Make Your Korg Volca Sample Sound Like Classic Drum Machines

Korg Forum member Re-Member shared some ‘recipes’ for recreating the sound of classic drum machines using the Korg Volca Sample.

“I was messing about with some of the default sounds,” they note, “and figured out that you can actually create a full TR-909 kit without even loading up any new samples. The only thing missing is the mid tom drum, which the 10 Parts don’t have enough room for.”

Here are their ‘recipes’ for recreating the sound of several classic drum machines:

TR-909 KIT 

Part 01 – S.003 (Bass Drum)
Part 02 – S.013 (Snare Drum)
Part 03 – S.047 (Low Tom)
Part 04 – S.046 (Hi Tom)
Part 05 – S.022 (Clap)
Part 06 – S.051 (Rim Shot)
Part 07 – S.041 (Ride)
Part 08 – S.040 (Crash)
Part 09 – S.033 (Closed High Hat)
Part 10 – S.034 (Open High Hat)

TR-808 KIT

“Here is a TR-808 kit using the preset sounds. There’s a few samples missing from this classic drum machine (notably no crash cymbal, grumble). This is the best I could do strictly using the default sounds. ”

Part 01 – S.006 (Bass Drum)
Part 02 – S.011 (Snare Drum)
Part 03 – S.045 (Low Tom)
Part 04 – S.044 (Hi Tom)
Part 05 – S.023 (Clap)
Part 06 – S.043 (Rim Shot)
Part 07 – S.050 (Cow Bell)
Part 08 – S.032 (Long Open High Hat)
Part 09 – S.030 (Closed High Hat)
Part 10 – S.031 (Short Open High Hat)

Oberheim DMX

It’s missing the tambourine, ride and different pitched toms.

Part 01 – S.005 (Bass Drum)
Part 02 – S.017 (Snare Drum)
Part 03 – S.048 (Low Tom)
Part 04 – S.049 (Hi Tom)
Part 05 – S.023 (Clap)
Part 06 – S.010 (Rim Shot)
Part 07 – S.053 (Shaker)
Part 08 – S.039 (Crash)
Part 09 – S.035 (Closed High Hat)
Part 10 – S.036 (Open High Hat)

TR-707 KIT 

Part 01 – S.006 (Bass Drum)
Part 02 – S.016 (Snare Drum)
Part 03 – S.047 (Low Tom)
Part 04 – S.046 (Mid/Hi Tom)
Part 05 – S.023 (Clap)
Part 06 – S.051 (Rim Shot)
Part 07 – S.055 (Cow Bell)
Part 08 – S.039 (Crash)
Part 09 – S.035 (Closed High Hat)
Part 10 – S.036 (Open High Hat)

ADDITIONAL SOUNDS
S.037 (Tambourine)
S.041 (Ride)

Of course, using custom samples, you create custom recreations of these drum machines and others. If you’re using the Volca Sample like this, leave a comment and let us know the details!

Via Fed Per

26 thoughts on “Make Your Korg Volca Sample Sound Like Classic Drum Machines

  1. Awesome. These are great “vanilla” starter kits for building your own sound, and it’s a bonus that they’re all pre-loaded.

    The volca sample is much more versatile as a drum machine than the original beats was. Wish they’d release a hybrid that combines the two.

    1. one of these days I need to get me one, I wish that korg would make a ‘super volca’ groovebox for a couple of hundred that has say the FM, sampler and bass or keys in one box with some extra real time sequencing controls

        1. Exactly – just picked up a used E2S for £240 and love jamming on the thing. I wouldn’t want to write a whole track on it, but thinking of it more as a drum machine that will load 24 megs of user drum sounds rather than MPC competition really opens up the possibilities. I’ve also loaded up the Prophet VS waves which sound beautiful on it!

        2. I have a bunch of electribes, they all have their own limitation and none of them are analog….. I still love them but i would love to have a sample and hands on analog in one portable box – circuit is a lot of fun and close but you need the computer to program the synth… and still not analog. – love my dx200 but it is still a plug in machine……

  2. I don’t know, but the sound is not of good quality…seems very lo-fi. Haven’t been able to get a quality recording so far. How about anyone with pro usage?

    1. Man, I’m always really surprised by how good this machine sounds! I imagine we have different expectatons but imo they really nailed it with the sample

  3. The thing that blows my mind about this machine is how every single Youtube and song online using it are all made from the pre-loaded samples. It ‘s a sampler, and nobody is using their own sounds. If you really want it to sound like a classic drum machine, load up the samples.

    1. I think the problem is that it *isn’t* a sampler. There’s no audio input, so you have to use Korg’s iOS app to load sounds. Most people just never take that extra step.

    2. “The thing that blows my mind about this machine is how every single Youtube and song online using it are all made from the pre-loaded samples. It ‘s a sampler, and nobody is using their own sounds. If you really want it to sound like a classic drum machine, load up the samples.”

      ^^^ My feelings exactly.

  4. Bought it for this purpose exactly. The MIDI channel per part thing ruined it for me though. Almost bought that RP1 cable but suddenly this little inexpensive box was getting close to the price of a used E2S. Alas, same MIDI channel problem!

  5. Thanks! Saved your recipes from 7 to 10 memory slots(cool presets). I Have never used this classics drum monsters and happy to have it on my first in my life sequencer by Korg…feels like a Dj)) Also have Beats, its cool! After 10 years of playing guitar you understand that you CAN buy those little boxes and go crazy!

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