RS017 KORG Volca Kick: Just for Kicks!?

Pretty much the first thing I got, when I got back into playing around with actual hardware, was a Korg Volca Beats. For the little money I spend, I was amazed to see how much you could really get out of this little black box. Plus, as it runs on batteries and is really tiny, being able to take it literally everywhere (even if it‘s just the couch) was simply amazing. So soon, you might know this story, I had amassed quite a few Volcas. Maybe the oddest one I got, was the Volca Kick, featured in this video. I really only bought it because I got it dirt cheap off someone who I believe really needed some money quick and I didn’t use it much when if first got it (hence all that dust). I’m pretty sure that’s the fate many Volca Kicks out there share at the moment, laying around in some corner (or shelf) catching lots of dust.
So recently, when thinking about what to do my next video about, I dusted it off (Ok, I might need some dusting practice…) and for the first time really tried out all the features and possibilities, starting to film right on the spot. As I had seen during research on You Tube, I tried spicing it up with lots of FX (who would have thought that using lots of reverb and delay on a machine that is supposed to do bass drums is actually quite a good idea).
So is it just for kicks? Well it does kick ass quite a lot as a mere bass drum generator, but it does all sorts of other kicking too, like hard and deep into your stomach pit, when delivering some super low sub bass, or piercing your eardrums with some sharp whining squelches.
0:00 Intro
0:22 Introduction
2:10 Shaping a Bass Drum
3:33 From Bass Drum to Bass Line (and back)
5:49 Motion Sequence Bass Line
10:00 Melodies?
13:00 Fun with FX
17:32 Conclusion
18:06 Outro

[@mb2776]

That thing is basically one of the best 808 trap style bass machines there is and not many do realize this!

[@blazkorazija2310]

play it through some big speakers, and you'll quickly realise that. the sub bass is monstrous

[@lundsweden]

And it has an individual output!!

[@lundsweden]

The Korg Volca Kick is a strange little beast, I don't think they will sell many of them. But there will be some people who will love it. But it just does one thing! And it takes up the same space as my Volca Sample with 8 note poly and ten samples per pattern (and it can sound like ANY drum machine, use breaks etc).

[@strongocho]

Check my last video (blunted demons), I take full advantage of this volca

[@strongocho]

@@lundsweden volca kick is the best volca by far. Thunderous basslines.

[@jennykush1323]

Just bought a kick generator and love the product. Very easy to use and makes good beats to play guitar or keyboard over.

[@dtrninja]

Great video! I love the editing

[@rezzdy89]

Wow damn! 🤯I love this beats, amazing! 🔊🔥🔥🔥

[@rejectedsynths]

Glad you like em!

[@MrBruceHerrera]

Just found about your channel from your Facebook post. Loving the series and the editing!!!

[@rejectedsynths]

Hey there! Glad you like it! 🤩

[@sebastiennesp1978]

Great video! As the owner of countless drum machines, you have convinced me to purchase this Volca. (Should arrive before Christmas..YAY!!)

[@rejectedsynths]

Merry Kickmas! 🎄🦵

[@1ukjunglednbraver]

the sounds you made from the extra effects were crazy i mean the sounds it created were out of this world and with another drum machine could make some fantastic acidic kinda space techno. i think this is underutilized it seems great to play with but could be good for live sets even with like i said another drum machine and the efx i mean you wont get in the charts but some underground music fans would love them crazy sounds.

[@hhdhpublic]

Am thinking of getting this and seeing if I can get some sort of noise techno together by combining this with some no input mixer manipulation. Certainly not a chart topper but the results might be interesting.

[@DocBolus]

Interesting little device for designing some sounds.

[@ahmetcangokceer]

Great review!! I love my volca kick for the bass drum dedicated stuff as well as the other areas you covered here. Have you tried sending in midi notes? Thats really fun when you try to make it play complex melodic patterns, you can achieve some super exciting stuff that way.

[@deydododontdedoh.5672]

I underestimated this, I thought it was just for kicks but it's also a good bassline synth. taking time to understand it gives some good results eh.

[@BarbesDub]

cool video !!!! nice for bassline 🎵👍 it must be cool to sequence it with an MPC One🎵

[@PaapMezilane]

I really love the sound character of volca kick. Sounds icredibly rich and pleasing. Ive noticed though that in many cases, the drum sounds of it tend to phase and are not even. it does not bother too much as it can be precived as an "organic" factor. Specially the clicks on top of a fat drum are unstable. But also just sharper attacks without the pulse. I noticed that your unit seems not to have this "organic factor". It sounds pretty stable. And some other volca kick yt presentors seem to have more stabile units. I guess there is some sensitive part or solderjoint in it somewhere, that differs from unit to unit. I soo love this machine though. Such great character to it.

[@rejectedsynths]

Maybe the change in sound is down to processing of the audio during production and YT compression?

[@PaapMezilane]

@@rejectedsynths I think it is some component in the kick. I hear it also when using my own unit. It gets more stable when the overdrive is dialed down, but to a certain degree remains. It is maybe due to using the resonator instead of an oscillator. And it makes it sensitive to minor instabilities in the current. But on the other hand - this is, why it sounds so different and beautiful.

[@albanian1910]

Pitch shifting usually happens in many analog drum machines. My drumbrute impact also does that

[@MrScarabey]

You really dig it. Nice use of motion sequence, without it volca sounds kinda dull. Cool jam at the end also, this crunchy vibey bass, uhmm))

[@rejectedsynths]

Thank you for the praise 🤗

[@sullycliftona]

It's actually quite lite and small so it's likely to go rite up far if you kick it volley style .i get lazy when it comes to reading instructions .Thank you

[@rejectedsynths]

Volca Instructions are a pain to read anyways 😅

[@neonblack211]

I really waish the tone knob had a bit more to offer on this unit or just a lowpass

[@Dan-ms4oq]

Very well produced video. More people should incorporate green screen.

[@rejectedsynths]

Thank you, but to be honest it's less of a screen and more if a green paper crafting cardboard thing 😁

[@dsrecords22]

This intro is everything, LMAO!

[@dsrecords22]

synths and multi effects is my fix! ever tried whammy/divebomb/wah a synth?

[@scottfarrell1906]

How do other people deal with the noise from the tone when turned after 12 . The noise is way too much in my opinion.

[@rejectedsynths]

Noise for some, 'atmosphere' for me 😝

[@paulburkhart2619]

Get a Behringer TD-3 and you got yourself a stew goin'.

[@rejectedsynths]

I've got quite a few Volcas, might do a jam. The Volca Bass is no 303 but it has also got a mean squelch going 😉

[@couchcamperTM]

@@rejectedsynths no need to get the TD-3, get the Volca Bass user oscilator for the NTS-1. (result: Volca Bass for less money with added effects) Sell the original Volca Bass. And please don't tell Korg about this^^

[@rejectedsynths]

But does the NTS-1 then have 3 oscilators, like the volca bass?

[@couchcamperTM]

@@rejectedsynths not exactly ;- ) kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXablJV9ltx7etE

[@paulburkhart2619]

Whoa! I have an NTS-1. The last oscillator I installed was “Chord”, which allows the splitting of the oscillator into different notes. It’s not polyphonic, but you can make techno/house chords easily.

[@Energysessions]

best cheap hardware to make subs for hardgroove

[@parasiteunit]

Still want one. Kick and Subs? Cmon!!

[@rejectedsynths]

If I could get as much sub(s) as the Kick, I'd be youtube famous in no time 😜

[@HKz65]

Klingt nach Bernd. Zufall?

[@rejectedsynths]

Bernd who?

[@HKz65]

@@rejectedsynths Lauert

[@HeXetic]

Am I the only one who finds this almost-upside-down camera angle mildly nauseating?

[@rejectedsynths]

It's meant to suck you into the screen....boom....you're in the backrooms 😉