Teenage Engineering pairs its reggae-themed sampler with a new voice-changing mic
Teenage Engineering’s Riddim looks like another version of the company’s EP-133 KO II sampler. But there’s actually a lot more to it, especially when paired with the new EP-2350 Ting mic.
The Ting has fun CB radio vibes, and TE describes it as “lo-fi by design.” It has four built-in voice-changing effects, including echo, sprite, robot and – essential for all dub reggae jams – echo and spring reverb. There’s also a lever on the side of the mic, for changing effects on the fly while you play. You can also trigger four user-swappable samples directly from the mic.
Unfortunately, at the moment you can only get Ting as part of a $329 Riddim n’ Ting bundle. We reached out to TE to see if the company would offer it separately at some point.
Unlike the EP-1320 Medieval, the EP-40 Riddim is not a simple rebadge of the KO II. Yes, it’s primarily a sampler that happens to be loaded with reggae-focused sounds like King Jammy and Mad Professor. But it also has an additional main effect, double the storage, and a proper subtractive synthesizer engine called Supertone. Supertone can produce classic bass and leads, but it also has a pressure-sensitive dub siren mode: the harder you press, the faster it oscillates.
While Teenage Engineering gear has a reputation for astronomical prices, the $299 KO II, and now its $329 spinoff Riddim, offer surprisingly solid values. The KO II is an incredibly capable sampler for which the company has released at least one major update. They won’t replace your MPC, but they are capable of creating quality tracks at a fraction of the price.
