Paraphonic Ambient w/ the Korg Volca Keys.

My worship of the Volca Keys continues with a video that demonstrates an easy way to freeze the Keys' sequencer, use its onboard controls, and utilize a sick reverb pedal to make an ambient soundscape. I'm proud to say this video MOSTLY has no talking. That is, no talking after the intro. There are lots of low frequency sounds here, use headphones for maximum results.
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Using the polyphony setting, I record two notes at once and on a second pass record a third higher octave note. I then freeze the looper/sequencer. The reason to do this is because you often will hear a little 'skip' between steps 16 and 1. I then ride the filter up and down to make ocean wave sounds, while altering the peak (resonance), lfo, and delay settings. I add some detune to thicken the sound halfway through. A really good use for this technique would be to make a drone with the Keys then use a second Keys or synth of your choice to overlay leads or more textures.
Purchase your own Volca Keys:
amzn.to/3Q48eHc
or the Eventide Black Hole Reverb:
amzn.to/49Np3xm

[@realmchat6665]

Cool sound, tips and video - love the volca keys.

[@HiImNathan]

Thanks for watching, ME TOOOO it’s a fascinating little synth!

[@rayderrich]

I only own Blackhole in software and use it a lot for these kinds of soundbeds, loving it. Good demo, Nathan!

[@HiImNathan]

Thanks so much! I love the Keys so much I will probably make some more videos like this. It’s just the best.

[@plaintigergrrr8496]

That sounded awesome! 😎

[@HiImNathan]

TIIIIIII GRRRRR THANK YOU for listening! It’s an amazing synth!

[@8fisz8]

Hey great stuff! thanks for all the videos - very cool. Can you point to some cool tutorials on how to produce ambient music? I recently bought MPK mini - and doing my first steps. Thanks

[@HiImNathan]

Hey thanks for watching! I don’t have any immediate videos recs…Ambient can mean a lot of things, but I think starting with a drone you like and playing other things over that would be an easy starting point. Like with any music making, just look for the sounds you think are interesting and that will guide you.

[@abandonedbrain]

Nice. I don't have a Volca Keys, but you reminded me that I still have an IK Multimedia UNO Synth Pro, a parametric three-note analog synth with some real growl. I never really thought about using it for ambient, but your video made me pull it out of the closet to play with it again. I have a lot of fun with my simpler synths, doing similar ambient stuff (I have a blast when my Yamaha TG33 hits the bench). You can really get caught up in it, and before you know it you've recorded 30 minutes and still have no real desire to stop. :) Thanks for sharing! Now I just have to figure out how to spring for a Blackhole (or a Microcosm) without my wife chastizing me for spending so much on a pedal...

[@HiImNathan]

I can’t speak to the UNO Synth but the Keys is so fun to use, so immediate, and sounds high quality. I think my Black Hole was $200…cheap compared to a lot of modern pedals!

[@karim_bouchouchi]

The Delay on my Volca Keys is noisy too. But perhaps we can accept it as lofi touch to the sound. Did you try to run your keys just on battery to check if the noise is still there?

[@HiImNathan]

Yeah I have pretty much accepted that the delay has a character of its own and I should get used to it. The instrument wouldn’t be the same without it!