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Teenage Engineering’s new OP-1 field – “louder, thinner and 100 times better”

At Superbooth 2022: OP-1 Field, a successor to the original OP-1 portable synth, sampler and controller that they say is ‘injected with more than a decade of ideas, refinements and improvements, is one of the most iconic music technology products of the past decade.

The Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field features an updated design with 100 new features and it comes in an anodised aluminium case.  Enhancements include a new low-profile frame with floating keyboard, new field color palette, a high resolution screen with flush glass cover, stereo throughout the whole signal chain, bluetooth midi, 24 hr battery life, multiple tapes, styles and recording formats, 32-bit audio, a new reverb and the ‘dimension’ synth engine.

Additionally, there is a new speaker system with a passive driver – expect “detailed, fat and loud sound” – while the new FM antenna can both receive and transmit. All graphics have been reworked, as well.

On the connectivity front, you now get a USB-C port and with full interconnectivity with iOS, macOS and windows, 4-pole audio jack (for headset mic support) and line in and out sockets are more durable.

The new OP-1 is the second in Teenage Engineering’s new complementary ‘field’ range of products, following the recent launch of the TX-6 mini mixer.

OP-1 Field Feature Highlights:

• lowered frame with new floating keyboard
• dual velcro back fasteners
• 32-bit audio
• FM antenna for receiving and transmitting
• MFi for iPhone USB MIDI and audio connectivity
• Eight tapes to record to
• New speaker with passive radiator
• Dimensions: 28.8 cm x 10.2 cm x 2.9 cm

The Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field is available now for $1,999.

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For Superbooth 2022, SoundForce is introducing several new products:  the updated 2022 prototype of the SFC-8 MIDI controller (image, above); uDCO, a compact version of their popular DCO module; and the S-LD, a 4HP 6-channel LinnDrum sample player.

The SFC-8 is a MIDI controller designed to primarily control Jupiter-8 style software plugins, such as the Arturia Jup-8 V and TAL-J-8, but it will have built-in support as well for hardware synths.

It has USB-MIDI but also 5-pin MIDI out and in (for the user’s keyboard or sequencer). The incoming messages are merged with the controller messages. SFC-8 is a USB-powered device.

Release date and price for SFC-8 have yet to be determined.

On the modular side, SoundForce is also announcing the uDCO, a compact version of their popular DCO module. The design has been compacted from originally 16HP down to 10HP. The module has the exact same core oscillator and features set, to the exception of the FM attenuator which has been removed, along with a little change in the PWM (pulse width modulation) control. In addition, the uDCO sliders have been replaced by small rotary pots.

The uDCO will ship around the end of this month and the price is ~ €259 euros (depending on your local VAT), and €214 for non-EU customers. For more information on the uDCO go to the SoundForce web shop.

In addition, SoundForce is extending its compact drum samples range with the S-LD, a 4HP 6-channel LinnDrum sample player. The three jacks at the bottom of the S-LD have an alternative sound bank, thanks to a slide switch at the back. The user can choose whether to trigger either the tom sounds or the percussion sounds.

SoundForce developers add: “Please note, all three sounds change at once and you cannot select between tom or percussion on a per-channel basis.”

The S-LD can be pre-ordered now, and will begin shipping later in May. The module is priced at €119 for EU customers, and €98 for non-EU customers. More information is available here.

At Superbooth 2022: Modbap Modular by BeatPPL has introduced TRANSIT, a new 6hp two channel stereo Eurorack mixer with mutes, ducking, and an all-analog signal path.

Transit has an all-analog signal path with dual mono (stereo) inputs on both of its 2 channels. Each channel lane has performative mute buttons with LED indication. Each channel lane has its own ducking input that allows for side-chaining. Each channel lane has its own gain control. Transit also has a dual mono (stereo) output with master level and an independent 3.5mm stereo headphone output with its own level control.

Transit takes two stereo — dual mono — lanes of audio with an all-analog signal path and embellishes each of them with its own input gain control (CH1 GAIN and CH2 GAIN), mute button (CH1 MUTE and CH2 MUTE), and ducking input (CH1 DUCK and CH2 DUCK), the latter operating like traditional side-chaining on a compressor, whereby an input signal, CV (Control Voltage), or trigger input — i.e. LFO (Low-Frequency Oscillator), Clock, Gate — modulates the gain reduction of the audio. Applying this well-known production technique to the ever-widening world of Eurorack should appeal to audio professionals, beat-makers, and musicians to whom it is already familiar from a wide variety of music genres where an effect is activated by an audio track.

In addition, Transit boasts a 3.5mm headphone (PHONES) jack with its own independent volume (PHONES GAIN) control knob, while its all- analog signal path’s final destination is a left and right stereo output (LEFT OUT and RIGHT OUT) with an associated MASTER volume knob.

Says Modbap Modular by BeatPPL designer and founder Corry Banks: “The idea for Transit came about because our Per4mer quad performance FX unit sat perfectly in one of our Modbap20 powered Eurorack pods. … In this configuration, it comfortably resided on the desktop amongst all my tabletop synths, drum machines, and samplers, but I found that I wanted a bit more control over the signal into Per4mer — plus, perhaps, a headphone jack — and I definitely wanted a master volume level control for live sets. So it made perfect sense to subsequently design a module that could fill the empty 6HP next to the Per4mer in the 20HP Modbap20. Together, Transit and Per4mer make for a perfect pairing while complementing the tabletop synth and beat-maker desktop.”

The official video intro:

Transit is available to order for $249.99 at retailers worldwide and via the ModBap webstore. The module is expected to ship in June 2022.