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OVERVIEW I was excited to pick up the and test it. In this review I analyze the 6 analog drum parts and 4 digital (PCM) drum parts. If you are inexperienced with drum machines, halfway through this article, I created easy instructions for programming a simple House Music beat on the Volca. The Volca Beats’ Kick, Closed Hat, and Open Hat are my favorite sounds on the Volca.
The PCM parts are marketed as “lo-fi” and unremarkable. The sequencer is good but lacks important features. Programming it is easy if you are familiar with a Roland 808, 909, or Korg’s Electribe.
5 VOLCANO QUICK INSTALLATION - VOLCA BEATS - STEP 4 SQUEEZE THE SPRING ON THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT 4.1 - Using a Phillips Screwdriver, remove the Custom Built Spacer from the MIDI Output Connector. Volca Beats is a powerful, tricky and inexpensive drum machine that is both great for live performance and studio sickness, just like all other old and new hardware drum devices. Don’t let the limitations hold you back!
Beginners will likely need to watch a tutorial on programming this drum machine. Ultimately this drum machine does not live up to standards that most professionals require.
With the Volca Beats priced around $150, you get what you pay for. And here, you do not get much — making this a terrific drum machine for beginners. KICK PART (ANALOG) Part of the reason I wanted to use this machine is to get a nice analog kick on a track that I have been frustrated with. When I create new tracks I prefer to keep it organic. I stray from using sampled drums or prefabricated loops.
If you are new to making electronic music keep in mind that you could avoid purchasing this gear by getting a sample pack loaded with percussion instruments and loops. You will probably get a better result that way too. Regardless, I love making beats from scratch. Achieving a good track from scratch is no simple feat. It takes a lifetime of audio engineering experience. Right now I am plugged into the Volca Beats with a pair of headphones.
For testing I am using. Occasionally I used the Volca Beat’s internal speaker but its worse than plastic speakers from the 99 Cent Store. The internal speaker does not cover low end frequencies. If you listen to the kick drum through the internal speaker, you will not hear it much unless you turn up the Snappy Knob to increase the attack of the kick. Vocla Beats keeps it simple.
There are only four major variables to change the kick. The variables include Click, Pitch, Decay, and Part Level. These are easily controlled by potentiometers.
The pots are small and made with cheap plastic. The pots are close to each other so that could be a problem if you have large fingers and intend to use this during a live performance or DJ set. Programming patterns may also be problematic for the same reason. The Click pot adds a stronger attack to the kick when its dialed to the right. Turning the Click pot to the left removes the attack creating a rounder and muffled kick sound. The Pitch pot manipulates the pitch of the drum head.
Adding some Delay makes the kick sound rich and deep by increasing the length of the drum head sound. SNARE (ANALOG) The Snare Part has four major variable controls including Snappy, Pitch, Decay, and Part Level. I am not a huge fan of the Snare sound.
With the Snappy, Pitch, and Decay pots turned completely to the left you get a clean analog percussion sound. The Snappy knob adjusts the volume of the sound that Korg describes as “the snare wires.” Turning the pots completely to the right leaves you with a messy, unusable, over modulated sound. LOW TOM (ANALOG) The Low Tom sounds pretty decent on this. However the Low Tom only has three major variable controls including Lo Pitch, Decay, and Part Level.
With the Decay pot turned completely to the left, the Low Tom sounds similar to a kick drum with a low volume. As you increase the Decay the Low Tom starts to get some decent action. HI TOM (ANALOG) The HI Tom has the same variable controls as the Low Tom. Again you can adjust the Hi Pitch, Decay, and Part Level. The Hi Tom is not noteworthy. Its sound is passable. CLOSED HAT & OPEN HAT PARTS (ANALOG) The Closed Hat sounds great.
Unfortunately it only has three variable controls. You can adjust the Decay, Grain, and Part Level. I also liked the Open Hat.
You could get a pretty decent groove out of the way these two parts cut through your sequence. The Grain control is mediocre but it does add a different approach to the sound. Adding to the unique possibilities one might achieve when creating beats on the Volca. PCM PARTS: CLAP, CLAVES, AGOGO, CRASH (DIGITAL) or PCM is a common technology that has been widely used in drum machines and samplers since the 1980s. The Korg Volca has four parts that are digital samples. The digital samples include a clap, clave, agogo, and a crash. Probably to appeal to consumers, the manual describes these as lo-fi parts.
They are definitely lo-fi. Although the Korg Volca does not have an ability to record samples, it comes with for sampled parts including a Clap, Claves, Agogo, and Crash. If you are new to producing music, keep in mind that these are not analog parts. They are digital. The Korg Volca Beats only has 6 analog parts. These parts are nothing special. Its disappointing that Korg could not squeeze in some extra analog parts in here.
Even less desirable is that there are only two major variable controls for each of these parts! You can adjust the PCM Speed and Part Level. However, one redeeming factor for the PCM parts is your ability to adjust the PCM Speed pot thereby changing the speed that each sample plays back. The Clap, Agogo, and Crash make some unique sounds when their PCM Speed is minimized. This could result in some pretty unique textures in your drum programming. However, if you already have Ableton Live or any basic digital sampler on your Mac or PC, you can do the same.
PROGRAMMING THE SEQUENCER Now that I am familiar with each of the possible parts. Let’s take a look at the sequencer and how it holds up. Without looking at the instructions you can tell that the sequencer programs in units of 1/16th notes just by looking at the keypad.
The keypad is pretty sweet. There are 16 step pads. One of the best features of this drum machine is that you can record the motion of the adjusts you make on the knobs.
For example if you tweak the volume up and down on the Closed High Hat a little bit throughout your sequence, the Volca will save the motion. Most professionals will argue that drums sound a lot better and groove more when the volume is slightly different for each hit of the drum. Changing the volume a bit on each hit purportedly gets your drums to sounding more human. INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROGRAMMING THE KORG VOLCA BEATS For this review created a simple 4 on the floor House Music beat without using my headphones:. Clear whatever pattern is already programmed by holding the “ FUNC” button and the “ ALL” button down on the Keypad at the same time.
Volca Keys - Analogue Loop Synth Volca Bass - Analogue Bass Machine Volca Beats - Analogue Rhythm Machine Three true-analog synthesizers with built-in sequencers to generate the ultimate analog leads, basses, and rhythms Following in the footsteps of the monotron, monotribe, and MS-20 Mini analog synthesizers, Korg announces the Volca series. Volca is a new lineup of EDM production tools comprised of three distinct models: the Volca Keys lead synthesizer, the volca Bass synthesizer, and the Volca Beats rhythm machine.
These powerful and fun-to-use true-analog devices deliver a diverse array of fat sounds that can be obtained only from an analog synthesizer. Each is also equipped with sequencing/recording capabilities for intuitively generating performances.
Multiple volcas can be used in tandem via the vintage-style sync in/out, and with your favorite DAW software or MIDI keyboard via MIDI In. Battery operation and built-in speakers mean that you can conveniently play anywhere and anytime.
These are the next-generation analog synthesizers, bringing you the ultimate sounds and grooves with ease and depth. Whether used together or by themselves, the volca series is poised to inject true analog power into any performance or studio setup! SYNC jack and MIDI IN connector allow synchronized performance with multiple units or with your DAW By using the sync jack you can enjoy synchronized playback with multiple volcas or with a monotribe.
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You can also use the 'SyncKontrol' iPhone app to wirelessly control tap tempo, swing settings, and synchronized playback with iOS music apps via WIST. The MIDI IN connector lets you synchronize with other devices, as well as play the volca from any MIDI keyboard. You can also send note messages from your DAW and use the volca as an analog sound module. Self-tuning function (Volca Bass and Keys only) Until now, the problem with analog synthesizers has been that the pitch would drift over time, or because of changes in temperature. Volca solves this by providing a Self-tuning function that constantly tunes the oscillators.
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You'll never need to tune during a performance, or wait for the pitch to stabilize after turning the power on. Compact size, battery-powered operation, and built-in speaker for enjoyment anywhere With its compact size, battery operation, and built-in speaker, it's easy to take the volca anywhere and perform any time.