making a FULL song on the Korg Volca Sample 2 ONLY - start to finish

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in a previous video, I asked myself: can I play a full live set on JUST a volca sample mkII? and the answer was... yes! - although with some caveats.
so when thinking about making a full SONG on the volca sample, you'd think that yeah, that'd be not only possible, but much easier than a full set... RIGHT?
well... it's not that straightforward.
0:00 intro
01:20 down to bizness
02:40 first step parameter lock example
03:42 cool fake sidechain trick
04:28 rest of the beat
05:05 careful when copying/pasting patterns on the volca sample
05:50 how to write bass/melody lines with parameter lock
08:57 the length of your main loop affects the arrangement of your song
09:57 the structure of this song's main loop
11:20 writing a melody using parameter lock
12:36 GET THE SAMPLES I'M USING IN THIS SAMPLE PACK!
13:31 explaining all the sections in this song + some considerations and tips
15:47 little secret - you should export stems to a DAW lol
16:14 final jam
21:35 laterzzzzz/buy me a coffee!
if you think my music, videos or mixes are worth buying me a coffee, I'd love to have it :) www.buymeacoffee.com/bigumami
follow me on IG: / b.i.g.umami

[@BIGUMAMI]

what is up greedy guts? I have a Discord server! come and chat about samplers, software, and leave some suggestions on what videos you want to see next: discord.gg/DMntZNBX

[@JohnBassarcticsoundstudios]

I love my vocal sample 2 mainly because it holds a lot more samples. I bought mine to be basically a drum machine that I can load any sample that I wanted to. So the first thing I did is I went out and sample all the classic drum machines plus custom samples I make in my studio

[@BIGUMAMI]

exactly! aw man it's so weird I literally say the exact same things in this upcoming video on the volca sample 1 vs sample 2! kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3mtoIBnfJasqNk

[@mallauni]

Big umamiiiiii - my favorite inspiring channel for dawless sound creation. …even, if absolut beginner. Thanks for your movies

[@BIGUMAMI]

man, thank YOU! you don't know how much it means to me to hear somebody say this is their FAVOURITE channel. gives me a reason to keep working on it at 5AM, in between a full time job, fatherhood etc. hope you'll enjoy the next few ones too!

[@JohnBassarcticsoundstudios]

Great job.

[@2smoke4stroke52]

ive just got korg s 2 and am complete novis with low attion span yet i found your vid highly informative and entertaining ps this is my first bit of dj equipment that im trying to learn so thanks for great info

[@BIGUMAMI]

glad to be of help!!

[@redseaflora8497]

Sick tune dude, love the volca sample content! Getting ur tracks into a daw to finish them is a key tip also, external fx add so much life and depth to this box (i.e. sp404-like delay and beat repeat) I like panning stuff hard left and hard right to create 2 submixes and recording left and right in separate daw tracks also, gives you the control to arrange in a daw but also helps limit decision paralysis.

[@BIGUMAMI]

yeah that's definitely not a bad tip - and I honestly used to solo literally a max of 3-4 groups like kick - rest of drums -bass - melody then record them separately, but eh, at that point, just make the pattern run, solo each track and whatever, you know? at least you then have full control on all sounds, AND you can do tons of little fill variations in a DAW if you feel like it. but I agree, that's only if you have a good experience in arranging. many people don't understand that arranging is literally A WHOLE ANOTHER WORLD compared to beat making.

[@littlemanhovis]

Great video and nice tune

[@BIGUMAMI]

glad you like it!

[@DimitriFransen]

Thx for your video. 12-12-2023 the Volca is coming. Nice song ❤

[@BIGUMAMI]

awesome!!

[@leoneldiaz7654]

thaks a lot for this video

[@BIGUMAMI]

thank you for watching!

[@captainrem]

insane

[@BIGUMAMI]

don't make me blush now! thank you!

[@jevogroni4829]

i love mark 1 but yeah editing automation is more tricky on it. very true. but i dont like the ”func means chain” i like to hold func and slide around to do fills. functionality that seems like will be abandoned

[@BIGUMAMI]

you can definitely still change mid pattern to do fills! just like mk1, you press memory+the slot you want - it'll change the pattern instantaneously! but yeah I don't know how to feel about getting rid of the Song mode, which at least allowed you to make songs with patterns that were not adjacent. now it's kind like the tb303 where pattern that you wanna chain together must be next to each other. by yeah man. step automation. total game changer. still got my MK1 cos I love it but honestly I rarely use it.

[@SonicVibe]

Like you said step automation seems way better I just orders a sample 2 yesterday , questions is do ya miss song mode? or it’s not that bad just make steps adjacent for patterns to chain a song? And how come that app audio pocket has not been updated for sample 2 like only being able to transfer 100 slots when there is 200? or having bonus packs added to app or factory content replace for sample 2, looks like it’s only for sample v1 at-least ya can do firmware update I think 🤔 . Just asking cause I use Mac 🖥️ and not sure if the library app works with Mac 💻 or I can get away with using the app on iPad ?

[@BIGUMAMI]

I DO miss song mode. not just becase of the ability to pair non-adjacent patterns, but you could also repeat the same pattern 2,3,4 times before inserting the next one. Honestly if there was a step automation update/pajen firmware that introduces step automation on the volca 1, I would have a little space in my studio SOLELY dedicated to my 1+2 setup. I suggest using Korg's own volca librarian software, it seems to be working fine, at least with Monterey OS atm. I haven't tried iPad apps yet!

[@SonicVibe]

@@BIGUMAMI yeah I got my samples 2 it’s running 1.02 firmware but site says 1.01 is the latest update 🤷‍♂️ also the app only had 100 slots when the sample 2 has 150 with 50 extra slots why can’t I access the empty slots the apps looks abandoned by Korg but why do they say ya can use it on website then idk 🤷‍♂️ I’m going to have to try the pc librarian out otherwise the machine is fantastic with knob per function swing etc but yeah I wish it had step mode but could pattern chain like old song mode but maybe 🤔 I’ll just make my sequences in order somehow

[@Haymenameisbill]

Great! This help’s ma a lot. But I have a Question, what do you think is the best, simple and cheapest Way to Save your Songs or Pattern external on a PC or Notbook? Sorry for my bad English. I like you how to make Music, specially on the Volca. I love this little Peace of Love and will soon by some other Volcas. Keep on inspiring! :)

[@BIGUMAMI]

you can definitely do it with the Korg Librarian software!

[@Haymenameisbill]

@@BIGUMAMI just that simple? :D ok thank you. :)

[@marcosshevchenkobogado]

good...I have it too and you help me a lot :)

[@BIGUMAMI]

glad to hear that!!

[@electrock]

Thank you so much brother ! what a talent! Theoretically - could you arrange that straight on the machine??

[@BIGUMAMI]

thank you so much! you mean something like Song mode? unfortunately no, they took out song mode from the sample mk2 - you can only chain adjacent patterns together. So you're pretty much stuck punching pattern in live basically.

[@electrock]

@@BIGUMAMI could you chain adjacent patterns on the mk1??

[@soundvandal3570]

So I just accidentally discovered that if you hold memory/load and tap multiple sequences chains them together and plays them in order.

[@BIGUMAMI]

reeeeeally??? can you tap the same pattern twice as well? like if you want a pattern to go 1-1-2-3 I guess I could wait til I get home and try it myself but I'm too excited now lol

[@soundvandal3570]

@BIGUMAMI not sure, but I three sequences and worked. I'm actually at work so I have had to stop playing. And there was another function when I hit the step button that read Chan when I hit it. No idea what it's for or how I got to it.

[@soundvandal3570]

There's a Chain mode.

[@djturkishicecream4704]

I only have the volca sample 1. How is the step automation in sample 2 different? Sample 1 also lets you hold down a step and tweak parameters, right?

[@BIGUMAMI]

on the volca sample 2 it's a bit clearer, the automated step blinks. also, the automated step doesn not affect the following steps - they remain the same. on the volca 1, not only the automated step does not blink, but also, you have to automate all remaining steps, otherwise they take on the last automated value. kinda convoluted, I know...

[@djturkishicecream4704]

@@BIGUMAMI Got it, interesting - didn't know about the blinking. About the non-automated steps though, as far as I can tell they take on the current value of the knob, not the last automated value.

[@carlmclaren8078]

Is this the best one to start with if you're a noob?

[@BIGUMAMI]

it's most definitely one of the most user friendly interfaces, in my opinion, yes!

[@juanrajara2887]

So you could program a whole song on the Volca Sample 1 before and now that they got rid of Song Save on Volca Sample 2, you can't just press play to play a song from start to finish live?

[@BIGUMAMI]

yeah, unfortunately that's exactly it yeah. :-(

[@droptherapy2085]

I feel like while it's annoying that you don't at least have the option to do that, my personal goal is to have another instrument for live performances, so I feel like it'd work for me

[@yanickborg3118]

I dunnno... I can't imagine spending so much time programming just to achieve a basic two bar jingle.I'm not even saying don't use volca sample. Im saying use an external sequencer. This shit done my head in after 20 seconds.😂😂

[@BIGUMAMI]

true! this video was more of a thought experiment

[@bobclark5360]

import into daw would be cool to see your technique and ideas

[@BIGUMAMI]

coming up in the next few weeks for sure! definitely by the end of March.

[@dannydaniel8975]

My volca 2 won't recognize USB when I hook it up to my computer...I tried setting up the drives and still, nothing happened

[@BIGUMAMI]

it is super annoying, yes... have you tried swapping cables?

[@dannydaniel8975]

@@BIGUMAMI I tried 4 different cables.I bought a akai mpx 16 so I'm returning the volca sample 2. I don't like that I have to load samples via software and that it does not sample directly into the machine itself. I don't have to figure things out these days

[@BIGUMAMI]

@@dannydaniel8975 man, I hear you. It didn't use to work with my previous computer but now it does and that's one of the main reasons I still have the volca sample 2. good for you for getting the mpx16, let me know how you find it!

[@dannydaniel8975]

@@BIGUMAMI Ok, I will.

[@mikemartin1894]

Try a different cable..I couldn't connect mine for months tried everything..it was a USB cord issue all along now it works perfectly

[@YISHENG-xr9er]

pajen mate mark I only

[@BIGUMAMI]

yeah dude, I also have a mk1 with pajen on it (I don't know which version though, maybe an old one?) and the version of pajen I have on the mk1 still doesn't allow for step automation like the mk2 does. have things changed? is this now possible with a newer Pajen version? I remember installing it and being quite impressed with it, but thinking it was only kinda useful when being used in conjunction with a DAW - which kinda defeated the purpose...

[@marsupialmicron]

That if the Volca Sample that everyone wants. mk1 with pajen it is amazing!!

[@gitarman666]

Looks like it would be an app If it isn’t already

[@BIGUMAMI]

what do you mean, like a volca app? or just a generic music making app? cos I mean there are millions of those but that wasn't the point of the video 🤣

[@gitarman666]

@@BIGUMAMI An actual Volca app I’ve got lots of synths, drum machines and DAWs for iOS im sure they could replicate this device as a fully working button for button app

[@TomAnderson7]

I would love it if they made an app with all volcas where you just mix and match. Kinda like Korg Gadget

[@HoodHandyman]

very very good video I see that you can make a song with this. please do a video going a little bit slower because I had trouble keeping up. with what you were doing

[@BIGUMAMI]

yeah you're right dude! sometimes I try and cram things so that I don't end up with like an hour long video... I know you can watch video at 2x speed in the preferences, maybe there's a way of watching it at 0.75?

[@HoodHandyman]

@@BIGUMAMI thats a good tip for us slow people thanks :)

[@jameswaters8417]

Volca sample sucks

[@BIGUMAMI]

so, what other sampler (with comparable features and price) would you suggest?