From Brian Willoughby Sent Fri, Sep 6th 2019, 04:26
From Brian Willoughby Sent Fri, Sep 6th 2019, 04:26
I have no idea why I read your review, because there is no place for the = Volca in my world. However, in hind sight, I=E2=80=99m really glad that = I did. Enjoyable read. On Sep 5, 2019, at 2:17 PM, Royce Lee <xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> wrote: >=20 > Hi list, >=20 > I found a used Korg Volca Drum on Craigslist and decided to buy it to = try it out. >=20 > I haven't seen many reviews on the web that I can relate to so thought = I'd share some thoughts about it. It is the first Korg volca or mini = product I've purchased outside of gifts for other people. >=20 > The form factor is definitely "pocket calculator". I can't honestly = consider it to be drum machine, though it has some aspirations. For = example, if you dare, here is a video that attempts to treat the Volca = like a performance instrument: > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D7gKncWEYfpY=20 >=20 > I would have to say my experience and approach to the thing is the = polar opposite to Mr. Buns. I am unable to get any of fingers, hands, or = feet to reproduce any of the gestures shown in the video. When I play = it, I'm unable to dance, bob, or sway. If I attempt to use any dance = like moves near the thing, I knock it off of the table or flip it upside = down. In fact, because I need bifocals but have not yet bought them, I = can't even read some of the text on the thing. >=20 > Every preset on the thing aims to prove that the Volca is waiting for = Autechre to make their new record on the thing. The presets are,without = exception, repulsive. Wide parameter changes on drums, especially ones = that repeat every bar, are a terrible idea. The only way to get that = kind of behavior out of a drumkit is for something drastic to happen, = like the snare falls off of its stand, or the kick drum rolls off stage. = So the real time parameter recording is a gadget begging to be abused. = You will not wind up doing this, because it is not allowed in music that = is listened to. >=20 > There is alot of hate on the web about the knob that controls which = digital model is being used. A bit hard to explain, but a single knob = will select the combination of oscillator type, modulation shape, and = envelope shape. Imagine the DX7 having instead of a bunch of buttons, a = single tiny knob to flip through every parameter. A puzzling choice. It = would be a bit like choosing what combination of beverage, meal, and = desert at McDonalds using a single knob. Not what one expects, but = perhaps mathematically effective at sweeping through a parameter space = with fewer dimensions than one thinks.=20 >=20 > It is best to not ponder this GUI choice too long, in case you start = agreeing with it and applying it to real life choices. >=20 > The sequencer is effective. It has a tempo knob, a play button, a = record button. No manual required to get started. There is a function = button, which means that many functions that are performance oriented = require two button presses, or 2 + n button presses to accomplish. I = blame Elektron on this GUI innovation. Or perhaps Microsoft, who do not = want you to be able to login to your laptop while drinking coffee, in = case were to spill the coffee on the computer. Likewise, you won't want = to try to play the Volca Drum while simultaneously using another drum = machine, unless you have four hands. >=20 > On the other hand, you will want to use the Volca Drum with another = drum machine. Its sync has some surprises. Korg includes the option to = sync the drum with analogue clock or midi. With analogue pulses, you can = choose upgoing or downgoing signals. You can also choose two pulses per = step or one pulse per step. Being able to make these selections is = really great, allowing the Volca Drum to easily integrate with...say...a = TR606. I find the signal does not have to be processed too much for sync = to be pretty tight. There is a downside: there is no reset...so you will = need to manually sync the Volca to the first beat by pressing play on = the first beat. As much as I'd like to criticize this to keep the = sarcastic tone of this review consistent, I have to admit it makes = perfect sense and is an example where simple is better. What kind of = percussion instrument would not assume its user is capable of this = simple rhythmic act. >=20 > What does it sound like? I have to admit I'm mystified here, even = though I've played with it for a few minutes each night. I seem to be = able to make three different sounds on it. The first is a sine wave = based kick drum that is deep, and can be enveloped tightly to replicate = a 909 that is clean and effective. The other is a kind of hihat/snare = hybrid that is noise based, generic, and bland, but in a good way. In = fact a kind of sound that I've been having trouble generating on my = tricky Eurorack digital drums (Taiko, audiodamage, nord drum). Third is = a large wastebasket category of drums I'd probably never use but wonder = if some minimal techno kid would wind up using. Squishy sounds with a = slow attack, or highly modulated sounds. The sounds lack the grit of a = TX81z. Note quite as punchy as an ER1. Tend to come out "scooped". Sort = of like if a Quadraverb hand a synth engine. >=20 > It has a delay based effect that I had hoped replicated the wonderful = ER1 delay. I've loved that delay when jamming with friends: rich, = harmonic, wierd, and better than the drum sounds on the ER1 itself. This = delay is not the same. It supposedly is thereto model tube based = acoustics, leading some ad copy to call this drum synth a physical = modelling synth. If so, I'm not hearing it. It doesn't sound good, and = most sounds, with exception of cymbals, sound better without engaging = this effect at all. There is also a bit reducer effect: to my ears, it = sounds bad whenever its level is above zero. >=20 > I think I'll need to spend a bit more time with it to explore its = parameter space. I generally find myself looking for warmer, full bodied = sounds, and winding up with either pretty good deep kicks or pretty good = hihat/snare like sounds with very little in-between. =20 >=20 > The sequencer has some genuinely great tricks. For example, if you = press one of the steps, it will repeat that step in time (16th note). If = you press three steps, it will repeat those three steps (3/4 of a beat). = If the step is blank, it will insert a series of blank 1/16th note = steps. When you release the step, everything is okay in the machine = somehow winds up back in right place. Brilliant! Easily creates useful = variations that are truly intuitive. >=20 > There it is! I like it for its sequencer, and I like that Korg dared = to push out a digitally synthesized drum. Some of the performance = enhancements are great, some of them are terrible. All will beg to = novice to try to create impressive patterns. These efforts will lead to = disappointment. But simple things, like an off beat click or zap, are = perfectly fine. The analogue sync is tight but will require some mental = organization. It has some performance oriented features, but you will = make mistakes on stage, because your finger will be bigger than any of = the steps/buttons.=20 >=20 > So...back to Kraftwerk's pocket calculator analogy.=20 >=20