Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field vsOP-1

T
eenage Engineering’s
OP-1 is one of the most
desirable pieces of
music production gear
of the past decade. In
fact, when TE
temporarily stopped making the OP-1
in 2018, it became so essential that
secondhand prices soared into four
figures, well beyond its initial price.
A few years on, though, and
perhaps realising the technology was
well over a decade old, Teenage
Engineering went back to the OP-1
drawing board, and at this year’s
Superbooth, announced OP-1 Field.
This is a much pimped-up OP-1 - not
a replacement, more a flashier and
more expensive older sibling that TE
describes as ‘a continuation’ of the
OP-1 line. It has 100 more features,
an even more eye-watering price tag
and has caused enough of a buzz to
finally knock secondhand prices of
the original OP-1 into a much more
sensible territory.
But can OP-1 Field really be
worth £1,999? Let’s find out...
Design & build
Put side by side you’d be hard-
pressed to tell what has changed
between the two OP-1s at first. So,
what are the differences? OP-1 Field
is a tad lighter and not quite as deep
as OP-1. It also boasts velcro pads
beneath it so you can attach it to your
keyboard or laptop. The biggest
difference you notice on power up is
the speaker, which on Field comes
with a passive radiator and ‘side-
shooting loudspeaker grill’. It’s not
obviously bigger but is louder than
that on the OP-1, and has a much
better acoustic design and sound,
with the bass far more noticeable.
Then there’s Field’s screen. It’s
still not a touchscreen, but it is a big
improvement over the original OP-1.
The new screen offers much more
detail, plus there’s an adjustable
brightness control.
The screen and speaker tip the
balance massively towards Field,
then. Plus, the FM antenna on Field
is built into its body, which keeps the
unit more compact, and the
aluminium surround feels very sturdy.
AND THE WINNER IS…
The OP-1 FIELD takes the lead
here because of the speaker, and the
extra screen detail is stunning.
Sounds and tone
With an extra synth engine, stereo
everywhere, extra sampling features
and overhauled beats section, Field is
sonically more diverse. The new synth
engine, Dimension, is decent if not
mind-blowing, and you wonder if it
could be added to the original OP-1
as a software update.
More impressive are the synth
sampling and drum extras. With
different kits and improved sample
zooming, everything looks, feels and
sounds that much more professional.
It still uses the same cool way of
dividing up a break or lengthy sample
(the maximum time has increased to
20 seconds) into constituent beats,
but there’s more accuracy and extra
envelope options for transient editing.
The biggest factors that affect the
sound are the stereo enhancements
and the physical speaker. The stereo
effects reveal just how exceptional the
stereo sound can now be, with an
all-new Mother reverb adding a lot to
the rich reverb atmosphere that Field
is capable of – it’s pretty stunning.
AND THE WINNER IS…
OP-1 FIELD wins with more
recording options, stereo, more space
and a better speaker to hear it all.
HEAD TO HEAD
Teenage Engineering
OP-1 Field vs OP-1
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