How Teenage Engineering Makes Cool Stuff!

This week, we have another bonus episode! Adam sat down with David Eriksson of Teenage Engineering to chat about the EP-133 K.O. II sampler. It was a great chat and we figured it would be a good opportunity to peel back the curtain on how some of these conversations go with people from certain companies. Hope you enjoy!
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:43 Who is David Eriksson?
09:44 How did the EP-133 K.O. II come to be?
20:26 How many prototypes were there?
22:26 Talking about the fader
25:28 Ad
25:40 Durability
34:25 Who makes the manuals?
37:25 Will there be more?
39:03 Ad
40:05 How does Teenage Engineering plan to support updates?
50:20 Outro
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[@MarsOtter]

got excited and thought it was friday for a sec

[@johnmorrisproductions]

Me too. 😂

[@SamRiesgo]

Me too :/

[@LeonNeuton]

Same!

[@i_make_beats]

same

[@tekmepikcha6830]

IKR 🤣

[@FreeBeat]

Well this is certainly a collision of two things I enjoy that I was in no way expecting lol.

[@Khordmaster]

Right?!?!

[@imaeli]

Yesss! Ahahahah

[@ruffiankickloops]

Fr 😂😂😂

[@Josev-TV]

Same

[@patrickm.4469]

Love your channel Free Beat!

[@malterichert2927]

Love that this episode exists! an hour of hearing an actual product engineer geek out about his product is just soo valuable, especially with such an iconic company as TE. So by all means, do publish more of these

[@alex-r-t]

"It's a dual-core CPU, but we don’t actually use the other core yet." Well damn. Here's hoping for some interesting new features with that untapped potential in the future 🤞 Thanks for sharing this conversation!

[@santiagomarcano6354]

They will release another product and drop support. This was their gateway instrument to get into the mainstream. That’s why this video exists

[@alex-r-t]

@santiagomarcano6354 That'll be interesting to see. They definitely have a weird history of what they decide to support over time: the oplab was discontinued and unsupported relatively quickly, but the OG OP-1 got USB audio streaming after 10 years. Since this is the first of the "EP Series", I wouldn't be surprised if they lean into support to make sure the rest of the series is successful, but I could also see them losing interest over time like with the OP-Z

[@evolvic]

I'm so happy this interview exists, love, love, love it. ❤

[@jaminjones8784]

Concerning the design question at 30:00, anyone interested in their approach to design (at least in terms of the hardware) should check out Dieter Rams, the Industrial design GOAT. Teenage Engineering borrows A LOT from Rams - he's _very_ clearly their biggest influence when it comes to hardware design. Jony Ive - the industrial designer behind most of Apple's most iconic products - also borrows heavily from Dieter Rams, which is likely a big part of why people are always comparing Teenage Engineering to Apple. Most people drawing that comparison assume TE is drawing inspiration from Apple, but the reality is both TE and Apple draw inspiration from Rams. If anything, TE goes way further in emulating Rams.

[@chadxp]

this interview was so interesting! I have a KO2 and I love it! I love it even more now knowing more about how it was made. The whole process sounded like it was a lot of fun, you can really tell a lot of passion went into the EP line. Im very excited to see what comes next!

[@Khordmaster]

Ayeeeee love this. First I see MKBHD rocking the CM-15 mic in his video now this awesome interview. Great stuff!! 🙌🏾

[@bolttracks]

ayee

[@LouisLuzuka]

😮

[@elementlab41]

I loved this so so much! Thank you, Adam and David. I'm such a massive fan of Teenage Engineering-I adore my OP-1f and EP-133, but this changed my entire view of the company. Just so cool!

[@arianasbitch2293]

ADAM ON THE BIG TABLE ALERT 🚨 🚨 ‼️

[@burningcell]

Yeeees!!! Such a cool surprise!!! Thank you so much for putting this out!!! Absolutely loved it!! Had to pull out my KO II while I watched it 🎉🎉🎉 looking forward to the future 🎉🎉🎉

[@jess75_]

I know next to nothing about audio production but this was such an interesting and engaging chat that I found myself really enjoying the talk and I learned a thing or two in the process. Mad respect to David for being really open and willing to receive feedback and work on improving the products. Great job on the interview Adam!

[@smOn-yk7zy]

This is super interesting, thank you! I'm a software engineer/ originally electronics engineer myself. In my company we used to work in a very similar way when we were smaller 10 years ago... "Unfortunately" we grew quite a bit and had to add more "structure".... I miss those creative / chaotic days. Love TE and their products!

[@drainyoo1]

Wow. I'm a big TE fan and was expecting just a basic interview. I love that it gets into the details of their design and production problems. I'm building hardware right now and going through some similar challenges, so it was great to learn about their experience.

[@latexgeneration]

Such an insightful interview & it makes you respect their approach to product design. Thanks for sharing this as I was not expecting this kind of coverage on this show! 👏👏👏

[@levigreen7630]

Great Episode and Interview! I can't wait to see Adam doing more interviews like this.

[@TheBismrk]

Extra episode. Let's go!

[@eksperiment6269]

Always love this in depth bonus episodes

[@Garythefireman66]

Geeking out on this stuff while working.... priceless 👍🏻

[@benoftroy]

this was an awesome interview. thanks for recording it and sharing!

[@AndysWallace]

This was great! More Adam and more product people too please. Really enjoyed seeing behind the curtain

[@nikitabaryshnikov1739]

Their designs are amazing. Thank you guys for a great interview

[@kareemellebany3559]

This one was absolutely sweet! Loved it much more than any other interview you have made.

[@plumokin5535]

I love the engineering perspective! I wasn't expecting it but I'm so happy about it.

[@tictocproductions9754]

Very insightful interview, especially for me, coming from a Product Manager perspective in the music manufacturer space. This was great! More of these please!

[@ryan1845]

My GOD. As a Microsoft delivery architect, I learned SOOO mucho! 😂

[@TypicalGenericUsername]

The chemistry between you guys always makes me smile. Also, interesting interview!

[@GaganKeshav]

I watch these mostly because of David! Love his insights into things! I realise that only when he's not in one of the episodes!

[@michaeltharrington8858]

Excellent interview and episode! Love learning more about TE.

[@preachermansays]

Thank you Adam for getting the scoop on the project backup and restore function that is “days away!” That was definitely my number 1 request!

[@soundwithsilence]

Could you let me know the time stamp please? The factory reset wiping all sounds from the machine is just baffling. Really need to restore the original samples. Thanks

[@preachermansays]

@@soundwithsilence it’s at around 46 mins. But here is a link to someone who exported all the factory content. This was posted by Decima1 in a video where he talked about his fader problems. I used the link so I had all my factory sounds backed up, so it is legit. drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lqHracO15q4tDPq2FWmVHpW-x6wMKaYH

[@dan_rad]

My K.O. II Arrived today. What a crossover episode!

[@allentastic]

Unexpected. Insightful. Refreshing. More, please 😁

[@nardneran]

This was so good. Always in awe of what Teenage Engineering is doing and now knowing how they do it makes them seem even more impressive

[@chadxp]

Im a huge fan of Teenage Engineering im so excited!

[@tehphoebus]

Great interview.. Thank you for sharing it!

[@SamRiesgo]

This is a spectacular interview!!

[@belephorn]

great stuff! would love to see more episodes like this

[@SlamNFunc]

More content like this please. I must admit to being a fan of TE gear so I appreciate this video a lot.

[@vibhudoesntexist]

Always when I finish the regular episode early... there's a bonus episode 🥳

[@per-olamjomark7452]

One of the other founders of Teenage Engineering, Jesper Kouthoofd, has opened a small restaurant slash listening bar in the old town area of Stockholm. Can really recommend it if anyone is in the neighborhood. Of course, the sound is quite good at this venue.

[@Knypsterino]

Sounds cool. What’s the name of the bar?

[@dertyp6767]

Loved the part about manuals. It acually worked for me. I absolutely studied and loved the OP-1 Field manual before buying the product.

[@HipHopBeatSource]

Very cool to hear about TE from David's perspective. I was an instant fan of the visual aesthetics of TE products.

[@SONWU]

Great work on the EP-133, such a fun instrument 🙏

[@Adamlukas]

love your channel! 🫶

[@roseutterback5755]

The teenage engineering king 👑

[@SONWU]

@@roseutterback5755 🙏Thank you so much!

[@ILLUDIUM_Q_36]

TE should pay you for your contributions

[@SONWU]

@@ILLUDIUM_Q_36 🙏

[@dosesandmimoses]

So cool! Well done to you and your team!

[@moshmoshpitpit]

Low key, this is that good good. This is why I come back every damn video.

[@88Fitzy88]

Amazing interview thank you!

[@NovakTheEnjoyer]

I"m having so much fun with my KOII! TE are legendary! The OP-1 Field is one of the most interesting products I've ever played with. Will remain a staple in my studio as long as the battery lasts.

[@santiagomarcano6354]

Interesting that you see it as a product first and instrument later. Says a lot about their marketing

[@NovakTheEnjoyer]

@@santiagomarcano6354 wow, you’re right! I guess that because it does so many different things, it doesn’t strike me as an instrument like a guitar, or trumpet, or any other “analog” instrument. It feels more like an iPhone or a gaming console than a violin, or even a dedicated synthesizer. Interesting food for thought 👍🏼

[@MyNameJeff..]

@@santiagomarcano6354Watch some of his videos and see how versatile the op-1 field is. Anything can be a product. My mpc live is a product, made by akai. It’s also an instrument/sampler,midi controller etc. - Like the op-1.

[@Doshinkyo]

been chekcing out the K.O.II this week!

[@soundartlab2029]

YES! ❤ lovely company of boutique devices that all in its own right are just lovable beyond their sheer functionality, all and everyone I know who owns one or more of their products have stated that they have inspired them the most over years at end in their respective creative workflow. and it all just reflects so well in this beautifully conducted interview.

[@srinivasarathinam]

This episode was exactly what i was not looking for , and exactly what i needed at the same! Great work. I have some new found respect for everyone involved ! Marques, I am going to post this on reddit for you, (Which is harder than you think without apollo). And Oh , Hey Andrew😉

[@timzimmermann791]

I loved this bonus episode ❤️

[@udayabhaskar]

16:52 that's a great point in fact! Oh they are smart, and understand the real essence of what the tech is meant to be.

[@dertyp6767]

For a second I thought my brain blended two main topics from my youtube feed into one thumbnail. But it‘s real. So cool!

[@trashtbyghosts]

best WVFRM so far you guys are awesome

[@nottaller1993]

Great chat - finally got to hear from someone else at TE and learn about how they operate. Here’s hoping they are at work on an OP-Z Field next!

[@MyNameJeff..]

Op-z field would be sick

[@ahzootube]

This is so cool to see these two worlds come together. Did not expect a synth company to be on Marques' radar :)

[@michael-jones]

Nice to see this dude get a shot at leading an episode

[@GabbiHilson]

We love special episodes.

[@wolfthunder3480]

I dam checked the calendar Didn’t expect a bonus episode Anyway weird Wednesday huh

[@Josev-TV]

As someone who owns and loves the OP-1, I’m loving this interview.

[@REVIEWSONTHERUN]

Cool! Thanks for sharing it. ✌️

[@Happy_Abe]

Love seeing Adam in front of the camera!

[@alexfrost8645]

Amazing company ! And clearly passionate people

[@plumcharlie]

Love TE! Sweet crossover music tech pod. More of these please!

[@fecundusborax9442]

thank you! that was insanely good content

[@brianhuxtable4026]

My KO2 arrived today, took the protective rubber of the fader and the knob went on ok,no worries, working fine. Just got to get into the workflow. Got some pocket operators plus KO1 so bit of a headstart. Looking forward to see what else they bring out in the EP Series.😊✌🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@djcuvcuv]

awesome interview. david is the man.

[@tarekith]

This was great, would love to see one about the OP-1 Field.

[@Jezee213]

I KNEW IT!!! I was wondering if that mic was the TE one and finally confirmed!!! Only thing that is weird is in the video it looks like the side facing the camera doesn't have the mic grill like it should have on both sides, but maybe there's another version or I'm just blind but no doubt it is the CM-15. Andrew, you're awesome, your keyboard vid was great! Anyone who says otherwise doesn't know what they're talking about. 😆😜

[@Shadowbandit]

I love that David had to turn around in case he didn't leak another ep unit 😂

[@felixgrayy]

Incredible Episode

[@samaBR_85]

i have a lot of TE's products. They always have cool approaches to interfacing and UI.

[@ruffiankickloops]

Sheeeesh! Production started in August of '22!? And it was finished in late 2023?! 🤯 Crazy !

[@nacholangarika]

I am in love with this company. Their pocket operators are genius products. Even at 99 € you should buy all , and a backup. I own 21 pocket operators. OP-1 and OP-Z are products we should give god thanks to have it available. I own two OP-Z. Their products provide unique user experience. Now, knowing they produced the KO II in Spain, makes me love them even more.

[@johnsuggs7828]

21? Worse case of Gear Acquisition Syndrome I've ever heard lol Their stuff is cool. I own two Pocket Operators. Surprisingly durable the pocket operators are. But outside of their latest grove box, which I will have within the month, they charge too much.

[@charlikasselback4565]

Thanks for sharing this

[@stevenkendrickmba]

Great interview!!!

[@h3ct0r13]

As someone from Spain, its awesome they built those here!!😳😄

[@KeyhanAkbarzadeh]

great interview 🤘👍

[@paulevans5822]

More of this product development content please!

[@stevedavis4302]

Loved this drill down.

[@earthhuman5448]

This luxury brand for hobbyists is really saying something!!

[@deyoungstar]

More, please!! Sick of the disingenuous gear-tubers in the pro audio gear industry. Please make more!!! Exactly what our industry needs!

[@sean_vikoren]

Genre crashing mega-hit incomming! What a ride through hidden tunnels!

[@llittlegreyhound]

I know the people at TE get a lot of hate, but that is how it goes with innovation. I love their products and dedication to their craft.

[@m8edofallm8eds]

Great episode! Great gadget ❤

[@aditya-the918blog]

Yes more stuff like this please! Can we dig deep in the software side of things, like mainstream stuff, some old some new… MS-DOS or software like Adobe for example

[@blackmanrunfree]

As an audio and tech nerd this is stellar!!!

[@blackmanrunfree]

Hi Andrew

[@peterbondmusic]

TE is a brilliant company. And yes more content like this.

[@streetographer]

Really loved this. More please. And a collab with TE maybe? 😀

[@Seba-oc1ze]

YO!!!! I’m such a big TE fan. Haven’t been able to get off of my ko2 in 2 months

[@kid.forever]

Super cool to learn they design for other companies too.

[@alexxander6584]

I know nothing about synth. Just heard about Teenage Engineering being the partner (I think the builder/manufacturer) of Rabbit R1. If I am not wrong, Jesse Lyu founder of Rabbit is in the board of Teenage Engineering. I am excited that Teenage Engineering might be the builder of Rabbit R1 hardware.

[@dcleblond]

I appreciate you, Andrew.

[@emiliolarafdez17]

More of these kind of interviews 🎉

[@tonitoon1225]

His Carhartt WIP jacket is tuff💪! I should have copped that from that collection years ago.

[@kforkrish]

I don't know why but this "teenage engineering's ericsson guy" and his design signature reminds me of Sony Ericson range of devices from my "teenage" days and ironically his name also is Ericson.

[@ItsWesSmithYo]

Great episode of stuff engineers and PMs get out the 🍿 for, thanks friends. 🤙🏽😎🖤🐓

[@gtamy5544]

didn’t expect to see music gear featured on this channel ❤

Dang! That was so interesting. This video is at the cross-road of so many subjects that fit this channel well. On the same subject, you may be interested in another European company called Eve Audio. I'm using their SC203 monitors. There is nothing better at that size and prize. Just like Teenage Engineering, they propose high end tech to (almost) everyday people. The tech is amazing, but the way it comes to market is even more.

[@pmbear]

Just for this, I am following your channel! ❤️ 🎹 🎧