teenage manual

How do I record to tape?

OP-1tutorialguide
By ivan.codes·Updated Jul 2026·Official OP-1 Guide ↗

Recording to tape is straightforward. Select your sound, enter Tape mode, and use rec + play to start capturing.

Step by step

  1. 1.Select the sound you want to record by pressing Synthesizer or Drum, then press a key from 1-8 to choose a sound.
  2. 2.Press the Tape key to enter Tape mode.
  3. 3.Press one of the track keys T1, T2, T3, or T4 to select which track to record on.
  4. 4.Turn the orange encoder to set your recording level.
  5. 5.Press rec + play together to start recording.
  6. 6.Play the musical keyboard to perform your part.
  7. 7.Press stop when you are done.
  8. 8.Press the rewind (left arrow) key to go back to the start.
  9. 9.Press play to listen back to your recording.

A few things to note

  • If there is already audio on the track you selected, the tape will overdub on top of it. To avoid this, lift any existing takes out of the way first.
  • The orange encoder also controls the main level for Synthesizer and Drum sounds, so use it to balance your recording level before you start.
  • Press stop + left arrow at any time to jump back to the very beginning of the tape.

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