Korg Volca FM Hands-On Review

In the latest episode of Sonic State’s Sonic Lab, host Nick Batt takes a look at the new Korg Volca FM synthesizer.

The Volca FM is a 3-voice polyphonic FM synth module, inspired by vintage Yamaha DX-style FM synthesis. 

Batt notes the strength of the Volca FM as a tiny synth module that reproduces the sound of the Yamaha’s classic DX synths. But he also highlights a couple of limitations that could be show-stoppers for some users – the lack of standard velocity support and the complex patch editing.

Ultimately, the ‘sweet spot’ for the Volca FM probably isn’t as an alternative to vintage DX synths, but as part of a minimal groove making setup.

The Korg Volca FM has a street price of about US $160.

 

 

29 thoughts on “Korg Volca FM Hands-On Review

    1. It’s definitely annoying but not a complete deal breaker. Wonder if there’s a way to map the mod-wheel on your keyboard to that velocity slider. Essentially still the same thing but at least it would be a bit more comfortable to play on.

      1. The velocity slider seems to be global, so it is not really the same thing, as velocity per note will give you different velocity per voice and not one global one.

        Hopefully adding velocity per on note on is something that can be fixed with a software update.

        1. I know, thats why I said its still the same thing. I would just rather control the slider through the mod wheel on my keyboard than on the volca since it would feel more natural.

  1. for $160 you are hard pressed to find a hardware synth that does all this and sounds this good. This is a huge score.

    1. It’s not in stock at the moment, so I can’t get the actual price, but I belive that the PreenFM2 isn’t far off the same cost, has a more complete midi implementation, on-board fx etc; Required a degree of self assembly, but it’s more synth for the money, I’d reckon: http://ixox.fr/preenfm2/
      Also, non-FM, but worth taking into consideration; the shruthi-1’s still being made by tubeohm, so that comes in at around the $180 mark http://www.tubeohm.com/TubeOhm/SHOP.html or the audiothingies P6, which comes in at around $200, depending on the case: http://www.audiothingies.com/p6/

      1. yes, but the preenfm2 is another synth. For technical reasons I won’t explain here (search phase modulation and operator feedback), the preenfm2 doesn’t sound like a dx7 (it sounds very good in its own right though). Also, programming is a bit awkward… but that’s no news as far as FM synths are concerned.

        1. Yeah, it is, but it’s comparable; FM, up to 6OP, DX7 sysex compatiable etc. Sounds different, but I suspect this’ll sound a bit different to a DX7 too.

        2. that and the fact that as a volca it is compact and battery powered, like you can just throw it in your backpack and go – which may not be for everyone but is a big plus if you want that (like I do)

  2. Interesting box, user interface isn’t a patch on my Reface DX and the lack of velocity is a major oversight for an FM synth. But I’m getting one as it looks sooooo much fun ????

  3. The stuff about it not recognizing MIDI velocity can’t possibly be correct can it? Perhaps there is some setting to disable velocity sensitivity globally that was accidentally turned on? Velocity sensitivity of each operator is a fundamental part of the DX patch architecture. It’s not really DX compatible without it.

  4. The lack of note-on velocity — this can’t possibly be right. The MIDI note-on message has velocity as part of the message itself (third byte of the three — it’s note-on+channel, pitch, and velocity). I find it inconceivable that Korg doesn’t have that implemented — it makes zero sense at all.

    Bug in the Volca firmware, maybe? Or some switch that got toggled somewhere, so that it only takes velocity from the slider, rather than the MIDI note?

    I just can’t wrap my head around it. Korg has been brilliant recently, and this seems like much too big of an oversight for them to have made. If the Volca FM *really* can’t do MIDI velocity right, the little box has gone from a must-have for me (even though I don’t really need it) to a maybe-the-next-release.

    Dear Korg — please fix this if it really is broken, because I want to give you money! (Well, OK, I want to give you more money, because I’m happy about the money I’ve already given you!).

  5. Well, hopefully Korg will read the reviews coming in. All around the world people are asking for velocity responsivity. And as Patrick, and Nick have said, it is incredible that Korg have not provided this functionality! I’m wondering about taking my Volca FM money and buying a DX200 or similar. Come on Korg, wise up!

    1. Exactly. That’s the whole point.

      Tatsuya Takahashi: ” A Volca is not a jack of all trades, they are each good at one thing, and this is something in common with the comeback of hardware in general. It’s simple machines doing simple things so your mind is free to enter a creative space. That’s at the root of the Volca concept: liberation through limitation.”

      https://www.attackmagazine.com/features/long-read/the-democratisation-of-synthesis-korg-designers-on-the-making-of-the-minilogue/

  6. Acording to the MIDI implemetation table, the Volc FM does recognize velocity.

    KORG volca fm MIDI Implementation Revision 1.00 (2016.01.20)

    1.TRANSMITTED DATA

    No message is transmitted.
    (The volca fm is not equipped with a MIDI Out jack.)

    2.RECOGNIZED RECEIVE DATA

    2-1 CHANNEL MESSAGES [H]:Hex, [D]:Decimal, [B]:Binary
    +——–+———+————-+—————————————–+
    | Status | Second | Third | Description |
    | [Hex] | [H] [D] | [H] [D] | |
    +——–+———+————-+—————————————–+
    | 8n | kk (kk) | vv (vv) | Note Off vv=0~127 *1|
    | 9n | kk (kk) | 00 (00) | Note Off *1|
    | 9n | kk (kk) | vv (vv) | Note On vv=1~127 *1|
    | Bn | 08 (40) | vv (vv) | TRANSPOSE *1*2-1|
    | | | | OCTAVE *1*2-2|
    | Bn | 29 (41) | vv (vv) | VELOCITY *1*3|
    | Bn | 2A (42) | vv (vv) | MODULATOR ATTACK *1*4|
    | Bn | 2B (43) | vv (vv) | MODULATOR DECAY *1*4|
    | Bn | 2C (44) | vv (vv) | CARRIER ATTACK *1*4|
    | Bn | 2D (45) | vv (vv) | CARRIER DECAY *1*4|
    | Bn | 2E (46) | vv (vv) | LFO RATE *1*5|
    | Bn | 2F (47) | vv (vv) | LFO PITCH DEPTH *1*5|
    | Bn | 30 (48) | vv (vv) | ALGTM *1*6|
    | Bn | 31 (49) | vv (vv) | ARP TYPE *1*7|
    | Bn | 32 (50) | vv (vv) | ARP DIV *1*8|
    | En | bb (bb) | bb (bb) | Pitch Bend |
    +——–+———+————-+—————————————–+

    1. You can duplicate the effect of the velocity slider using midi cc, but I don’t think there’s any way of having per-note velocity (e.g. so the notes in a three-note chord could be different velocities).

      I’m technically imbecilic, but it seems vaguely possible to me that this was a compromise necessary to make this amazing little box available for $160. I’m sad for the people who wanted something along the lines of a cheap DX7 rack module, but there’s so much novel creative potential in what the Volca FM does do that it seems weird to me to get massively bent out of shape about it (as a few people seem to be doing).

      I usually love Nick’s reviews but this one seems oddly joyless given how much fun can be had with the Volca FM. I don’t think he even demonstrates recording a motion sequence, and for me it’s the wild effects you can create motion sequencing the FM and other controls that makes this thing special.

    2. In version 1.01 of the document (April 7, 2016) there is a note *2 behind the Note On line, which is explained further down: “*2 : Velocity is not used.”

        1. KORG volca fm MIDI Implementation Revision 1.01 (2016.4.07)

          1.TRANSMITTED DATA

          No message is transmitted.
          (The volca fm is not equipped with a MIDI Out jack.)

          2.RECOGNIZED RECEIVE DATA

          2-1 CHANNEL MESSAGES [H]:Hex, [D]:Decimal, [B]:Binary
          +——–+———+————-+—————————————–+
          | Status | Second | Third | Description |
          | [Hex] | [H] [D] | [H] [D] | |
          +——–+———+————-+—————————————–+
          | 8n | kk (kk) | vv (vv) | Note Off vv=0~127 *1|
          | 9n | kk (kk) | 00 (00) | Note Off *1|
          | 9n | kk (kk) | vv (vv) | Note On vv=1~127 *1*2|
          | Bn | 08 (40) | vv (vv) | TRANSPOSE *1*3-1|
          .
          .
          .
          | En | bb (bb) | bb (bb) | Pitch Bend |
          +——–+———+————-+—————————————–+

          n : MIDI Channel = 0 ~ F
          vv : Value

          *1 : This message is recognized when the “MIDI RX Short Message” is set to “On”.

          *2 : Velocity is not used.

            1. Good for you! Same here. Lets see it for what it is at this price, not what it isn’t.
              There are original vintage DX7s out there and module versions. But they’re not cheap and hard to get hold of in good condition, particularly the module versions, certainly here in the uk! The Volca FM will do me for now. The original DX7s in the 80s, when I was in my 20s, were really expensive and I could never afford one. Some great tracks by Genesis used the DX7 at that time and I had to settle for a DX21 instead. (DX21? Yeah, 3 x 7 = 21; but it was never a patch on the DX7. Excuse the pun. Only had 4 operators not 6)
              I say give the Volca FM a chance. After all, its not vastly expensive.

              Adrian

  7. No vel is a total dealbreaker. It was bad enough so many key players mashed their hands blue trying to use the original DX7 keys w their velocity that only went up to 119. This is tge kind of crap i would expect for a 1984 midi synth. Not a 21st century one.

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