Teenage EngineeringOP–Z portable sequencer, synthesizer, drum machine and visual controller with built-in microphone for sampling, effects and midi, iOS compatible and battery powered

I have an OP1 and the OPZ. I love using them together. The OPZ is such an amazing piece of gear that is highly portable. The small speaker on it is pretty useless and the quality of materials used is pretty horrible. I wish it was in an aluminum body like the OP1. Really confused as to why they chose to skimp out on the quality. Still worth it though due to the possibilities in creation and sequencing.

At its heart, this is a 16-step sequencer with 8 audio tracks (4 drums, 4 synths). However, it's much more powerful than that -- you can record leads that don't align with the steps, set individual tracks to have lengths other than 16 steps, create step jumps and triggers, or produce an endless number of other non-stepwise variations.There are also 8 sequenceable non-audio tracks: you can actually sequence tape effects, or key changes and transpositions (using the "master" track).The synth engines are actually pretty good -- there are a couple different ones, and you can patch in an LFO and various effects.Also, the device is truly tiny, about the size of a long candy bar. I carry it around my my backpack with a good pair of earbuds.You'll want an iOS device or Mac of some type, since the app gives you a screen and significantly reduces the learning curve.

I've had this for a few days and love it. It's TINY, about the size of a TV remote but only a little thicker than a phone. It's easy and fun to play around with and learn. It comes with a helpful walkthrough, the app makes it easy to explore the sounds and features, plus great cuckoo did a great tutorials from cuckoo on youtube. Half the price, but I don't think this is half the synth of the OP-1.

This little thing is neat. But the build quality is not. It's curved like a banana. TE knows this is an issue and just keeps releasing these little curved OP-Zs. Shameful.

The media could not be loaded. Two words: insane workflow.I've had the OP-Z for a little over a month now and the capabilities of this little device never cease to impress me. It's a beat sequencer, a portable synth, a light show operator, and a remote that streamlines video editing??? Seriously, get your hands on one of these. You won't be disappointed.My only two issues with the OP-Z are, 1. Recording samples aren't as easy as they are with the PO-33 or the OP-1; once you hit record, YOU'RE recording, as opposed to the OP-Z recording upon detecting the first transient from the audio signal you're recording--and 2. You cannot connect the OP-Z to the OP-Z app and your DAW simultaneously, and if you do, the kick track will be compromised while the OP-Z is armed. This makes editing sounds less streamlined as you have to ensure you have all your parameters tweaked before connected to Logic (what I use). However, this might only be an issue with Logic.If you have a connection to sound and what a portable sketchpad/workstation, GET AN OP-Z.

As cool as it seems. It is so powerful and so small. The design is just incredible looking. I’m going to take this thing with me everywhere I go.The buttons are very responsive and feel nice to touch. The interface is actually really intuitive even without the screen. You just have to be willing to read the manual all the way through. But it is an excellent, clearly written manual. The app/screen interface is also so cool and is so quick to set up.

This device is unique, it's as portable as it gets, it has cool features and is a lot of fun. So why only three stars? Well, the main reason is it's a poorly designed and manufactured device with serious flaws. So here's the deal:1. They are made with a fiberglass resin frame of some sort, that over time WILL warp. If yours isn't warped yet, it's likely just a matter of time and there is no stopping or reversing it. Many people refer to it as a banana (picture of mine included and it will get worse). TEs official stance seems to be that a certain amount of bending is normal and expected... but it's bad enough that you may not even be able to insert modules, that your back panel is loose and has cracks and gaps, and in other cases may create hair line cracks around buttons, pop the encoder wheels or make the pitch bend almost impossible to press with any amount of force. Likely whatever you order from Amazon has been sitting for a few years already, and yours will probably be bent.2. This is only the second device I've ever owned (EVER) that completely screwed up the battery discharging circuitry. Essentially, if modern batteries fully discharge (without a control circuit preventing it from getting too low), then the device doesn't even have enough power to engage the charging logic boards and it will refuse to charge. Most devices intentionally stop the battery getting this low so it can be avoided... however TE, in the OP-Zs case, did not. If your device has been sitting for a good while, either in your possession or in an Amazon warehouse, then chances are it has happened already. You may find it unresponsive, unable to be turned on, unable to charge and/or DOA. There are steps to follow to resolve this to some extent (remove battery and USB power it back to life), but it's not good for the battery (or fire safety) for this to happen and you may never get full capacity again.3. The "double tap" issue. I've owned 4 of these devices now, and every single one has random issues with double pressing of buttons or keys. It's basically a quirk of the device that you can read about anywhere and everywhere. It seems somewhat random, making it feel like maybe it's a software issue, but it isn't. I've no idea why such poor switches or contacts are used in these devices... but it's pretty annoying to have recordings or work messed up by sloppy button contacts. Some are worse than others, but eventually you'll face this issue and you'll understand.4. TE support is awful, inconsistent and they don't seem to care about any of these issues. Some people can get replacement parts, others get told tough luck, others get referred to a 3rd party repair company, some have to try to get parts from iFixit. Do yourself a favor, and pay for a warranty on this device. I wouldn't normally ever suggest it, but this one is one to just suck it up for.5. The devices are wildly inconsistent depending on firmware and age. There are 4 known different arrangements of iconography (so the manuals probably don't match your device), depending on the firmware your volume might be too quiet or too loud and you'll need to get into the secret menus to resolve that. Which honestly, you might want to do anyway for the back lighting options. It's mostly worked out now, but you might wonder where the heck the star button is, or a punching man - and you probably just have a different version with different icons. On one run of devices, the numbered buttons even start at zero instead of one. Just madness for this sort of device without any MK or revision numbers.6. The price. You do get a lot of fun, there is no doubt about that and you are getting an amazing form factor. I won't go as far as saying this is a hipster toy like many people might, but compare it for a moment against other gear you could get at the same price or less and it does seem out of place. You might consider a Circuit Rhythm/Tracks, an M8, a Roland MC-101 or a Korg mini kaossilator if you want battery powered... and if you are sitting at a desk, wow, so many options at this price point. It's a great way to make concepts on the go, on a train/plane etc, but when you consider the design and manufacturing issues... it's just tough for me to recommend to anyone - even though I do love it personally.If you know what you are getting into, and you've read all this and don't mind the known issues, go for it! I just wouldn't want anyone going into it without knowing the deal.

The best synth is simply the one you have with you... what an incredible, little, powerful, beautiful machine. The quality of manufacturing is impressive, but what really stands out is how well thought out the software is. Everything is beautifully laid out for you. It does take some hard work in the first week, but once you get it everything flows intuitively.