Knockout!
Let's think outside the box. Okay, maybe not completely outside the box – because sometimes a box is a pretty brilliant idea in itself – but let's think big. How about something that could do it all? A magic box that connects to anything, goes anywhere, and makes it all work? That'd be pretty wild.
This is the Teenage Engineering EP-35 K.O. Amp.
Title Fight
Introducing the Teenage Engineering EP-35 K.O. Amp
Ever the innovators, the gang over at Teenage Engineering are never ones to play it predictably. Teenage Engineering, if this is your introduction to Sweden's leading firm in stylish devices, is constantly coming up with new ways to be creative. The team goes all the way back with some of their first hits, the Pocket Operator series, to their OP-1 handheld synthesizer, to their K.O. sampler, bringing together musicians and non-musicians alike in entirely unique, stylish, distinctly "TE" ways.
Chances are you've probably seen one of Teenage Engineering's "greatest hits" out in the world before. For one, they've become some of the most popular representations of their type of gear – be it the Pocket Operators in miniaturized mono synths or the OP-1 in handheld supercomputer synthesizers. For another, they're strikingly recognizable. All these series are well and good, but as always, there's many more places to go and much more to do. Enter the EP-35 K.O.
TE's first foray into amplifiers, the EP-35 K.O. swings in to buddy up with a number of their own existing instruments – but also fill a new role inside and outside of the Teenage Engineering line. The K.O. Amp is an amplifier for your TE synths, your music collection, your vocals, your guitar... stick around, we've got some stuff to go over.
Punch Drunk
Teenage Engineering EP-35 K.O. Amp Design and Controls
With the K.O. Amp, we get a look into the TE design ethos. If this is your first visit to Camp TE, firstly, welcome! Secondly, the K.O. Amp comes together in classic Teenage Engineering with the kind of sleek, modern, clean shape and look we've come to know and love from TE and their many, many innovations. If you're a fan of TE and their unmistakable, futuristic look, there's plenty more in store, but at square one, we're already getting treated.
Teenage Engineering EP-35 K.O. Amp Basic Functions
The K.O. Amp is a compact, clean, light, and powerful amplifier. Its unencumbered design throws it over to TE's unifying aesthetic ethos while producing a tangible product that is effortless to handle. A small footprint and weight you'd barely notice establish at the jump that the K.O. Amp is not entirely meant to be landlocked to your gear corner. Grab hold of the K.O. Amp and put it anywhere.
Slip it on your desktop for quick practice with your synth, stick it next to your mini pedalboard to get a quick, amplified idea out in the open. Plant it on a bookshelf for Bluetooth streaming, drop it in your car's trunk for a trip to the beach. What the EP-35 offers through its clean design and easy weight is an amp to bring sound anywhere you might need it. It's not just your traditional amp to be called upon when you've got scales to practice, but a road-ready companion to play instruments, your streamed music, FM radio – you get the idea. Couple this with its rechargeable battery operation and the K.O. Amp is ready to hit the road as soon as you are.
Teenage Engineering EP-35 K.O. Amp Guitar and Synth Functions
Though, if you could guess it, the K.O. Amp is not all open roads and days at the beach. It is a lean, mean amplifier and speaker for real musical creation. From the top of the EP-35 K.O., two input connections offer quick access to the amplifier's guitar and vocal capabilities. Grab a ¼" and plug into the K.O. and you're off to the races with guitars. Onboard, easy wheel-based controls roll through things on the amp like volume and guitar effects. The EP-35 K.O. Amp loads in eight onboard guitar effects for a varied mix of voicings to accommodate whatever music you're getting into.
Such guitar modes include:
- Clean – Squeaky with reverb and delay effects on higher settings
- Twang – Home-grown with reverb and slapback delay effects on higher settings
- Blues – Incurable with distortion effects on higher settings
- Indie – Verified with reverb, overdrive, and flanger effects on higher settings
- Envelope – Bubbly with filter effects on higher settings
- Acoustic – Unplugged with acoustic guitar simulation effects on higher settings
- Bass – Down low with a bass guitar-forward tone on higher settings
While the EP-35 K.O. is a tubeless amp*, that's no reason to not get excited about its higher-gain capabilities. Crack open the amp's side panel and get access to its dedicated low- and high-gain guitar modes complete with gain and tone shaping. These controls extend out beyond just guitars with a separate XLR input for vocal microphones. Similarly, the EP-35 K.O. addresses the usual things you'd look for when firing up a vocal rig like microphone gain, phantom power, and vocal effects. Plug in your guitar and mic and the same time and you've got a one-and-done busking rig, if that's your prerogative.
This is TE, after all!
As we alluded to earlier, the EP-35 K.O. is not just for existing TE fans or newcomers, it has something for everyone! Those always yearning for a quick way to plug in and play your synthesizers without a mixer, a headphone amp, a DAW – whatever you always dreaded setting up – have a great option with the K.O. Amp. The EP-35 directly follows up with TE's line of synthesizers for a seamless way to fire them up and get creating. An 1/8" auxiliary input means it's not long before you have your Pocket Operator, your OP-1, your K.O. synth and sampler, playing loud and proud to get your musical juices flowing quickly and easily. What's more, an 1/8" auxiliary output means all of this musical performance can be kept silent and played out through headphones.
T.K.O.
Teenage Engineering EP-35 K.O. Amp Playability
If you're new to guitar, synth, or vocal amps and you're looking for something easy and quick to get into, Teenage Engineering offers a marvelous option. If you're not new but could always stand to consider a sleek addition to your home setup with plenty of functionality to go with it, guess what.
The EP-35 K.O. fulfills its promise of a multi-dimensional amplification experience. Plug your guitar straight in and get to work, hook up your synth rig and start experimenting, throw together an impromptu practice sesh, vibe out to your favorite songs on the couch, it's all here. Those looking for an amplifier that delivers some honest-to-goodness musicality but stays easy and out of the way, you've found it. Teenage Engineering's legacy with quick musicality moves throughout the EP-35 K.O. in every way you'd expect and want with an amplifier experience that performs reliably but can also get funky on its own. TE's onboard guitar and vocal effects provide a great backdrop to get ideas out in the open while allowing for enough expression to inspire new directions with more off-the-wall onboard tones.
With the EP-35, you have more than enough volume on tap to fill a room and get an idea across. While this is true, the amp also performs admirably in bedrooms and apartments with the kind of touch-sensitivity you'd want out of an amp to keep the good times rolling but not beckon the downstairs neighbor up to give you a piece of their mind. Longstanding fans of TE's synthesizers have a new device to not only match their utility belt of Pocket Operators but suit its performance in the very best way. Teenage Engineering balances the utility and speed desired to get a synth rig firing with the feedback and playability desired out of your guitar and pedals, even if you're on a time crunch or your neighbor has been trying to get some sleep.
Punch Out!
Teeange Engineering EP-35 K.O. Amp Further Functions
Like so many other Teenage Engineering creations, the EP-35 K.O. Amp is fully fitted with modern functions and connections to elevate the entire experience. Let's run down just a few.
- Stereo Line-In and Line-Out – For your more intricate playbacks, the EP-35 K.O. features stereo sound on its 1/8" line-in and out connections. Route in your music and hear it in all its surround-sound glory or get the full picture with a...
- Headphone Connection – The K.O. features an 1/8" line out for silent practice with headphones. Perfect for your bedroom or apartment setups, the K.O. brings a great musical experience to every nook and cranny of your musical life.
- Bluetooth Streaming – When it comes to not only performing music but kicking back, the K.O. Amp features seamless Bluetooth streaming connectivity for getting your favorite songs out in the open.
- Wireless Chaining – Hand in hand with its Bluetooth functionality, the K.O. Amp can link to not only wireless devices, but other K.O. Amps altogether! Grab some friends and their K.O. Amps and you can chain them together for an all-in-one, multi-amp performance, no matter what instrument you're playing through!
- Rechargeable Battery – In line with its adventurous, expeditious spirit, the EP-35 K.O. comes equipped with an onboard rechargeable battery for hours of performance. As we said, throw this guy in the trunk of your car for a day at the beach, a weekend hike, whatever you've got planned, and it's ready to perform as soon as you are.
Teenage Engineering EP-35 K.O. Amp Final Thoughts
For Teenage Engineering fans long yearning for a quick, one-and-done way to bring their synth experience to life without needing lug out the mixer or the DAW, it's probably no surprise that the K.O. Amp is precisely what they could ask for. Though beyond that, the K.O. Amp follows in a long line of TE creations meant to bridge the gap for musicians and expedite the creative process, no matter where inspiration strikes. The K.O. Amp packs enormous functionality and musicality into its compact casing for an experience that breaks the bounds of your usual small-scaled amplifier. Punching well above its weight class, the K.O. Amp is a heavyweight champion.
