How to make your first beat on the EP-133 K.O. II
The EP-133 K.O. II goes from blank project to finished loop faster than most samplers. This walkthrough takes you through selecting a project, loading drums, recording a pattern, layering bass and melody, adding effects, and saving your work as a scene.
Set up a project and load sounds
Start by picking an empty slot so you are not recording over a demo, then drop drum sounds onto Group A's pads.
- Projects 6-9 are empty on new units, so they are the safest place to begin.
- Sounds are organized by number range: kicks 1-99, snares 100-199, hi-hats 200-299, percussion 300-399.
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Hold MAIN and tap a pad 1-9 to select a project.
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Press SOUND to load samples.
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Select Group A so your drums all live on one voice.
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Choose a pad, then use minus and plus to scroll through sounds until you find a kick, snare, and hi-hat you like.
Keep drums on Group A, bass on Group B, melody on Group C, and loops or samples on Group D. It keeps every voice easy to find later.
Record your first pattern
With drums loaded, head into main mode and capture a loop in real time. Tapping RECORD then PLAY gives you a count-in before the loop starts.
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Press MAIN to enter main mode.
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Tap RECORD, then PLAY to get a count-in.
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Hit the pads to play your beat as the loop cycles.
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Press PLAY again to stop recording.
To go longer than one bar, hold RECORD and press PLUS to extend the pattern length.
Add bass and melody layers
A beat comes alive once you stack voices on top of the drums. Switch groups, load a new sound, and record each layer the same way you recorded the drums.
- Bass sounds live at 400-499, melody at 500-599.
- KEYS turns the pads into a chromatic keyboard so you can play notes instead of triggering one sample.
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Switch to Group B for a bassline.
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Load a bass sound from the 400-499 range.
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Press KEYS for keyboard mode so each pad is a note.
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Record the bass the same way you recorded the drums.
Repeat the process on Group C for melody (500-599) and Group D for loops or samples.
Add effects
Effects are the fastest way to add movement to a loop. Open FX while the beat is playing and ride the fader to dial the effect in.
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Press FX while the beat is playing.
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Move the fader up to add the effect.
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Use minus and plus to switch between effects.
Hold FX and press pads for punch-in effects you can trigger on the fly.
Save your beat
Once the loop sounds right, commit it. Pressing SHIFT and MAIN saves your beat as a scene and creates a duplicate so you can keep experimenting without losing the original.
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Press SHIFT and MAIN to commit your beat as a scene.
questions
Which project slot should I use for a fresh beat?
Projects 6-9 are empty on new units, so pick one of those by holding MAIN and tapping the matching pad. That way you start with a clean slate instead of recording over a demo.
Where are the drum sounds organized?
Sounds are grouped by number range: kicks 1-99, snares 100-199, hi-hats 200-299, and percussion 300-399. Bass sounds sit at 400-499 and melody sounds at 500-599.
How do I make my pattern longer than one bar?
Hold RECORD and press PLUS to extend the pattern beyond a single bar before or while you record.
How do I play melodic notes instead of one-shot samples?
Load a sound, then press KEYS to enter keyboard mode. The pads become a chromatic keyboard so you can play a bassline or melody and record it like any other layer.
What does committing actually do?
Pressing SHIFT and MAIN saves the current state of all your groups as one scene and creates a duplicate, so you can keep experimenting without losing your finished beat.
How do I add effects without stopping the beat?
Press FX while the loop is playing, then move the fader up to bring the effect in. Use minus and plus to switch effects, or hold FX and press pads for punch-in effects.
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