◆ make a beat

How to make hip-hop on the KO II

Sample a drum break and a melodic loop, chop them across the pads, and keep the groove loose. The four groups keep drums, bass, melody, and chops separate.

85-95 BPM · Swung 16ths, slightly behind the beat. Don't quantize everything hard.

1. 1
   Set a hip-hop tempo.

   Hold TEMPO and set it around 88 BPM.
2. 2
   Get a drum break or kit in.

   Press SAMPLE and record from line-in or the internal mic. Use minus/plus to pick the input source.
3. 3
   Chop the break into hits.

   Use CHOP (SHIFT + SAMPLE) to slice the sample across the 12 pads, then play them back in different orders to find a groove.
4. 4
   Put drums on their own voice.

   Assign the chops to Group A so drums stay separate from bass and melody.
5. 5
   Lay the main beat by feel.

   Press RECORD then PLAY and finger-drum the pattern live.
6. 6
   Add a sampled chord or melody loop.

   Sample a melodic loop to Group C. Use resample-a-chord to stack notes into one playable sample.
7. 7
   Glue it and add space.

   Add a touch of reverb and delay, and use the compressor for a cohesive feel.

Device steps reference the official KO II manual. Musical guidance is general production advice.