Updated
Updated · The Verge · Jun 27
Teenage Engineering Adds 40-Second Sampling, USB Audio to $329 KO II
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Jun 27

Teenage Engineering Adds 40-Second Sampling, USB Audio to $329 KO II

3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Jun 27

Summary

  • OS 2.5 gives Teenage Engineering’s $329 EP-133 KO II sampler audio over USB, selectable lo-fi sample rates, sample reverse and an arpeggiator in one of its biggest updates yet.
  • 40-second sampling—up from 20 seconds—comes by recording mono instead of stereo, while equal-length autochopping makes the KO II better suited to slicing and rearranging loops.
  • 32 kHz and 26 kHz modes add progressively grittier character beyond the standard 46 kHz setting, and the update also improves time stretching, adds new scales and per-pad time shifting, and fixes bugs.
  • The same OS 2.5 update also reaches the reggae-themed EP-40 Riddim, while the EP-1320 Medieval gets only USB audio, extending a pattern of slimmer support for that model.

Insights

Why is one Teenage Engineering sampler getting major upgrades while its medieval-themed sibling is left behind?
Can a $329 sampler's free update truly replicate the iconic sound of vintage lo-fi gear?