Korg Volca series

I'd say the Bass is more specialized in its abilities, whereas the Keys is pretty basic: it's pretty much just sawtooth + VCF + 3-note poly (which is perfect for, say, my purposes but might not suit yours).

If you want that classic analog poly sound (plus some goodies like the step sequencer and ringmod) then go for the Keys. But if you want something with more depth and flex for bass and leads then grab the Bass.

Personally, I'm an easy date so the Keys is all I needed. From your list of gear I'd say you could definitely benefit from some analog bass action.

i got the keys but find I am still unable to unlock the secrets of music. even though I got the keys. fml

that saddens me. try putting some batteries in it.

lol

My Volca Bass is been shipped!

heres a couple of fuckabouts with the volca beats thru a monotron delay...

[sc5]119473149[/sc5]

[sc5]119473150[/sc5]

anyone got a volca bass that they could post some jams from? might ask santa for one *<|8>)

  On 11/10/2013 at 6:44 PM, volg4 said:

heres a couple of fuckabouts with the volca beats thru a monotron delay...

 

[sc5]119473149[/sc5]

 

[sc5]119473150[/sc5]

 

anyone got a volca bass that they could post some jams from? might ask santa for one *<|8>)

Those bits are bangin'! Especially like the second one.

I'll be posting some Bass examples once I get it tomorrow hopefully.

I'm pretty sure the keys has three fixed sawtooth oscillators, no multimode.

  On 11/12/2013 at 5:06 PM, Gocab said:

I'm pretty sure the keys has three fixed sawtooth oscillators, no multimode.

yeah

VOLCA KEYS OWNERS

Has anyone came across a detuning problem with the Keys?

When i'm sequencing the keys via MIDI it randomly starts to detune itself - as if i've twiddled with the knobs - if I re-zero out all the knobs it stops, but then it can suddenly start doing it again (haven't tested playing it on it's own enough to know if the problem only happens with MIDI)

Think it might unfortunatley be a defect model...but dang, what are the odds?

  On 11/14/2013 at 12:37 AM, TRiP said:

VOLCA KEYS OWNERS

 

Has anyone came across a detuning problem with the Keys?

 

When i'm sequencing the keys via MIDI it randomly starts to detune itself - as if i've twiddled with the knobs - if I re-zero out all the knobs it stops, but then it can suddenly start doing it again (haven't tested playing it on it's own enough to know if the problem only happens with MIDI)

 

Think it might unfortunatley be a defect model...but dang, what are the odds?

You're using batteries I'm guessing...?

That happened to me and I tapped on the battery compartment and it immediately fixed itself. Keep in mind that the oscillators are voltage-controlled and that batteries drain.

good answer

(I haven't experienced this myself but what limpy said makes sense, cheers for being so helpful LL)

i really enjoy the keys but aside from the one mode of polyphony i'm not seeing much of a difference in the way i'd use it from the way i'd use a bass... and the bass can operate its three oscillators w/ different patterns, that seems like a lot of fun. i'll probably end up w/ both sooner than later... that price tag is pretty inviting.

  On 11/14/2013 at 4:30 AM, Mesh Gear Fox said:

just saw waves? that's kind of dissapointing, i gotta say. i mean, korg don't owe me anything but it looks like the bass can do what the keys does and more. someone change my mind maybe?

The bass can't play chords. Buy both, they're cheap.

  On 11/14/2013 at 5:40 AM, LimpyLoo said:

 

  On 11/14/2013 at 4:30 AM, Mesh Gear Fox said:

just saw waves? that's kind of dissapointing, i gotta say. i mean, korg don't owe me anything but it looks like the bass can do what the keys does and more. someone change my mind maybe?

 

The bass can't play chords. Buy both, they're cheap.

 

Totally wrong.

You can program in different notes for all three oscillators, over any span of octaves, so you can achieve the same chords on the Bass as on the Keys. You can also tune each oscillator in both cents and tones, so you can do a mono sequence, and do chords at set intervals. It has the kind of limitations that enable creativity, and unusual sounds and progressions. Second day with the Bass and I have been having tons of fun with chords.

I'd say the delay is the best feature of the keys from what I've heard

(Ok admittedly, being able to play chords live is nice too, but for someone who prefers to compose/program, the Bass is perfect.)

Fuuuuck, when is mine gonna come?!

Well, the keys and the bass sound different, the filter on the keys is super smooth to my ears, while the bass has a much more unveildy agressive sounding filter, I guess it's the same low-pass MS20 filter used in the monotrons and the monotribe. It's a cool filter, and I love it, don't get me wrong, but the bass isn't capable of producing the same sound as the keys.

Says the guy who owns neither. yet.

a jam of purely bass/beats fairly dry/a light phase or flange through the bass I think with this one.... https://soundcloud.com/m-reef/trpn

these boxes are quality...... the places one could go with a few FX Pedals to sweeten things up a bit and these 3 ;)!

*another example https://soundcloud.com/m-reef/acid-warehouse-look this time with some vsts/a few FX to give em company..... after the pads finish it's a pretty straight jam.... different time/feel.

raw tiny snippet of something that didn't even record properly!!!!!! https://soundcloud.com/m-reef/sprack-ooot-extract

I got to play with the Bass last night with headphones and it's pure fun. The step programming is little off putting compared 303 programming, but it's just a matter of getting used to it. It's 3 VCOs, so you can have 3 patterns going at once with the ability to mute individual VCOs. You can change the EG from a 303 like Envelope/Decay to an 'Amp EG' which works more like an SH101 which is really cool. I was able to get some nice cracked out bass drum type sounds out of it too. The only thing that I'm unsure of is switching between different saved patterns. It seems like it won't let the sequence finish before switching to the next sequence. And you only get 8 saved sequences. Still, it's awesome.

  On 11/14/2013 at 2:14 PM, Macca said:

a jam of purely bass/beats fairly dry/a light phase or flange through the bass I think with this one.... https://soundcloud.com/m-reef/trpn

 

 

nice job, sounds really nice

  On 11/14/2013 at 12:44 AM, LimpyLoo said:

 

  On 11/14/2013 at 12:37 AM, TRiP said:

VOLCA KEYS OWNERS

 

Has anyone came across a detuning problem with the Keys?

 

When i'm sequencing the keys via MIDI it randomly starts to detune itself - as if i've twiddled with the knobs - if I re-zero out all the knobs it stops, but then it can suddenly start doing it again (haven't tested playing it on it's own enough to know if the problem only happens with MIDI)

 

Think it might unfortunatley be a defect model...but dang, what are the odds?

 

You're using batteries I'm guessing...?

 

That happened to me and I tapped on the battery compartment and it immediately fixed itself. Keep in mind that the oscillators are voltage-controlled and that batteries drain.

 

ahh innnteresting!

However, we we're using batteries until very recently when the power supplies arrived - and i'm quite sure the problem was happening even when the power supply was plugged in

ALTHOUGH - perhaps i should take it one step further and remove the batteries when the power supply is plugged in - however i'd like to think the Unit would automatically take power from the DC in over the batteries when plugged in

thanks for the suggestion anyway, i'll keep it in mind and report back later

Bass is beast!

[sc5]120215274[/sc5]

This is more on the ambient side. The Bass very versatile!

[sc5]120218573[/sc5]

All you hear is Volcas.

https://soundcloud.com/koroda/dreaming-of-me-volca-version

and about the keys tuning.

"If you feel the pitch has drifted, please stop the sound for about 10 seconds. volca's auto- tuning function will correct itself automatically."

from the manual.