Fast answer
Choose Sync in the tempo screen, not Free or Beat match. Sync listens for incoming USB MIDI clock; EXT shows that clock is arriving.
Try these checks
- Connect the USB MIDI route and enable clock output to OP-1 on the master.
- Open the tempo screen and choose Sync.
- Start the master’s clock and look for EXT; check tape speed separately if recorded audio still does not line up.
Diagnose it
Does EXT appear in Sync mode?
Yes: Check tape speed separately from clock tempo.
No: Check the master’s clock output and USB route.
What should happen
OP-1 follows received USB MIDI clock, while tape speed remains independently adjustable.
Why this happens
Free ignores incoming sync, and Beat match is a master mode rather than a follower.
If it still doesn’t work
Check the connections and settings described above. If your device behaves differently, email us with its model, firmware version and the steps you tried.
All OP-1 original fixesReferences
Sources & review
Sources reviewed: . Documentation does not replace a physical hardware test.
- Original OP-1 — Tempo · Teenage Engineering · Original OP-1 online guide, chapter 10 · last checked 2026-10-03
- Original OP-1 — Song rendering and connectivity · Teenage Engineering · Original OP-1 online guide, chapter 13 · last checked 2026-10-03
Sections reviewed: §10.4–10.6.