> There is a reason it is so successful.

Yes, because it managed to capture a self-sustaining hype cycle powered by customers who for the most part don't really know what they're buying. It's more of a status item than an actually fun or useful musical instrument, IMO. This thread reminds me, I need to sell mine.

I was curious to hear about other products that are similar, but superior to OP-1, that previous reply alluded to.

If someone said "I have a $1400 (or $2000, now that they've raised the price) budget for a lightweight portable jambox/production setup, what would you recommend?" I would tell them to get an iPad Pro, an external audio interface, and a MIDI USB peripheral of their choice.

GarageBand on iPad is perfectly fine for the type of screwing around you can do on an OP1, it's much more powerful overall, and it even supports stuff like MIDI inputs and MIDI clock master.

The OP1 has midi input over USB.

I'm not an expert but I suspect an iPad with some interesting groovebox apps would provide just as much fun and be more powerful.

As a beginner I think ipad + audiokit synths + impc pro is a killer setup

> Portable all in one groovebox with a keyboard.

MASCHINE+, MPC X, Force, dozen other 440 style grooveboxes. Arguably Dirtywave M8

I mean it is neat device and I'm kinda surprised nobody cloned the minimalistic format (I guess Volcas are kind of that, although more "one thing" rather than versatility, but the asking price is truly ridiculous

None of those have a keyboard.

They have, just not piano one. Which hinders more than helps creativity if anything...

If you can play keyboard, there really is no comparison between keys and a set of buttons.

You are of course free to have fun with the OP-1, but I found it to block my creativity when I constantly have to work around the omnipresent petty limitations like 4 tracks, 1 effect per voice, almost useless sequencers etc.

I agree and enjoyed the OP-Z more for that reason. They are supposed to be limited but that doesn't work for everyone.