OP-1 Field 1.7 Adds Tape Undo After 15 Years

TL;DR: Teenage Engineering has released firmware 1.7 for the OP-1 Field, finally adding tape undo — a feature requested for 15 years. The update also improves sync, adds a MIDI monitor, and introduces a metronome-to-tape align function. It’s free for existing OP-1 Field owners, but no word yet on whether the original OP-1 will get the same treatment.

• Tape undo is now available on the OP-1 Field, 15 years after the original OP-1 launched without it.
• Firmware 1.7 also includes a MIDI monitor, improved Bluetooth MIDI transport, and a new metronome-to-tape align feature.
• The update is exclusive to the OP-1 Field; original OP-1 users are left hoping for a future patch.
• Teenage Engineering is skipping Superbooth this year but has a mysterious Berlin launch event planned.
• The update is free and available now — no need to sell a kidney for it.

Reading time: 3 min

Want more synth news before your next coffee break? Join the Noxal newsletter — no spam, just gear worth knowing about.

The Undo That Took a Decade and a Half

Let’s get the headline out of the way: Teenage Engineering finally added tape undo to the OP-1 Field. It took them 15 years. That’s longer than some of us have been making music, and definitely longer than we’ve been waiting for GTA 6. The company’s official statement? “15 years ago, we didn’t add undo to the OP–1 tape. we wanted to stay true to the feeling of recording at home with your 4-track. but to be honest, sometimes it’s nice to get a do-over.”

We at Noxal appreciate the honesty, even if it took a pandemic, a global chip shortage, and a new hardware revision to get here. I’ve been using the OP-1 Field in my live set for almost two years, and deleting failed takes was a ritual involving patience, caffeine, and a lot of cursing. Now, that’s a thing of the past. The feature works exactly as you’d hope: you can undo the last take on the tape, which makes recording loops and arrangements far less stressful. It’s not a full DAW-style history — it’s one level of undo, but that’s enough to save you from your own mistakes.

What Else Is New in Firmware 1.7?

Tape undo is the star, but the supporting cast is solid. Teenage Engineering improved sync, which is always welcome. The OP-1 Field now has a MIDI monitor in the system settings, so you can see exactly what’s coming in over the wire. They’ve also expanded MIDI control, including better support for incoming MIDI transport over Bluetooth. That means you can start and stop the tape from a wireless controller — handy if you’re trying to keep your desk less cluttered.

There’s a new align metronome-to-tape function, which locks your metronome to the current tape position. It’s a small quality-of-life improvement, but if you’ve ever fought with timing on the OP-1 Field, you’ll appreciate it. Another nice touch: a pop-up now appears when connecting to other TE devices (like the TX-6 or OB-4), and the tape screen shows loop BPM when holding shift in free mode. These aren’t revolutionary, but they show TE is listening to user feedback — something we weren’t always sure about.

Exclusive to Field — For Now

The big question: will the original OP-1 get tape undo? Teenage Engineering hasn’t said yes, but they haven’t said no either. The firmware 1.7 update is currently exclusive to the OP-1 Field, and the original OP-1 is officially “paused” in production. That doesn’t mean it’s dead — TE says they don’t know how it will be continued, but there’s hope. I’d love to see this feature trickle down, but I’m not holding my breath. The original OP-1 has been out for 15 years, and TE has a history of leaving older hardware behind when new models arrive.

For now, if you’re on the OP-1 Field, you’re golden. The update is free, which is refreshing in an era where some companies charge for firmware that fixes bugs they introduced. Download it from TE’s website, install it via USB, and enjoy that sweet, sweet undo button.

The Wider Picture: TE in 2025

Teenage Engineering isn’t at Superbooth this year, which is a shame — we were hoping to see their field desks in the wild. But they’re not completely absent: there’s a launch event in Berlin on the first night of Superbooth, and a new product called the K.O Amp was recently leaked. So they’re in Berlin, just not on the show floor. That’s very on-brand for a company that thrives on mystery and mild frustration.

The OP-1 Field itself remains a divisive piece of gear. It costs a lot, it’s quirky, and it doesn’t do everything a DAW can. But for those of us who love the workflow, it’s irreplaceable. This firmware update makes it better, and that’s all we can ask. Now, if they could just drop the price by 75%, that would be the real headline.

I’ll be testing tape undo with a fresh pour-over tomorrow morning — if it works as well as promised, I might finally forgive TE for the price tag. Probably not, but a synth can dream.