Korg Volca Mix Analogue Perfomance Mixer Four Channel w/Powerful Master Chain

This was an impulse buy on Amazon Warehouse (AW) on a bitterly cold night in early February, an evening when I had had a few too many glasses of wine. I was vaguely aware of the Korg Volca series, in that I had seen a few negative or neutral comments about them on various music forums, but I hadn't listened to any audio demos or watched any YouTube demonstration videos. Honestly, these tiny boxes had never appealed, as I like my synths with keys or something I can put in a rack and MIDI up to my rig. So when this popped up on AW in a "Used-Acceptable condition for what seemed to be nearly 50% off the retail price, I thought, well, if I don't like it, I can sell it on for a profit. I'm glad I did. I love this little box, and it looked absolutely brand new in the box when it arrived. Go figure. I like it more than my Pro-1 monosynth -- I think the Volca Bass sounds better than most of my keyboards, with the exception of my Korg Radias. I mean to say, the Volca Bass is fat sounding, and oh!!! it has that distorted squeal that is very similar to a Roland TB-303 (or the Behringer clone). The filter resonance (peak knob) on this wee thing self-oscillates, so if you're looking to do a bit of Daft Punk or Chemical Brothers-style late 90s and early 00s techno work, this little guy can do it, and do it very nicely. Let's get the cons out of the way: The speaker is rubbish. I get why Korg put it there, but the speaker doesn't have the range to actually hear what all the glorious goodness this synth can make. Tip: Use headphones if you're going portable with this. Otherwise, hook it up to your mixer / monitoring system / amp. The MIDI implementation is good, but you can't modulate the filter via MIDI. What???!!! Why not, Korg? What are you thinking? Sigh... So, you must use the Volca Bass's filter knob in real-time. Also, no MIDI out, but it is possible to modify the unit so that it can do MIDI out, so at least there's that option for the hardcore modders. Pattern storage is limited to 8 memory slots. You will use those up quickly, and then you'll have to decide on which patterns to get rid of for later sessions. Also, there is no pattern chaining, so you must manually change patterns in real time, and you will need to do that in perfect sync as there is also no "wait to change pattern" functionality. If you're sequencing a pattern, know that the filter knob adjustments do not get recorded. The octave knob's movements will be recorded, however. On the other hand, it is possible to create 24 patterns when in individual three-osc mode, and with a bit of clever muting, you can probably do quite a bit with that. The smaller, clear knobs ... it's sometimes difficult to see what their positions are. Also, when I reach for the tempo or the EG attack knobs at the top center/left of the unit, I often accidentally brush the big filter knob. No noise oscillator... that's a shame. But not a deal breaker... So them's me cons. On the the pros: Three very stable analog VCOs (digitally tuned for stability, but these bad boys are definitely analog oscillators), any of which can be a Saw or Square wave. You have the options of three independent VCOs, two stacked together, or all three stacked together. There is also a tuning knob for each VCO, so you're able to create a very thick and fat super saw sound. Note range can be adjusted per voice but only if you are sequencing a pattern. Otherwise, all three VCOs will change depending on where the octave knob is set. The playing surface (ribbon?) is really responsive to touch and it's fun to play and slide around on it, but it is important to note that the playing surface is not velocity sensitive. The Volca Bass responds to velocity when connected to MIDI controller, though. Keep that in mind if you want to get the most you can out of this tiny box of joy. It took me a few minutes to work out what the deal was with the black and gold "keys." Tip: The gold keys are the black keys on a keyboard. The rest are the white keys. The lowest note on the surface is an "A". Maybe an "E" would have been better, which is the lowest note on a bass guitar, but from keyboard perspective I suppose it makes sense (an 88-key keyboard's first note is an A.) The filter on this insanely good. I read somewhere that it's based on a Korg 700s filter. I dunno if it is or not. And I don't care. I really like a lot. The envelope seems limited, but it actually has two modes and it is perfectly serviceable. One mode with no sustain segment, just an attack and delay, which is superb for punchy bass tones, and the second mode is with a sustain feature, which is great for more synthy sounds and self-oscillating the filter rez. These modes are switched by holding down the function button and pressing the number 11 key marked Sustain. Pattern sequencing is quick, if not a bit imprecise when doing it in real time. There is some sort of quantization going on, which can be distressing if your timing is off. I much prefer to sequence a pattern in Step Rec mode. Speaking of modes, the Active Step mode is useful and fun. At the moment, I tend to use a Beat Step Pro to sequence more complex patterns. Other times, I will set up a zone on my workstation to play the Volca Bass via MIDI in real time. I'll even swipe at the playing surface from time to time when playing other synths. You'll definitely want to put some effects in the signal chain, such as pedals or some other multi-fx unit, as the dry sound may be a bit in your face. But even dry, it can sit in a mix at low volumes. All in all, I'm really impressed by the sound of the Volca Bass. I had no idea that I was missing this in my life, and I'm glad I bought it. I'm now considering selling my Pro-1, as I have had that turned off since the beginning of February when the Volca arrived and I don't need two monosynths which cover the same sonic terrority. For its size, it's a little powerhouse in a tiny, tiny box. Could the UI (knobs), memory storage and MIDI implementation be improved? Sure, those could be better, but if you can snag one of these for $100 or less, it's definitely worth it.

Ok, here’s my deal. I’m a long time retired Recording Engineer, Recording Studio Owner, Drummer, Synth Owner and Programmer since 1972. After being away from it for so many years, I recently decided to build a nice small Music/Sound Production Workstation Studio in our home’s Music Room. I began this in January 2022 starting out small but it has really grown over the past 18 months. OK, for me Synthesizers are an addiction, especially now, that so many lower cost, quality options are available like never before. I already own the Korg Volca FM 2, mainly because of it’s Yamaha DX7 Heritage and the ability to not only download and install all of the Original DX7 sounds but also the slew of other available presets and it’’s small form factor. I’ve been looking at the Volca Samples for a while and when I saw that the Volca Sample now had version 2 with a USB Interface and complimentary Sample Librarian to let me manage the samples and patterns loaded on the Volca Sample2 I was intrigued. Did I need one, NO, did I want one, well yes, so it was an impulse purchase. Was it worth it YES! Very simply stated, it’s just a fun machine, full of features, quality sounds and a blast to program and just play with. The overall build quality and sound on all of the Korg Volcas is decent, especially for the low cost, (I’m not carrying it around all over the place, it just sits nicely on a stand on my workstation). There’s just so much this little Sample Box/Sequencer can do. It’s fairly straightforward to program and if you need some help there are a few very good Videos out there on YouTube. It’s a great addition to my “Synth Arsenal”

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.

Well built, especially for price. I've used it with midi in from a controller (which I highly recommend). The touh-sensitive keys themselves are fine for what they are, but the are awkward. Make sure you order a midi adapter if you don't have one, since this is not the standard connector. I love the sounds of this synth. I am not planning on modifying patches much, but the interface for doing so is pretty clunky indeed. One star off for this. Also, the 7-segment display seems unnecessarily archaic in this day and age. I plan on using this on the road to practice with a midi controller, so the built-in speaker is nice in a pinch.

Korg's Volca series is great, but it would probably be helpful to know what you're getting into ahead of time before purchasing. While there's a lot of videos on YouTube, and some busy topics on Reddit discussing the merits of these machines, I think I fit pretty accurately the target audience for the series to help speak on whether or not they might be right for you: I’m an amateur to synthesis and have minimal space for gear, a low budget, and an affinity for low-fi sounds. That being said, I started with the Bass about a year and a half ago and admittedly didn't really understand the thing, or how to use it in my workflow that at the time was primarily just clicking around in the DAW. After jumping over that hurdle and learning the various functions and controls, the thing really opened up. While it's certainly got a tinny/metallic sound to it and is by no means your classic acid machine, the thing really screams and can make some great sounds. Granted, I don't have years of experience with higher-end synthesizers to compare against, but that leads into my next point, which is that these machines are just fun, especially for someone starting out working with hardware. I've seen complaints about them being 'toys', or limited in what you can do with them, and while I won't argue the merits of that based on some folks' perspectives, the small, portable nature of them makes them a non-invasive addition to a small space and perfect for picking up and messing around outside of the desk or studio environment. The price tag encourages buying them over time, and since getting the Bass, I've added the Beats, FM, and Keys to the mix. They each have their own quirks and limitations that encourage creativity. As well, they're powerful enough to be useful, and rather than being overwhelming machines (a bit like the Microbrute is for me as still-an-amature), they're in most respects easy to learn. The FM's a bit of it's own story though, as FM synthesis is complicated by nature. I'm hesitant to purchase the Sample, simply due to the lack of an audio in. Maybe the iOS app is convenient and easy to use, but it still adds an extra layer to getting sounds on the machine. Which brings me to another point: if you're considering either the Beats or the Sample, you might look first for a used ES-1 or ER-1. They're roughly the same price, but a bit more versatile (although bigger), and at least in comparing the ER-1 to the Beats, sound considerably better (the Beats snare issue is annoying, but not a total deal breaker if the other pros outweigh that con). In summary, I think these are really great, affordable little machines. Without the hassle of buying old buggy hardware, you get some new portable things with a lot of potential. If you’re looking for machines with ‘recordability’, though, these probably fall more in the jam-box or accent-to-other-machines category. Have fun!

After years of working with softsynths off and on as a hobby, this is the first hardware synth I've ever owned, and it's terrific. It's a portable little box you can play around with anywhere, but you can also hook it up to a sequencer or keyboard controller over MIDI and use it as a sound module, so it's nice and versatile. Between the 6 different modes (unison, poly, and unison ring are my favorites so far) and the 7 octave range, you can get a lot of different sounds out of this synth, which is great. You also get a bunch of knobs (especially given the size of the box) that you can use to get the tone you're looking for, and almost all of them (the mode, the octave, and I think master volume are the exceptions) can be saved as motion sequences in the 8 pattern memories or controlled over MIDI. One thing that could either be good or bad (for me, it's a big positive) is that it has a pretty distinctive sound, especially the filter. It has a brassy quality to it that makes it stands out. I would definitely listen to some sound samples before buying it so you know it's for you -- if you're looking for a more generic-sounding synth our some other quality in particular, this may not be exactly right. And I love the fat bass tones I can get out of this, but if you're looking for a filter with more of a bite to it or you want to be able to do acid lines, the Volca Bass may be a better choice. Like I said though, I personally love the sound. For the price, there are no downsides to this synth. Having said that, if I could change anything about it, I wish they could have squeezed in an aux in like they did with the Monotrons. I'd love to be able to run other sounds through this filter and the delay. I also kind of wish they could have squeezed in waveform controls for the VCOs and a step sequencer (the Volca Bass has both of these). But even without any of those, this is a great little box that can produce some killer sounds. I absolutely recommend it.

Well, first things first..I'm 30 years old, from sothern California. My dad is a old school Dj that still performs at weddings & other events, but he started out in 1981 Dj'ing at "bobby mcgee restaurant & nightclub". After growing up around a whole family that revolves around music since I can remember, These devices bring back those memory's from the beginning for me! The way they even look & sound is almost a perfect mirror reflection of what I've experience from the past. This review is for the "korg volca bass" so I'll tell you how it sounds to me. The volca bass sounds pretty much like the korg monotribe as far as quality goes, it's simple & great. The operation & programming is why I love this unit the most! I'm a "real-time" performer, meaning when I play live or even in studio I prefer to pretty much keep the beat going simply put..I do not like sitting for longs periods of time editing music. For me I like to be in a "live event" type state of mind, I find i work better under pressure when there is always that "what if I mess up, ect" going on in my brain I just give all I got at that point. So this Volca bass & the other 2 units are great for someone that likes the process of creating, making,mixing,editing layers on layers of an infinite amount of variations music in front of people, these are made for you! I'm not going in-depth with operation because I'm good at 95% of what these babies can really do so if you have any questions fill free to contact me. I don't know much about the "write" functions but everything els I'm good with. Basically I got all three at once because they make up the basics of music. Somtimes I find myself building a drum pattern first, then I work on the bass line, then I use the volca keys (or what I call it volca-synth) for many different things. What's nice is just making a few cords on the (flux) setting, making is record realtime without quantization all the patter of music. Meaning on flux mode it will not correct or off tones ect..but this allows for a more complex pattern to be recorded:) so after making a nice chord you can play on top of it or whatever you want. The thing they don't tell you about all three of these unites especially the "keys" is that you under the right light condition, you can see right through these things! So in the middle of a mix you look down & it's pretty dang trippy some times! you can see the red led lights inside from parts of the sequencer actually blinking from the inside out while on the outside most the knobs blink/flash strobe, to show the movement that was recorded while playing in memory mode. Also I say "most" because there are a few knobs like "peak knob " if I remember right, that do not light up & they are not suppose to light up. So it's not broken or anything if your not seeing certain a knob/light not flash. Some bad things, hard to use with my big hands but very doable.. Had to go to GC & buy like 70$ worth of korg A/c power supply's for them all still not bad..also I'd be willing to pay more if the had more functions & a little better built, I'm not complaining trust me. So that's all I have time for now. Thanks

Outstanding device. Blows my mind with the sound quality!