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Tag: Korg Volca

  • Three NAMM 2016 Synths that won’t break the Bank

    Three NAMM 2016 Synths that won’t break the Bank

    Each year, the NAMM show serves as a second Christmas for musicians both in attendance and watching from afar. This year’s edition didn’t disappoint, with a wide array of innovative products being introduced. The synthesizer world saw many new intriguing models, with the growing Eurorack scene well represented.

    Three NAMM 2016 synths piqued my interest, each for different reasons. None are priced higher than $500, so they share that feature in common. If you don’t have the budget to pick up one of the new Dave Smith/Tom Oberheim analog polysynths (the OB-6), Arturia MatrixBrute, or the Yamaha Montage, hopefully one of these designs does the trick.

    Let’s check them out.

    The Korg Minilogue offers Great Analog Sound on a Budget

    Korg arguably won the price-performance ratio battle at NAMM 2016 with the debut of the minilogue. The new synth actually hit the street a few days before NAMM; surprising many with its polyphonic analog sound and deep feature set, all at a price under $500. Featuring a four-voice architecture, 16-step motion sequencer with Active Step, a cool oscilloscope display, and sync, the minilogue brings a lot to the table.

    Here’s Korg chief engineer, Tatsuya Takahashi, giving an overview of the minilogue.

    The 37-note keyboard suffers from mini-keys, but just use another keyboard as a controller if need be. An aluminum casing and a wood back panel give the synth a more robust feel.

    Korg minilogue
    The glorious Korg minilogue. Copyright Korg.

    When you consider the popular Volca series, it’s not surprising Korg was able to produce the minilogue at this price point. I use my Volca Bass and Keys together as a poor man’s analog polysynth, and they more than hold their own against the Moog Sub 37 and the quite evil Waldorf Streichfett. Still, Korg needs to be commended for the minilogue’s accessibility and robust feature set. Boom!

    Korg brings FM Synthesis to the Volca Series

    Takahashi-san — rapidly becoming this era’s synth engineer star ala Moog, Oberheim, or Smith — also introduced Korg’s upcoming Volca FM synth on the NAMM floor. Adding FM synthesis to the Volca series is a no-brainer, and the new synth is actually compatible with Yamaha DX7 patches using MIDI SysEx.

    Here’s Tats demoing the new Volca, courtesy of the folks at Sonic State.

    FM synthesis has long been known for its programming difficulty. I never enjoyed working with it until using a FM synth plug-in back in the halcyon days of Quarkspace’s Node in Peril album. The sonic possibilities of real-time parameter tweaking using this plug-in opened up a new world of sound far beyond the clichéd e-Piano patches for which FM is typically known.

    The Volca FM provides this level of parameter control with the added benefit of motion sequencing. Since I’ve already invested in two Volcas (Keys and Bass), a Monotribe, and a SQ-1, the Volca FM will probably make an appearance in my studio. No news about a release date, but you can expect the street price to be around $159, the same cost as the other synths in the series.

    Make Noise 0-Coast serves as the Gateway to Eurorack Modular

    Make Noise continues to build a reputation as one of the bright lights in the growing Eurorack scene. While I’d love to invest in one of their Shared System kits, its price point is probably a bit too high considering my current budget constraints — replacing my music computer and audio interface remains paramount.

    Thankfully, at this year’s NAMM the company introduced a desktop semi-modular synth called the 0-Coast (pronounced “no-coast”). The street price is slated to be $499 when the single voice synth hits the market later this year. The 0-Coast offers a taste of Make Noise’s innovative module collection, with a simplified parameter setup, and serves as a perfect entry point to the world of Eurorack.

    Check out Music Radar talking with Make Noise’s Tony about the 0-Coast.

    I’m considering purchasing a 0-Coast instead of the minilogue. Already owning a ton of Korg gear, as mentioned earlier, the Make Noise desktop synth offers the chance to visit new sonic vistas, and slowly dip the old toes into the Eurorack pool. The device should pair nicely with the SQ-1.

    This look at three innovative, yet relatively inexpensive, NAMM 2016 synths hopefully offers hope for a new addition to your studio without breaking the family budget.

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  • Korg Volca Keys — the Analog Synth Reviewed

    Korg Volca Keys — the Analog Synth Reviewed

    While Korg’s Volca series of portable analog synth boxes intrigued me, I wasn’t really in the market for one. But with a Moog Sub 37 on seemingly perpetual pre-order (its ship date recently moved from mid-May to late-Summer) and two albums from Church of Hed and Quarkspace needing overdubs I began to reconsider. I hoped to use the new Moog extensively for these synth overdubs, and I couldn’t wait until the end of August or even later.

    Enter the Korg Volca Keys. I figured I could MIDI it to my Korg Prophecy, creating a hybrid analog/VA synth to serve as the emergency understudy and get these albums finished.

    Korg Volca Keys Features

    • Classic Subtractive Synth Architecture in a Small Package
    • 3 VCOs, 1 VCA, 1 VCF, 1 LFO, 1 EG
    • Ring Modulator, Delay
    • Syncs to Other Volcas and the Monotribe
    • Loop Sequencer with 8 Memory Locations
    • A Street Price of around $149

    Needless to say, the Volca Keys fits perfectly in my live setup paired with its older uncle Prophecy. Its true analog sound cuts through a dense mix; letting me finish these tracks, while I wait for the Sub 37. The included loop sequencer is more feature-laden than the Korg Monotribe’s version, making me contemplate using the two synched together.

    A Polyphonic Analog Synth in a Box for $150?

    The bottom line is that a polyphonic analog synth in a small box for around $150 is a stunning achievement from Korg. The Volca Keys sounds great, and tweaking the filter’s cutoff and peak add some piercing bite to the proceedings. Three notes of polyphony are possible; the voice knob lets you switch between poly and unison settings, with octaves and fifths also possible.

    Korg Volca Keys
    The Korg Volca Keys in my live rig on the Z1 plateau above the Roland TD-8. Photo by Author.

    A ring modulator is “hard-wired” to the voice knob as well. It adds a metallic sound to the poly and unison settings, using a square wave. Generally, the Volca Keys uses a hardwired sawtooth wave, with the ring mod being the exception.

    A LFO and a simple envelope generator allow a measure of sound shaping and tweaking. A delay rounds out the Keys’ sonic architecture with time and feedback as the only controls. It sounds nice, but I would have preferred a level control to boost the delay’s output.

    A Simple Loop Sequencer as well

    The Volca Keys loop sequencer works in a similar manner as the version from the Monotribe, with the notable improvement of eight memory slots to save patterns. The Active Step feature supports odd time signatures, and Flux mode allows for loops free from quantization. The Motion Sequence capability provides for the automation of the Keys’ synth parameters within a loop.

    A Real Korg "Trinity"
    A real Korg “Trinity” — the Z1, Prophecy, and Volca Keys hold court behind the Yamaha MM8 and Kawai K5000. Photo by Author.

    I only spent a little time syncing the Volca Keys with the Monotribe, but intend on exploring that feature more closely in the future. If I discover any interesting insights, you’ll read about them here.

    The Volca Keys is another “little synth box” winner from Korg. Sometimes I wonder if I should have gotten the Volca Bass which provides step note entry and three independent simultaneous patterns when using its sequencer. (Not to mention a big cutoff frequency knob on the VCF.) Still, it is a worthy purchase and serves well as a perfect introductory analog synthesizer for those curious about this alluring sector of music. Recommended.



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