About OP-Z

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About the OP-Z

The Teenage Engineering OP-Z is a yet to be released portable sequencer and synthesizer. It's the successor to the venerable OP-1 with a penchant for liver performances.

Learn more

New OP-Z Video Tutorial from op1andchill

September 26, 2018

A new in-depth OP-Z video tutorial is now on YouTube from @op1andchill. These are pretty long, but extensive going through everything from pattern settings to sound engines. Have a listen and drool!

Listening notes:

  • The metronome has multiple sounds, including lofi counting in multiple languages, which is way cooler than it sounds
  • Confirmed no sampling on the unit at this time, but you can load samples onto the unit i.e OP-1 samples
  • LEDs give feedback when adjusting samples i.e turning green when it’s back at the original setting, quantization blinks until it’s on the beat. This is really helpful for screen-less jamming.
  • Each instrument track has a highpass, lowpass filter, and resonance
  • No COW fx :(
  • Adjustable quantization and per step nudging (even after recording)
  • [unconfirmed] - they said stereo samples, but haven’t loaded their own sampels
  • You can use any sound on the first 4 tracks
  • Press and hold step to audition the sound
  • 3 note polyphony on synth tracks
  • 14 different punch in effects
  • 14 different step components
  • Export down to a single audio track
  • Stereo panning effect

Part 1:

Part 2:

First OP-Z Songs and an EP

September 23, 2018

SammyJams aka Hot Science has put together the first full length songs and an EP using only the OP-Z live recorded into Abelton. You can have a listen to the album ‘Mini Moves Deluxe’ on the Hot Science Bandcamp site.

Discerning listerers will be able to hear almost all of the features we’ve heard about so far from step components, tape track, punch in effects, plocks, and LFOs. For example, in the track ‘So Far Gone’ we can hear parameter locking on the bass (which sounds pretty amazing!) that makes all the variations of the patterns sonically interesting. You can also hear synths panning around and opening widening the listening field. This is a welcome change from the OP-1 with fixed panning per track.

Release thread on operator1 forums

OP-Z Quickstart Guide, More Presale Details

September 20, 2018

There’s an early OP-Z guide that’s currently on Teenage Engineering’s website (although appears to be unlinked). The v1.0 guide outlines a functionality of the OP-Z that has been covered before, but confirms details of projects/patterns and performance mode. One piece of information we haven’t seen before is ‘glide’ mode so it appears that the OP-Z will similar settings to what the OP-1 has had i.e portamento, glide.

We’ve also seen a clever overlay system that is meant to be layed on top of the OP-Z to help guide the user through the different functions and modes of the OP-Z.

From @nnbveh on Instagram:

Pre-sale

The OP-Z pre-sale quickly sold out in around 2 hours, but there will be another batch happening at some point. The pre-sale ‘bundle’ included the option to buy a $16 rollup case (the yellow one you seee in the photo below), but the website was pretty clear it will not include cables or knobs as part of the bundle. So not much of a bundle…

We’ve ordered one and will be waiting like everyone else until mid-October when the OP-Z finally ships to non-beta testers.

Teenage Engineering: OP-Z Ship Date

September 17, 2018

Update 9/18/2018: The OP-Z pre-sale sold out in around 2 hours. Check back later since there will be another batch for pre-sale soon.

Teenage Engineering just sent an email to everyone subscribed to the ‘notify me’ list on their OP-Z page saying that the ‘wait is over’ and units will start shipping in mid October! Pre-orders are available here

There’s a limited edition case too.

be the first. order the limited OP–Z and roll-up bag bundle now to get your OP-Z on launch day. you will receive your bag right away and in mid-october we will ship your unit.

We’re looking forward to getting our hands on the OP-Z!

More OP-Z Videos From Synthposium

September 14, 2018

This video from YouTuber @samplikprost gets us a closer look at the iOS app as he jams on the OP-Z and accompanying iPad. You can also hear him cycling through the different engines and samples that are included.

Most compelling of all is this “performance” mode which seems to be about modding an existing loop using fx or maybe step components on slices of the pattern. We can hear different kinds of muting, stutters, and other variations that can be applied over a pattern to make it more sonically interesting.

Check out minute 1:55 for the playthrough.

And here we have the performance posted from Cuckoo, some of the songs sound familiar from his other performance videos with the OP-Z, but a good reminder of what full songs and compositions can be like.

Check out minute 23:17 for the OP-Z part

OP-Z Tutorial Video Bruno Kramm

September 9, 2018

Bruno Kramm posted a new OP-Z tutorial, this time in english. It’s a wonderfully detailed video that is about 30 minutes long which is worth a watch through if you are interested in an updated tutorial since Cuckoo’s original OP-Z tutorial.

Notes and video below! - Can use OP-1 sample banks by transferring over usb-c - Sub-mix each of the tracks - 10 sample banks per sample track which can be any sample not just basedrums/hi-hat etc like the track icons suggest - Define mute groups, mute specific tracks at the touch of a button - Nudge steps incrementally - Velocity sensitivity is not key but by using the pitch bender button - Quantize after recording input - Adjust the length of a step after it has been entered in - Individual engine track parameters and fx can be p-locked - Punch-in FX has it’s own track - Step components for each step - Add fx sequencing to a track (which sounds completely mental!) - Bitcrusher effect - Tape effect are more like samples of the performance that are automatically sliced and can be sequenced - Tape track loops can be for specific tracks i.e just the chords track - Sub mixes for effects so you can punch in fx into specific tracks - Midi keyboard can be plugged into the OP-Z usb port directly - More engines, fx, modules, and third party packs coming! - Pocket operator integration with one of the yellow ports in the back - Still no release date :(

Latest Rumors and OP-Z Specs

September 8, 2018

Although we still haven’t gotten the full official specs for the Teenage Engineering OP-Z, there have been rumblings in the recent OP-Z release date rumors and in the operator-1 forums about what the OP-Z can actually do.

Modules

As we previously speculated about with the mysterious 4 ports in the back of the OP-Z, the first glimpse of a module for OP-Z is midi! In this video we can see the OP-Z controlling external midi gear via a midi bus and confirmation that you can do parameter locking. This makes the OP-Z much more extensible than the OP-1 and could take a similar role that people use Digitakt sequencers as the central hub for their setups.

Livestream from OP-Z beta tester

There was a temporary video/livestream from an OP-Z beta tester (@op1andchill on Instagram) that revealed a few unconfirmed specs. In total you can have up to 10 projects, there are 8 tracks with restrictions on engines vs sample. While there are 8 tracks, only 4 of them are sample based and the other 4 are engine based (the rest of the tracks are for controlling CV/midi/tape/etc). That seems to imply that you can’t select a sampler for all audio tracks which might be a drag for some.

There were some effects shown off and many that have existed previously in Pocker Operators or in the OP-1 or totally new. There’s 16 effects, but no sightings yet of the beloved COW. You can record effect perameters which is good news for recording performances and adding some additional expressiveness. Speaking of which there’s a pitch bend button! It also appears to be stereo effects which might explain what others have said about the OP-Z having a stereo synth engine.

Some other small dissapointments: the microphone is only for voice over effects and there doesn’t appear to be sampling that can be directly on unit unlike the predecessor OP-1. However you can load your own kits into sample tracks.

Bonus Video… in German!

Update 9/9/2018: Bruno Kramm made a video in english.

For those German speakers out there, you can check out a brand new OP-Z tutorial video. For those who can’t speak Deutsch, @johnnyego on operator-1 helped to summarize. It seems to confirm the 4 sample tracks 4 engine tracks from the op1andchill livestream, but introduces some other new rumors such as pitch bend button that can be reassigned to volume of a sample and that all keys are velocity sensitive. The latter seems pretty unlikely based on previous videos so we’ll see if that turns out to be true.

Things are slowly starting to reveal themselves! There’s definitely a lot in here to make interesting sequences and full blown performances all in a package the size of a remote control.

Updated OP-Z Launch Date

August 31, 2018

Update 9/17/2018: Teenage Engineering announced ship dates in ‘mid October’

From @instantjuggler on operator-1 and @zoperator on Instagram, looks like Teenage Engineering are gearing up for launch on September 17th, 2018! This exciting news comes from an event currently going on in Moscow where folks from Teenage Engineering shared some upcoming products, screens, and graphics.

This screengrab courtesy of @zoperator shows the launch party date. One would assume that this would beam the OP-Z launch happens the same day, but we can’t be so sure.

Unboxing video with Tobias and Cuckoo

There’s currently an Instagram story on @teenageengineering’s profile with @cuckoo and Tobias from TE doing an unboxing. Check it out soon since it will disappear soon.

@teenageengineering

In the unboxing we can see some templates to put over the OP-Z so you can get started without having to memorize everything all at once. Turning it on we can hear some preset patterns. The also talked about Seaba, a local DnB musician from Sweden that put in some patterns. Cuckoo also has a preset pattern!

From Tobias:

It turned on… and that’s good!

Cuckoo also mentioned he’s ready to start making some more tutorials and jams for everyone.

OP-Z Video Roundup August

August 21, 2018

After months of no new video of the OP-Z from Teenage Engineering there is a slow trickle coming in from OP-Z beta testers. With the commmunity so hungry for more info about the unit and so many unanswered questions we’re surprised there hasn’t been more. Here’s the latest OP-Z videos we can find from the last month.

From Bruno Kamm’s channel we can see some short jams that show off different aspects of the OP-Z. In the following video there are peeks into the versatility of the sampler and to our ears it sounds like more than one track is using the sampler engine.

And a few we’ve already posted

From @cuckoomusic (see 00:34:00 for the OP-Z):

Bruno’s first OP-Z jam:

From Brandon Guarra:

We hope you enjoy the recent surfacing of OP-Z videos of late!

Teenage Engineering's Tobias Shows Off OP-Z USB Powering Another Device

August 20, 2018

Tobias from Teenage Engineering recently showed off an OP-Z and Novation Launch Control mixer combo on his Instagram. In the post below you can see the second item is a short video clip of the setup. Of note is the OP-Z usb port powering the mixer. While it’s known that USB C can do this sort of thing, this is the first time we are seeing it in practice where another device is drawing power from the OP-Z.

In the comments Tobias clarifies that for his live setup he chooses to power the device using the discontinued OP-Lab (midi host) so as not to worry so much about the OP-Z battery life.

Interesting possibilities for extending a portable setup!