Teenage Engineering celebrates the 10th anniversary of its innovative, portable Synthesizer workstation with a new USB-audio update.
Many love the Arturia MicroFreak because of its compactness and its many engines. But another Synthesizer almost perfected this concept long before him. The Teenage Engineering OP-1. However, this is much more than just a synth with versatile, unique engines. It is also a real-time sampler, a groove box… For many it is a modern classic.
There are good reasons why we are focusing on the OP-1 again. Teenage Engineering is celebrating the 10th birthday of it with a new firmware.
Teenage Engineering OP-1 OS #243 – USB Audio
The Teenage Engineering OP-1 has been on the market for ten years. He was gone for a short time because certain components were no longer available. The developers have continuously provided the device with updates. Whether new features, workflow improvements or bug fixes, TE always found points where the device could be improved.
The new 10 year update (OS#243) will be a big surprise for many. With this update, the OP-1 now offers USB audio. It is now capable of streaming stereo audio over USB. The OP-Z that can do this served here as a technology template. You can now sample and record directly from USB audio and live audio stream to a USB host.
Thus, the OP-1 also becomes a hands USB sound card, for each recording straight to a computer. It’s cross-compatible and works with both PC/Mac, as well as mobile device such as iOS and Android. Further they fixed and improved the OP-1 in different points. For example, they greatly improved the external sync stability. So you have tight sync to your OP-Z or other external midi devices using midi sync.
OP-1 10th Anniversary – The Story
It all started with two prototypes.a clock radio and a synth. well, we decided to go with the synth and i guess we were right. It was only David, me and Jens back then, but we were soon joined by Johan and David number two. I remember how we built the first prototype – an empty shell with a screen mounted on the inside.
We squeezed into my honda element and drove all the way down to Musik messe in Frankfurt. And if I remember things right, emil was also with us at this time, but we really didn’t have a proper company yet so i guess he just joined the trip for fun.the trade booth was just a black fabric backdrop and a table where we had placed the OP–1, under a thick piece of plexiglass.
A computer under the table processed the graphics on the little OLED screen. It looked very real and the illusion even fooled ourselves as we estimated the launch just a couple of months away. (guess it was my fault, i am always a ’super-optimist’). Well, it took us another two and a half years to complete it and here we are now, ten years after unit no. 01 was shipped. The dream was to create a machine that lasted at least 20 years. we are halfway there… so big thanks and hugs to all of you. let’s celebrate ’halfway there’!
Congrats OP-1 for the 10th anniversary. It remains an innovative synth/workstation and I’m pretty sure it will be a modern classic for every. Not to mention the eye-catching design that always remains modern.
Teenage Engineering OP-1 is available now for a special 10th anniversary price for 1121€. The new update is free of charge.
More information here: Teenage Engineering
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