the next generation of portable instruments
OP–Z is an advanced fully portable 16-track sequencer and synthesizer, with a range of both sample based and synthesis based sounds. it’s the world’s first stand-alone sequencer of its kind, that lets you sequence music, visuals, lights and more.
OP–Z can be used completely stand alone and comes with an intuitive led lit interface. when you want next level real time visual feedback, use the screen you already have in your pocket*. Hardware features include a usb-c host and device, wireless communication over ble, 4-pin 3.5 mm stereo headphone and line-out, accelerometer, user replaceable battery and built-in microphone.
component based step sequencing
one of the basic concepts of the OP–Z is its ability to run each track totally independent from one another. tracks can run at various speeds, have different lengths and loop points. separate tracks can even jump-cut back and forth irregularly and randomly if you want. using this you can make a short sequence sound more or less different each time it is repeated in your composition. a composition is divided into tracks and each track is built from sequencer steps – just as you are used to, but on top of that we have added something truly unique we call step components that adds an extra dimension of instructions for each step. this new tool makes composing a track much more dynamic, deep and rich – a long needed addition to traditional sequencing.
the tracks on the OP–Z is polymetric. meaning that each track has dynamic track length from 1 up to 144 steps. making it possible to work in high or low track resolution. you can choose to go completely off-grid or stay 100% quantized. thanks to the OP–Z real time melodic analysis you can at any time automatically transpose whole sequences in different scales across six octaves.
samples
OP–Z comes with 16 sample packs, each containing 24 samples. the basic configuration is divided into kicks, snares, percussion and effects, and you can easily add your own samples.
sound engines
OP–Z comes with 12 synthesis based sound engines. more sound engines will be released continuously and made available through the configurator in the OP–Z app.
fx
OP–Z has two separate fx-buses, shared across all instrument tracks. the built-in fx are delay, reverb, bit-crush and distortion. future firmware upgrades will expand the OP–Z with even more fx.
bring your own screen.
connect OP–Z wirelessly to a mobile device. thanks to the extremely energy efficient ble technology your OP–Z will run and sync to your screen for hours and hours, without you having to charge the unit. with the OP–Z app you see the numbers and graphs behind the music you create in real time. at a glance, you know how your instruments are balanced in the mixer or just how much effect is applied to each instrument.
the screen adds another dimension to your interaction with the OP–Z. unlocking multi touch features, you can adjust multiple mixer sliders at once or use the smooth touch pad to adjust effects or filters. perfect when performing live.
pitch bend and microphone.
on the front of the OP–Z you find the pitch bend in the form of a soft, pressure-sensitive, thumb button. the pitch bend adds an analogue touch to any instrument – perfect for that solo break. lift the OP–Z to your mouth, and the accelerometer activated microphone will turn on. hold the function buttons to change the settings for the microphone.
built for live performance.
on the back of your OP–Z you find the project, mixer, tempo and the screen buttons. while holding down one of these buttons you access some of the OP–Z main functionality. the project button lets you choose one of the 10 projects where you work on your songs. each project contains 16 patterns and each pattern contains 8 instrument tracks.
the mixer gives you access to a live mixer where you fine tune the balance of your current track. one-two-three-four – hold to change tempo, add a click or counting voice-over to your track. the screen button opens up the main menu if you have a screen connected. select menu item using the red dial. the screen button also activates the microphone.
press the mixer button to toggle between clean voice pass-through or the two real time OP–Z fx-buses. last but not least, keep an eye open for upcoming new hardware features using the expansion port. we have some really neat modules coming soon…
photomatic.
snap a series of photos and sequence them to a beat. compose a song and create a completely synchronised music video ‘a-la-minute’. the photomatic feature included in the OP–Z app is just pure instant fun.
when you want some quick and unique graphics, perfectly synched to your beats, open up photomatic. shoot away, add some filters and you have your instant music video. photomatic lets you add up to 10 sequences with 24 pictures each, all possible to edit with the colored dials. the sequences can be synched to any track while playing live.
punch-in fx.
punch-in fx is a concept inspired from our series of pocket operators, where you can add a layer of live performance effects, and either record them or just to enjoy in real-time. on OP–Z the punch-in fx is a separate programmable track just like any instrument. the punch-in fx is one of the unique features that makes the OP–Z stand out from a traditional sequencer. this makes the OP–Z a powerful live performance instrument, extending the possibilities of a pre-programmed track to endless variations.
full unity® 3D integration.
OP–Z is tailor made for controlling rich 3D animations in real-time sync with your tunes and beats. create your own unique visuals using unity® – the world’s most popular multi-platform game engine. by exposing the inner control data of the OP–Z and linking it to unity® users can create anything within unity®, customizing every single polygon in a performance and completing the live set with unique visuals. the weakest point of VJ-ing has always been the creation of content. don’t have any ideas yet? download and explore 3D worlds already prepared for you, and learn more about videolab on github.
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