Volca Drum

Great value FM synth which is basically a dx7 in small box. They have improved polyphony from the previous one and sounds just like an FM should. The volca comes with 64 presets however no init or blank patches. You will need to overwrite the factory presets. You can restore these with factory reset. I have been able to transfer the presets to wav then sysex files and saved them on my pc. It was a faff. Transfering the other way was much easier, i have been able to transfer some dx7 patches from dexed to volca very easily. A bit disappointed the unit doesnt have a rechargeable battery like the airas, takes 6 AAs which dont last too long. Builld quality is fine, light and solid but is made primarily from plastic, I recommend the UDG case. For just over £100 its a bargain.

The Volca Sample has always been one of the most useful Volcas since it can be used to play literally any sound you download to it. The downloading process however was the entire problem. The original Sample required the user to sync with a phone or computer sending 'pulses' down as audio cable (of all things) and this could take around 20 minutes (for a full set of sample) before you even found out if the transfer was successful....and sometimes it wasn't. What's more the memory was limited to an unbelievable degree and you'd often find yourself only able to fill half of the available slots. Now, the positive: This new Sample 2 finally fixes these two problems. Data transfer is done lightening quick via USB by computer via new software and by phone app. It's a breeze. What's more, the memory allows to store much more being 8mb storage instead of the previous 4mb. Still in this day and age, that's a low, but I think Korg try to limit intentionally so that you are forced to be creative within a limited capacity, though your guess is as good as mine. To boot, there's now 200 samples slots too rather than the previous 100. The best way to describe the Sample for those unfamiliar is; it's a Sample Player (not a sampler) since it doesn't allow you to record (i.e to 'sample'). It's a very good, compact Sample Player. It allows you to sequence 16 steps (upgradable apparently to 64 if you download the Pajen Firmware). You can control which sample to assign to each key, the speed, length, start point, envelope, pan, attack, decay and hi cut as well as the reverb. Solo and mute are also available - handy for live playing. The Sample 2 has a brand new set of factory samples including kick drums, snares and toms and other useful sounds, so you can create something decent (and very original if you tinker) right off the bat. See video. Many people are usually stuck between purchasing the Volca sample 2 or Drum. Each is really chalk and cheese. The sample can be used to play ANY sounds (including drums), but the Volca Drum is an actual analogue synthesizer and it too covers a whole range of sounds besides drums - including very abstract, bizarre sounds. So, if you want specific sounds to play (with manipulation) opt for the Sample 2 or if you want to explore Syths and experiment with actual sound design, opt for the Drum.

Brilliant fun, fast and intuitive and now so cheap for what it does. It gives similar products (like the Sonic Potions LXR02) a real run for its money. I see no reason to spend more. However just like these similar products it has it's own unique sound and flavour and this may ultimately be it's downfall. There are great sounds ready to be created but in the end they all sound like a Volca Drum. For some reason there is just a limited colour pallet at hand. I found programming via the front panel a pain after about 30 mins and it was much easier via the editor program which really opened it up (there are two available). It made progamming a breeze and you could store all your sounds and kits instantly to computer. I preferred using the editor for the full experience and this finally made me decide not to keep the Volca Drum because I felt that I might as well go for a vst if I'm tied to the computer again. I enjoyed it for the few hours I had it (there were a few bugs but I didn't update the firmware) it was very immediate but unfortunetly so was the boredom that set in. Highly recommended if you want to tweak on the go and create edgier sounds. The sounds really PUNCH! It really is amazing for the price. Just not a keeper for me.

If you like analogue electronic music and you can't afford a "big" synth, then this is for you. I bought this one to complete my set of three Volcas, which also include the Volca Keys and Beats. These are extremely smartly designed instruments which will appeal to a wide audience. I like my 1980 electronic music and it only took minutes to get some superb pads, arpeggios and other wonderful sounds from these synths. Always been a real Korg fan, but never though I would be able to own three new Korgs for less than £350! What stands out for me on the Volca Bass is the ease by which you can make some great basslines in a matter of minutes. The 3 VCO setup is extremely clever. If you use the built in sequencer you can either create monophonic sequences using all three VCOs in unison (and detune them separately up to one octave up or down), or you can use two in unison and one as a separate voice or indeed programme 3 tone polyphonic sequences using each VCO for a separate part. By using the mute function you can then quickly switch parts on or off creating a lot of effect with just the one sequence in your performance. I also really like the way how you can set the destination of both the envelope generator and LFOs to control volume, filter cutoff and in case of the LFO also the pitch (of all three VCOs). The LED readout is extremely handy when you need to tune your VCOs, set the tempo or octave. Only thing you need to keep in mind, you do need to know a bit about synthesizers before you can really get the best out of these Volca's but it should not take a beginner long to understand how everything works. The instructions are limited, but there is plenty of information and videos on the internet to get you going.

Great, improved polyphony

You couldn't call it better. It makes beat. But not a single beat. There isn't limits when you can fine tune the analog sound parameters. It can be a simple clic but a warm groovy beat.

モノトライブでアナログシンセの出音にやられました。 ですが、持ち歩くには重い/でかい。モノトロンでは物足りない。 そこでvolca keysです!!これは素晴らしい！ まず、鍵盤が2オクターブの上、あります。しかも一般的な手鍵盤配列です。 歌もの演奏いけます。 volca bassでは、一列に並んでしまっているので、弾きにくいです。鍵盤数も少ないです。 タッチ・パネル鍵盤には慣れが必要です。静電容量式スイッチ(スマートフォンと同じ)で、 キーが小さいので、MIDIキーボードをつけるのもありです。 が、グリッサンド演奏が可能と考えればいいんですよ！スタイロフォンでおなじみの！ デジタルシンセ、スマートフォンでは出ない、あたたかみのある豊かな音(ノイズを含めて)。 アンプ、スピーカーにつなぐと驚くほどいい音が出ます。 本体のスピーカーはダメ子なので(そもそも本体裏から音が出るという)、 布団の中ではちびスピーカーをつないでいます。 audio-technica コンパクトスピーカーミラー AT-SPG50 MI 音を作るのは楽しいです。上手くいくときもあるし、いかないときもある。 プリセットの音をいじっていくのとはやはり違います。 お気に入りの音で、適当なフレーズを演奏して、フィルターかけて、ディレイかけて、アクティブステップして… これがあれば一人の夜でもさみしくない！ この子は小さいのによぅできた子です！ 欲を言えば、別売りで専用クッションケースが出て欲しいですね。 小さいボタン、つまみが出ているので気を使います。

Not a standout for composition, but fun for practice or jamming. It has a few limitations which stand out to me. The compact interface is always usable, but often awkward. Creating sounds is easy but adjusting them is tedious. Liberal use must be made of a hash in the LCD which marks the saved position of a setting, which is not trivial when using micro-potentiometers assigned to a resolution of 255 in a nested interface. This also obligates you to operate the controls deftly and save a kit after each adjustment to prevent your settings from drifting widely and mysteriously. You get 16 triggers/steps per pattern and 16 pattern slots, which feels claustrophobic. Patterns can be chained to create more complex progressions but with only 16 sets of 16 triggers and no data I/O, memory management is an issue. For instance, creating a 4-bar drum line with 16th-note resolution and a consistent fill on the 4th bar would generally use a quarter of the memory and require you to select the 4 bars sequentially each time you turn on the unit. Then, that memory is consumed until you delete the progression forever. Kits and patterns are marked only by their slot number. The gold-side "Send" physical modeling controls are impressive but are adjustable only per full kit, which in practice limits them to either trippy delays/reverbs and performance effects or to use on only one or a few drums. Time signature can be fudged, but only within extreme limits. This unit is mostly practical for us because it allows us to avoid computers in a few situations during jamming or practice. Far superior performance in every respect can be had from free or trivially cheap software on any phone, tablet, or PC; judged as a component of a modular setup and especially in the context of Volca as a system, I find it useful and likeable, but unwieldy. The sound generator is excellent only in its simplicity, and the sequencer is inflexible. Integrating this unit's stark limitations into a multi-hundred-dollar instrument could be fun but does not seem efficient or practical. However, we are very happy with it. We are not using it as a musical instrument, but as a configurable metronome / backing track. It feels more personal, predictable and charismatic than an automatic drummer, and less sterile than a metronome. The sound generator is a minimalist masterpiece, with only enough moving parts to create a wide array of convincing or pleasing drum sounds and effects. Probability and slicing controls push this Korg over the finish line between toy and tool, but no further.

Alles bestens

Estupendo sinte FM. Suena genial, 6 voces y admite sysex de DX7 de Yamaha.