on my masters degree instead of that infernal bloody thing), then I got the new Electribe (not the sampler) and loved it to it's limits. I've had a Roland TR8s (strictly a drum machine, but so incredibly fkn powerful and flexible that it stands firmly in groovebox territory), which even many years later I still find surprises me with it's usefulness and also just how damn well it always sits in the mix.\nAnd finally, a few weeks ago I got what is shaping up to be the great love of my life.... the machine I've been searching/waiting for all these years... It's my Polyend Play+.\nAnd on that musical note, excuse me folks... I have to go make box-love to Poly-dolly.launch

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May 25, 2025

@1dkappe

The beef against the op-1 i had was build quality and repair and support. I look forward to your first repair video. 😢launch

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May 24, 2025

@timbrechopper

Excellent video!\n\nPro-tip: Do not drop this thing. The input/output jacks break easily (*very* easily). The screws to replace the I/O board are apparently made out of pudding and will strip faster than GG Allin at a gig. Need the analog input for the FM tuner (and the nifty antenna accessory you get overcharged for). \n\nWith that out of the way, I love the OP-1. It's expensive but you can also get a whole lot from it if you put in the time. Not sure the (kinda high) learning curve is worth it if you already use a lot of other gear. But if you don't, you can get a whole lot from this device. Also, the firmware update adding audio to the USB is a very nice addition (makes for a sweet addition to an aggregate device).launch

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May 6, 2022

@Lainer1

I had a TE-OP1 for about 2 years. (older version). Sold it because I'm not a tech person, but more of a old school player. All this tech/computer stuff has a deep learning curve, and this is no different. I did make a few songs on it, but you rattle off the features so easily and are so thorough, that I am left in the dust. I do know that I only tapped the surface of this unit. I hated the speaker that was useless and required headphones and crackled when you plugged it in. (Guess they fixed that in the newer units. Loved the digital tape deck being old school learning on analog gear and tape decks. Didn't like a lot of the sounds coming out of it, outdid like I could tweak them. Loved the sampler though I didn't sample stuff very well. I miss the idea of having this, due to its size factor and features, but in the end I am a player who dabbles. I had the Moog Grandmother for a while, and I could make sounds on the fly and came out with so much better stuff, but that is due to the knobs and dials on the thing. It was a physical experience more than a DAW one. I understood why a sound came to be on it more than I could figure out the dang inner workings of the TE-OP-1. The tape deck I used to play in real time, like a player does, whereas if you are more computer-minded, you could get so much more out of this little tape design marvel. It's a work of art. Lovely piece of gear though quite expensive. So, younger crowd will LOVE this and adapt to the computer side and all it's features, whereas my almost 60 year old mind gets annoyed by the deep diving of features and would rather have knobs and sliders to play in real time with a full size keyboard. If my brain could easily figure out all of the features like you have, I'd still own this unit. I am also more of a guitar player or instrument player than computer programmer type. I play piano and guitar. Anyway, just my thoughts. Love your videos as always. If I still had my OP-1 I would go by these instructional videos, albeit slowed down with many stops in the video, because I can't keep up with how fast you go through the features. :) You're a pro at that OP-1, and no one else's videos, and I've seen them all over the years, does as good a job as you do, Jeremy.launch

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November 28, 2020

Some commenters dismiss the OP-1 as a 'hipster toy' or accuse it of prioritizing cutesy animations and design over usability and genuine musical substance.

@apoplexiamusic

The fact that TE charge so much for a dinky mixer and severely limit features while bumping up the price make them the single best example of hipster culture. All very debatable style, not enough substancelaunch

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May 7, 2022

@peterjessop1878

The Op-1 is in my opinion the epitome of design over substance.launch

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May 6, 2022

@davewebster689

Never tried, but there's something just profoundly weird about playing on a synth with a cow on the screen. Its difficult to take this hipster thing seriously.\n\nCan you review the Critter & Guitari - Organelle in the future? I think I would buy one of these before I bought an OP-1, but despite shortcomings both are still tempting to melaunch

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May 6, 2022

@MoraFermi

Every time I see OP-1 in action, I can't shake a feeling that 90% of the development time was spent on these cutsey animations, 30% on making them fit in the firmware, 20% on coming up with features and only 10% on making sure the whole thing was actually usable.launch

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May 6, 2022

Users note the OP-1 struggles to fit into a full DAW-based production workflow, sometimes losing tape speed metadata on file transfer or requiring workarounds to export usable tracks.

@SteveHolder74

Great video, I too was charmed by the excessivly talented RMR and AH, eventually submitting to a used example. Loved the build quality after replacing the keyboard and fixing the output jack (not ironically I suspect the previous owner had a few mishaps) played with it for a bit, enjoyed the various synth engines, but not the spring reverb, sampled the radio with it, then after a few months just found that I couldn’t do more than a few very simple 8 bar tracks and it sat for a while eventually getting sold on as it I just could not get on with the tape format and hated the spring reverb. Recently I got a K.O.I.I which is so much more what I’d hoped for from the OP-1 and didn’t cost me a kidney, plus so much more connectivitylaunch

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May 26, 2025

@PrepperwoodsSW

Very Good Video, thanks!\nI have a question I wasn’t able to get answered yet by web search, so I had a op 1 few years back and backed up everything on my Mac when I sold it , I just got one again and loaded all the files onto it, now the tape tracks are on there , but somehow don’t fit the grid markers, so looping the different beats I made is very hard. It seems the files didn’t include the tape speed info … how do I get the tape tracks to fit the grid again… ??launch

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March 15, 2023

@liamhebden8857

The price is the thing with this.\nBecause it clearly will never be the full production tool.\nIt's like that idea box that can get you real gold because it's so fun to use, but you would need that full DAW to make it into a fully produced song.\n\nIn essence, it is the fun cool toy to get as a music producer to use instead of a GameBoy (or whatever) to be creative whenever where ever, but still have a lot of control.\n\nLike for me, the MPC LIVE (2 or 2 \") might have slightly fewer limitations with the full production is lacks a lot in customizable sound on the fly.\nBut, it is also as portable as a laptop, so kinda doesn't fit the need as such and to me, it really doesn't fulfil a portable solution with what it lacks in production ease.\nAlthough in-studio worth features you get a lot of extras, so it's not all bad.\n\nBut the OP1 gives a nice little playground that can fit snuggle into things without causing it to feel like you're lugging something around.\n\nIt could be good for people starting out, but, the price, it is probably best to get something for your laptop and be less portable.\n\nSo in which case, something like this for someone starting out the Artiphon Orba is a great one.\n\nI found this is a fun thing that you could buy for someone that isn't into music but is creative as a toy to mess around with and possibly get inspired to make music.\nOr inspiration from it for their other creative avenues.\n\nAlthough I'm very keen on both, first I need to get my proper setup going first.\n\nIt is so important that people do that first.\n\nLet's assume you have a laptop already.\n\nGet a full DAW, Audio Interface and MIDI controller and really get into the full dynamics as see this stuff as handy little fun gadgets to keep that process fun.\n\nI say this because someone might see this and think \"I'll get that and do everything\" and you'll find to do something there will be such a workaround to do it you will lose the idea or even just the drive for it.\nOr the worst thing is when you need to do one thing, but you can't on this and that song will never be finished till you have put it in a full DAW for finalised creation.\n\nThere are pitfalls, probably more than any other creative world in the music world with buys that aren't needed that that subject needs to be looked at again and again and again.launch

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August 30, 2020

Users wish for dedicated parameter controls and a more traditional synthesis engine, finding the sound design options and lack of a piano-roll sequencer restrictive compared to a full DAW.

@trev3971

I think the OP-1 has inhabited different spaces over its lifetime based on price. I sold mine ten years ago, so all of this is a bit fuzzy, but when I bought my OP-1, it was framed as a do-it-all box that could go from idea to production. With that in mind (and the premium price I paid), I was frustrated by things like the lack of parameter specificity in the synth engines. Why can't I have a dedicated resonance control on cow? I knew exactly what tweak I wanted to make and couldn't make it. That was a bummer for a premium product. However, if you can pick up an OP-1 relatively cheap and therefore view it as simply a fun noise machine and idea sketchpad, all that stuff falls away and it's a joyous little box.launch

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May 25, 2025

@wierdwonderfulwizardanimations

this is an amazing instrument but it seems that mst of the time it feels so glitchy and electro it feels rather limited in the timbres it is able to create, not they they are not interesting. i just wish is had a more traditional synthesis engine maybe the knobs could be multi functional by going through pages to access the more normal synth settings, osc types..etc... I just cant feel that by making this as qwery and weird as they could they kinda put themselves in a corner as far as the range and diversity of its sounds. It kinda puts me off. I had one for a while and could not get into the work flow, lack of piano roll style sequencer and stuff... was a bit too far from a traditional studio/daw set up for me.. I wish I could just borrow one maybe rent it for a while to see if it would be worth having as a mobile production tool then take those sounds back to the pc daw of sampler at home.. just hard to part with 750 second hand and then not be so into it again.. these sort of videos def helping me to understand it better..launch

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December 31, 2022

One long-time owner specifically disliked the internal speaker, calling it useless and prone to crackling, requiring headphones for practical use on older units.

@Lainer1

I had a TE-OP1 for about 2 years. (older version). Sold it because I'm not a tech person, but more of a old school player. All this tech/computer stuff has a deep learning curve, and this is no different. I did make a few songs on it, but you rattle off the features so easily and are so thorough, that I am left in the dust. I do know that I only tapped the surface of this unit. I hated the speaker that was useless and required headphones and crackled when you plugged it in. (Guess they fixed that in the newer units. Loved the digital tape deck being old school learning on analog gear and tape decks. Didn't like a lot of the sounds coming out of it, outdid like I could tweak them. Loved the sampler though I didn't sample stuff very well. I miss the idea of having this, due to its size factor and features, but in the end I am a player who dabbles. I had the Moog Grandmother for a while, and I could make sounds on the fly and came out with so much better stuff, but that is due to the knobs and dials on the thing. It was a physical experience more than a DAW one. I understood why a sound came to be on it more than I could figure out the dang inner workings of the TE-OP-1. The tape deck I used to play in real time, like a player does, whereas if you are more computer-minded, you could get so much more out of this little tape design marvel. It's a work of art. Lovely piece of gear though quite expensive. So, younger crowd will LOVE this and adapt to the computer side and all it's features, whereas my almost 60 year old mind gets annoyed by the deep diving of features and would rather have knobs and sliders to play in real time with a full size keyboard. If my brain could easily figure out all of the features like you have, I'd still own this unit. I am also more of a guitar player or instrument player than computer programmer type. I play piano and guitar. Anyway, just my thoughts. Love your videos as always. If I still had my OP-1 I would go by these instructional videos, albeit slowed down with many stops in the video, because I can't keep up with how fast you go through the features. :) You're a pro at that OP-1, and no one else's videos, and I've seen them all over the years, does as good a job as you do, Jeremy.launch

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November 28, 2020