Teenage Engineering has introduced the EP-133 K.O II, a new portable sampler based on an evolution of the best-selling PO-33 K.O sampler.
With the EP-133 K.O. II, teenage engineering has it the jackpot. The sampler groovebox is a hit not only among music producers with a DAWless affinity but also among many tech people with a casual music-making fever.
Teenage Engineering is now making its many users even happier with a major free 2.0 “Champions” update introducing new features and improvements.
Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II 2.0 Champions Update
The new 2.0 firmware Champions is a free update for existing customers. A big new feature is resampling. You can now sample any sound or pattern on or off the KO, process it through the internal effects, and re-sample it to make a new sound. That’s a mighty new sound design feature.
Hands-free sampling is also now possible. It simplifies the sampling process by letting K.O II hold the buttons for you. Then, the teenage engineering developers increased the voice count, which now supports 16 mono or 12 stereo voice polyphony.
The teenage engineering EP-133 K.O. II firmware 2.0 champions is a free update, and the hardware is available now for 317€.
Available at my partner
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Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II317 €Buy now
Update From March 22, 2024
It’s time to update your EP-133 K.O II: Teenage Engineering has released update 1.2, which adds support for the EP Sample Tool. This is a simple web browser application for convenient sample management. It simplifies to manage your sample content in the device’s memory.
You can move your samples from the computer to the hardware and vice versa via drag and drop. Another handy feature is the ability to edit the start and end points of the samples. A simple preview function is also implemented.
Besides this, it comes with new recording options from pattern start and in overwriting mode. Plus, it ships with various bug fixes and UI improvements.
Article From November 2023
Teenage Engineering has released many new products in the last two to three years. Each is very portable and stylish. These were particularly noticeable because of their very high prices, which caused a lot of discussion in the synth community. But there is hope for more affordable TE gear.
There is no 50% discount on TE for Black Friday. No, but a new product. Teenage Engineering has released the EP-133 K.O., a new portable hardware sampler groovebox described as a further development of the popular PO-33 with more power and an-all new design.
teenage engineering EP-133 K.O. II
Teenage products are usually very expensive but are styled from head to toe. They are true eye-catchers to me. That’s exactly the case with the EP-133 K.O. However, it has arguably been the most affordable TE instrument in a long time.
The EP-133 K.O II is a groovebox that bundles a creative sampler, sequencer, effects, and composing tools in one device. The core (32-bit float signal chain, 24-bit ADC / DAC) is based on the popular PO-33 KO hardware sampler but taken to 2023.
It features six stereo or 12 mono voices and 64MB of memory, giving you up to 999 sample slots. Not much, but it is adapted to the workflow. It’s not a flagship sampler for capturing huge sounds. It’s all about fast, instant sounds like one-shots… that take up little memory.
You can sample into the device using the built-in microphone and stereo input (46.875 kHz/16-bit). Alternatively, you can drag and drop samples using the sample tool application. From here, you can slice the samples live or automatically in real-time.
Once the samples are on the pads, you can adjust the start and end, chop and pitch it, set the play mode, and more.
Sequencing
Then, you can sequence them. You can program them in free mode or quantized with swing. For perfect recording, it also hosts an instantaneous time correction and erase functionality, allowing to fix wrong timings.
EP-133 K.O II has nine projects, each with 80.000 notes maximal. Each project contains four groups, each with 99 patterns. You can use these to mix and match patterns on the fly.
A pattern then can have a variable length per group (1 to 99 bars) and has 12 tracks for samples and MIDI. Yes, you can assign any pad to one of the 16 MIDI channels turning it into a MIDI sequencer. Plus, you can record and automate parameters in the sequences and there is a loop mode from the OB-4 with length and slide.
Sequences can also be refined with six internal stereo master effects and a new compressor. The well-known punch effects of the PO-33 should not be missing here.
According to teenage engineering, these are all-new pressure-sensitive effects, aka “the next-generation punch-in effects”.
Operation
The operation is very reminiscent of vintage samplers. EP-133 K.O. II offers 12 newly-developed vintage-style keys that have a modern touch, combining tactility with pressure sensitivity (polyAT), says Teenage. There are also additional buttons, knobs, and an automatable multi-functional slider.
Further, it hosts a large multi-segment color display with a very retro style and lovely symbols, giving you instant feedback on your tracks.
I/O
The EP-133 K.O. also offers a lot on the input and output side. You get an orange on/off slider, a USB-C port for audio and data, minijack MIDI in/out, sync in/out (8TH, 16TH NOTE OR SYNC24), a stereo input, and output.
Lastly, it has a built-in speaker and runs on 4x AAA batteries or via USB-C with a power supply/bank.
First Impression
Yes, teenage engineering can still make affordable instruments. Uff. The EP-133 K.O. is a big surprise. Even though he’s a bit WTF at first, I find the design very eye-catching and beautiful. It is retro but also modern at the same time.
I like the new features and fit perfectly into the instant sampling PO-33 concept. I’m sure this will be a great success.
Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. is available now for $299/349€ It comes in a limited edition 10″ collectors box.
More information here: Teenage Engineering
I actually quite like this.
I had the PO-32 and found it really fun.
I can imagine this is even more fun.
Wasn’t going to buy any new gear until the new year but this has me tempted.
Same, I just ordered.
If they do a Microtonic version I’m definitely getting one.
I’m blown away at how much TE hot right here and that price point is the bargain of the year. From Teenage Engineering. Insta buy and I pretty much never do that. TE just upped the game.
The price point and usable size makes this super appealing, was expecting something ridiculously costly coming from TE but am pleasantly surprised.
Too expensive for a tape calculator.
i keep thinking that’s what this thing is in photos. i guess that’s the ‘big idea’.
I don’t need it but I want to own it. All the merch is cool too.
yes, sexy. really. very good work flow. nice design. good price. it will be a mega seller. but 64mb, no wireless, no usb audio… for me a bit too retro. whats about the resampling capabilities?
it has USB audio
oh… thats nice
It does NOT.
Yeah, the screen is a bit of a con, it looks like a giant oled but it’s actually a 3 digit display serounded by leds with a plastic overlay on top.
Perfect for the late 80s vibe to be fair.
Still not a fan, but it got side-chaining, while the SP404 got a Serato DJ mode no-one asked for and no serious DJ will ever use.Given the fun factor and not clunky interface with this one, it’s now better as a sampler than the SP. But the there’s the Digitakt and all bets are off.
Just wish this update included the arpeggiator function like the EP-1320. Its do-able.
Overall the 133 is fun and the limitations never bothered me much. Now that it resamples its just about all I need.
…and they are still nowhere near the level of a Roland SP404mkII.
(I don’t even want to mention any modern AKAI MPCs.)
and that’s not their aim to copy the feature set or being close to the Roland SP404mkII.