I think when it come to being limited to force creativity there’s a balance. Sometimes you need some restrictions to force some ideas to get flowing. But if you’re limited it can also stop you from doing some really cool ideas if you have them. When I first started making music I would exclusively use free software which was great in the beginning but as I got better at making beats I started to hit the limits of how I could express myself through my music so the I got fl studios and It got me reinspired to start creating cool stuff again.
Just give it to a kid. Like a teenager or a preteen . It is fun but it sucks in so many ways but it kicks ass in so many ways . Still it’s something I’d have loved to own as a kid. It’s priced in a price range that a parent could afford to buy it for a kid or a kid could save up to buy it. Imagine this thing making its way into some kids group of friends . Imagine some kid taking this into his crews trap or hang out or spot. This thing if give to the right kid could change the course of history.
I bought one. I use it everyday. I record live sessions into my daw or to tape. I have hit that dopamine rush more times on this EP133 than any other device or daw. This has become very addicting. Its definitely best for just punching something out in the moment. Its about 75% of the way there for composing. Needs song mode for sure and a better way to store sessions and patterns.
Did you keep it? the immediacy is a big plus for me. 12 keys aint a problem cos scales mode. there's a second unused processor that will be used in the future. we got backup and restore now. love the note repeat feature; great implementation.
The PO-(1)33 can record punch-in FX, so I bet the EP-133 will get it by firmware update. Developing apps for Android / iOS takes time, so I assume that they come later. If those two features can make you happy, stay cool and keep it. The PO series has many variants and special editions, and I'm expecting something like that for the EP series, too.
Agree with most of these thoughts. The main selling points for me is the size / form factor. Its nice to have specialized interface vs laptop or ipad etc... Not sure thats a limitation but I know what you mean. I like being able to take it places and like you said its a sketch pad. Great factory sounds, onboard mic seems pretty good so far. Audio quality is solid. Punchy. I had the onboard speaker issue that seems to be common. Fixed it in a couple minutes. Will check in and see if you keep it!
I love the machine the only thing is the limited polyphony. It’s wayyy too limited there. But I’m gonna use it to build parts into ableton and paste it all together there.
I was drawn to the KO2 since it's TE, of course outside of their PO series, their other devices just cost too much - so the KO2 was a nice surprise, given it's TE. I didn't end up getting one since I already have a SP404 MK2, and a Smpltrek - so I don't really need a 3rd sampler right now. At $300~, it makes more sense to just go to $400 and get a used SP404 MK2, have even seen some going for $350. Really only interested in the effects on the KO2 - the limited memory is a major bummer, and from talking with friends I don't believe it's possible to record samples via USB? The SP404 MK2 just makes more sense at the $300-$400 price range, if the KO2 was like $150-$200 like you mentioned, yeah it'd be an easy cop just to have on the side for extra one shots or additional effects.
I have the P.O. 33 and the limitations make me do some dope stuff I wouldn't have done other wise. Then i'll sample whatever in there into MPC or Koala. I find it hard to believe this doesn't have pattern chain like its little brother tho... If that's true that's wild.
Besides u discussing my thoughts exactly on the KO-II ... I have to say that beat is fire dawg!!! missing song mode is a real let down coming from a mpc ... but the KO-II makes me lay down a beat quickly and get back into beatmaking know what I'm sayin?! ... so I think I'll keep it just for inspiration I'll try to sync it to some other samplers I have that're waaay to underpowered to make a powerful beat alone. Saying that I am completely on your side ... there needs to be some way of changing the sequences making up for that missing song mode as arranging sequences is paramount in beatmaking. I'll report back after some experimentation... did u keep the machine in the end? thanks for great video & again propz for the beat made me nod right away. Peace
Agreeing with all of your points (and I think it was me talking about adding the group buttons as an extra 4 sample pads), but for me, similarly to the original KO-33, I ended up making some really cool accidental ideas very quickly, moreso than with Maschine or Ableton. Also, I've done so much more finger drumming practise since having it - it's easy just to have it beside the bed, or next to the sofa and tap away for 5 or 10 minutes, with the instant on and ready to go as you showed at the start.
@@qmakesbeats But also very easy to accidentally hit one of the group buttons, so another reason to select groups by holding, say, 'Sound' in order to select a different group.
Yeah I hear this. Limited space and only 6 voice polyphony biggest ones for me. I know you said that waiting for updates not a reason to hang on to it, one thing I did hear is that it has a dual core processor and they’re only using one so far. So hoping future updates have some interesting features but I get you. Portability is big for me so I like being able to throw sometbin in the bag and have something to fuck with. I’m gonna hold on to it for a while. This is a solid review though and good points made.
There's nothing wrong with that at all. If you know you're gonna continue to use it over time then I think it's a dope piece of gear to own. Who knows, they may drop enough updates for me to cop it again if I let go of my current one.
@@qmakesbeats yeah definitely makes sense. appreciate the well rounded points made man. hate it when they have all the sensationalist click bait controversial stuff and you kept it really honest and straightforward. Keep it up!
I’ve got one . And I like it. I used to have so many Akais, but sold them all due to needing money at the time to pay for a lawyer so I had to say goodbye😢. Anywho my Woman got me one for Christmas and it’s a blast. Trying to get more machines to my new collection. I heard from a good friend that you can somehow record beats from ep on to the sp 404 to finish the ideas from the ep ( basically a drawing board ) I too hate its limitations but I can’t send it back I would feel bad for my lady😂.
seems like. a pain the the ass to deal with its limits. especially tracking them out to your daw. maybe that's why people are calling it a "toy" like you can't really use this to be an efficient beast. compared to like a iPad Pro with logic. and these limits I'm not even talking about "creative" limits. just the work flow efficiency limits.
I dunno. Y bro when they drop off in 10 years, I mean you said it your self. One day it’ll be 3k and I will hold buahahahaha imagine though, I mean I found my debadged univox miniKorg 1st run for $125 in 2010 and a decade later when I bothered to look up the board numbers I was worth a used car 🤣
@@qmakesbeats I like to imagine these futures, but for what haha, the dreamcast, even the dusty old magic cards are worth more to me to look at. Man I even think about my djx2b from middle school at times... Fuck bro my wife is right 😭
Send it back and buy 3 PO33/133 and have creative fun with 12 note polyphony over 12 tracks. TE are geared toward hipsters wanting innovation but ever wonder why all their products are over priced. A $1200 tiny mixer, $1000 desk or a $300 toy car??? Why is this so cheap? I'll wait... HaHa I love my PO33 and 2, PO133's. Cost the same but I guess it depends on the type of music you like to create. You're the first person I've seen actually being honest about it. Send it back spend your money on something that helps you be more creative. You, nobody, needs to be held back by frivolous limitations due to lack of design. If this was truly a version 2 of the KO it would have better work flow. I'll give it to them, this is creative marketing at Best. Best Wishes.... 🎶💯😎
I think when it come to being limited to force creativity there’s a balance. Sometimes you need some restrictions to force some ideas to get flowing. But if you’re limited it can also stop you from doing some really cool ideas if you have them. When I first started making music I would exclusively use free software which was great in the beginning but as I got better at making beats I started to hit the limits of how I could express myself through my music so the I got fl studios and It got me reinspired to start creating cool stuff again.
Too many bells and whistles can also be limiting.
Just give it to a kid. Like a teenager or a preteen . It is fun but it sucks in so many ways but it kicks ass in so many ways . Still it’s something I’d have loved to own as a kid. It’s priced in a price range that a parent could afford to buy it for a kid or a kid could save up to buy it. Imagine this thing making its way into some kids group of friends . Imagine some kid taking this into his crews trap or hang out or spot. This thing if give to the right kid could change the course of history.
I cannot get past the fact that it looks exactly like my moms old printer reel calculator from 1983
I bought one. I use it everyday. I record live sessions into my daw or to tape. I have hit that dopamine rush more times on this EP133 than any other device or daw. This has become very addicting. Its definitely best for just punching something out in the moment. Its about 75% of the way there for composing. Needs song mode for sure and a better way to store sessions and patterns.
great comment! ...had the same thought of working around song mode limits thru recording on tape/daw +1 on dopamine rush
Did you keep it? the immediacy is a big plus for me. 12 keys aint a problem cos scales mode. there's a second unused processor that will be used in the future.
we got backup and restore now. love the note repeat feature; great implementation.
I didn't, but I still think it's a cool tool that can be very enjoyable. I just didn't see myself using it consistently long term.
The PO-(1)33 can record punch-in FX, so I bet the EP-133 will get it by firmware update. Developing apps for Android / iOS takes time, so I assume that they come later. If those two features can make you happy, stay cool and keep it. The PO series has many variants and special editions, and I'm expecting something like that for the EP series, too.
I went ahead and sent it back. If updates good updates hit it, then I'd be willing to buy it again.
I love it and I use my ol' SP808 with it to make up for said shortcomings.Great for importing stuff crafted on the K.O 11❤❤❤
That's dope. Glad you're enjoying it
Agree with most of these thoughts. The main selling points for me is the size / form factor. Its nice to have specialized interface vs laptop or ipad etc... Not sure thats a limitation but I know what you mean. I like being able to take it places and like you said its a sketch pad. Great factory sounds, onboard mic seems pretty good so far. Audio quality is solid. Punchy. I had the onboard speaker issue that seems to be common. Fixed it in a couple minutes. Will check in and see if you keep it!
Oh yeah, that portability is A1. Glad you're enjoying it.
I love the machine the only thing is the limited polyphony. It’s wayyy too limited there. But I’m gonna use it to build parts into ableton and paste it all together there.
My plan too.....
I was drawn to the KO2 since it's TE, of course outside of their PO series, their other devices just cost too much - so the KO2 was a nice surprise, given it's TE. I didn't end up getting one since I already have a SP404 MK2, and a Smpltrek - so I don't really need a 3rd sampler right now. At $300~, it makes more sense to just go to $400 and get a used SP404 MK2, have even seen some going for $350. Really only interested in the effects on the KO2 - the limited memory is a major bummer, and from talking with friends I don't believe it's possible to record samples via USB? The SP404 MK2 just makes more sense at the $300-$400 price range, if the KO2 was like $150-$200 like you mentioned, yeah it'd be an easy cop just to have on the side for extra one shots or additional effects.
sequencer and menu diving on the sp404 mk I wasn't for me maybe mk II is improved though
I have the P.O. 33 and the limitations make me do some dope stuff I wouldn't have done other wise. Then i'll sample whatever in there into MPC or Koala. I find it hard to believe this doesn't have pattern chain like its little brother tho... If that's true that's wild.
Besides u discussing my thoughts exactly on the KO-II ... I have to say that beat is fire dawg!!! missing song mode is a real let down coming from a mpc ... but the KO-II makes me lay down a beat quickly and get back into beatmaking know what I'm sayin?! ... so I think I'll keep it just for inspiration I'll try to sync it to some other samplers I have that're waaay to underpowered to make a powerful beat alone. Saying that I am completely on your side ... there needs to be some way of changing the sequences making up for that missing song mode as arranging sequences is paramount in beatmaking. I'll report back after some experimentation... did u keep the machine in the end? thanks for great video & again propz for the beat made me nod right away. Peace
I went ahead and took it on back. It was fun while it lasted, but I just knew overtime someone else would use it consistently.
my guy OD sounds like hes from the BAY lol I LOVED my KO2 it makes music fun again. my MPC just sits as of recent
Agreeing with all of your points (and I think it was me talking about adding the group buttons as an extra 4 sample pads), but for me, similarly to the original KO-33, I ended up making some really cool accidental ideas very quickly, moreso than with Maschine or Ableton. Also, I've done so much more finger drumming practise since having it - it's easy just to have it beside the bed, or next to the sofa and tap away for 5 or 10 minutes, with the instant on and ready to go as you showed at the start.
I definitely agree with that. Finger drumming on this device is just fun!
@@qmakesbeats But also very easy to accidentally hit one of the group buttons, so another reason to select groups by holding, say, 'Sound' in order to select a different group.
@@MrMargaretScratcher fax, I've done that multiple times
I agree with everything for 300$ it’s kind of crazy there’s no song more or pattern chains
Yeah I hear this. Limited space and only 6 voice polyphony biggest ones for me. I know you said that waiting for updates not a reason to hang on to it, one thing I did hear is that it has a dual core processor and they’re only using one so far. So hoping future updates have some interesting features but I get you. Portability is big for me so I like being able to throw sometbin in the bag and have something to fuck with. I’m gonna hold on to it for a while. This is a solid review though and good points made.
There's nothing wrong with that at all. If you know you're gonna continue to use it over time then I think it's a dope piece of gear to own. Who knows, they may drop enough updates for me to cop it again if I let go of my current one.
@@qmakesbeats yeah definitely makes sense. appreciate the well rounded points made man. hate it when they have all the sensationalist click bait controversial stuff and you kept it really honest and straightforward. Keep it up!
I am still eyeballing as I primarily only jam.
Is there really no way to upload samples without a web browser? That's a quite a con.
@@NoiseCommander3DS That's the only way that I've seen outside of recording in with the mic or using the line input.
no doubt, I appreciate you stoppin through!@@md9418
Get a Loopdeck Live or S or CT with that money' will change your full studio workflow & Video Editing / Livestream & Much!! more forever.💯😎
Bet, I'ma check that out
I’ve got one . And I like it. I used to have so many Akais, but sold them all due to needing money at the time to pay for a lawyer so I had to say goodbye😢. Anywho my Woman got me one for Christmas and it’s a blast. Trying to get more machines to my new collection. I heard from a good friend that you can somehow record beats from ep on to the sp 404 to finish the ideas from the ep ( basically a drawing board ) I too hate its limitations but I can’t send it back I would feel bad for my lady😂.
lol, aye man as long as you enjoying it, that's all that matter.
I just opened mine. Im debating on keeping it or not myself.
Best thing I can say is to play with it consistently to see how much you like it.
Does this have glide between notes? So I can make westcoast wire sounds or bass glides up and down?
It does indeed have Legato, if that's what you're referring to
Your camera is nice. What do you use?
Thanks. Sony A7s3
Yeah this is why I still like the volca sample more
seems like. a pain the the ass to deal with its limits. especially tracking them out to your daw. maybe that's why people are calling it a "toy" like you can't really use this to be an efficient beast. compared to like a iPad Pro with logic. and these limits I'm not even talking about "creative" limits. just the work flow efficiency limits.
I dunno. Y bro when they drop off in 10 years, I mean you said it your self. One day it’ll be 3k and I will hold buahahahaha imagine though, I mean I found my debadged univox miniKorg 1st run for $125 in 2010 and a decade later when I bothered to look up the board numbers I was worth a used car 🤣
Great balanced review, I forgot to say, very rare today
That'll be wild! But it's definitely possible
@@qmakesbeats I like to imagine these futures, but for what haha, the dreamcast, even the dusty old magic cards are worth more to me to look at. Man I even think about my djx2b from middle school at times... Fuck bro my wife is right 😭
@smellymala3103 aye, I'm with you there. Still got my Dreamcast, GameCube, OG Xbox, Sega Genesis, and PSP
@@qmakesbeats haha hell yeah my true spirit fam 😂 that poor backwards compatible ps3 has been put away waiting for me to learn surface mount soldering
Smart choice
could be 400 bucks if it could act as an audio device
It’s simply a performance device
Send it back and buy 3 PO33/133 and have creative fun with 12 note polyphony over 12 tracks. TE are geared toward hipsters wanting innovation but ever wonder why all their products are over priced. A $1200 tiny mixer, $1000 desk or a $300 toy car??? Why is this so cheap? I'll wait... HaHa
I love my PO33 and 2, PO133's. Cost the same but I guess it depends on the type of music you like to create. You're the first person I've seen actually being honest about it. Send it back spend your money on something that helps you be more creative. You, nobody, needs to be held back by frivolous limitations due to lack of design. If this was truly a version 2 of the KO it would have better work flow. I'll give it to them, this is creative marketing at Best. Best Wishes.... 🎶💯😎