[replygirl]

The OP-1 was a revolution in a space where previously there was nothing, but neither it nor TE in general have had a big impact on the broader hobbyist or professional communities.

Accessible, capable, portable, and cheap was accomplished for hobbyists by (1) the generation of synths just prior to the first Volcas and Behringer retro-ripoffs, starting a few years before the OP-1 came out, and (2) the iPad moment. Self-contained and highly flexible but still fun was accomplished for professionals by (1) Reason and (2) Octatrack. Quirky jams on the go in an expensive statement piece is accomplished by modular.

The Pocket Operator series suits some of the writer's arguments better, but those didn't pop off. The OPs and the modular starter kits are, more than anything, stunning design pieces that appeal to tech prosumers with an interest in music who lack experience outside the DAW. But even then, you can get more functional pieces with similar curb appeal from companies like Elektron and Critter & Guitari.

In my anecdotal experience, most everyone who buys a Teenage Engineering synth uses it for a month or two to record about an album's worth of demos then either leaves it on a shelf or sells it to get something else. Compare to something like the Volca Drum which has become a staple in the community as far more than a toy (for a great album heavily featuring it, check out Crush by Floating Points).

[klodolph]

Yeah, the OP-1 fills a weird niche.

People talk about the $2,000 price tag (for the field) as being hard to justify. I feel the same way, but I do have some synths in the $2,000+ price range. In that price range, you can get a high-quality performance instrument--something like a proper stage piano, synthesizer workstation, or one of the cool analog or hybrid synths from Sequential.

And if I want something that's small, sleek, and portable like the OP-1, the iPad is totally killer these days. If I'm gonna drop money on high-end dedicated hardware, I could get something like an Octatrack or MPC.

The OP-1 seems a lot like, say, a Kawasaki Ninja. It's a sexy, sexy beast, but most people would rather have a car, or maybe a scooter or bicycle. You don't buy a Ninja because you need to get to the grocery store or visit your parents. You buy a Ninja because it awakens feelings within you.

[danielrpa]

I bought and returned a Pocket Operator. One of the least musical, unfriendly instruments I've ever owned.

And imagine, you can buy an OP-1 or seven Volcas! You can get the 2 Circuits and still have money for 2 Behringers! I never found the sound from the OP-1 particularly interesting, and the instrument is more suitable for looking cool rather than making actual music.

[detaro]

It's also more expensive now than it was on release. At $849/799€ it was still expensive, but that was easier to justify given the niche than the 1000+ it costs now.