The successor to the wildly popular OP-1, Teenage Engineering's OP-1 Field is one of the most divisive products in music technology. Depending on who you ask, this cutesy synth/sampler is either a stroke of modern design genius or an overpriced hipster accessory.
The prices of the OP-1 Field and its monochrome younger sibling, the OP-XY, sparked some debate on release, with many (including this publication) questioning whether $1,999 and $2,299 are reasonable price points for portable music-making devices that could almost fit in the pocket of your jeans.
It appears that Teenage Engineering has been listening, however, as the ever-mischievous Swedish brand has announced that it's now allowing customers to pick their own price for the OP-1 Field. No, we're not kidding.
Head over to Teenage Engineering's website and you'll be presented with a big yellow slider that enables you to choose how much you'd like to pay for the OP-1 Field, ranging from a respectable $1,399 to an eye-wateringly excessive $9,999. Considering that the synth launched at $1,999 back in 2022, the lowest price on offer today represents a meaty 30% discount on the original MSRP.
"This is a delicate experiment. And a question," reads a statement from Teenage Engineering. "It's about why, how, and why not? It's for us to understand the market, for us to figure out how you think, how you act. And if it's possible to really please you 100%.
"This is also a reflection of the world and the time we live in. Let's try new things! Good things. Try crazy ideas - like what would happen if people voted with their wallets? What if it was up to you? Well now it is."
We're not quite sure what to make of this. While we applaud Teenage Engineering for dropping such a major discount on an instrument that many fans of the company have historically felt priced out of purchasing, we're a little confused by its decision to give customers the opportunity to put $8600 of extra cash in its pockets for no apparent reason. Whatever you make of Teenage Engineering, the company always keeps us guessing.
Teenage Engineering's pay-what-you-want offer for the OP-1 Field is available until the end of June, and the company says that more "flipped out" discounts will be presented on a monthly basis throughout the rest of the year.
Head over to Teenage Engineering's website to find out more.
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