Korg Volca SAMPLER

Oh my, this thing is rapidly looking tastier. With the motion sequencing, it's like a volca Octatrack. Hmm, speaking of, maybe I'll trade in my vBeats for one of these and my OT for a Monomachine, hehe.

http://www.korg-datastorage.jp/Manual/volcasample_MIDIChart_E.pdf

Weird MIDI implementation. Looks like it uses a channel for each sound. Then a CC for every parameter except the sample selection, reverb send and the global stuff (reverb level, eq), which could work well with sequencers that group a limited number of CCs by channel. Not sure what the remark about velocity means but it would be awesome if that was supported.

lol @ the SDK library being called SYRO:

http://korginc.github.io/volcasample/

cool that it means it's kinda open source though (?)

  On 11/21/2014 at 1:22 AM, modey said:

lol @ the SDK library being called SYRO:

http://korginc.github.io/volcasample/

 

 

cool that it means it's kinda open source though (?)

Haha yeah, I'm guessing it's just a coincidence since they've probably been developing this thing for at least a year.

They've at least made the data format available and provided example source for writing to it. So the machine itself isn't open source but this is a big step toward developing tools. It's a clever move since they're addressing the complaint about there only being an iOS app and projecting a positive image and at the same time they now don't have to maintain an Android app, they're just saying, here's the documentation and source, now go roll your own!

I'm glad they made the pattern format available too. In the big picture it's not that significant but it's another thing to play with and is a nice gesture. I remember trying to reverse engineer the sysex of the RY30 patterns; it was a nightmare and Yamaha wasn't helpful at all, which is fair enough for a machine that was 15 years old at the time.

That's really awesome. Kinda makes me want to get one and get into writing some code to work with it. Korg is just killin' it these days!

I was just at a shop in London and had a guy from Korg give me a demo of this. I want one. The stock sounds alone are worth it. Plus the reverb is surprisingly impressive. Can totally see the appeal for a live set up. The ability to manipulate sound is pretty expansive. I know that isn't a great review but it totally won me over.

someone has already written some third-party software for it.. so you no longer need an iphone to load samples:

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2014/12/theres-already-free-sample-editor-volca-sample-barely-shipping/

just collected a volca sample this evening...

first impressions:

wow, really nice, well thought out and sounds great! really powerful bass and grainy, grimey sounding hats, the isolator is much better than i expected too

feels more like a stand-alone instrument than the other volcas, like you could make a whole track on it

love the motion sequencing, although its a bit fiddly with the small knobs - you can totally fubar samples with it, loads of scope for changing up any sounds

it's got half tempo time and motion sequencing similar to the v keys

its got the full tempo range selection from the v beats (full 10-600 bpm !!! or narrow 56-240 bpm)

the swing is a brilliant addition - looking forward to sequencing the other volcas with this

the alt 9-10 sample slots cancel each other out, great for closed and open hi-hat sounds

the song sequencer is quite simple but it really helps to add life to simple loops, really quick to stick ideas together

reverb's not too shabby, did seem like all or nothing though, but more time needed to find the sweet spots

would have liked to be able to make different length parts like on the volca bass and sequence sample selection but thats just being greedy... ;>)

well worth the money... i'd ordered this just before the announcement of the android sample app... will try that later and see how it handles

hey guys, recommendations on which Volca I'd get the most bang for my buck? Trying to set up a mobile rig with an iPad, Nord Micro Modular, Kaoss Pad, USB Interface and whatever software I can install on a MacBook.

Suggestions? Which model should I get? I'm running ios 7.0 so can't use the sampling app without permanently updating os.

  On 12/11/2014 at 10:50 PM, modey said:

someone has already written some third-party software for it.. so you no longer need an iphone to load samples:

 

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2014/12/theres-already-free-sample-editor-volca-sample-barely-shipping/

cooooooooooooooooooooooooooool

the android app looks to be developed by the people who also make caustic 3 (aka the greatest android app ever to exist)

deff gonna pick this up now, just waiting for them to show up at my local place

second impressions:

sequencer is a bit too limited...

cant use the mutes while a songs running or any midi except note on messages... really hope they update this in future, no mutes makes the sequencer pretty useless for me, would have been useable if i could have adjusted level over midi while playing.... full midi control while in song mode would make this a sample killer

made a controller patch on the kenton control freak and it responds well to midi

the android app works, although its too fiddly to do any real editing i find, im using a galaxy s3 so its a decent size screen - probs work better on a tablet

it doesnt let me load from SD card which is a shame, got a spare 32gig card filled with 808 kiks, 909 hats and fart sounds :>/

ill probably edit any sample on a pc then use the app for transfer only

full sample restore took about 13 mins

still think its great value and sounds huge

  On 12/23/2014 at 2:55 AM, Rubin Farr said:

hey guys, recommendations on which Volca I'd get the most bang for my buck? Trying to set up a mobile rig with an iPad, Nord Micro Modular, Kaoss Pad, USB Interface and whatever software I can install on a MacBook.

Suggestions? Which model should I get? I'm running ios 7.0 so can't use the sampling app without permanently updating os.

depends what you want from the volcas...

sample is probably most versatile - might be cool if you run out of space on the micro modular, just drop samples onto the volca

beats for beats - really all it does, does it well and not loads of variety but fire it thru a kaoss pad and you're golden

bass for bass - can do lots more than bass, can sequence each vco separately, although only 1 bar long, not a 303 clone

keys for keys - 3 note poly, better sequencer than the bass - up to 4 bars, motion sequencing, unison + poly ring modes make some nice metallic clangs

the delay on the keys is quite noisey i found and the beats not as loud as the others

best to check youtube demos and see what jumps out at you or just buy all 4... ;>)

When does the sampler release?

anyone else found the outputs on all the volcas pretty poor? mine seem quiet and when i boost the gain it results in a lot of noise...think it's because of the rather flimsy 1.5mm jacks perhaps....or could be my cables but that seems unlikely. defo not my mixer as it's only a few months old and sounds great with all my other gear...anyway, this has unfortunately rendered the volcas unusable for me right now and i have banished them to the attic to think about what they have done.

maybe i just need some DI boxes?

  On 12/26/2014 at 11:09 AM, BCM said:

anyone else found the outputs on all the volcas pretty poor? mine seem quiet and when i boost the gain it results in a lot of noise...think it's because of the rather flimsy 1.5mm jacks perhaps....or could be my cables but that seems unlikely. defo not my mixer as it's only a few months old and sounds great with all my other gear...anyway, this has unfortunately rendered the volcas unusable for me right now and i have banished them to the attic to think about what they have done.

 

maybe i just need some DI boxes?

No, I have no issues with any of the three. I'd check your cables. I use 1/8" to 1/4" TRS cables going into the inserts on my Mackie with no troubles.

i reckon I've got a ground loop problem what with all my other gear etc...looking at a multi DI box rack thing with ground lift which is supposed to sort it out....i probably should also invest in a load of new cables.

Ah, ground loop noise sucks. I ended up snapping off the ground pin on a double adapter that I plug my mixer into; it works but perhaps I should look into a more elegant solution hahah

thinking of getting this SM Pro DI8E 8 input DI box which should hopefully sort it all out...

http://www.dv247.com/studio-equipment/sm-pro-di8e-8-channel-di-box--91533

There are really cheap solutions for ground loop problems, adapters & leads going into a black plastic/epoxy-type housing & back out again. I used one for my old laptop, which hummed. 20 quid or something

i get weird groundloops from certain pieces of gear. in one case, it was coming from having a computer monitor plugged in the same circuit, and the hum persisted even if the screen was turned off. but then again, it can be like whack a mole too, depending on which outputs on the gear i use, headphones or rear outputs. i did learn that ferrites don't help.

but in the absence of ground terminals in some gear creates a different problem that the noise goes through the hot or cold a/c leads. and adding a ground terminal doesnt help and can make it worse.

  On 12/26/2014 at 11:09 AM, BCM said:

anyone else found the outputs on all the volcas pretty poor? mine seem quiet and when i boost the gain it results in a lot of noise...think it's because of the rather flimsy 1.5mm jacks perhaps....or could be my cables but that seems unlikely. defo not my mixer as it's only a few months old and sounds great with all my other gear...anyway, this has unfortunately rendered the volcas unusable for me right now and i have banished them to the attic to think about what they have done.

 

maybe i just need some DI boxes?

Just plugged headphones into Beats and fired it up for the first time and the noise is really noticeable. Almost 100% sure the issue is with the Beats and not the phones or cable. Do I need to return this shit? Someone on Gearslutz seems to have had the same problem but solved it with a mono lead

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-electronic-music-production/886986-volca-beats-noise.html

bcm, it's a phase problem

positive and negative are cancelling each other out, resulting in shitty sound

i guess left and right are in inverted phase

you need a stereo 1/8inch to dual mono 1/4inch y~cable

---<

on the beats turn down the bass drum as it easily overpowers the other sounds.

the snare is embarrassing

you can make a really good snare out of the two toms with the clap set to snappy.

the high hats are quite the joke, filter freq too high

the lack of a track sequencer or even an 8 bar sequence also takes the piss.

hope they improve things with a v2.

.

what's that mod wheel stick doing? what can the a4 keys do that a4 can't ?

It sounds like the joystick is tweaking all the different filter settings that are processing the Volca.

I'm pretty sure there issn't anything different from the keys and regular A4 besides the keys and joystick. They use the same OS I believe.

Sweet little video.