So, Teenage Engineering are back with a new sampler the Pocket Operator EP–133 K.O.II. The Swedish electronics company announced a new product just in time for the holidays, a bargain-priced sampler with an alluring throw-back aesthetic dubbed the EP-133 K.O. II.
As the name implies, the K.O. II is a super-charged follow-up to the PO-33 K.O., a beloved sampler from the company’s Pocket Operator series. The original K.O. was a tiny revolution, packing pro-level sampling capabilities into a phenomenally small package, complete with effects, a sequencer, and options for effects. The K.O. II takes everything that made its predecessor great and blows it up into a fleshed-out package that holds true to the company’s signature playful, accessible design. It looks serious enough for real musical projects but simple enough for anyone to pick up and start playing.
The EP–133 K.O. II lets you record sounds around you, sequence your samples and loops, tweak and automate filter, pitch and more, add stereo effects, compressor and punch-in effects, all on a chonky device with retro-sexy vintage calculator vibes.
Features:
- Built-in mic and speaker
- 6 stereo voices / 12 mono
- 64 MB memory, or 999 sample slots
- 6 built-in master FX and 12 punch-in fx
- Pressure sensitive keys and multifunctional fader
- Sampling frequency: 46 kHz / 16-bit
- 1x stereo in/out, sync in/out, midi in/out and usb-c
- Powered by 4x AAA batteries, or via usb-c
- Dimensions: 240 mm x 176 mm x 16 mm
Where the K.O. II really shines is a fresh new workflow designed to take you from sample to immediate musical satisfaction with a few keystrokes. It has a gorgeous full-color display that changes and dances as you play songs and move through the device’s various functions. The K.O. II lets you load in up to 99 samples (in stereo!) from any source, and then automatically breaks it up into individual parts across the device’s ten pressure- and velocity-sensitive pads. You can fine-tune those samples with pitch correction, filters, effects, time adjustments, and more. It has a totally revamped sequencer, along with a full-fledged DAW that lets you build out complex arrangements with 12-voice polyphony or 6 voices in stereo. The K.O. II’s parameters are programmable and controllable over MIDI as well.
The EP–133 K.O. II is available now for $299 USD.