teenage engineering EP–133 K.O. II 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.

This is a super fun sampler. I love that it comes with a bunch of preloaded one shots so you can start messing around right away even if this is your first sampler. The folks at TE have immaculate taste and most of the sounds are actually worth keeping on the device in my opinion.No build quality issues here; fader is perfectly fine. Either I’m lucky or they’ve made some adjustments.This is really a 4.5, but I’m rounding up to 5 because the current score of 4 overall is too low in my opinion for how fun and inspiring this device is. Here are the nitpicks that I think keep it from being a true 5/5 in my book:1. 64 mb of store space is abysmal for a sampler in the 2020s. I get that TE wants to impose some limitations (like how the OP-1 tape is limited to four tracks) but this is a bit extreme IMO. Even double the space would be a pittance in terms of cost but would make the device easier to use while still having those inspirational limitations.2. No song mode sucks. I wish you could program and save a chain of patterns to arrange a song like you can on the OP-Z — you can even do this on some of the Pocket Operators even though they are 1/3rd of the price!3. No resampling is somewhat limiting. The FX on this device are incredible, but you can’t use more than one per project. Resampling would serve as a workaround to allow layers and combination of effects to be applied to a sample.This is a wonderfully fun sampler/musical sketchbook. I have some nitpicks, but overall I’m shocked at how much you get for the price — the value is there, which is wild considering who made this product. I hope the success of the EP-133 inspires TE to find a way to keep releasing more midrange products — devices that are more robust than the Pocket Operators but much more affordable than the usual stuff. That $300 - $500 range of the EP-133 and OP-Z is the sweet spot in terms of price, and I hope they keep returning to it.