EP-133 K.O. II

A do-many-things dial whose job changes with the current screen - always the left/first of the two adjustable parameters.

tip: Hold SHIFT while turning for slow, precise moves - handy for fine-tuning trim points or tempo decimals.

The right/second adjustable dial for the current screen - pairs with the X knob to shape whatever you're editing.

tip: When sampling, this sets the threshold so recording only starts when you make enough noise - great for tight, silence-free samples.

Your quick hands-on control for the current group. By default it's volume; reassign it by holding the FADER button and choosing an option above the pads.

tip: Hold RECORD while moving the fader to record its movement into the beat. SHIFT+FADER resets its virtual position (RES/SET shown on screen).

Four banks for organizing your kit - teenage engineering suggests A for drums, B for bass, C for melodies, D for loops/samples. Tapping one switches which set of 12 sounds the pads play.

tip: Hold a group and press minus/plus (or type a number on the pads) to switch its pattern. Hold FX + a group to solo that group; hold multiple to solo several at once.

Your main playing surface - smack them to trigger drums or notes. In menus the same pads become a number pad for typing values, entering song positions, or confirming with ENTER.

tip: Turn on velocity in system settings (code 301) so harder hits are louder. Hold a pad in SOUND mode to preview the sample's name.

Your do-everything scroll buttons. What they change depends on the mode you're in - stepping through a beat, flipping through sounds, or bumping a number up and down.

tip: Hold SHIFT with minus/plus to jump sound numbers in tens, or to move through bars when copying.

Like a computer's shift key - hold it while pressing another button to reach the deeper feature (SHIFT+SOUND = sound edit, SHIFT+ERASE = system settings, SHIFT+MAIN = commit, and so on).

tip: Hold SHIFT while turning a knob to fine-tune values slowly and precisely.

Press and hold this, then tap a pad to decide whether the fader rides volume, pitch, pan, an effect amount, etc.

tip: Just hold FADER to see which assignments already have recorded automation - those will blink.

The place to choose which sample sits on each pad and to shape how it plays. Hold SHIFT+SOUND to dig into deeper tweaks like reversing, trimming, or time-stretching a sample.

tip: Hold SHIFT+SOUND for two seconds to save your sound edits. In the Time page, set the X knob to REV to reverse a sample.

The screen you always return to - it shows your step position and is where the beat lives. Combos here handle projects, committing ideas, and song building.

tip: Hold MAIN and press ENTER to open the song list editor and chain scenes into a full song.

Sets how fast the song runs. Tap it repeatedly to tap in a tempo, or hold it and type an exact number on the pads.

tip: Hold SAMPLE+TEMPO to listen to incoming audio and auto-match your project tempo to it. Hold SHIFT+TEMPO to grab a live loop for the length you hold the buttons.

Press it, then hold a pad and make noise into the mic or line-in to capture a sound. Let go and the pad holds your new sample.

tip: Hold SHIFT + a pad for hands-free sampling so the unit holds the pad for you - great for singing or playing an instrument, and for resampling a whole pattern with PLAY.

Adds personality to your beat. Pick one effect with minus/plus and dial it with the fader, or hold FX and hit pads for instant performance effects.

tip: Punch-in FX are pressure sensitive and can be layered. Hold FX during a latched resample to tweak the effect's X/Y live.

Turns your pads into a mini piano so one sample can be played as notes for basslines and melodies.

tip: Hold KEYS and turn the X knob for key, Y knob for scale (newer firmware). Hold KEYS + minus/plus to change octave; hold KEYS + a pad to transpose.

Controls how fine your grid is and how much groove (swing) to add. Also powers note-repeat for machine-gun hi-hats.

tip: Hold TIMING and press a pad for note repeat at the current interval. Hold TIMING then SHIFT + a pad to latch the repeat so it plays hands-free.

The button that captures your playing into the sequencer, whether live or one step at a time.

tip: Hold RECORD and press plus to lengthen a pattern; hold RECORD+SHIFT+plus to duplicate and double the current pattern.

Your transport start/stop. Press to hear your beat, press again to pause it.

tip: SHIFT+PLAY plays a song from its very start; RECORD then SHIFT+PLAY records from the pattern start rather than the current bar.

Your undo-the-mistake and delete tool - hold it with a pad or group to clear what you no longer want.

tip: Hold ERASE + a pad while playing to wipe just that pad's hits as the loop runs. Hold ERASE+MAIN two seconds to clear or delete a scene.

The little screen that tells you where you are in the beat and what each knob is currently doing.

tip: Watch the umbrella icon - when it lights up, an undo (SHIFT+GROUP B) is available.

Lets you grab sounds from the world - clap, sing, or record anything nearby straight into a pad.

tip: Set your input level (X knob) and threshold (Y knob) before recording to avoid clipping or dead air at the start.

Slide it to turn the K.O. II on; the screen lights up immediately.

tip: Hold MAIN during power-on for lock mode (prevents changes), or hold SHIFT+ERASE during power-on to format the drive if you hit a file-system error.

Plug in a phone, synth, or record player here to sample it or run it live through the effects.

tip: A turntable needs a built-in amp or an external RIAA preamp before this jack, otherwise it'll be far too quiet.

Where your finished sound comes out - plug in headphones to monitor or a cable to your speakers.

tip: No dedicated headphone jack woes on newer firmware: you can also send and record audio over USB-C to a phone or computer.

Lets another device drive the EP-133's timing so everything stays locked together.

tip: For vintage gear over sync24 you need a proper 3.5 mm-to-DIN sync cable - a MIDI cable will not work.

Sends the EP-133's tempo out to keep other boxes marching in time with it.

tip: Use the 1/16 eurorack-style mode to sync a second K.O. II perfectly, or 8th-note to drive Pocket Operators.

Plug in a MIDI keyboard or controller to play and sequence the pads from outside.

tip: Incoming pitch bend and mod wheel affect sample playback, and CC 64 works as a sustain pedal for key/legato voices.

Sends note and clock data out so the EP-133 can sequence your other synths and drum machines.

tip: Set a pad's sound number to 000 to create an empty pad that sends MIDI without using up a voice.

One port for power, connecting to a computer or phone, moving samples on and off, and updating the firmware.

tip: Use the EP Sample Tool to import audio at lower sample rates - about 100 minutes of 11 kHz mono fits in 128 MB and sounds pleasingly lo-fi.