So, I managed to order the new KO II EP-133 by Teenage Engineering from a local dealer just before it sold out, and was happy to pick it up from the mail a day or two later. As it turns out, having it shipped to me instead of taking time off from work to pick it up may have been a mistake.

The good things first- it arrives in a beautiful package. I am too young to have had the opportunity to see Muhammad Ali live, but it brought back memories of my dad who always talked fondly about the fights, and all excitement around it. Upon unpacking, the design immediately stands out, saying “play with me”. I installed batteries – at first a bit dumbfounded until I realized the battery hatch opens like removing a flat LEGO piece – and the knob caps for the knobs. I refrained from installing the slider cap though, as it seemed a bit awkward, and that might be a good recommendation in general for anyone reading this, as it seems from other reports online that it requires quite a bit of force to push on, perhaps a bit too much for the slider.

The choice of 4 AAA batteries instead of AA’s seems a slightly weird choice to me. AA’s pack more energy and are more convenient when using rechargeables (for the same reason) so I guess this is form over function. It remains to be seen how long the batteries will last.

In use

As expected, the sequencer is a joy to use. I was immediately awed by the inspiring immediacy with which it is operated, and I could fairly quickly cobble together a musical sketch, only referring occasionally to the manual. The sequencing concept is both unique and familiar, and I think the idea of having four layers (TE calls them “groups”) with 12 tracks each, where each group can be effected by individual FX, loop lengths and manipulated in various ways is easy to comprehend and quick to work with, and the whole paradigm of quickly copying the current set of layers to a new scene to build up the song iteratively is brilliant to me.

I was having so much fun. And then, I suddenly didn’t.

Fading away

There’s a fader on the left hand side of the unit, which is used for a number of creative purposes when manipulating groups (I still think of them as “layers”…)

You just select one of twelve parameters, ranging from volume level to pitch, and either set it to a specific value or record fader movement into the pattern. It’s brilliantly simple, yet I couldn’t get it to work. The fader seemed unresponsive, and had a worrying wobble to it.

After spending the best part of half an hour trying to figure out whether I was doing something wrong, I started to have a sinking feeling that the fader hadn’t survived the transport. It does protrude quite a bit, and the packaging did give me some concerns as it felt much too flimsy to survive being crammed together with all other stuff being sent over Black Week and the upcoming holiday season. When I finally googled it, it turns out I wasn’t the only unlucky one. Indeed, quite a few reports seem to already come in with regards to the fader being DOA, opinions being divided between it being mangled in shipping, not able to withstand the force needed to push on the fader cap, or a simple manufacturing error.

When I realized how much the fader is actually going to be used when creating music with this machine, I was honestly a bit concerned, as it feels really cheap. It feels like a fader you would find on a toy, not an instrument. And while I appreciate the need for design tradeoffs when it comes to meeting a certain price point and keeping with the design ethos, this may prove to be a mistake in the long run.

I hope I am wrong, but even before realizing my fader was broken, I had already started wondering whether it would be possible to replace it with a more expensive and sturdy one down the road, and how much you would have to re-tool the front to fit it, if even possible.

Moving on

Only time will tell. But for me, I had to swallow my disappointment and return my Xmas present to the box, to be returned to the shop after the weekend. As usual with Teenage Engineering, it’s hard to know when a new batch with replacements will be available, as they are already sold out everywhere, but I think I will have to look for a new Xmas gift to myself.

What annoys me is the fact that I have been through this before. I had a Pocket Operator shipped to me in a flimsy box, with one of the potentiometers wobbly and broken, and it took me over a month to be able to get a replacement. To be fair, Teenage Engineering stand by their products, and I was treated extremely well by their support department, but still. Why not put a few more € in better packaging in the first place?

So now I have to wait, and while waiting, I have to decide whether I will risk another gamble with a new unit. How long will the fader last? Is it a valid concern, or just bad luck? Either way, I already miss it.

Update

Talking to the dealership where I bought the unit, I was informed that out of 40 units they had sold, mine seems to be the only one with a problem, so there’s an indication of the probability of having this problem. Also, a Youtube channel named DECIMA1 posted a video showing how to open up and repair the fader yourself. This is good news, as it means the unit can be serviced reasonably easy.

One thing I noticed was how the construction of the fader makes it susceptible to become faulty if excessive force is applied to the shaft, due to metal prongs at the bottom of the shaft becoming bent and not able to make connection with the resistive tracks – in the video, he basically takes the fader apart and bends the prongs back to their original shape. It seems an insurance to this happening in the future is to use a different slider cap that protects the shaft from being pushed too far down in use.