— Interactive guide · OS 2.5

EP–133 K.O. II

teenage engineering’s sampler, explained properly — every key combination, knob mapping and workflow from TE’s user guide, searchable in a keystroke, with TE’s own clips and the community’s best videos and tips beside the topics they explain.

chapters: 12
topics: 88
key combos: 130
videos: 49

— Where to start

Your first hour

Power up, load sounds, record a beat, sample yourself and commit.

0/7

Making beats

The sequencer moves that make patterns tight — or loose on purpose.

0/8

Sampling & chopping

Record, resample, slice and stretch your own sounds.

0/7

Playing it live

Punch-in FX, fader moves, loops and scenes on stage.

0/7

— Explore the panel

What does this key do?

Tap any key, knob or pad. Hold SHIFT or FADER to light up their extra jobs.

Pick a control to see what it does.

All 24 controls on the panel. The word on the lower half of a key is what it does while SHIFT is held; the labels above the pads are the fader assignments.

Redrawn from TE’s panel diagram · not to exact scale

— Contents

12 chapters, start anywhere

Start here

Power it up, plug it in and make your first beat.

What the K.O. II is · How to read this guide · Batteries, USB power and switching on · Jacks and connections · Your first beat, played live · Your first beat, step by step · Technical specifications

0/7

Panel & controls

Every key, knob and pad — and what SHIFT turns them into.

The front panel · SHIFT and the secondary functions · The − and + keys · The pads as a number pad · The X and Y knobs · The display and its icons

0/6

How it’s organised

Projects, groups, patterns, scenes and the sound library.

Projects, groups, patterns and scenes · Groups · The sound library · Commit

0/4

Sounds & sound edit

Put samples on pads, then trim, shape, stretch and route them.

Putting sounds on pads · Sound edit · Play mode and pan · Trim and crop · Attack and release · Time stretch and reverse · MIDI channel and root note per pad · Mute groups · Copying sounds between pads and groups · Deleting samples

0/10

The sequencer

Patterns, live and step recording, timing, nudging and undo.

MAIN mode · Selecting and creating patterns · Pattern length · Live recording · Step sequencing · Note velocity and length · Note interval, quantise and swing · Note repeat · Nudging notes · Timing correct · Erase and undo · Copy and paste · Tempo, tap tempo and the metronome · Time signature · Tempo match

0/15

Keys & melodies

Play one sample across the pads, in key, with an arpeggiator.

KEYS mode · Choosing a key and scale · Arpeggiator

0/3

Fader & punch-in FX

Twelve fader assignments, automation, punch-in FX and loop.

The fader · The twelve fader assignments · Recording fader moves · Punch-in FX · Loop mode

0/5

Effects & mixing

The send effect, the master compressor and sidechain.

The send effect · Delay · Reverb · Distortion · Chorus · Filter · Compressor (send effect) · Effects on the live input · Master compressor · Sidechain

0/10

Sampling & chopping

Record from the mic, line in, USB or yourself — then chop it up.

Sampling basics · Choosing an input, level and threshold · Hands-free sampling · Resampling · Resampling a chord · Choosing where a sample is stored · Sample rate and length · Chopping samples · USB audio

0/9

Scenes & songs

Commit variations as scenes, then chain them into a song.

Scenes · Song mode

0/2

MIDI, sync & USB

The sample tool, MIDI gear, Pocket Operators and drum machines.

The EP sample tool · MIDI in, out and thru · Playing the K.O. II from a MIDI keyboard · Sequencing other instruments · MIDI note map · MIDI CC and controllers · Sync in and out · Syncing with Pocket Operators · Two K.O. IIs and vintage drum machines

0/9

System & maintenance

System settings, lock mode, formatting, errors and updates.

System settings · All system setting codes · Pad velocity · Hearing the metronome while playing · Lock mode · Formatting the drive · Error codes · Updating the OS

0/8

— Muscle memory

The combos you’ll use every day

Commit, undo and the SHIFT layer do most of the work. The full cheat sheet has all 130, filterable by key and printable.

Open the cheat sheet

SHIFT + MAIN: Commits: saves the current patterns as a scene and continues in a copy of it.
RECORD, then PLAY: Starts recording after a four-beat count-in.Sequencer stopped
SHIFT + B: Undoes the last change (the umbrella icon shows when undo is possible).
Hold FX + PAD: Plays that pad’s punch-in effect for as long as you hold it.While playing
Hold TIMING + PAD: Repeats the pad at the note interval while held.
SHIFT + SOUND: Opens sound edit for the selected pad.
SHIFT + SAMPLE: Enters CHOP for the selected pad’s sample.
SHIFT + A: Jumps to the next empty pattern so you can start fresh.MAIN mode

— Watch

Learn it from TE and the community

All videos & links

Get started with the new EP-133, K.O.II by Teenage Engineering (Tutorial)
True Cuckoo
The most-watched K.O. II tutorial: a calm, chaptered tour from first power-on to jamming, covering nearly every core feature.

1. SCENES & PATTERNS // KO II teenage engineering // beginner tutorial
SON WU
Part 1 of SON WU’s beginner series: projects, scenes and patterns explained clearly before you start recording.

mr. update brings new updates for K.O. II, riddim & medieval!
teenage engineering
TE’s short announcement of OS 2.5 for K.O. II: USB audio, reverse playback, sample-rate choice, equal-length chop and new scales.

An independent guide by boog.ie, not affiliated with or endorsed by teenage engineering. EP–133 and K.O. II are products of teenage engineering AB. Content is written in our own words from TE’s online user guide (OS 2.5) and its release notes; community material is credited and linked. When in doubt, TE’s guide wins. TE’s user guide Product page