Chapter 12
System & maintenance
System settings, lock mode, formatting, errors and updates.
System settings
The system settings set how the K.O. II behaves rather than what it plays: pad velocity, MIDI and sync, the metronome, sample rate and more. Navigate the tree with the step keys, or learn the three-digit codes and type them.
Key combinations
- SHIFT + ERASE
- Opens the system settings.
- − / +
- Moves through the options.System settings
- ENTER
- Opens the highlighted branch or confirms the option.System settings
- SHIFT + ENTER
- Goes back up one level.System settings
- Type a code, then ENTER
- Jumps straight to that setting, e.g. 301 for high velocity.System settings
- MAIN
- Leaves the system settings.System settings
The tree
| Branch | Contains |
|---|---|
mid | MIDI clock (clk), channel (chn), thru (thr), reset controllers (rst) |
syn | Sync in and out rates |
pad | Velocity (vel), sample audition (aud), LED brightness (led), knob/fader takeover (pot) |
seq | Metronome (met), scene changes (scn), song loop (lop), play position (ply) |
smp | Recording sample rate (rec), USB audio input mode (usb) |
From the community
EP-133 KO II Tips and Tricks
Mo chreach!
Grab-bag of practical tips: USB power, system shortcuts, scale/key, lock mode, tempo nudge, soloing and MIDI out.
All system setting codes
Open the system settings with SHIFT + ERASE, type a code and press ENTER. Defaults are marked.
MIDI (mid)
| Code | Setting |
|---|---|
| 100 | Clock off (default) |
| 101 | Clock in — receive only |
| 102 | Clock out — send only |
| 110 | Receive on all channels, send on channel 1 |
| 111–126 | Receive and send on channel 1–16 (111 = ch 1 … 126 = ch 16) |
| 127 | Channel off — pads only send and receive if they have a channel in sound edit |
| 130 | MIDI thru off |
| 131 | MIDI thru on — incoming MIDI is forwarded |
| 140 | Don’t reset controllers at stop (default) |
| 141 | Reset controllers at stop |
Sync (syn)
| Code | Setting |
|---|---|
| 200 | Sync in at 1/8 notes |
| 201 | Sync in at 1/16 notes (default) |
| 202 | Sync in at 24 ppqn |
| 210 | Sync out at 1/8 notes |
| 211 | Sync out at 1/16 notes (default) |
| 212 | Sync out at 24 ppqn |
Pads (pad)
| Code | Setting |
|---|---|
| 300 | Velocity off (default) |
| 301 | Velocity high — for a soft touch |
| 302 | Velocity low — for heavy hitters |
| 310 | Sample audition on |
| 311 | Sample audition off |
| 320 / 321 / 322 | LED brightness low / mid / high |
| 330 | Knob and fader takeover: scaling (default) |
| 331 | Knob and fader takeover: catch |
Sequencer (seq)
| Code | Setting |
|---|---|
| 400 | Metronome when recording and playing |
| 401 | Metronome when recording only (default) |
| 402 | Metronome during the count-in only |
| 410 | Change scenes immediately (default) |
| 411 | Change scenes at the end of the bar |
| 412 | Change scenes at the end of the pattern |
| 420 | Song loop off |
| 421 | Song loop on |
| 430 | Play from the current bar |
| 431 | Play from the pattern start |
Sampling (smp)
| Code | Setting |
|---|---|
| 500 | Recording rate low — 26.25 kHz |
| 501 | Recording rate mid — 32 kHz |
| 502 | Recording rate high — 46.875 kHz (default) |
| 510 | USB audio input to the sampler only (default) |
| 511 | USB audio input to the sampler, with live monitoring |
Pad velocity
Out of the box every hit plays at the same level. Switch velocity on and the pads respond to how hard you play — and note repeat starts following pressure too.
- Press SHIFT + ERASE to open the system settings.
- Use − and + to reach the pad settings (
pad) and press ENTER. - Go to
veland press ENTER. - Choose
off,hi(for a lighter touch) orlo(for playing harder) and press ENTER. - Press MAIN to leave, then hit the pads.
From the community
- Many owners find
lofeels more natural:hireaches full velocity with very little pressure, which flattens the dynamics. via Elektronauts: EP-133 Tips and Tricks
Hearing the metronome while playing
The metronome normally clicks only while you record. To practise along to it, or to keep it quiet apart from the count-in, change one setting.
- Press SHIFT + ERASE, then go to the sequencer settings (
seq) and press ENTER. - Go to
metand press ENTER. - Choose
on(record and play),rec(record only, the default) orcnt(count-in only), then ENTER. - Press MAIN, then TEMPO, and turn Y up to set the click volume.
- Press PLAY to hear it.
Lock mode
Lock mode protects your projects, patterns, scenes, pads and settings. You can still play and experiment, but nothing sticks — restart and everything is as it was. Handy for lending it out, or for a live set you don’t want to wreck.
Key combinations
- Hold MAIN while switching on
- Starts in lock mode (
LOKshows for about a second).
From the community
EP-133 KO II Tips and Tricks
Mo chreach!
Grab-bag of practical tips: USB power, system shortcuts, scale/key, lock mode, tempo nudge, soloing and MIDI out.
Formatting the drive
Formatting removes every sample, project and pattern and starts the K.O. II completely empty. It is also the fix for the file-system errors in Error codes.
- Back up anything you want to keep with the EP sample tool (The EP sample tool).
- Switch the K.O. II off.
- Hold SHIFT + ERASE and switch it on.
FMTshows for about ten seconds, then it starts up empty.
Key combinations
- Hold SHIFT + ERASE while switching on
- Formats the drive, erasing everything.
Error codes
If the display shows an error code at start-up, it points to either a hardware fault or a damaged file system.
| Code | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| E.01 | SRAM error | The unit needs repair |
| E.02 | Flash error | The unit needs repair |
| E.03 | Codec error | The unit needs repair |
| E.05 | Sample file-system error | Format the drive |
| E.10 | File system invalid | Format the drive |
| E.11 | File system corrupt | Format the drive |
| E.12 | Other file-system error | Format the drive |
Updating the OS
TE adds features in free OS updates — song mode, resampling, USB audio and the arpeggiator all arrived that way. Update with the update utility in a web browser, over USB-C.
- Back up your projects and samples with the EP sample tool.
- Connect the K.O. II to your computer with a USB-C cable.
- Open teenage.engineering/apps/update and follow the instructions.
From the community
mr. update brings new updates for K.O. II, riddim & medieval!
teenage engineering
TE’s short announcement of OS 2.5 for K.O. II: USB audio, reverse playback, sample-rate choice, equal-length chop and new scales.
KOII just got ANOTHER UPDATE!
SON WU
Concise chaptered tour of OS 2.5: USB audio, sample rates, crop, equal chop, reverse, nudge, pad copy and scale mode.
how to use the teenage engineering update utility
teenage engineering education
Forty-second official demo of updating firmware with TE’s browser update utility.
KOII gets a MASSIVE UPDATE! // RE-SAMPLING, SONG-MODE & more…
SON WU
Thorough chaptered walkthrough of everything OS 2.0 added, from resampling and song mode to MIDI changes.
EP-133 K.O.II Update, Restore, & Backup
DECIMA1
Quick guide to local backup, restoring factory sounds and restoring a backup.
- EP–133 guide: what’s new (OS release notes)teenage engineering — Full feature-by-feature release notes for OS 2.0 through 2.5, including small shortcuts that never made it into videos.
- EP–133 OS updates (version history)teenage engineering — Every OS version with its release date and change list back to 1.1.0, plus links to the browser updater.
- teenage engineering update utilityteenage engineering — Browser-based firmware updater: plug in over USB-C and update without installing anything.
- K.O. II OS 2.5 press release (24 June 2026)teenage engineering — TE’s own summary of the summer 2026 update: class-compliant USB audio, reverse, new scales and arpeggiator, MIDI additions.
- EP–133 K.O. II OS 2.0 press release (April 2025)teenage engineering — TE’s one-page pitch for the Champions update: resampling, song mode, sidechain, more voices, hands-free sampling.
- Teenage Engineering’s EP-133 K.O.II just got its first major OS update – here’s what’s newMusicTech — Readable rundown of the OS 2.0 Champions update.
- teenage engineering EP-133 K.O. II 2.5: new firmware adds USB Audio, reverse, and moreSynth Anatomy — News write-up of OS 2.5 published on release day.
- Summer Update for PO KO IISonic State — Brief owner’s take on OS 2.5 with the feature list.
- KO-2 OS 2.0 released todayOP Forums — Owner reactions on release day of OS 2.0.