teenage engineering EP sampler, drum machine and sequencer with built-in microphone and effects

As a longtime fan of Teenage Engineering's design philosophy, I had high expectations for the EP-133 K.O. II, and it has completely blown them away. This device is pure, distilled fun. It's a sampler that removes all the friction between having an idea and making a beat, and it has quickly become the centerpiece of my creative workflow.The Workflow: Immediate and InspiringThis is where the K.O. II truly shines. The workflow is incredibly fast and intuitive. From sampling a sound off my phone or its built-in mic to chopping it and sequencing a pattern takes literal seconds. The layout, reminiscent of a vintage calculator, is brilliant. Every button has a clear purpose, which encourages you to play and experiment rather than get lost in menus. The "commit" function, which duplicates your pattern and lets you build on it, is a genius way to evolve a track without losing your original idea.Sound and Performance:The K.O. II has a sound all its own—it's punchy, a little gritty, and full of character. It makes samples sound better just by being inside it. The real magic, however, happens with the live performance features. The "Punch-In FX" are absolutely incredible. Being able to add stutters, filters, and other effects on the fly is not only fun but a powerful tool for transforming a simple loop into a dynamic performance. The pressure-sensitive keys feel great for adding variation to your patterns.Design and Vibe:In typical Teenage Engineering fashion, the K.O. II is a design masterpiece. It's lightweight, durable, and the perfect size to throw in a backpack. Running on batteries and having a built-in speaker makes it the ultimate portable music-making machine. It's a device that begs to be picked up and played with, wherever you are.Conclusion:The EP-133 K.O. II is more than just a sampler; it's an instrument of inspiration. It's perfect for both beginners who want to learn the ropes of sampling and seasoned producers looking for a fun, fast, and powerful tool to capture ideas. It's one of the most enjoyable pieces of gear I've ever owned, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

The media could not be loaded. First things first it is not a toy. In my opinion it’s cheaper than it should be. It’s a solid unit mechanical buttons that feel good when you press them. Be warned that you will need to upgrade the software to the latest and greatest but that’s easy to with a browser. And to the most important part the sound. Every sample that it comes with is amazing and sounds great. You can record your own samples and mix like a pro. Yes the song in the video is a sample that I did. It was easy to sample from the built in mic but you can connect to the input jack and sample from there as well. The samples that you record are stored on the device was will. The instructions for this might be a little difficult to master but with YouTube university you can learn everything you will need to know. I have used this with my OP-1 Field as a MIDI instrument and it open a whole new world. If you’re looking for solid sampler, look no further.

Let me preface this by saying I sympathize with everyone who received a faulty unit or damaged the fader when installing the cap. Teenage Engineering cannot sell a product with such a glaring design problem and poor quality control. At the very least they should have the fader cap preinstalled.Now despite that intro, I'm about to do a complete 180 and gush about this little machine. Having received it completely undamaged and opting to use a Lego pumpkin for the fader cap, I have felt nothing but overwhelming joy in the short time I've used the KO II. Having no experience with music production outside of playing around with FL Studio and my OP 1, the KO II is welcoming in its approach to beat-making and anyone can put together a solid track in no time. The illuminated icons and 8-segment display give me all the info I need without needlessly clunky menus, making the musical process feel intuitive. The preloaded sounds feel punchy and the onboard effects, while a little limited, have a lot to offer and don't even get me started on its sampling capabilities. The actual body of the device feels solid in the hand and all the buttons, dials, and slider have a good feel to them(assuming the unit passed QA before shipping). My only real complaint is that the onboard speaker is kind of faint, especially on the lower frequencies but I assume most of you are probably going to use headphones or some other audio output.In conclusion, I have high hopes for the KO II. According to the TE, this is the start of their new "EP" series and from what I've seen on the body it looks like there are Lego peg holes on both sides of the unit which leads me to believe there will be more of versions that can be connected to make an entire EP panel, but I'm getting ahead of myself. In an ideal world, I'd give this my full recommendation to anyone even slightly interested in music production. But the truth of the matter is it wouldn't be fair to everyone who was promised this magically little device and got a hunk of malfunctioning plastic instead. I hope this review does reach TE because I think its message resonates with the community; We love the idea but we're disappointed with its execution.