Teenage Engineering’s new OP–XY makes me wish I had a bigger budget for music gear

Teenage Engineering’s new OP-XY is a portable synthesizer and sequencer that looks similar to the company’s OP–1 Field. But functionally it’s instead a more capable upgrade to the company’s six-year-old OP-Z, with a stronger focus on layering sounds with various effects and a steeper $2,299 price tag.

With an “anodized, all-black finish,” the OP-XY is yet another delightful example of Teenage Engineering’s design chops. Its black and white motif accented with a grayscale gradient running across its 16 sequencer inputs is the antithesis of the bright yellow Playdate handheld that Teenage Engineering helped Panic design. Unlike the $429 OP-Z that relied on a mobile device like a smartphone for its screen, the OP-XY now has a black and white OLED display built in, which probably contributes to the high cost.

Powered by a dual Blackfin CPU system paired with 512GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, the OP-XY offers eight “unique synth engines” and punch-in effects carried over from the OP-Z and Teenage Engineering’s calculator-sized Pocket Operators. There’s also a six-axis accelerometer inside allowing sounds and effects to change by simply moving the sequencer around.

The OP-XY includes sampling capabilities through a built-in microphone or inputs that include a 3.5mm audio port. There’s also a USB-C port, a 3.5mm multipurpose output that includes MIDI capabilities for controlling external synthesizers, and a 3.5mm port for analog audio output. If you don’t want to deal with wires, the OP-XY’s rechargeable battery will keep it powered for up to 16 hours, and there’s support for MIDI over Bluetooth.

Although Teenage Engineering continues to sell its $59 Pocket Operators, the company’s audio gear has shifted towards more premium and pricier offerings in recent years. Its TP-7 Field Recorder, a digital audio recorder with a novel spinning “tape” reel, debuted last year for $1,499, following a tiny mixer called the TX-6 that arrived the year before for $1,199. Even the company’s original OP-1 synth, which debuted in 2011 for $849, has been replaced by the $1,999 OP-1 Field.