Teenage Engineering OP-1

I want the Teenage Engineering OP-1, and I know the $1,300 price is absurd for what is technically a synthesizer the size of a book. But the interface design is unlike anything else in music hardware. A small OLED screen shows playful animations for each synth engine. Four color-coded rotary encoders control different parameters depending on which mode you're in. The built-in tape recorder lets you layer sounds, and the workflow is intentionally limited, forcing you to make decisions instead of endlessly tweaking. I played with one at a music store for 20 minutes and made something that sounded like an actual track. That doesn't happen with most synths that take hours to learn. TE built their reputation on making music production feel like play rather than work. The OP-1 is the clearest expression of that philosophy.