Music production has come a long way since the days of bulky hardware equipment and complex workflows. Today’s music producers have access to a wide range of compact and portable tools that offer incredible versatility and ease of use. Among these is the Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field, an all-in-one synthesizer, sampler, and drum machine popular among producers due to its powerful features and user-friendly interface.
In this article, we’ll look closer at the OP-1 Field’s features and explore how it can be used for music production. We’ll examine the device’s layout, workflow, and powerful synth engines and effects. Whether you’re a seasoned producer or a beginner just starting out, the OP-1 Field is a versatile and powerful tool that offers endless creative possibilities.
What is the OP-1 Field?
The Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field is a beautifully designed, portable, powerful, all-in-one synthesizer, sampler, and drum machine. It’s known for its compact design and super easy-to-use interface, making it a popular choice among producers who want a portable and powerful all-in-one music-making tool vs. some of the other bulkier groove boxes out there.
We can go on about the features of the Field, but here are some of our favorites:
- Synth Engine: Unlike its predecessor, the Field features a new subtractive synthesis engine called Dimension, allowing for a wide range of sound design possibilities, including seven stereo synth engines.
- Sampler: The Field has a built-in stereo sampler that allows you to import samples or record up to 20 seconds of your samples with either the built-in mic, line input, or the internal FM radio. Yes, an internal FM radio and antenna for receiving and transmitting. Did someone say Pirate Radio?
- Drum Machine: The Field also includes a drum machine that features several classic drum machine sounds and the ability to load your own samples or resample the OP-1’s internal sounds.
- Tape: The Tape offers up to eight swappable tapes and four new recording formats, including Studio-4 Track, Vintage 4-Track, Porta, and Disc Mini.
- Modern Features: 24-hour battery life, Bluetooth MIDI, and Stereo 32-bit audio throughout the signal chain.
- Oh yeah, and a vocoder. Yes, a vocoder.
Unboxing of the Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field
When you open the box, the first thing you’ll notice is the weight, the size, and the beautiful design. The anodized aluminum feels solid and well-built, and all of the encoders, buttons, and keys feel nice.
The Field weighs only 1.79 lbs (28.8 x 10.2 x 2.9cm) and, in typical TE style, is beautifully designed with an off-white base color, oval-shaped white keys, round black keys, and color accents on the encoder knobs. The display screen is super crisp, and the graphics are fun, cheeky, and easy to grasp/understand. The overall feel of the device is nice and the power button is rock solid and sturdy.
The Layout
The layout of the Teenage Engineering OP-1 is thought-out and well-designed. At the center of the device is the main display, which shows different menus and parameters depending on the Field’s mode. To the left of the display are the four main mode buttons, which allow you to switch between the different functions of the OP-1. These modes include Synth, Drum, Mixer, and Tape.
To the right of the display are four color-coded knobs, which control different parameters depending on your mode. The knobs feel friendly and responsive and allow precise control over various parameters.
Below the display and the track keys, you’ll find the keyboard section of the Field. This includes 24 keys arranged in a 2-octave layout, as well as several dedicated buttons for functions such as the tape transport (record, play, stop), the shift button, the left and right arrows for rewind/forward and octave shifting
Above the keyboard section are eight preset sound buttons, and above that, you’ll find the color-coded encoders for parameter tweaking. You’ll find the sample button/mic button, the .com button, and the sequencer button to the right of that. Just to the right is the built-in microphone, which can be used for sampling and recording, and the level/charging meter. On the side, you’ll find a variety of inputs, including the USB C port for connecting to a computer and the audio in and out jacks for connecting other compatible devices (e.g. pocket operators, OP-Z, etc.) and headphones.
Overall, the layout of the Teenage Engineering OP-1 is designed to be compact and portable while still allowing for a wide range of creative possibilities. For some, it might take some time to get used to the layout, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll find it to be a very intuitive and ergonomically enjoyable “thing” to create with.
Creating with the OP-1 Field
Creating on the OP-1 Field is a throwback to the days when musicians would play, record, and layer sounds on tape, and because of this, the most striking thing about the OP-1 is the super easy workflow. Some creators love this, and some do not because it’s committed once you’ve committed something to tape. There’s no going back, moving things around, quantizing, or control-z. You’re committed.
There’s not a lot of menu diving to deal with. The four main modes: synth, drum, tape, and mixer buttons, are super easy to access, and the sounds per each of those modes are easy to access as well. Once you define your mode and sound, the encoder knobs align with the various parameters and menus in the display, making the process of creating and tweaking sounds super easy and, again, making the workflow easy to use.
And don’t let the small size distract you. The Field synth engines are mighty, and each has different characteristics. Not only that, they sound great and can be easily tweaked to create unique and crazy sounds. And if you grow bored of the synthesis engine sounds (not sure how) you can load in and sample your sounds into the device and tweak their parameters, add some potent effects (see the Mother fx), etc. There are also plenty of free sounds and samples out there on the Teenage Engineering Internet as well.
In Drum Mode, you can create drum kits from scratch with the DBox drum synth or use the drum sampler and add effects. The drum sampler has 15 different kits to choose from. So there are endless possibilities for creating entertaining and distinct and quirky beats.
This brings us to our next point: we’ve read and watched a lot of reviews of the OP-1 over the years, and the one thing that’s consistently brought up is the limitations of creating on the Field. This is not necessarily a strike against the device and, in our opinion, is done intentionally by Teenage Engineering. “Teenage Engineering, they’re very good at minimizing your options, and in a good way,” says YouTuber sensation, Cuckoo. And sometimes too much is too much. Remember, the OP-1 has been around for over a decade and was designed to rethink how we approach music-making and portability. So far, the approach and the design have proven successful and popular with musicians like Thom York, Trent Reznor, Deadmau5, Skrillex, and more.
Is the OP-1 Field right for me?
Sure, there are limitations to the device, like the lack of quantization and a limit of only four tracks, and that’s fine. Some will think it’s not very pleasant, but others will find it endearing and powerful and done on purpose by Teenage Engineering, and – that’s just what we need sometimes.
And, yes, the OP-1 Field ticks off all the boxes for us when using a portable, durable, powerful, and well-thought-through and designed music-making device. Especially when traveling or just wanting to break away from a DAW or a DAWless setup and hammer out some tracks on the beach or on a flight to Bali. Hell, Thom York and Trent Reznor use the darn thing. That’s enough for us.
Final Thoughts
Here is a short list of our final impressions of the OP-1 Field. We did the heavy lifting for you and decided to break it down into this device’s simple pros and cons. So let’s get into it because it’s just super cool.
Pros:
32 bit/96 kHz stereo path throughout
Bluetooth MIDI
24-hour battery life
FM antenna for receiving and transmitting
Cons:
Price
No quantization
Limited to four-tracks
