Korg Volca Drum Synthesizer Module

The term “digital” typically brings to mind sounds that are based on PCM-sampled bass drum, snare drum, or cymbal, but the volca drum creates its drum sounds by DSP-powered analog modeling. Oscillator waveforms such as sine wave, sawtooth wave, and noise are provided. By applying various changes to these waveforms, you can create a wide variety of percussion sounds that range from realistic to idiosyncratic, and are not limited only to drums.

The six parts each have two layers, and do not impose any rules or restrictions such as specifying which parts must be used for the bass drum or for the cymbal; all parts have the same my_custom_description_widths. You can freely assign your new sounds to these six parts without being limited by the conventions of a drum set. A kit consists of the six parts that you’ve assigned plus the waveguide resonator effect settings, and 16 such kits can be stored in memory (the factory settings contain 10 preload kits).

Each part consists of two layers. For each layer, users choose one of five types of oscillator waveform including sine wave, sawtooth wave, and HPF noise, and also choose from three types of pitch modulator and amp EG, each optimized for drum sounds. Layer parameters can be edited either individually or simultaneously, and users can also use the two layers to produce the same sound for additional thickness.

You can customize the resulting trigger waveform by applying bit reduction to produce roughness, adjusting the wave folder depth to add complex overtones, and using overdrive to adjust the distortion. In this way, you can generate distinctive sounds from this sound engine that’s structured rather differently from a typical drum machine.

Once you’ve specified the sound, you can adjust the balance of the parts by modifying the timing at which steps are heard, the pan, the gain before mixing, and the effect sends.

The effect section features a waveguide resonator that’s based on physical modeling, and which adds sympathetic resonances to the sound. You can choose from two types of waveguide: “tube” which adds the resonance of a cylindrical object such as a drum body or a long pipe, or “strings” which adds the metallic resonance of a string. The three knobs located in the center of the panel let you specify the DECAY (amount of attenuation), BODY (sonic character), and TUNE (pitch). Setting TUNE to a lower value will produce a delay-like behavior. You can take advantage of these knobs not only for sound design but also in your live performances.

The volca drum provides two randomize functions that let you randomly change the sound (layer) of the selected single part, or to randomly vary the step, slice, accent, and active step settings of the selected single part. By using the randomize functions during a performance, you can add unexpected change and development to the sound and the pattern.

The aluminum panel is created using an etching process that emanates a sense of quality, using delicate relief to express the text and fine lines rather than using printing. In a first for the volca series, a custom LCD is used. The high-brightness display provides excellent visibility, portraying complex settings graphically for comprehension at a glance, and ensuring that volca drum is easy to use with a quick learning curve.

Since this unit provides a sync jack for easy connection to Korg groove machines, you can connect it to another volca series unit or to equipment such as an electribe or the SQ-1, and enjoy synchronized playback with the sequencer. There’s also a standard MIDI IN connector, so you can use the volca drum as a sound module for your DAW.

• Keyboard: Multi touch trigger pads / Step keys
• Synthesizer:
  • Type: Digital synthesis
  • Maximum Polyphony: 6
  • Structure: 6 parts (For each part, 2 oscillators, pitch modulator, and amp EG), waveguide resonator effect.
  • Kits: 16 (Settings for 6 parts + Settings for waveguide resonator) Kit No.1 – No.10 are factory preset.
  • Program: 16 (Sequence pattern, Motion sequence, Kit No.) Program No.1 – No. 10 are factory preset.
• Sequencer:
  • Number of parts: 6
  • Number of steps: 16 (pattern chain is available)
  • Number of recording patterns: 16
• Connectors: 
  • Audio Output: Headphones jack (3.5mm stereo mini jack)
  • Sync; Sync In jack (3.5mm monaural mini jack, Maximum input level: 20V)
  • Sync Out jack (3.5mm monaural mini jack, Maximum Output level: 5V)
  • MIDI: MIDI IN
• Power: Battery Life:
  •  Approximately 10 hours (using alkaline batteries)
  • Power supply: AA alkaline battery × 6, AA nickel-metal hydride battery × 6, or KA-350 AC adapter (sold separately)
• Others:
  • Included Items: AA alkaline battery × 6 (for verifying operation), Sync cable
  • Accessories (sold separately): KA-350 AC adapter, SEQUENZ CB-4VOLCA hard shell case, SEQUENZ CC-VOLCA soft shell case, SQ-CABLE-6 Sync cable
  • Dimensions (W x D x H): 193 × 115 × 39 mm / 7.61 x 4.54 x 1.54 inches
  • Weigh: Weigh: 370 g / 0.75 lbs. (Excluding batteries)