The sequencer · K.O. II guide

5.1BasicsTE guide §8.3

MAIN mode

MAIN is the screen to come back to. From here you change projects, scenes and patterns, record and play, and arrange songs. The display shows where you are in the pattern as bar, beat and step — 1.3.1 is bar 1, beat 3, step 1.

Key combinations

MAIN: Returns to MAIN mode from anywhere, including the system settings.
Hold MAIN + 1–9 for about a second: Switches to that project once the display shows a P readout.
Hold MAIN + − / +: Selects the previous or next scene (1–99).
Hold MAIN, type a number, release MAIN: Jumps straight to that scene (S02 and so on).
− / +: Moves back or forward one step.MAIN mode, stopped

MAIN · MainPress MAIN.

GAINInput gain

The level of the line input. GAIN is printed beside the knob.

Knob X

From the community

To change project, keep MAIN and the project’s pad held for about a second, until a P readout appears. If the display shows S02, you have only jumped to scene 2. via OP Forums: How to keep samples into different projects?

Teenage engineering KO II EP-133 - Deep dive tutorial guide
XNB
A 100-minute deep dive with chapters for every mode; ideal as a reference to jump into a single topic.

5.2BasicsTE guide §8.3

Selecting and creating patterns

Each group has up to 99 patterns per project, and each group can play a different one. Swapping patterns group by group is how you try out which beat goes with which bassline — and it works while the music plays.

Key combinations

Hold A–D + − / +: Selects the previous or next pattern for that group.MAIN mode
Hold A–D + type a number: Selects that pattern for the group.MAIN mode
Hold several group keys + − / +: Changes the patterns of all the held groups together.MAIN mode
SHIFT + A: Jumps to the next empty pattern so you can start fresh.MAIN mode

From the community

The small burst icon under PLAY means the current pattern is empty — check for it before pasting so you don’t overwrite something. via Elektronauts: EP-133 Tips and Tricks

5.3BasicsTE guide §9.1

Pattern length

A new pattern is one bar long. Make it longer before recording a part that needs room, or double it once you have a bar you like and vary the copy. Length is set per group, so groups can loop at different lengths.

Key combinations

RECORD, then − / +: Shortens or lengthens the pattern.Sequencer stopped
Hold RECORD + − / +: Changes the pattern length on the fly.While playing
RECORD, then hold SHIFT + +: Doubles the pattern length and copies the existing notes into the new half.

From the community

For polymeter, set the time signature to 1/4 and give groups odd pattern lengths such as 3, 5 and 7. via Elektronauts: EP-133 Tips and Tricks

5.4BasicsTE guide §9.1

Live recording

Live recording is the K.O. II at its quickest: arm, play, done. Notes land on the grid if quantise is on, or exactly where you played them in free time (Note interval, quantise and swing).

Key combinations

RECORD, then PLAY: Starts recording after a four-beat count-in.Sequencer stopped
RECORD + PLAY: Starts recording straight away, without a count-in.
RECORD, then SHIFT + PLAY: Records from the start of the pattern instead of the current bar.
PLAY: Stops recording and pauses the beat.While recording
RECORD: Stops recording but keeps the beat playing.While recording
Hold RECORD + play pads: Overdubs notes into the running pattern.While playing
RECORD, ERASE and +: Overwrite recording: clears the existing recording and replaces it with the new one.

From the community

5. SEQUENCER // KO II teenage engineering // beginner tutorial
SON WU
Part 5: live and step recording, quantise and pattern basics.

5.5BasicsTE guide §9.2

Step sequencing

The K.O. II records per step. Small note intervals give you fine detail, large ones let you punch in a simple beat in seconds. With the sequencer stopped, the display shows the current step and lights the pads that already have a note there.

Key combinations

− / +: Steps backwards or forwards through the pattern.Sequencer stopped
Hold RECORD + PAD: Puts that pad on the current step.
Hold ERASE + PAD: Removes that pad’s note; keep holding until TRK blinks to clear all its notes in the pattern.Sequencer stopped
Hold ERASE + PAD: Removes that pad’s notes as the pattern plays.While playing

Steps and ticks

Step: One division of the note interval. At the default 1/16, a bar has 16 steps.
Tick: The sequencer’s smallest unit. It runs at 96 ticks per quarter note, so a 1/16 step is 24 ticks — the same as the OP–Z.

From the community

When you step-enter a note with RECORD + a pad, how long you hold the pad becomes the note length — hold longer for sustained notes instead of fixing them afterwards. via Elektronauts: EP-133 Tips and Tricks

5.6IntermediateTE guide §9.2

Note velocity and length

Once notes are on a step you can shape them: make a hit quieter for a ghost note, or hold a chord across the bar. Both edits apply to all the notes on the current step.

MAIN · Step editHold SHIFT on a step, sequencer stopped.

VELOCITYNote velocity

How hard the notes on this step play.

Knob X

Key combinations

Hold SHIFT + turn X: Changes the velocity of all notes on the current step.Step sequencing
Hold SHIFT + turn Y: Changes the length of all notes on the current step.Step sequencing

5.7BasicsTE guide §4.7, §10.4

Note interval, quantise and swing

TIMING decides the grid you record onto. The note interval is how many steps make up a bar; quantise snaps what you play to that grid, while free time keeps every nuance. Swing pushes every other step late for groove.

TIMING · TimingPress TIMING.

INTERVALNote interval

How many steps there are in a bar. Also the rate of note repeat and the arpeggiator.

Knob XRange 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/8T, 1/16, 1/16T, 1/32

Note intervals

Interval	Steps per bar
1/1	1
1/2	2
1/4	4
1/8	8
1/8T (triplet)	12
1/16 (default)	16
1/16T (triplet)	24
1/32	32

Key combinations

TIMING: Opens TIMING: note interval on X, swing on Y.
−: Switches to quantised recording.TIMING
+: Switches to free-time recording.TIMING

From the community

Sequencing a Beat OFF the Grid on the EP-133 KO II (+ Precise editing tips)
windowbed (James)
Loosening a quantised beat with timing and swing, then editing notes precisely; good for the sequencer chapter.

5.8BasicsTE guide §10.4.1

Note repeat

Note repeat makes hi-hat rolls and drum fills easy. Hold TIMING and press a pad and it retriggers at the current note interval for as long as you hold it — record it live and it goes straight into the pattern.

Key combinations

Hold TIMING + PAD: Repeats the pad at the note interval while held.
TIMING, then hold SHIFT + PAD: Latches note repeat on that pad; do it again to release.

With pad velocity on, note repeat follows how hard you press.
Change the note interval with X in TIMING to change the repeat rate.
Note repeat at 1/1 retriggers once a bar — an easy way to play back a sampled one-bar loop.
In KEYS mode, holding several pads arpeggiates them — see Arpeggiator.

5.9IntermediateTE guide §9.7, §9.2

Nudging notes

Nudging puts feel into a beat — a snare dragged a little late, a hat pushed early — or lets you fix a note in the wrong place. How far a nudge moves depends on whether you are in quantise or free time.

Key combinations

Hold SHIFT + PAD, then − / +: Nudges that pad’s note on the current step — by a step when quantised, by ticks in free time.Sequencer stopped
SHIFT + TIMING, then hold PAD + − / +: Moves every note on that pad back or forward one tick at a time.

From the community

5.10IntermediateOS 2.5+TE guide §10.4.2

Timing correct

Timing correct fixes the one hit that was off without flattening the rest of a loose performance. You can quantise all of one pad’s notes, or hold a pad during playback to correct only what plays while you hold it.

Key combinations

SHIFT + TIMING: Opens timing correct.
Press a PAD: Quantises every note recorded on that pad.Timing correct, stopped
Hold a PAD: Quantises that pad’s notes as they play while you hold it; the display counts the corrected notes.Timing correct, while playing
Hold PAD + − / +: Shifts all of that pad’s notes by one tick.Timing correct

TIMING · Timing correctPress SHIFT + TIMING.

INTERVALNote interval

The grid that notes are corrected to.

Knob X

5.11BasicsTE guide §9.6

Erase and undo

ERASE works by holding it with whatever you want gone. Most erases need a short hold, and the display spells out what is being cleared so you know when to let go. If you change your mind, undo is one combo away.

Key combinations

SHIFT + B: Undoes the last change (the umbrella icon shows when undo is possible).
Hold ERASE + PAD (or several pads): Erases those pads’ notes as the pattern plays — works for notes recorded in KEYS mode too.While playing
Hold ERASE + PAD until TRK blinks: Erases all the notes on that pad in the pattern.Sequencer stopped
Hold ERASE + A–D until PTN blinks: Erases the current pattern of the held group(s).
Hold ERASE + MAIN for two seconds: Deletes the scene if it is empty and not in the song (DEL); otherwise clears its contents (CLR).

Other erases, covered elsewhere

Combo	Erases	Section
Hold `ERASE` + `SOUND`	The selected sample, from memory	Deleting samples
Hold `ERASE` + `FADER`	Fader automation	Recording fader moves
`SHIFT` + `ERASE` at start-up	Everything — formats the drive	Formatting the drive

From the community

7. COPY, PASTE & ERASE // KO II teenage engineering // beginner tutorial
SON WU
Part 7: the copy, paste and erase shortcuts that make pattern work fast.

5.12BasicsOS 2.5+TE guide §9.5, §9.4

Copy and paste

In MAIN mode, SHIFT + C copies and SHIFT + D pastes. Press copy once for the current bar, twice for the whole pattern. Move to where you want it — another bar, pattern or group — and paste.

Key combinations

SHIFT + C: Copies the current bar.MAIN mode
SHIFT + C, twice: Copies the whole pattern.MAIN mode
SHIFT + D: Pastes what you copied.MAIN mode
Hold PAD + SHIFT + C: Copies only that pad’s notes in the pattern.
Hold PAD + SHIFT + D: Pastes the copied notes onto that pad.

From the community

5.13BasicsTE guide §8.4

Tempo, tap tempo and the metronome

TEMPO mode sets the speed of the project. The knob covers the usual range quickly; typing gets you anywhere from 40 to 399 BPM, including decimals.

TEMPO · TempoPress TEMPO.

BPMTempo

The project tempo. Hold TEMPO and type a value for anything outside the knob’s range, with . for decimals.

Knob XRange 60–180 BPM (40–399 typed)

Key combinations

TEMPO: Opens TEMPO mode.
Tap TEMPO in time: Sets the tempo by tapping.
Hold TEMPO + type a number: Sets an exact tempo; use . for decimals, e.g. 120.51.

5.14IntermediateTE guide §8.4.1

Time signature

Each pattern can have its own time signature, so a waltz section or an odd-meter break is possible without touching the rest of the project.

Key combinations

MAIN + TEMPO: Opens the time signature for the current pattern.
Turn X and Y: Adjust the time signature.Time signature

5.15IntermediateTE guide §8.4.2

Tempo match

Heard something you want to play along with or sample? Tempo match listens through the line input or the built-in mic, works out the BPM and sets the project tempo to it.

Hold SAMPLE + TEMPO. The K.O. II starts listening.
Play the audio into the line input, or near the mic.
The detected tempo appears on the display and becomes the project tempo.

Key combinations

Hold SAMPLE + TEMPO: Detects the tempo of the incoming audio and sets the project to it.