Build a Techno Loop on the KO II

A driving four-on-the-floor loop with rolling hats, ducking, and FX tension.

1. Set a driving tempo. Hold TEMPO and use the number keys or turn a knob to dial in 125 to 135 BPM, then let go. Techno lives in this range, so pick a speed that feels relentless rather than rushed. (You should see the new BPM on the **DISPLAY** and feel a steady, fast pulse when you hit **PLAY**. If it sounds sluggish or frantic, hold **TEMPO** again and nudge the number until it sits in the 125 to 135 pocket.)
2. Four on the floor. Select your kick sound on GROUP A, arm RECORD, and step-sequence a hit on every beat (steps 1, 5, 9, and 13 of the bar) so the kick lands on all four counts. (You should hear an even, unbroken thump, thump, thump, thump with no gaps or stumbles. If one beat feels missing or lopsided, check that all four steps are lit and evenly spaced.)
3. Hats and clap. Switch to a hat and a clap sound, then step-sequence open hats on the off-beats (the steps that fall between the kicks) and a clap on beats 2 and 4. Use GROUP B to keep these layered separately from the kick. (You should hear the hats lifting the groove between each kick and the clap snapping on the backbeat. If it feels muddy, the hats may be landing on the beat instead of between them, so shift them off the kick steps.)
4. Make it pump. Bring in a bass or pad sound, then apply the sidechain effect from the FX section so those parts duck in volume every time the kick hits. (You should hear the bass and pads dip down on each kick and swell back up between them, like the track is breathing. If nothing pumps, make sure the kick is loud enough to trigger the duck.)
5. Build and release. Ride the FADER to sweep the filter, opening it up to build energy, then punch in an effect from FX to crash or drop back into the groove on cue. (You should hear tension rise as the filter opens and a satisfying release when you drop back in. If the transition feels flat, push the **FADER** further before the drop so the contrast is bigger.)