Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field vsOP-1

Hardware and features
The big news is that OP-1 Field has
at least 100 extra features, although
some are way more important than
others (we’re not that excited by ‘new
font’ and ‘new packaging’).
The speaker, stereo routing and
screen are the biggies, while a
bolstered internal memory of 256MB
helps deliver sample storage of a
whopping 160 minutes (24 minutes
on OP-1) and around 200 presets
(170 on OP-1). There’s also a built-in
antenna for the FM radio – for both
receiving and transmitting (so you can
broadcast, albeit over limited range).
Perhaps most importantly, you get an
extended battery life of 24 hours with
Field – that’s 50% more than OP-1.
One of the coolest features is the
‘tape’ recorder, which is really a
multitrack digital recorder but
exhibits lots of retro functions and
works well as a sketchpad. Field adds
a Click To Hold Sequencer to these
tools. You also get four different ‘tape
machine’ options: Studio and Vintage
4-track reel-to-reel, Porta 4-track
cassette and – this is so Teenage
Engineering – a MiniDisc (Disc Mini)
option. Of course you do. Each has its
own character, albeit rather subtle.
We didn’t get as much lo-fi as we
were expecting with the Porta/
cassette option, but the saturation on
the Vintage tape is noticeable.
Suffi ce to say, Field does have a
lot more going for it. Teenage
Engineering say it’s ‘louder, thinner
and 100 times better’. We’d argue
with all of that (it’s not massively
louder or thinner and the pedant in us
obviously wants to point out that ‘100
times better’ is factually incorrect)
but overall there are massive
improvements. The screen and
speaker alone make you feel like
you’re getting an instant return on
your extra cash outlay, but the extras
you’ll discover as you dig deeper into
the taping, sampling and stereo
mixing will reward you even more.
AND THE WINNER IS…
OP-1 FIELD It’s not ‘100 times
better’, but at least half of the 100
extras feel absolutely essential.
FM VERDICT
It’s time to grasp the very thorny issue
of money. The original OP-1 cost
$799 on release in 2011. Second-
hand prices topped $1,300 in 2018
when the machine was discontinued,
so perhaps that’s why Teenage
Engineering thought they could justify
$1,299 when they reintroduced it in
2019. It now costs £1,399 if you buy
it directly from TE (currently sold out)
or around £1,049 at your local dealer.
OP-1 Field, however, is an
eye-watering £1,999 through TE, or a
much more realistic £1,599 from
Thomann, BAX or other dealers. Is it
worth the extra £5-600? The answer
is – perhaps controversially – yes. We
were surprised by just how much of a
difference the better speaker makes,
but perhaps shouldn’t have been; it’s
an essential plus point for a mobile
music making device, after all. Throw
in the improved screen and at least
50 essential extras and that’s about a
tenner for each extra feature.
But, while Field might be worth
£600 more, we don’t think the
original is worth anywhere near its
latest asking price. OP-1 Field is a big
improvement and, if anything, makes
the OP-1 look dated and overpriced.
You can now pick up an original OP-1
secondhand for around £700 in top
condition – with extras like the MeMe
Antenna or Analogue cases thrown in.
So here’s where we stand with
OP-Field vs OP-1. OP-1-Field is
exceptional, and a huge improvement
over the original. Don’t pay $/£1,999
for it, though; you can get a brand
new M2 MacBook Air for less. If you
must have a Field then you can shave
at least 20% off that price by
shopping around.
And don’t spend $/£1,399 on a
new OP-1, either. Again, shop around
for 20% off. But if you just want to
fi nd out why everyone keeps going on
about OP-1, then perhaps the best
way to experience it is to go down the
secondhand route for an original,
where you’ll shave up to 50% off.
Either way, the OP-1 saga looks
set to continue. Add one to your
cassette collection now.
Teenage Engineering
OP-1£1,399
> Battery life: 16 hours
> Number of presets: Around 170
> Number of engines: 13
> 14 sampled kits plus 10 D-Box kits
> Number of effects: 7
> Number of sequencers: 7
> Sample time, 12s drum, 6s synth
> Weight (kg): 0.58
Teenage Engineering
OP-1 Field £1,999
> Battery life: 24 hours
> Number of presets: Around 200
> Number of engines: 14
> 15 sampled kits plus 10 D-Box kits
> Number of effects: 8
> Number of sequencers: 8
> Sample time: 20s
> Weight (kg): Around 0.53
AT A GLANCE
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Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field vs OP-1 | Versus
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