Are Korg Volcas Serious Instruments or Just Toys? - Jack and Luke check them out

[@PerryJoeMusic]

the real question is are all serious instruments ultimately just toys?

[@droptherapy2085]

Honestly that's a really good point. People seem to take music way too seriously.

[@mattdeese298]

Good point. I think that applies to alot of things. I bought a small 400 cc motorcycle years ago. I would get comments like why do you go get a real bike like a Harley and get rid of that toy.

[@lenonel3286]

That's why we call it "playing" music

[@stuartdavid8493]

As Paul McCartney says “We play music, we don’t “work” music.”

[@parasiteunit]

Actually, if you think about it - the actual question is "when does the musical toy become an instrument"? I would put forward the conjecture that as you said, all instruments are toys. It is how they are used... You can turn 10k of Vintage Fairlight sampler into a toy by sampling farting noises... However you can also turn an old 8 bit RZ 1 drum machine into an ambient drone machine by tapping in a series of 16th notes and Turing up the BPM to the 270 mark... It's the use that defines the perception. Look at some of the music made with the old Korg Monotron for example 🙂

[@MrChrisKnight]

Really like these guys laughing and having a good time that’s what music is about.

[@R---66---R]

And that's exc what KORG gives you!

[@Neil-Aspinall]

I find it totally annoying and unprofessional.

[@davefx7949]

@@Neil-Aspinall Pisss off you old fart!!! Go be a kill joy somewhere else.

[@SpeccyMan]

@@Neil-Aspinall I recommend a good laxative.

[@Neil-Aspinall]

@@SpeccyMan Depending on your age Spexy I'd say it's time for your bowel investigation.

[@gelatinous6915]

The TB-303 was considered "just a toy" until someone picked it up and made acid out of it, just remember that before you judge

[@parasiteunit]

It was even worse than that... The 303 was originally released to provide a backing bass tone for folks who literally just had a guitar, played pubs and such.... It was a terribly misplaced product. Roland had to slash the prices of them considerably. Then a few years later, folks started getting them to do what they weren't designed for. As you said - the rest of the history we know

[@brooklynboy1000]

so many people over analyse all these boxes. just use whats good about it and get on with making songs not being scientists. yeah thats right all you ambient twats

[@EskimoCreamKing]

It's nice having someone like jack who is legitimately interested in learning from the guys they have in

[@annother3350]

I hear he's known as Unbalanced Jack... 😂

[@kikaizuki]

I think he’s legitimately high.

[@Uffoeh]

@@kikaizuki kololol

[@New_Zealand_Music]

@@annother3350 lol lol. Awesome joke thank you for making me smile.

[@AaronGLP]

@@kikaizuki me 2

[@scriptKiddieOG]

You can't fake having fun with these guys! Really great seeing two gents playing with music gear and having a good time. That's the essence of live performance, enjoying the creative flow and power at your fingertips!

[@finonomastropiero4261]

i think they overreact a bit.

[@vrod2144]

Man i did't know these toys exist. I'm here just because of stage piano and I cant stop watching these two. I'm discovering whole new world. .

[@landonbeachy6149]

Came to learn about Korg Volcas. Stayed for the laughs and camaraderie!!

[@williamolsen20]

Korg has really been knocking it out of the park with making quality stuff that is accessible for lower price point. They also have some killer ipad apps that I love.

[@DarekLachowski]

Jack and Luke - my favourite duo out there! :D Great demonstration!

[@jgmusicman2281]

It would be so cool if they made a poly volca similar to the keys but with more than one wave shape. Call it a volca duo or trio or something.

[@NapalmJustice]

I love how happy these two get whenever they're together. =D

[@adamt8692]

it is nice to see 8 of them all hooked together like that. i love the case. there is a glorious little empty space in there!

[@gaoeykreg]

Jack's excitement is infectious!

[@mickypoo4622]

I've just bought a Volca Keys and it's awesome! I can plug it into my MIDI keyboard but I am just learning how to use it standalone first to experiment with the sounds and having great fun with its many useful features. But thanks guys for the great and in-depth review of the others models in the Volca series. I don't think I need another one but it was great to see what they all do as it's an amazing product range. Respect!

[@XanderEwald]

Every toy can turn into an instrument in the hands of a serious musician.

[@lalolanda2239]

serious is your mother

[@Havanacuba1985]

That glassy sound on the FM , 😎

[@Havanacuba1985]

That guy on the right is good, I saw him do a demo on the FM and he was doing the kenny logins danger zone riff

[@nickhaldin8674]

I can’t believe I’ve just discovered this channel. These videos are extremely entertaining, informative, and well- put together

[@CHROMIUMHEROmusic]

The energy in this video was great and got me excited about synths again. Thank you guys

[@jugglerjoe]

That Volca Kick would be a great electric drum for bass guitar training. It keeps the beat and bass players can learn to play in odd times with loops of course.

[@TheDilligan]

Korg guy did a great job. I almost regret buying the minilogue Xd. I could have bought 4 volcas.

[@tukushtacos2518]

theyre both i used to take my fm eveywhwere and since it was fm i could kill soo much time just setting up paramaers for patches lol i reallhy fell in love with it and made me appreciate just making sound design sessions insted of rushing thorugh one or looking for simmilar patches to start on or get inspired by. i really loved the sitting down w the only goal was to make at lest 1 or 2 patches to use for my next cook or sit down and get a song that needs one or something and just design a sound to correct or fill or just finish a something

[@ryanborbely1310]

I just recently got the volca bass and I'm completely sold on it. I need the entire setup now.

[@sideshowbob2421]

korg needs to add a Volca Looper, with inputs and outputs to add live instruments

[@Sarahbuildsstepsequencers]

I think they need to get together for another Volca session!! This is too great!! ❤

[@christophertodman]

they always have so much fun - makes it great to watch

[@foxglove9]

I would have liked to see how he works 2 Volca mixers in that setup

[@dougefunk7005]

What a fun demo to watch!!!

[@keithjack38]

Such a good vibe from this video and hearing them all working together really shows them off so well

[@rustammazhidov2050]

room mic sounds better than sound from board

[@JasonWalpole]

Yeah! Why switch?

[@junktrunk5333]

it sounds better because its putting the music into a space rather than being fully 'dry' which sounds alot more natural. they switch to the fully dry audio so you can hear what the synth sounds like unnaffected, aka what you will hear when you record it into your daw.

[@moosgummi4480]

@@junktrunk5333 Yeah, but they could have shown that by switching to line twice or so in the beginning of each instrument. Doing it every time there´s nobody talkig is very technical.

[@artao5]

Why is the bass cutting out so much when you bring in that one sound (snare/hat?) on the Beats? Also, the Sampler needs microSD ability.

[@MarneusAndMilkyBlood]

That guy was so excited, and so am I. I need me some of those.

[@TheRealWinsletFan]

How could you fail to mention the three sequencing lines and VCO combos in the Bass? That's the killer feature that makes it the best Volca! How could you miss going totally granular on the Sample! .BTW Sample is ~32KHz not 44.1, hence the yummy crunchiness. FM does a lovely job of making FM groovable, but still don't understand why they didn't provide velocity response over MIDI (could easily have been combined with the slider value), that greatly reduces its utility as a sound module. #volcaFanBoi

[@HazeAnderson]

I have a RetroKits RK-004 that provides velocity for the FM and honestly, I find the velocity feature to be overrated. It's nice but not a necessity. There are SO many amazing DX7 patches available from over the years for the FM anyway. Now then ... the RK-004 config for the Volca Sample however is a MUST HAVE if you need to free up those 10 MIDI channels. Every Volca has a quirk about it.

[@leftmono1016]

TheRealWinsletFan - I agree, the VBass sequencer is immense! Three sequencing lines with independent lengths, very creative.

[@hunterfoxen]

totally agree man the volcas are awesome. i have them all except mix cuz that one is dumb imo but i cannot wait for my nubass. vbass is underrated

[@annother3350]

He didn't ready show off the bass! Apparently the fm has a velocity firmware update now

[@shabbee]

That's the conundrum, how would you determine priority, slider position or MIDI velocity value

[@manueltimm5634]

ive been looking around for ages, this video cleared a lot up stuff up for me, thanks a lot!

[@ShawnStack1]

Such great energy, brother. Keep being.

[@jshell]

I love the enthusiasm.

[@MrSlimfinger]

It's christmas everytime you two make a video together!

[@gregtechno506]

Damn Luke making some kickass techno there. Great fun by the lads.

[@mattierenton701]

looove the Keys.. the sound is proper lush (and phrase ive only even used once in my entire life...)

[@dandelion6514]

The mixer also has a stereo wide knob and quite a good compressor.

[@Garden_Core99]

you know its not a cash grab when jack keeps bringing up other brands like TC electronic and teenage engineering.

[@Zoie3x8]

"i know the internet hates me now" nah, im right there rocking right the hell out as well. 15:40 , 27:37 it really just doubles down on my wanting a whole slew of volcas.

[@MyVidMix]

One of the best Volca demos on YT. Even with Behringer getting into the compact and budget space with the Crave and whatever else they come up with, the Volcas will be incredibly relevant. I mean throwing a Crave into their mix would rock. Why doesn’t every Synth beginner just start with (built over time) the Minilogue plus all the Volcas, an SQ-1, a Keystep and then branch out from there.

[@nickhaldin8674]

MyVideoMix I agree, Behringer is doing incredible things for the synth scene. So is Korg. They are both incredibly innovating and bringing the sounds that were once only the gods’ to us mere mortals who can’t afford 3-10k dollars for a synth. I’ve got a Minilogue, a Behringer model D, and plan on adding a few Volcas to my setup along with the prologue and behringer’s new string machine. There is no shortage of analog goodness both companies are cranking out.

[@dinogoldie9716]

I have a criticism of the Volca range - well maybe it's more a criticism of Korg but it regards the Volcas. I LOVE the FM, Drum and Beats but where do I go from here? If the Volcas are a taster menu, Korg has forgotten to cooke the main course versions. Where's a Korg FM synth with greater polyphony for £300-400? Where's a drum synth with more oscillators/sound source types and greater connectivity for £300-500? Where's an actual Korg Sampler for £300? It seems to me that Korg are missing a trick by not providing a product range that is one step up from the Volcas. At present, there's a massive leap in price between the Volcas and the next level of instruments.

[@3piece598]

Genius comment. Couldnt agree more.

[@strangefields5992]

The sampler especially. Sampler sequencer with some cool connectivity by korg for 400 bucks take my money. Doesn’t have to be crazy inovative. Just make it happen lol.

[@dinogoldie9716]

​@@nopenullify8947 Why so angry old sport?

[@DarkShroom]

maybe you're asking too much from hardware, you may as well use your computer if you are worried about these things... so this product targets a different niche of users yah personally i'd rather just use ableton

[@Yuzuki1337]

Korg Electribe?

[@icareg]

that chromatic line when he showed the vbass was actually pretty sick

[@Pai3000]

Man, what a great video. The mood was unbeatable

[@InkyDaCaT]

Jacks face😂😂😂 at 28.08 brilliant lol

[@apollyon7617]

What is the module on the bottom right that isn't listed or spoken about with all the lights shaped like dyslexic tetris pieces?

[@SpeccyMan]

That isn't a module. It is the algorithm cheat sheet for the Volca FM.

[@Bragheto]

Nice to see someone that's actually interested on the products asking the questions. Cheers!

[@jackstephen2519]

Jack is definitely on something

[@caythorgrimson]

just bougth some of the volca series and im f...... hooked def gotta ovn all p.s welcome to years of no social life

[@jasonbarton9352]

Love the Volcas....but one small issue. I guess it all comes down to what an individual wants to do-right? They are on average $150 in the US. Now I am not complaining....but 2 volcas= $300....what kind of synth can you get for $300, $450 (3) or $600 (for 4)....see what I am driving at? If Korg made these units $99 US......they would fly off the shelves. They obviously know more than I do and have a good handle on the market. Love their products, wish they took a little off of these $ of these units. Anyway love this channel-thx

[@seeingeyegod]

they probably should be at this point, at least for the ones that came out nearly 10 years ago.

[@frallorfrallorfrallorfrall5342]

so this 15/16 active step = all volca can be playing diffrent step aka polyrytme nice? can imagine hos cool and crasy this can be :D

[@Gu1tar1st]

I’m listening to this on an iPhone. This must sound incredible through a decent pair of speakers.

[@aikighost]

Now just make a full sized volca grovebox with 16 voices, FX, Mixer and live remix effects.

[@jonnie2bad]

u mean an electribe then right?

[@aikighost]

@@jonnie2bad Basically an analog electribe yep. But with knob per function for everything. Would be awesome :)

[@morten1]

And 64 or more steps

[@gelatinous6915]

Korg Electribe

[@aliyak9836]

I really enjoyed this demonstration! Thank you!

[@TheRealWinsletFan]

They're both, and you can prise them from my cold dead hands!

[@MyVidMix]

Does anyone know of a site that has the Volca Release Dates listed? The best I can find is a list of all Korg Products on Wikipedia. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Korg_products# I cut and pasted to make the below list, but I wish it had exact release dates. 2013 - Volca Keys. 2013 - Volca Bass. 2013 - Volca Beats. 2014 - Volca Sample. 2016 - Volca FM. 2016 - Volca Kick. 2018 - Volca Drum. 2018 - Volca Modular. 2018 - Volca Mix. 2019 - Volca Nubass. Before this I couldn’t even find a simple release order list randomly on a site. I just liked the idea of buying them in release order. I wish there was a site that had all products from all companies listed in sets with full photos etc. Like a quick visual reference guide, and each photo opens up to a page about each product. Like a visual (less wordy) version of Wikipedia for gear. I mean Equipboard and Gearslutz are great, but I mean just a really clearly visually laid out breakdown of series/families/brands/types of gear etc. 🗂🎹📻📟🎤🔈📅

[@rich_in_paradise]

Wow, how come it took so long to release this video? Joss was still at Andertons when this was filmed.

[@tiffanydriessen]

It is a re-up load of an existing video. So this is literally a year old video.

[@sonorstudio1]

Did you mixed the room hall together with the line signal ? 'Cause it sounds so nice !

[@OnzeManInKazakhstan]

Some say it all started with « my first 808 ». Others say his favourite record is « DX7 presets 201-299 ». All we know is....he’s called Jack.

[@annother3350]

Jack is the one who taught you how to wap your body...

[@CaidicusProductions]

What an awesome idea for a video. Nice!

[@JeffCfreeradiorevolution]

Korg sure knows how to sell gadgets!

[@NORDKeyboardGuy]

Live and touring? Who gigs live with Volcas? I would love to gig live with them.

[@gelatinous6915]

The Volcas make great sounds, but they are NOT built well enough for live gigging. They all have thin plastic bodies that will fall apart if used pro

[@DeepMindfulness2]

@@gelatinous6915 The build is not an issue. People perform music with farm more delicate instruments all the time. The issue is that they are better for writing music than performing since so many things can go wrong. Plus if one is at the level of performing live, they are likely not using Volka alone given how many great tools exist.

[@gelatinous6915]

@@DeepMindfulness2 I mean actually taking them out on tour, by air, then using them on a string of shows.

[@DeepMindfulness2]

Gelatinous - I understand what tour is. I’m not sure what kind of tanks your used to seeing played at concerts but these would perform perfectly.

[@gelatinous6915]

@@DeepMindfulness2 It's not whether they perform, it's whether they break often which they do.

[@terrybrown106]

I'd like to know where you got that awesome carrying case for those modules? If I get several modules, I would want this to keep all of them hooked up without having to unhook and rehook all those cables. I'd like to be able to power them off, pop the lid on them, and carry to my next gig.

[@tontrenner]

I love all the funny guys on your channel! just great! ;D

[@evanw8853]

Been waiting on my Beats to arrive for a month now, looks so fun!

[@dhammarosi]

YES, thanks for the reupload

[@kcat80]

wait ,did I miss the bit where they answered the question? lol

[@Havanacuba1985]

Volca Fairlight CMI , with Trevor horn patches

[@pricejoss]

Jack is hilarious. Top demonstration

[@jeremyhill1973]

Jack and Luke forever!!!

[@rharris0820rh]

I use a combination of volcas; they are quite powerful. Recorded and processed properly, I prefer them over softsynths anytime.

[@marcelod.tallon9438]

Excellent!!!Very Good. Thank you!!

[@pablowentscobar]

I have a Sample2, they really missed the boat with not being able to record samples right into it. Having a 3.5 mm audio in/mic jack would make the Sample so insanely good. I've had both the sample 1 & 2 and they're both kind of a pain to get samples in. The librarian software is kind of glitchy.

[@Gu1tar1st]

Buy four Volca Keys, and join them up; voila; a twelve voice voice analogue synthesiser with four arpeggiators, four separate filters, envelopes and individual effects.

[@gixerags750]

So the volcas , with quality leads into a decent mixing desk are good enough quality on a final mixdown ? Also are you combining the drum volcas into 1 channel with a splitter and same with 2 other volcas split into ch2 likewise? Cheers

[@gonzalobenavides4691]

You guys are the best!

[@New_Zealand_Music]

Finally figured out what that beat reminded me of NightRider cool.

[@VestedUTuber]

Can't they be both? Their small, portable size and simple feature set make them great for just having a portable synth setup to play around with, but they pack some serious sound and the wide range of equipment lets you come up with all sorts of setups.

[@ruuvari123]

Can someone suggest some priority in which order to buy Volcas if I wan't to start building a rack based on them? I would first like to buy one or two and get most versatile/essential pieces first and look after that which ones to aquire.

[@Sineidal]

Ruuvari123 well if you must start with one, I’d say the volca sample as you can do both beats and music groove with just that one box. Even if you get other volcas later on, the sample is still very useful as you can load samples into it to keep your tracks fresh and interesting. After that go with the fm and then the beats.

[@ruuvari123]

@@Sineidal thanks, I already got myself sample and keys. They happened to be available second hand at the neighbourhood. I think FM would be also quite versatile as you can download settings for huge variety of different sounds.

[@CB19087]

@@ruuvari123 i got sample, then FM and getting bass next :) FM is very good and so much fun

[@samiam5557]

Jack & Luke, show N tell us all about more KORG goodness!!! Yeah. Hey there Mr. Santa Claus, hint, hint.

[@Havanacuba1985]

My Xmas present is the FM , looking forward to doing some 80s AOR ,rock on it

[@maximummovementtheatre]

Sounds like Bernard Szajner's Some Deaths Take Forever. That's a good thing!

[@alexhamilton560]

This is all I want.

[@mattcero1]

Which of the Korg Volca products would pair best with a Novation Circuit? I want one of these but need to just buy one. Thank you.

[@Havanacuba1985]

There is a solder less midi out mod on eBay too, in the form of a piggyback pub and a midi din pigtail

[@theycallmejpj]

luke is god tier

[@TurnFullCircle]

Bloody awesome.....! Cheers....love it!

[@artofnick]

Heard "Luke from Korg" and knew where this was going.

[@Synthelicious]

Why was that start/stop sync function not added to the SQ64?

[@mateocalle__]

Nice guys, massive toys!

[@VJFranzK]

The Case! 5:00 Space for 9 volcas. What is it?

[@ben1210]

Keys ftw

[@concrete-disco]

ah, i remembered that broken volca drum snare. i modded mine before i sold it

[@ShouriSeifuku]

3 different size pots and pans in the right hands can be serious instruments. Music is an art. It's subjective.

[@-Tholos-]

What's the unit in the bottom right slot of the case?

[@KeyosBeats]

What you have expected Korg employee to say :D ...

[@pablowentscobar]

"Let's just clear everything out. You hit function and clear." "You're blowing my mind right now." Really?

[@EpicMrEric]

Those samples on the sampler sound just like some one shots from the XFER Records sample pack...