Korg - volca Beats - Analogue Rhythm Drum Machine Synthesizer

Product Information

a b c Nov 19, G. W. Childs IV on; comments, 2013 in Review 0. "Review: Korg Volca Beats". ask.audio . Retrieved 2022-11-16. {{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link) Analog synths’ sonic character inspires me with joy even if the benefit is inconsequential to the listeners of my music – but the vBeats’ analog circuitry barely produces any magic that can’t digital can’t do just as well. It’s a reminder that at budget prices, digital is usually far better than (inexpensive) analog – Behringer’s newest analog offerings are a surprising exception to this rule of thumb! Anyone who managed to avoid the frenzied online speculation might be wondering what on Earth I'm talking about. Korg's Volcas are as follows: Beats (an analogue/digital drum machine), Bass (a three-VCO bass line synth) and Keys (another three-VCO synth, but with alternate voicing options, including pseudo-polyphony). There's some feature overlap but generally each has its own niche. Therefore, after a communal unboxing and LED-gawping, I'll go through them one by one before pondering the inevitable question: can you say 'no' to a Volca? Common Ground

Although an uncommonly low price point and a miniaturized form factor may give some a false initial impression that Volcas are not oriented toward serious music-making, once the devices are put into action, the cloud of doubt instantly vaporizes. These are very original and quite capable instruments equipped with intuitive, performance-oriented interfaces and some very unique features. It is fair to say that by introducing the Volca series to the market, Korg made things significantly easier for people who wanted to pursue making electronic music with hardware. The Motion Recording on this Volca is the most extensive of the range. Practically every knob bar resonance (the Korg 700 filter does not have voltage-controlled resonance) can be tweaked and those tweaks captured in a pattern. To remind you when motion recordings are present, each affected knob flashes as the pattern loops. Recorded motions can be quantised to the step or replayed smoothly and naturally, or even muted, all without disrupting recorded notes. Unlike the Volca Bass you can externally control the filter cutoff over MIDI, but if you do, any subsequent manual knobbing risks giving the poor mite a headache.In recent years a number of small mixers have become available. They have a wide range of features and prices, and varying levels of quality. A few notable ones are listed below.

Like its bigger DrumBrute sibling, the Impact couples its sequencer with an all-analogue drum synthesis engine and very flexible pattern saving/song mode capabilities. Visually, the Impact looks pretty similar to its predecessor, housed in a solid, navy blue chassis familiar from the rest of Arturia’s ‘Brute range. Entering notes and rhythms into the Volcas sequencer is done via a “multi-touch” keyboard (or MIDI), which is surprisingly easy and accurate overall (much more accessible than Monotron / Tribe). However, to get the best out of a performance/ sequence (and particularly when playing chords on the Keys) we advise connecting an external MIDI keyboard. The Beats doesn't respond to velocity over MIDI, but all the Volcas react reliably to MIDI note input. Each unit can also have its own MIDI channel but there's no multi-timbrality on any Volca.All things considered, Korg has done itself proud and it's set a new benchmark for sound/features at this price point. We can even see the Volca eating into the sales of more expensive synths. Greet the Beats From the bat, Korg Volca Beats (vBeats) users lamented the snare drum. While sporting the TR-808 snare’s “snappy” variable control and depth control, it sounds disappointingly weak compared to other analog drum machines’ snare drums, whether 808-inspired or not. The Volca Drum loses the analog vibe but gains a torrential downpour of sophistication, versatility, depth, and fresh new sounds – not to mention a much-improved user interface via the LCD. The snare drum As is the case with hardware synths and MIDI controllers, people love the tactile experience of using a hardware drum machine: playing pads, pushing buttons and twisting dials can provide a satisfyingly hands-on feel that software just can’t replicate.