Korg 16-Key Synthesizer VOLCABEATS, Black

I’m starting to collect these things like special edition Lego sets. It’s really fun to experiment with sounds. And create your own unique sounds you can capture to another device turn it into an instrument.

It’s not only a great little instrument but also a great way of learning how electronically made sounds can be used in musical compositions.

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.