Korg Volca Sample
Korg's Volca Sample is an intuitive and compact sample sequencer that gives users the ability to sequence a total of 100 sampled sounds in real time. The unit is excellent alongside Korg's other Volca instruments, or as a standalone sample player. The Volca Sample enables maximum creativity through its ability to change any sound into useable audio material.
Volca Sample Features
- A fun to use sequencer with superb improvisatory potential
- Motion sequencer records and plays back up to 11 parameters
- Active Step and Step Jump functions let you insert and remove steps
- Swing function generates grooves
- Analog Isolator provides powerful and great-sounding possibilities
- Reverb Per Part
- Song mode for more dynamic performances
- Reverse function lets you play samples backward
- Load samples from the dedicated iOS app
- Developers can now build their own data input tool for the Volca Sample using the software development kit (SDK)
- Keyboard: Multi touch Keyboard
- Sampler Type: PCM
- Maximum Polyphony: 8
- Number of Samples: 100 (User over writable)
- Memory Size for Sample: 4 MB, Maximum 65 seconds
- Sampling Frequency: 31.25 kHZ, 16 bit
- Edit: Sample (Start Point, Length, Hi Cut), Pitch (Speed, EG Int, Attack,Decay), Amp (Level, Pan, Attack, Decay), Reverse On/Off
- Effects: Digital Reverb, Analogue Isolator
- Sequencer: Number of Parts 10
- Number of Steps: 16
- Number of Recording Patterns: 10
- Control: Motion Sequence, Active Step, Step Jump, Swing
- Song: Maximum Number of Sequence 16
- Number of Recording Songs: 6
- Connectors: Headphones (3.5mm stereo mini jack)
- Sync: Sync In (3.5mm monaural mini jack, Maximum input level: 20V), Sync Out(3.5mm monaural mini jack, Maximum Output level: 5V)
- MIDI: MIDI IN
- Power: Battery Life Approximately 10 hours (using alkaline batteries)
- Power Supply: AA alkaline battery × 6 or AA nickel-metal hydride battery × 6 Or AC adapter (DC 9V) (optional)
- Accessories: AA alkaline battery ×6 (for verifying operation), Cable
- Options: AC adapter (DC 9V)
- Dimensions: 193 × 115 ×45 mm / 7.60” x 4.53” x 1.77”
- Weight: 372 g / 13.12 oz. (Excluding batteries)
Product Demo Videos
Quick Tip: Granular Synthesis On A Volca Sample Patch Tutorial
This quick tip is about how to make a granular sample sound on a Korg Volca Sample.
You will need:
- A Volca Sample (you could try this on other samplers as well)
Instructions:
- Pick your sample (this works better on a longer sample)
- Set the tempo to max (240BPM)
- Go into step mode and put triggers on all 16 steps of the sequence
- Push play to start the sequence
- Adjust “Start” to change which part of the sample you hear
- Adjust “Length” to change how big the grains are
- Adjust “Speed” to change the pitch
- Add some attack to make the sound less clicks and glitchy
- Add reverb to smooth the sound out more
This trick adds something almost like granular synthesis to a sampler that doesn’t have a granular mode. In granular synthesis playback speed, direction and pitch are all independent of one another.
Every time the sample is triggered a "grain" is heard. The start setting sets where in the sample the grain is from, the length adjusts how big the grains are and speed adjusts the pitch. The envelopes adjust the grain window shape.
You will need:
- A Volca Sample (you could try this on other samplers as well)
Instructions:
- Pick your sample (this works better on a longer sample)
- Set the tempo to max (240BPM)
- Go into step mode and put triggers on all 16 steps of the sequence
- Push play to start the sequence
- Adjust “Start” to change which part of the sample you hear
- Adjust “Length” to change how big the grains are
- Adjust “Speed” to change the pitch
- Add some attack to make the sound less clicks and glitchy
- Add reverb to smooth the sound out more
This trick adds something almost like granular synthesis to a sampler that doesn’t have a granular mode. In granular synthesis playback speed, direction and pitch are all independent of one another.
Every time the sample is triggered a "grain" is heard. The start setting sets where in the sample the grain is from, the length adjusts how big the grains are and speed adjusts the pitch. The envelopes adjust the grain window shape.
Pioneer DJ PLX-1000 Turntablism With Korg Volca Sample
We used the Pioneer DJ PLX-1000 Turntable with some old records and a Volca Sample for some drums. We used a trick to play a record backwards by flipping the cartridge over and resting the record on a 2" wide roll of tape. We used a test tone record that has sine waves at different pitches to generate synthesizer like tones with a turntable, this in combination with the +/- 50% pitch control on the PLX-1000 makes for interesting sound generating possibilities.
Korg Volca Sample Digital Sampler Sequencer Reviews