In Part 1, talked a bit about how my various hardware samplers remind me of the phrase, “the medium is the message” in that hardware that ostensibly does the same thing (record, playback, and sequence samples) ends up inspiring me in different ways.
I also talked a bit about the Roland SP-404MKII, how I love it for its effects and resampling, and don’t really love it’s pattern sequencer.
Today, let’s look at the Teenage Engineering K.O. II (aka, the EP-133…why??) in contrast.
The K.O. II also samples, has a sequencer, has a bunch of pads (in this case mechanical keys), with a sample assigned to each pad. The K.O. II has less overall sample memory than the 404: a bit more than 11 minutes total of mono sample time (half if stereo), 20 seconds per sample max, and only 4 banks of 12 samples per project. It also doesn’t resample (yet).
But, what it lacks in sample time, it makes up for in immediacy…I shouldn’t have to have this aside, but to be clear these statements all include a “for me” or “imo”.
There is no jumping between menus to sequence patterns. The sequencer is up front. It’s easy to tap in a beat in real time, go into KEYS mode and play a single sample melodically, or drop notes in step-by-step (though it gets weird at bar 10 and up).
On top of that, and most fun for me right now, each of the four banks can have its own sequence length from 1 to 99 bars long. I like to noodle around with longer melodies over simple 2-4 bar beats. The K.O. II is great for that. Actually, I’d say it’s the best of all of my hardware samplers at doing that.
Finally, the punch-in effects and loop mode (repeating a bar or less of the overall sequence) make playing it feel like a performance.
With that said, here is a silly one that I made tonight (an offering of examples is not a promise of high-quality composition!). A drum loop that’s 2-bars long in Bank A. A bass loop the same length in Bank B. A stretched melodic sample (the stretch on this box is messy but great) playing an 8-bar melody/noodle in Bank C. And, a 15-bar string melody/noodle. Looping and punch-in effects towards the end.
Not a masterpiece by any means. But hopefully this shows a bit how I compose differently between the K.O. II and the SP-404MKII.
Let me know if you like these comparisons and I’ll perhaps do the Polyend Tracker in a few weeks!
