Volca Modular - How to Step Record Long and Short Notes

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Here's something I found a while ago while I was taking a bit of a deep dive into sequencing on the Volca Modular, sequencing long and short notes. This is something that isn't mentioned in the manual but it's super useful for making precise sequences, if a bit tricky to use.
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[@markusnyman4768]

There is actually an easy way to step record all your notes consecutively without going back and forth. As you said, when you want a note to be long, hold your finger on the note you wish to be long and press play. Now if you want the next note to be short, release the play button but keep holding your finger on the note. Now press down the next note and only then lift the finger on the first one. Only then lift your second finger as well. Now you have a long note followed by a short one.

[@242Gorch]

Thank you ❣️

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

You're welcome, enjoy 😁

[@SolopsistSocionaut]

Great tip, thanks for sharing!

[@LORANBELTRAM]

Oh thank so much Chris ... every trick is welcome... you are a master !

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

You're welcome, have fun 😁

[@shinezacharias3118]

Thanks for the video

[@Francisco12G]

Amazing discovery :) keep it up!!

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thank you 😁

[@shellanxart]

Thank you!

[@stuartdavid8493]

Brilliant find! Thanks 🙏

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thanks for watching

[@bobtronic73]

Thanks so much, I was looking for that option.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

You're welcome, have fun 😁

[@CatFish107]

Oh great! Thanks for sharing all this knowledge.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thanks for watching, have fun 😁

[@PhilanderingBastard]

Very useful info, thank you.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

You're welcome, have fun 😁

[@MHobMusic]

Very useful trick! Thanks for sharing

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

You're welcome 😁

[@samanthajanesmith9591]

Nice - thanks.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

You're welcome 😁

[@iosmusicman]

I’m not sure I have the patience to get my head properly around that to really grok it Chris (I’d use another volca maybe) but it’s fab that you found and shared it. Cheers. Lee

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thank you. Actually now I think about it I don't think any of the other Volcas have this ability to mix short and long gate times so it's pretty special in that regard

[@iosmusicman]

@@ChrisLodyMusic well there’s my other problem. I have six and haven’t mastered one of them yet 😡

[@tmtombass2126]

Nice! Btw the riff reminds me of "Changes" from Yes, same four notes. I wonder if the polyrhythm could also be done with the Modular...perhaps with pattern chaining.

[@KiR_3d]

Hi, Chris! Is here a way to sequence the lowest notes of Volca Modular internally? I know that it has lower octave than the "down" option gives. But it needs to have an external cv-sequencer. Probably I can make it with A4 (it gives the clock successfully) but I want to use Volca's sequencer to get the automation track(s).

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Hi. No I don't think that's possible, the sequencer is limited to that range unfortunately. I even double checked on my midi modded Volca Modular to see if it is possible that way but it has the same range as the internal sequencer too, external CV is the only option I think

[@KiR_3d]

I've bought a used Analog Four mk2 recently... But this trick reminded me that I've already bought Volca Modular and did found that it's not that bad (that many ppl says) :) Chris, do you have some tricks for A4 btw? P.S. A4's manual seems to be written by some lawer :D you get references there and there... "watch that page to know more" - that type of stuff. And you can't skip a lot without loosing a clue about something.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Yes the Volca Modulars are certainly complex but that's what makes them interesting to me, depths to plunder 😁 I only borrowed the Analog Four so I can't cover it in detail unfortunately. Manuals like that are the worst, sorry I can't help. I'm sure there must be some tutorials about it on KZbin.

[@KiR_3d]

@@ChrisLodyMusic I'm digging the manual bit by bit now anyway ) But thanks! I was just hoping that you know some hidden feature inside A4. Who knows... :)

[@henrikpersson4698]

i'm intrigued by this thing, and the long notes tip helped, but the way it sounds in every review .... is that tinny blip-blop all it's capable of??

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Ha yes a lot of reviews don't really do the sound justice. Not going to lie, it is trickiest Volca to master so you have to know your way around the patch bay to make the most of it. But it is capable of some unexpected sounds on less obvious paths like this stuff: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3zElJewo5dpe5Y

[@henrikpersson4698]

@@ChrisLodyMusic cheers, that was nice! yeah it seems a bit difficult and that's probably why it sounds samey in all the videos (almost all)

[@gru_day]

This is material for firmware update.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Yep it is a bit janky tbh!

[@gru_day]

@@ChrisLodyMusic It is what it is... I keep mine and bought another. This kind of sound is nowhere to found (at this price). I just love that i am always surprised with the sound (not always positive tho). Have had many synths and it can be easy replicated with VST or APPS... not this one.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Oh yeah I didn't mean to be negative about it in general, it's just this feature that's a bit janky. Overall I love it and I've used it on loads of stuff. Like you say it's not a sound that's easy to replicate elsewhere