Teenage Engineering's CEO plans to stop making synths, OP-1 included

The reaction Engadget picked out came from people who use the gear. Redditors who use Teenage Engineering products regularly were "a bit alarmed," Engadget reported, particularly since the company was "extremely vague about the timeline" ^[10].

Kouthoofd frames the decision as a question of what the company is. "Everyone was like, 'What are you talking about?' But I've come to the conclusion that, for us, the products aren't the business," he told Highsnobiety. "We can be so much more than that." ^[4] For someone with an OP-1 on the desk, the product is the whole relationship with the company. The Verge called the supposed decision to abandon that market "all the more confusing," given that almost everything the company makes itself is music or audio gear ^[6][5].

His account of what replaces the synthesizers is thin. Engadget wrote that the company could focus on design next, though Kouthoofd "wasn't clear" about that ^[13]. He described one project "that may change our online lives" and said some of the upcoming projects won't be released for five to 10 years ^[9]. Neither report includes a date for the last synthesizer, or anything on repairs and software updates for units already sold ^[10].

For companies that hire Teenage Engineering as a designer, the interview concerns the firm's own synthesizers ^[1]. The Verge describes it as a sought-after design firm as well as a gear maker ^[8]. If design does become the main business, I'd expect client work to gain from it.

Two facts about an owner's own setup decide how much this matters. One is whether they would ever need to buy the device again, as a replacement or as matching units for a team. The other is whether they depend on the company after purchase, for repairs or software. An owner who needs neither already has what they paid for. One who would rebuy but needs no support has a timing problem. The hedge is a spare OP-1 bought while it is still sold, at the cost of paying for a unit that may never leave its box ^[1]. One who needs support but would not rebuy can wait for the company to say what it will maintain. A studio that needs both is the case where I would hold new purchases until Teenage Engineering publishes dates, and accept that the gear may be harder to find by then.