Teenage Engineering OP-XY
Bigger and bolder—teenage engineering's OP-XY is an evolution of the musical concepts and workflows introduced with the OP-Z. Build up tracks with charming sound engines and flexible step sequencers, then arrange and combine them together to create complete musical pieces and songs all within the bounds of this machine. And while it may look like an OP-1 dressed in black, consider the opposing color scheme an indication of how different the OP-XY is from its counterpart.
Within a single project, OP-XY offers four different modes for you to interface with your musical ideas: instrument, auxiliary, arrange, and mix. These modes, with the exception of arrange, each feature four modules—sub-modes that repurpose the four encoders to parameters within each mode and module. But of course, you'll find a lot of additional teenage engineering-isms scattered throughout, borrowing ideas from both the OP-1 and OP-Z that are sure to spice up your music.
With eight tracks to work from, OP-XY is abundant with sonic possibilities. Each track can be independently assigned to a number of different synthesis engines, or playback samples. You'll find everything from wavetable to FM synthesis available within OP-XY's engines—and anything that's missing is easily supplemented with samples. Once your chosen instrument is loaded up, the module pages allow you to sculpt parameters for the engine, as well as tweak filter, envelope, and LFO settings. There are a number of presets to get you started, while options to scramble and randomize give you fresh starting points for your own sounds.
You can easily start to build sequences for each track as you explore sounds. The middle row of keys corresponds to 16 sequence steps, with a variety of ways to plot in notes. Tap a note on the piano-like keyboard, then plop them down on any selection of steps. You can also record sequences live or input notes step-by-step. Sequences can be extended across multiple bars, track scalings, and time signatures—we won't judge you for embracing your prog rock tendencies.
The power of OP-XY quickly becomes apparent once you explore parameter locks, track and module parameters "locked" into specific steps, and step components, a staple of the OP-Z's workflow that lets you manipulate aspects of different steps. Step components are a crucial part of unlocking musical variety with OP-XY, allowing you to build incredible amounts of variation and musical interest even within a mere 16 steps. You can also explore players—sources of variation like arpeggiators, chord sequencing and strumming, and more.
Once the foundation of your sounds and sequences is laid, OP-XY's auxiliary tracks offer more options to round out your production. This includes anything from plotting out sequences for external MIDI or CV instruments, adding built-in audio or MIDI effects, or making use of some clever features devised by teenage engineering to liven things up. Utilize the brain track to transpose and modulate the musical harmony of your entire project or selected tracks, or make use of punch-in fx to inject variations into tracks and sounds. There's also an OP-Z-style Tape track—a short audio buffer designed for glitching out any and all of your tracks with funky pitch effects and beat slicer-like sounds.
Arrange mode allows you to take the sequences that you've built across your instrument and auxiliary tracks, and commit them into larger musical forms. Assign sequences to different scenes, which may be arranged into sections within a larger song mode. You can have up to 10 songs per project, ensuring that you have plenty of room to explore different ideas and variations upon themes.
Bring everything together into sonic space with Mix mode, allowing you to define levels, panning, effects processing, and more. EQ, saturator, and master bus stages allow you to apply the critical glue that binds your tracks together into a cohesive musical statement.
Somehow there's still so much more to be said about OP-XY. Like the OP-1 Field, it's adeptly connectable to computers for file transfer, MIDI controller capabilities, and more. You can also connect to Bluetooth MIDI-capable devices for wireless transmission of notes. What is new though is the configurable multi-out jack, offering MIDI over 3.5mm TRS, cv/gate voltages, DIN sync-style clock signals, and even audio output.
Like the OP-1 Field before it, the OP-XY is destined to go well beyond the capabilities of the OP-Z. It offers no shortage of enhancements, improvements, and refinements of concepts from the original, and there's no telling what the future holds when firmware updates are released. All that to say, if you're looking for the ideal sequencer counterpart to an OP-1 or perhaps simply want a unique spin on a groovebox in a flagship teenage engineering package, OP-XY won't be one to disappoint.
OP-XY Features
- Compact desktop synthesizer, sampler, and sequencer
- An extension and re-imagining of the OP-Z workflows
- Sleek black aluminum housing—complements the OP-1 Field
- Internal speaker
- Bluetooth MIDI capabilities
- Crisp screen with charming graphics
- Four-mode workflow: instrument, auxiliary, arrange, mix
- Four sub-modes called modules within all modes except for arrange
- Eight instrument tracks
- 10 independently assignable synthesis engines, plus three sampling modes for endless sonic potential
- Numerous step sequencing modes to plot out musical ideas, including live and step recording modes
- Bar options for scaling sequences within different musical timings, apply groove and swing, and more
- Step components return from OP-Z—14 different ways to spice up any and all steps in a sequence
- Players add arpeggios, maestro chord sequencing, and more
- Eight auxiliary tracks, which may sequence external MIDI or CV instruments, apply audio send effects, and a whole lot more
- Six internal audio effects, two send effects blocks
- Arrange mode combines tracks and sequences into scenes
- Song mode arranges scenes into songs
- Up to ten songs per project, with room for thousands of projects
- Mix mode with levels, panning, EQ, saturation, and more
- USB-C port for adept connectivity to computers and other teenage engineering devices
- Multi-out jack may be configured for control voltages, MIDI output, audio output, and more
- Velcro on the bottom for attaching and being attached to things!
