Here's my hot take after owning op-1, op-z, po's and ep-133. They care more about aesthetics than functionality and quality. Their stuff looks great and seriously a blast. But like, all their stuff has some pretty serious issues that they don't seem to remedy in other batches.
I ordered one this past Tuesday through Guitar Center and it arrived on Thursday. I had a GC rep I contacted, and to my surprise I was able to get it. But something seems off, like they are prioritizing wholesalers who buy mass amounts. I too was super nervous as I read about all the issues. Luckily my fader is working (I didn't put on the stock fader cap but instead used a lego head due to people accidentally breaking the fader attempting to put it on). I have been playing with it a little bit, but haven't dove in. With that being said this is my first and last ever Teenage Engineering product. I got lucky, but the way they have not addressed the issue like you said to all the people who got unlucky is ridiculous. Also after several people were having issues I see some kind of interview with one of the founders/ engineers of this. Rubbed me the wrong way, like, look at me I am this hipster CEO. I am just thinking, so you're the guy who messed up the fader cap? Honestly it's built poorly. Like after I opened it from the box, I didn't even want to put it back in due to the tight fit. Also I keep it on a shelf in a bag. But I got lucky, and moving forward I don't think I will buy any Teenage Engineering products. I need to eventually make a post and go full Petty Pak (that's my artist name) on the company on socials tagging TE and the CEO. Anyways it's due to this algorithm that I discovered you. But I agree with you about the fuckery with Teenage Engineering so I am happy to never buy a product from them ever again.
I’m glad that you were able to get a working unit for your money. And I’m sure there’s going to be a lot people that that are first time buyers that’ll never buy again from them. They really dropped the ball on it
I wouldn’t be surprised if the late back order date is due to them trying to work out manufacturing issues, or to stop more defective units from being shipped
You nailed it! Their silence after this long of a time is not a good look. I had a dead fader, their support ticket warranty response has taken days and they’ve provided 0 details.
I got through to someone in sales or whatever who didn’t answer my questions but directed me to their support page which had zero info on these current issues. I’ve since have been sending all of the RU-vid videos (including yours) to that email address. Are they bothering to look at them? Like you’ve basically said, who knows? I’m guessing that they are panicking about the potential profit loss of what looks like a 47% defective rate. That’s a lot of potential returns for replacement or repair. My thought would be how many of those returned units get repaired and repackaged as new? A company that avoids direct responsibility is one that I wouldn’t trust. We’ll see.
I bounced, web browser interface on top of all the manufacturing problems did it for me. I’m ok with connecting to a browser for updates but not my sound files. Would rather more autonomy
I picked one up, but I ordered it from the MOMA store, which sells some Teenage Engineering stuff. I mostly got it off the strength of a few of my homies who swear by TE. I was nervous, bc it arrived after news of 'Fadergate' had spread sufficiently. To my delight mine worked fine. I find it to be a fun and pleasing device and i think it's welcoming to make beats on. It will be interesting to see what they do in regards to their backorder batches. The shipping issue definitely isn't a good look but its better than the fader just having a major design flaw. Part of me wonders if TE is in unfamiliar ground for this release. The previous Pocket Operators were much smaller in design and probably boxed/shipped easier, also they were not very complex in their manufacturing. Many of the other TE devices like the OP-1, TP-7, etc were much more expensive and 'boutique' things like that tend to slow down demand so that fabrication and delivery can be at a more calm pace. But with these KOs they had a very affordable device but one that was damn near 10 fold more complex than the POs. I just wonder if TE had problems scaling an affordable but more complex device and we're seeing the hiccups of the early production runs. Their response will be interesting. But as a Swedish company I don't think I'd hold my breath for any 'warm & fuzzy' apologies or very public explanations about the issues the KOII has had. LOL , just my $0.02
I think this was a bold move on the part of te, looks like they were trying to make the jump from boutique gear into the world of everyday working musicians. The place where Roland and Korg dwell. In order to make that leap, a company really needs to have its manufacturing processes worked out. I'm sure they'll figure it out but it does seem like this has been a messy situation
I seen one with the screen missing lol, I am 100% with you. I ordered one from T.E and its currently delayed in mid transit with no delivery date and any hype I had for it is gone. Mine shipped about 5 days after they knew there was issues. I am going to be pretty annoyed if they shipped a broken one without checking after knowing all that. We will see though. If I gotta make a video and its got no screen and no speaker, and the keys are the wrong way around the outputs are backward, then so be it I guess.
I have pre-ordered one of these as well and have the same concerns. I reached out to where I ordered from (not TE directly) and was reassured that any issues would be promptly taken care of (by them ,not TE) at least I can sleep at night for the next few months while I wait for it. Next batch due to land Q1 of 2024
I ordered mine thru Amazon but I think it’s connected directly to TE so.. if I have issues, I’ll be able to return it easily but probably not have it replaced
Hey! It was me with the power switch issues. The quality issues are concerning but yeah, the lack of acknowledgement or statement from TE is a real surprise. I sent mine back to the retailer for a refund, if TE release a KO2mk2 with better components i might pick one up down the line but right now it's a nah from me. PO33 still works fine after all these years of kicking about in bags and pockets tho haha... peace ✌️
I feel like fixing the on/off switch should NOT be an “upgrade” for a new model. It should just work!! I’m thankful you got a refund. Do you think you’d buy again?
Right there with ya. Order placed on Nov. 23 and got an immediate order confirmation email. A day later and they were sold out. Then I got a "thank you for your order" email on 11/25 and I started seeing all the vids about fadergate and speakergate, etc. Then on 11/29 I got an email saying "please allow up to 30 days from order date for item to ship due to high demand". And now all I'm seeing are vids from people who are noticing problems with their units but they got theirs either from stock at their favorite music store that first day they went on sale or already had them before they went on sale because they were influencers or beta testers. Haven't heard a peep from TE since 11/29 and I have honestly been thinking of trying to cancel my order. I thought I was buying something they actually had in stock not placing a pre-order for a second manufacturing run. And yes, this would be my first TE product. Not happy.
Ordered mine from Guitar Center. Fader works, but not correctly. It doesn't hold consistent values and seems to be pressure sensitive which isn't right. As a n00b, I got sucked in by the cool look and some of the enticing first look videos that came out (before the problems began to appear). It's getting returned and I'm moving to Koala.
I got a response about my broken unit pretty quickly. They offered to replace it even though I bought it from a retailer. How long that will take, we’ll see. But it’s definitely weird that they didn’t make any kind of public statement.
Love my K.O. And was hoping that the II at least feels like a v2 of the fun little box. This is ridiculous and I am glad I didn’t order it. My mouse was already hovering over the „buy now“
You’re probably better off waiting tbh. I think this could potentially be a great release once these issues are addressed. I’m still excited for mine to come but I’m very nervous about it. So fingers crossed 🤞🏾
somebody made a video basically throwing the idea around that the customers are the "beta testers" for the ko II...explaining the discounted price, all the videos being made are good feedback for them 🤷♀🤷♀
Love your content Nefertiti. For what it's worth, my K.O. II works fine. The fader dilemma is somewhat understandable because the cap doesn't quite fit and I can imagine users trying to jam it on and damaging the internal hardware. The internal sounds are useful and the workflow is very intuitive once you get the hang of it.
Yes! this video is perfect! I ordered mid day on day 1 direct from the TE website. after seeing some initial buzz in those early youtube vids. Definitely was excited for a bulked up PO KO!! soooo... I actually sold my PO-33 and a few other things to not feel like I was spending 300 dollars that I didn't plan to spend! I waited 7 days before I reached out to TE about not getting any kind of tracking info, which seemed weird bc the confirmation email stated that the the item is in stock and will ship immediately! I thought I just missed an email or something...right around this same time I started seeing the more negative buzz. TE support emailed me back within a day and said they would be shipping my order out in a few weeks. My jaw hit the floor haha... I emailed them back and I let them have it, because at this point I was seeing a lot of ppl ordered from guitar center that first week and they all had their item. This just made no sense! I let them know this sucks and doesn't make sense and that it is bad customer service. I didn't cancel right away until I got an offer from guitar center for 15% off an order, so I called them up and ordered through them, got like 50 bucks off. I cancelled my order with TE, no problem- they again responded within a day and cancelled the order without any trouble at all. I got a tracking # from guitar center within a day....and this is like a week after the apparent Sold Out status so none of this makes any sense. I should be getting mine this week, and yes I am very concerned it is gonna be DOA, or just suck, or I don't even know. I think 300 dollars is a lot of money and there are a lot of things that make a lot of sounds for less than 300 bucks so I'm really not sure I made a good decision, but I am looking forward to playing around with this thing and see what's what!
I was upset to find out how easily I could’ve gotten it from another retailer myself. I’m expected to receive mine sometime this week. And you’re right, 300 is a lot and it’s not a “cheap” price tag just probably cheaply made. But we will all find out soon enough
@@NefertitiGold sooo, i got mine this evening... and I am feeling pretty forgiving... I just love it as a sampler with cool time stretch and effects... I dont even care about the sequencer... this is a sick instrument!!! haha yes!!! so cool!
Bought one straight from TE on day one. I returned it due to the £83 duty fees and vat added to the £250 I paid upfront even though it said free shipping (I know, read small print). Then the comms were terrible with no information about shipping for about three days. Then I got an email from UPS saying arrival 5th dec, but while waiting I see all the faulty videos and Reddit comments so decide to cancel. I will wait until they get better quality control and invest more in customer service as it seems like one guy deals with all their tickets.
It’s very odd that the price is more outside the U.S. tbh. I haven’t seen that really happen. My unit is allegedly coming on Dec 4 so we’ll see what it is. Keep me posted with your unit as well
1st day order and no notification on arrival of order but I got mine a couple days ago. Unfortunately I have a broken fader. I dig the product but the fader being broken seems to be an issue compared to what I see those with working faders can do.
Glad someone has posted this. Everyone is always carried away with the TE hype. Has everyone forgotten about the banana OPZ already? TE don't care about customer satisfaction. They just whip everyone into a media frenzy and everyone buys blindly. Look at products like M8 or Deluge? Best customer service ever? I liked the look of this but knew there would be issues. I'll never buy anymore TE products. Trendy over hyped design gear.
I ordered mine through Guitar Center. I thought I was lucky because all the hype videos were out and they were mentioning that the units were sold out. It was going to take a week to get it, so I decided to spend my time watching videos of people making cool stuff and learning some cool tips and tricks. By the next day, the first vids started popping up about the fader issues, and then I watched BoBeats talking about his speaker not working, so that was it. I received my unit last night. It's still in the box and I'll be driving over to Guitar center to return it. I'm not even going to take the chance, since my time is limited and I refuse to waste it dealing with a potential nightmare. Instead, I saw a used Empress Zoia (which I've been drooling over since it's release) that I can grab for an extra $40 or so. I really hope TE steps up their game and builds the K.O. II 2.0 a little more sturdy. Edit: The Zoia is actually another $150, but I bouth the K.O. as a chrismas present to myself, so what the hell... it's only money, right?
It’s your money and you choose how to spend it; and it’s only fair that you get a QUALITY item for it. I’m still nervous about the condition I’ll receive mine in 🤞🏾🤞🏾
Mine came in with a broken fader on Monday. Still waiting on a response from support. I hope they send me a new one ASAP before asking me to return the broken unit first. This was a Xmas gift for my son :( I own a lot of TE products. This is sad...
If the tight cap is causing damage to the fader, and you have to replace the fader. I'd definitely keep the old one. You can secure the fader in a small vice, heat up the metal fader tip with a lighter/small torch then gently and carefully push on the cap and hold it on until it cools down. When you put the cap onto your newly installed fader it should fit perfectly. Guitarists have been using this trick for 50+ years.
in Spanish we say "hacerse el sueco" (pretending to be a Swede), i.e., ignoring as if nothing happened. In this case fits properly :D Btw I have one and it works perfectly (by now)
When you get it check the tag and if it says........."Made in China", You might have an issue! But play with it BEFORE you give it to your Manager. Good luck Ms Lady. Good thing you didn't mention that you ordered it to your Manager so you have time to get a different gift before Christmas.
I reached out to TE about my unit, and was told it's shipping damage. Unfortunately this is highly unlikely unless they hade huge shipments that fell off a truck/boat multiple times - and somehow kept the outer packaging in perfect condition.... My unit personally had failing software, sticky keys, and a broken slider. There's issues like the speaker not working, other weird software issues when mic sampling, inability to turn off the unit with the switch... It's a little disappointing they're sticking with the "shipping damage" thing. I really hope they revise this unit, and if they continue this series - make improvements. I'd pay $100 more for better QC, parts, a longer 'beta testing' period to catch these issues. This thing is a great idea that was poorly/cheaply executed unfortunately.
Mine works great but unfortunately it feels like it needs to be babied physically, which sucks for a portable sized device. The op1 field is kind of built like a tank so this thing is a little disappointing.
I'm not into beatmaking so EP is not for me. Get Model Samples from elektron - same money - tons of additional functionality+built like a tank, 6 tracks only though, but you can put different sample on each step in the step sequencer. For the price of 299-349 Elektron Model Samples is a steal!
Ima give mine to my son for Christmas. He always be in the wings watching me and my boxes and never asking to play. So even tho all the issues with this company.. i think that will be my way of making this a positive. Hes still very young.
@NefertitiGold yea I was sitting there wondering if they even got my money at one point. Let alone, an acknowledgement of a hiccup.. I just got an sp 404 in the meantime.. that thing got some magic on it... so my son about to get something fresh.. hopefully it ain't junky when it get here. I always wanted just one of these things growing up. God is good.
I am in France, everyone is looking forward to this product, especially those who have already pre-ordered theirs. Products destined for Europe always arrive afterwards with a 3 or 5 week gap... And we all know that what's going on with their products... I have the impression that the EP 133 K.O. 2 is not manufactured under the same conditions as other T.E. products. Faders, Speaker, ... Given the number of problems, I find it expensive. Especially for those who picked up the box and had one of those known problems...
yes there are tons of issues that keep popping up. it looks so good that i will overlook all of the obvious red flags. this is the first model in the new EP line according to a launch day review i saw. there will be other variants next summer; i just hope they iron out all the bugs before then
Botched release, cheap hardware with premium price tag, software bugs, recycled ideas, no real storage, DOA units all over the place… 2023 is the year TE just stopped trying.
I agree with you. I feel like a lot of people weren’t expecting to buy a “legos toy” from a company that legit has made some nice stuff in the past. The SD reader is not a bad idea either, they don’t take up much room and it’d still be a slim unit with one.
I feel so fortunate after hearing all of this. I was able to pick mine up at a local store on Black Friday after hearing about it, Thanksgiving Night. Luckily mine is fully functional.
You have a point. I got mine on Tuesday and I have no issues at all right now but i must say i am a bit worried but i can say this thing is fun as hell.
I’m happy it’s working!! I really want to love the KO II but waiting to see what I get has me shakin in my boots lol. It’s like the ultimate mystery box!!
They're not a new company by any means. They have plenty of skin in the game at this point in their establishment. There is no excuse. They're also using the image of one of the most notable fighters in the world that presented not only black excellence but was also a well-known black activist. And what they've done so far with this image is sad. The lack of care and amount of mediocrity of this release is an embarrassment on many levels.
@NefertitiGold you ever seen those fail vids of like.... a dude works in a warehouse or like...is a trucker....and they are moving a palette of stuff....and like...totally drop it all and stuff goes everywhere? I'm just saying we don't know what the story is and once a product leaves TE, how much responsibility do they have for a distributor cutting corners on storage and transport or failing to report potential losses in a mishap? I'm not a loyalist to any company but the response of "IT MUST BE TE DOING BAD CAUSE THING BREAK!" This entire debacle could literally be down to temperatures shrinking the plastic. The only known thing are the symptoms of a mystery reason. I think it's best to leave it there.
Way too many videos about that crappy device... even people without having one complain around with not much to say... I like the ko33 but I am fed up of this one already.
I can definitely understand your frustration of so many videos popping up. But I also think that because TE has said NOTHING.. it might be helpful for potential buyers to warn them. It’s the holiday season and money is tight. Everyone should be able to purchase anything without fear of waiting forever or thinking that they’ll get a broken unit right out the box without a chance of replacing it before Christmas.
$299 is a steal but kinda pleased I missed the initial rush on this.TE are a big outfit and I’m sure will resolve the issues either through their manufacturing or logistics processes. What I’m seeing looks and sounds good. I’m sure you will do some great things on it!
Teenage Engineering designs heartfelt, unique joy machines; they deserve our admiration, not made to apologize for their efforts. TE manipulating and progressing music and sound into the future benefits all. An expanding young company in shifting economic times can vanish, and this musical category they have alone created along with it. Many critique, but few create. Support the weird.
Mine works perfectly fine. I own a bunch of samplers and iOS apps. This is probably the most fun I’ve had making beats in a while. Definitely worth the price.
Whine whine whine! Waste of everybody time. It’s a Toyota Corolla not a Tesla! But it’s more fun and the workflow is awesome for live playing also…. Stop wasting peoples time.
