Teenage Engineering has already issued a number of substantial updates for its surprisingly succesful $329 EP-133 KO II sampler. Its newest is among the greatest but. OS 2.5 provides audio over USB, selectable pattern charges for lo-fi enjoyable, pattern reverse, an arpeggiator, equal-length autochopping, and it extends the utmost size of a pattern from 20 seconds to 40 seconds by capturing mono, as a substitute of stereo, audio.
Pattern reverse is such a easy function that it’s surprising it wasn’t applied earlier. An arpeggiator doesn’t all the time make a ton of sense on a sampler, however the KO II sounds so unimaginable repitching samples (just like the SK-1 successor I’ve all the time needed) that right here it’s an enormous addition. It’s simpler than ever now to crank out a synthpop bassline.
The mix of longer sampling time and equal-length autochopping additionally makes the KO II significantly better suited to chopping up and rearranging samples and loops. Whereas the transient-based autochopper was nice for isolating drum hits in a break, it was much less helpful for melodic content material.
My favourite new function, although, is the brand new selectable pattern price. You possibly can keep on with the usual 46k kHz if you would like, however the brand new 32 kHz mode provides some good character, whereas 26 kHz goes full lo-fi, turning crunchy and digital.
These are simply the headlining options. There’s additionally improved time stretching, new scales, per-pad time shifting, and tons of bug fixes.
The OS 2.5 update can be obtainable for the KO II’s reggae-themed sibling, the Riddim. Whereas the weird EP-1320 Medieval sampler is lastly getting an OS update, it’s solely getting USB audio, and nothing else. We’ve requested Teenage Engineering why the EP-1320 is recurrently neglected of the replace enjoyable, however have but to listen to again.
You possibly can replace your OP-133 KO II, EP-40 Riddom, or EP-1320 Medieval here.