I love your videos, because you're obviously just super jazzed to get to play with synths. :) You also give detailed overviews of what things do, and that's useful as hell. But mostly I love it that you totally geek out over good synths. :D
I was going to buy a monosynth like minibrute but now i can buy this monster for much much less, i'm really impressed with the volcas. 3 oscilators, plus the other awesome features, Very portable, I hope the build quality is as good as the sounds. Thanks for the demo. Regards from Portugal.
Pure pleasure! The filter is HUGE. Marc I love your passion for analog... When you laugh as the low fatness kicks in... You're right we all get it, and we all want this Volca!
About 3 minutes in i felt like i was in a George A Romero movie - great sounds, i've owned a Volca bass for months, but until today i never realised it's potential - thanks.
I'd like to second the theme of gladness that you have returned. Will you be doing a video on the midi functionality of this thing? At this price point I could feasibly get a stack of these things and do some real damage.
I have never heard you so enthusiastic about something. You must really like this thing. I might get one if I see some mod kits with more TB type features. Cheaper to buy this and mod it than getting a xoxbox or Bass Bot by far.
Hi Marc. I'd have preferred a walk through of how the cutoff and envelope work together, than all the mooning over the filter. I do love enthusiasm though!
Love this series.. Question.. could this Volca Bass re-create something like the original Terminator theme? Or perhaps something similar to the theme used on netflix's Stranger Things?
I only have three criticisms of the otherwise amazing Volca Bass: 1) sequencer duration is too short and needs to be 4 bars (all my fave basslines are 2-4 bars long). 2) Why equip the KVB with such an amazing filter/LFO and then not include Motion recording? 3) Why no stepjump? (I love the stepjump on the Beats and sad it's not available on any other Volca). I do hope Korg bring out MKii versions of the first 3 Volcas as they're all frustratingly close to perfection but all lack a couple key features (e.g. swing).
Here I am 8 years later, watching this for confirmation that this is indeed my option for a bass synth...Looking at 6-700 bucks or less, this filter still stands up against a bass station ii, a boog, even a moog minitaur, this is still the beefiest filter to my ears, and the one that best keeps the fundamental low end even as frequencies are added. Needs an external sequencer but if all you want is beefy bass...I've so far not found a better option even against synths three times the price...
MONO? i guess that having 3 independent oscillators gives you a 3-note chord possibility, only by changing each one's pitch. yeah !sounds like polyphonic now
It's monophonic if you play the ribbon or a keyboard, but the sequencer is polyphonic. It seems like there should be a mod to make it polyphonic (actually paraphonic) like the Keys.
+rg7120 I havent tried it yet, but i would imagine that you could use the pitch control knobs to tune each oscillator to a particular note in a 3 note chord and set the v.bass to the 3 note unison mode. Then each note you play (either independently or in the sequencer) would form a 3 note chord with the root based on the pitch of the first oscillator (or whichever one for which you have the pitch knob set to 0). For example a major chord is Root + major 3rd + perfect 5th. You would set the first osc to 0 pitch, the second oscillator to n4 (a major 3rd is 4 semi tones above the root) and the third osc to n7 (a perfect 5th is 7 semitones above the root). Then each note you (or the sequencer) sound should be a combination of the primary note you play (osc1 = root), a major 3rd (osc2), and a perfect 5th, i.e. a major chord with the root being whichever note you physically play on the keyboard) Obviously, this is not perfect polyphony as you are tied into whichever chord pattern you set up via the pitch knobs (you can, of course, adjust those pitch knobs in real time, but this is tough to do with a fairly quick tempo, and would get complex if you are trying to use several different chord patterns), which then limits the chords one might use in a chord progression (as the iv and v, or IV and V chords used a different pattern of semitones than the I or i respectively). That being said, you should be able to get some polyphony even using the sequencer
1) The filter does not really self-oscillate. 2) What you describe as fat is in fact just distortion. This little baby has a terrible internal headroom. The problem is that any reasonable amount of resonance leads to this distorted sound. What it BADLY needs is a level control for the oscillator section which would expand the filters palette at least tenfold. Even better would be a per oscillator level control which would also expand the oscillator section palette. I would gladly give up some other minor feature for this.
I love your videos, because you're obviously just super jazzed to get to play with synths. :) You also give detailed overviews of what things do, and that's useful as hell. But mostly I love it that you totally geek out over good synths. :D
djshiva Ha ha, thank you!
I forgot to say, great video btw. I've had my Volcas less than a week so videos such as this are an invaluable crashcourse. thanks.
I bought one of these recently, and when I plugged it in and turned that cutoff knob, I thought, "Holy hell". Amazing little tool.
I was going to buy a monosynth like minibrute but now i can buy this monster for much much less, i'm really impressed with the volcas. 3 oscilators, plus the other awesome features, Very portable, I hope the build quality is as good as the sounds.
Thanks for the demo.
Regards from Portugal.
Bought a Volca Bass today and does it sound great!!! Having a lot of fun. Thanks for your explanations. Awesome help!
Bought myself the three great Volca's and found your channel... I'm VERY happy with all the Volca videos! GREAT! Thanx man!
Pure pleasure! The filter is HUGE. Marc I love your passion for analog... When you laugh as the low fatness kicks in... You're right we all get it, and we all want this Volca!
My volca bass, beats and keys are hopefully going to show up tomorrow! I can't wait!
Yup, I'm sold. Placed my order this morning and I'll hopefully have it in my hands in the next 2 weeks. Thank you!
Such a beauty. Hopefully they'll be available soon.
as always, your videos are amazingly well done, thank you !!!
omfg he's still alive! glad to see videos again :)
About 3 minutes in i felt like i was in a George A Romero movie - great sounds, i've owned a Volca bass for months, but until today i never realised it's potential - thanks.
Hypnodelica Hey, thank you! I'm glad I could help.
Ordered a Volca Keys, but now I might have to get one of these too! Great Explanations and enthusiasm!!! :-)
I'm waiting for my Volca Bass & Keys! Thanks for your amazing videos!
Thank you, Marco!
Great video, following you for a while.
Thx for sharing your reviews and set up
Peace
DJG
Would love to see you do a demo of this with an external arpeggiator and or midi keyboard or DAW if you are into that! :)
I'd like to second the theme of gladness that you have returned. Will you be doing a video on the midi functionality of this thing? At this price point I could feasibly get a stack of these things and do some real damage.
I have never heard you so enthusiastic about something. You must really like this thing. I might get one if I see some mod kits with more TB type features. Cheaper to buy this and mod it than getting a xoxbox or Bass Bot by far.
Great series, Marc!
Erik Zett Hå Thank you!
"we're just getting started here, oh my gosh" =)
I think this thingy is very temptive! But I also like the Stylophone. What to do? Take both!?
fantastic instructional videos. very well done.
All of the videos by this guy are basically advertisements. No talk about limits. Just pure awesomeness.
Unbelievable features for the price. Any word icircuit board has cv patch points? Perhaps software upgrade will allow more lfo waveforms.
Hi Marc. I'd have preferred a walk through of how the cutoff and envelope work together, than all the mooning over the filter. I do love enthusiasm though!
Really does sound nice. Can the filter moves be recorded into the sequence?
Love this series.. Question.. could this Volca Bass re-create something like the original Terminator theme? Or perhaps something similar to the theme used on netflix's Stranger Things?
Not in Canada until "sometime" in November. :-(
I only have three criticisms of the otherwise amazing Volca Bass: 1) sequencer duration is too short and needs to be 4 bars (all my fave basslines are 2-4 bars long). 2) Why equip the KVB with such an amazing filter/LFO and then not include Motion recording? 3) Why no stepjump? (I love the stepjump on the Beats and sad it's not available on any other Volca). I do hope Korg bring out MKii versions of the first 3 Volcas as they're all frustratingly close to perfection but all lack a couple key features (e.g. swing).
All three VCOs trigger the EG. The user freetacorrective demonstrates the effect in his review of the Bass.
Here I am 8 years later, watching this for confirmation that this is indeed my option for a bass synth...Looking at 6-700 bucks or less, this filter still stands up against a bass station ii, a boog, even a moog minitaur, this is still the beefiest filter to my ears, and the one that best keeps the fundamental low end even as frequencies are added. Needs an external sequencer but if all you want is beefy bass...I've so far not found a better option even against synths three times the price...
Nice video about a nice box...thx 🎼
makes me want to BIN. I have the volca drums & must have this
Yes!
I thought only the keys could record movement? Or do you have to enable it somehow?
If I'm not mistaken that filter is more of a low pass gate?
I don't think you can get them in the US or Canada yet.
is it possible to transpose a sequence with midi or with the touch keyboard?
7:13
chills down my spine
Great video !
Do you think I should get the AKAI Timbre Wolf or the Volca Bass for basslines ? I can't decide...
Thanks for helping me out.
If you have the enough money for Timbre Wolf then look for used Bass Station II.
Can anyone tell me how the envelope acts when each VCO is playing separate sequences? Which VCO triggers the filter?
Must have this right now!!
your stuff is right on the dot. mr.DOTY
MONO? i guess that having 3 independent oscillators gives you a 3-note chord possibility, only by changing each one's pitch. yeah !sounds like polyphonic now
It's monophonic if you play the ribbon or a keyboard, but the sequencer is polyphonic. It seems like there should be a mod to make it polyphonic (actually paraphonic) like the Keys.
+rg7120 I havent tried it yet, but i would imagine that you could use the pitch control knobs to tune each oscillator to a particular note in a 3 note chord and set the v.bass to the 3 note unison mode. Then each note you play (either independently or in the sequencer) would form a 3 note chord with the root based on the pitch of the first oscillator (or whichever one for which you have the pitch knob set to 0).
For example a major chord is Root + major 3rd + perfect 5th. You would set the first osc to 0 pitch, the second oscillator to n4 (a major 3rd is 4 semi tones above the root) and the third osc to n7 (a perfect 5th is 7 semitones above the root). Then each note you (or the sequencer) sound should be a combination of the primary note you play (osc1 = root), a major 3rd (osc2), and a perfect 5th, i.e. a major chord with the root being whichever note you physically play on the keyboard)
Obviously, this is not perfect polyphony as you are tied into whichever chord pattern you set up via the pitch knobs (you can, of course, adjust those pitch knobs in real time, but this is tough to do with a fairly quick tempo, and would get complex if you are trying to use several different chord patterns), which then limits the chords one might use in a chord progression (as the iv and v, or IV and V chords used a different pattern of semitones than the I or i respectively). That being said, you should be able to get some polyphony even using the sequencer
must have!!!
I want to know this too, but it's not cheesy!
amazing! you just mad the whole synth look a lot better! :)
It's analog, software won't change the waveforms.
im bummed, this video just dose not want to play on my iphone :(
Because it's Korg.
:D
I like you video, but regatdless youtube it was impossible to whatch it. So thanks, minus one.
Impossibility is depressing
They're $150 everywhere.
1) The filter does not really self-oscillate.
2) What you describe as fat is in fact just distortion. This little baby has a terrible internal headroom. The problem is that any reasonable amount of resonance leads to this distorted sound. What it BADLY needs is a level control for the oscillator section which would expand the filters palette at least tenfold. Even better would be a per oscillator level control which would also expand the oscillator section palette. I would gladly give up some other minor feature for this.
I hear Deep Purple
no, it can't...
But the really lactose dense question: Does it do Tom Sawyer Sweeps?? I want cheese!!
Attn: Professor Doty,
Gainsay Academy:
Thank you for these great lessons.
Thank you, and thanks for watching!