How I set up my ultimate Korg Volca station

How I set up my ultimate Korg Volca station - Walkthrough

Рет қаралды 80,319

Күн бұрын

I've been getting a few questions on my volca setup recently, so thought it would be best thread them into a video. If you have any other questions, let me know in the comments and I can either answer them or do a follow up video!
This video covers the following:
How to reduce the noise of Korg Volcas
How to balance a mix of Korg Volcas with FX
How I use Strymon pedals as send FX - Bluesky, DIG and Volante
How to sync volcas to an Arturia Keystep Pro and Beatstep Pro
How to use a Kaoss pad for breakdowns and drops

Пікірлер: 216

@maquettemusic1623 2 жыл бұрын

The most expensive budget set up ever

@jnny7182 2 жыл бұрын

Haha

@smellymala3103 2 жыл бұрын

We all have a matrix of old mismatched -12 channel mixers come on now ;)

@bakerbakerbaker305 2 жыл бұрын

no but if you think about it it really is more affordable about 5 volca equal one nice big instrument

@maquettemusic1623 2 жыл бұрын

@@bakerbakerbaker305 "jack of all trades, master of none"

@Bonn5656 Жыл бұрын

@@bakerbakerbaker305 true that mate, but u need chargers that are not included in the box, and audio cables, midi cables or sync and all this connectivity usually ends up humming or else ..not sure what's the best approach, cheers!

@GourlieRecords 2 жыл бұрын

It's cool to see someone fully realize the entire Vulca capability. Nice work, your jam sounds great!

@MayhemJack 2 ай бұрын

Just finished a 16-hour shift at work, and all I'm hearing is "put some Vodka kick in the mix." Roger that.

@geluix69 2 жыл бұрын

I power my Volcas with a good quality multi guitar pedal power supply. Simply inverted the polarity.

@flipspark 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting. I should look into that. I wonder if it would be better than the wall warts I've bought for them.

@valley_robot 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah same here , only use guitar pedal power supply’s , they have to be quiet because of the amplifier

@Imetalman2000 9 ай бұрын

I started off using volcas and PO’s . Now that I have acquired a collection of fancy synths, my volcas and PO are still work horses in my set up.

@sliptidemusic 2 жыл бұрын

Love my Volca bass so much!! This makes me feel good about my love of Korg and Volcas. Ty for this video!

@mortensmodules Жыл бұрын

I love this so much!... Never realized the Volcas could sound this good.

@JIDEHHIGHELEMENTS 9 ай бұрын

that kick is so clean , everything sounds proper , thx for the volca tour

@triplebcellphoneking 2 жыл бұрын

Definitely the BEST and smoothest Volca setup I seen here on the Tube Wow!! I do Truly Dig your entire set, good stuff!

@flipspark 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks man! I really appreciate that! More videos are coming!

@AGDugros 2 жыл бұрын

Good setup. I love when all the possibilities of an instrument are exploited. 🎹

@squareinsquare2078 Жыл бұрын

Tune at the end is a banger. Lovely job.

@mindscaper1898 10 ай бұрын

Just found this by accident, it’s videos like this that inspire my own dawless journey Such good sounds I’m deffo getting volcas to compliment my Roland airas Glad I found your channel

@ThePlughugger 2 жыл бұрын

Oh good lord! You have set my GAS on fire like never before. What an inspiring setup. Looks like something with a very streamlined workflow for the kind of music you are into. I'm a big fan of the Volca Sample, got the Nu bassline but never really dived into it. Anyway - a big cheers from Europe and looking forward to your cards.

@flipspark 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks man! Yeah its my little dream groove station I've been working on for a while and getting that workflow right has been a challenge, but recently I made a breakthrough with that kaoss pad and mixer flow, so time to share it!

@omegainvestments2345 Жыл бұрын

I used to have 2 Volcas now I have 7 this is so inspiring

@bobbythompson4268 Жыл бұрын

Jumped from the beats, solo for a while, to having 6 and needing a new mixer.

@sonixivous 2 жыл бұрын

Such a helpful explanation. Thanks for sharing! Sounds great!

@joonvii4430 7 ай бұрын

Pretty awesome idea, routing and delegating. I love your set up

@abstractamcr 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for making this. Just got my hands on 5 different volca's and I've been trying to figure out how best to approach it. This was super helpful. TYVM

@THEREALDATALORD 2 жыл бұрын

I really like your approach with the Koasillator.

@droogsurgeon1440 2 жыл бұрын

That’s actually really cool. Interesting setup. I’ve owned a lot of those at one point or another. But I sold a lot. Now I just mess around with sp404mk2, kaossilator, some filters, and a key step. But I’m impressed with what you got going on there. Super cool

@mpcahbpyd8882 4 ай бұрын

That Volca jam and setup are awesome.

@tropicalplantguy 2 жыл бұрын

Epic, thanks for taking the time to do this :) More please!!

@flipspark 2 жыл бұрын

Will do!

@jonnyhead 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent video great volca setup 👌

@hhdhpublic Жыл бұрын

Other people: Huge rack of modules FlipSpark: ALL THE VOLCAS Ive gotten the impression that a lot of people look down on volcas and its nice to see that they do get some love and some people do know how to use them to make good sounding music, showing how versatile and effective they can be in right hands. Not only that but they are pretty perfect for someone who is new to synths due to their low prices. One does need few to jam on them but on other hand one needs several synths to jam anyways. They do lack some stuff, midi in and so forth which might be a dealbreaker to some but eh, personally ive never even learned how to use the midi stuff lol

@d3nisobri3n 2 жыл бұрын

Oohh my lord!! That sounds Soo delicious!! Very inspiring!!!

@frankgeick3641 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this. Similar to what I have: 6 Volca modules, Kaoss pad, SQ-64 and a Keystep. I tend to play with my other synths more as the Volca setup has "more moving parts" than I want to deal with. They go into a pedalboard bag for travel. Thanks for inspiring me to use them more often.

@flipspark 2 жыл бұрын

Cool man! Get more videos up and ill check them out!

@jnny7182 2 жыл бұрын

Looks great !

@user-dh1go4sq9q 2 жыл бұрын

Deep concept 🤘🏻

@liamg6328 Жыл бұрын

Great walkthrough! Cheers 🙂

@ebraltazar3498 2 жыл бұрын

Subbed, love the tracks you make with these little guys 👍🏼

@flipspark 2 жыл бұрын

Cheers mate! Appreciate it! Im still figuring out my 'sound' but coming along :)

@G1SUNPLANT Жыл бұрын

That's a serious setup my friend! Professional sound out of it! Great track also!

@heliopijpe 2 жыл бұрын

Super logical setup , very nice

@Nick-ft4dk 6 ай бұрын

sick jam at the end ❤

@martinsancassani3207 2 ай бұрын

Thats a good sound! This kind of groove has it!

@TheMurrblake 2 жыл бұрын

That is amazing!

@tzodearf2596 2 жыл бұрын

Korg loves you!

@BZAGRADE 9 ай бұрын

Lol

@runoneman Жыл бұрын

That is awesome. I only have 3 volcas, as my wife will not let me get anymore. However I WILL be getting the FM2 for myself, for Christmas. Haha

@mrz80 Ай бұрын

Just pounced on an FM2 for too good a deal to ignore on Reverb. Looking forward to having basically a DX7 I can stick in a coat pocket 😀

@HOLLASOUNDS 5 ай бұрын

Very impressive and the music sounded really good.

@AppleKid 2 жыл бұрын

Wow man, this is really inspirational.

@achmedabadoba5478 2 жыл бұрын

Very nice setup and video. I also love your Mackie Mixers. I myself use a Mackie Onyx 1640i. i love the mixer

@flipspark 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah you need a good mixer for sure

@usedsongs8053 2 жыл бұрын

I LOVE Volcas

@flipspark 2 жыл бұрын

Me too :p

@AepoK- 2 жыл бұрын

+1 ! Excellent multimachine ! Thx for sharing !Very cool !

@xxx7917 2 жыл бұрын

Nice set up . Isolated pedal board supplies are great mine is ten out , really gets rid of the hum

@jammingpositivevibration 2 жыл бұрын

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Love jamming analogue. Good setting

@THEREALDATALORD 2 жыл бұрын

I see you brada. Nice video going through your process.

@ilariaatonalli 2 жыл бұрын

❤❤ THANK YOU FOR BLESSING US

@trippshow3541 2 жыл бұрын

Spot on man.

@Lairmusic 2 жыл бұрын

Quite possibly thee best volca setup ever...well done! Especially the tip about independently powering each volca separately to eliminate noise👍 Curious tho how you intend to integrate that Millennium Falcon and Imperial fighter tho🤔

@flipspark 2 жыл бұрын

lol I probably could have more studio gear if it weren't for the lego. Don't want all my eggs in one hobby basket though!

@KeySets 2 жыл бұрын

beautiful

@realmchat6665 5 ай бұрын

This is awesome.

@marcohorvers9629 5 ай бұрын

Great and interesting. Korg Volca”s are cool.

@luistavares6670 Ай бұрын

Great, I certain enjoy it very much, thanks

@Givemestatic Жыл бұрын

FYI you can get ground lifts for each Volca that completely eliminate the hum .

@hellf.o 2 жыл бұрын

Great set up! I just love my volca drum so much that I got a second one..!

@bobbythompson4268 Жыл бұрын

What do you do with two volca drums?

@hellf.o Жыл бұрын

@@bobbythompson4268 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fbB4ipyp3LWxaZ8.html

@monsirto 2 жыл бұрын

Fun stuff! Makes me almost regret flogging all my Volcas.

@Mr.Tubster 2 жыл бұрын

Digging this! Rly good work mate :-) Dope stuff :-) Geez cya!

@srikanthganta7626 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing! Thank you :D

@John2E0GTU 2 жыл бұрын

Just to say, wallwarts can cause noise, usually the lack of EMC circuitry ( even though they claim to have it ) so go for good quality and put metal between them and the kit, e.g. in a metal box.

@DakPrescottlol Жыл бұрын

Awesome.

@noveltycrusade 2 жыл бұрын

Marvelous

@Psionetics 2 жыл бұрын

Wowzers!

@OregonDARRYL Жыл бұрын

I got the Drum, Bass, Keys and Sample 2. I just received a Keystep 37. This is going to be my setup.

@88Spint 3 ай бұрын

So much stuff but man does it sound amazing.

@henrikhultin2963 2 жыл бұрын

You have my subscription.

@blakeyonthebuses 2 жыл бұрын

Great stuff. I think too many mixers myself.

@deyurus 2 жыл бұрын

Niiceeee, sound good

@peterb7435 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing

@KeytarKris 2 жыл бұрын

Effin awesome! 🤟 I play my Korg Volcas with keytar midi controllers. Wicked set up.

@flipspark 2 жыл бұрын

Ha thats awesome!

@OregonDARRYL Жыл бұрын

Rockstar keytar?

@KeytarKris Жыл бұрын

@@OregonDARRYL I have a “rock band” midi controller keytar, but I love Keytars from the 80s most. 🎹🎸🤟

@OregonDARRYL Жыл бұрын

@@KeytarKris Band. Thanks!

@neuzethmusic131 2 жыл бұрын

The KORG is strong in him!

@DJb-ill219 Жыл бұрын

That's Nice 😎

@leewightman8619 10 ай бұрын

Cool ...the volca king in da house

@kunfu8085 2 жыл бұрын

HOo it's amazing how a computer can save space in a flat, thx for the demo

@Dt3kno Жыл бұрын

I hope korg hear you well: for a volca M1.

@josephwright5921 2 жыл бұрын

Nice vibes! The jam sounds like it would fit in well to the KZfaq channel, Deep Space House.

@nilodallaverita6310 2 жыл бұрын

I understand that standalone sequencers have more charm but I have decided to use Maschine Mk3 as a sequencer for all the hardware and I have also added a Maschine JAM for more control. What do you think?

@flipspark 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah nice! I have a maschine Jam too (I clearly have way more gear than I should lol). Yeah no doubt using machine would allow for a more dynamic jam, it just comes at the cost of having to use a computer and it being a bit slower and fiddly. For me, I was blocked doing something similar because I didn't have a stable way to split the midi out from the computer to all my synths. Need a powered MIDI splitter

@diegovmusic Жыл бұрын

Awesome man big fan you have my subscription also. Are using the Beatstep pro's melodic sequencers to control drum machines? I've got the v sample and v drum on the dedicated drum track... however, after watching your video i'm curious to know if that is possible.

@solarpeoplemusic47 2 жыл бұрын

Это очень круто!!! Респект и уважение)

@evancairo 3 ай бұрын

If you want to replace that second sampler with an M1 you should get a Nintendo 3dsXL WITH THE KORG M01D software loaded! Wouldnt be the same box shape but it WOULD fit in the space more or less with a little adjustment! I did see a video earlier where they figured out how to run a signal from a hard panned m01d 3dsxl to the volcas to drive the tempo with the volca sync.... just a workaround with its own fun minutiae. Or alternately you could use the korg software they developed for the Nintendo switch if you happen to have one of those lying around...

@RUMfeatHatsuneMiku Жыл бұрын

Cool!!

@beetlewing 10 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for taking the time to share. As a hardware noob this is incredibly helpful, insightful, and inspirational.

@joeyrossiter3763 3 ай бұрын

Awesome jam! Does the key step do pitch bending?

@Daphoid 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome video. Your genuine enthusiasm and love for making music that mkes you smile is evident. This is what I tell people all the time. Stop worrying about the opinions of others (aka Volca's suck they're just toys) or "you don't have a digitakt or some other super popular or expensive item?" It doesn't matter. Here's a guy who has saved up, thought out, and enjoys using his setup and makes fun stuff with it. If more people did that vs complaining that New Device X isn't a sampler, or New Device Y doesn't have feature A B C, and just enjoyed what they had - and maybe had GAS for something that would actually help THEM vs their likes/subscribes, we'd have more music. Good stuff!

@flipspark 2 жыл бұрын

Cheers man. 100% Some of the best tracks in history have been made on shocking setups. Expensive gear does not equal a hit song. For me, this volca is all about making me a fun little groove station that is inviting to spend time on!

@lucalongo28 3 ай бұрын

Love the setup and the sound of it! Do you have any clipping issues on the Kp3? I have one and use it for the same purpose as you do but I have to turn the input volume way down to avoid clipping. Could it be a problem of my unit or do you have the same problem? Thanks a lot

@zluryz 2 жыл бұрын

Holy!😍😍

@SonicVibe 7 ай бұрын

So 🆒 ! Samples 2 easy my favorite

@stevedulong Жыл бұрын

Hi , nice video. I have a question . I have 6 volcas connected to 2 volca mix . Is there a way to connect the 2 mix together so the 6 volcas would be in synch . Thank you and have a nice day .

@retrogawd 2 жыл бұрын

love

@712Jefferson 2 ай бұрын

Cool!

@neonblack211 Жыл бұрын

Sounds great, whats your favorite volca?

@THEREALDATALORD 2 жыл бұрын

In my experience, the Beats sounds great with effects but doesn't have a very compelling dry sound. Try compressing and EQing the Beats.

@AkkiSan23 2 жыл бұрын

very very nice setup, only 1 Question : who send main clock 2 get all this in sync ?? thx

@flipspark Жыл бұрын

Main clock is essentially coming from the beatstep pro, which triggers the keystep pro, which is then sent to all the Volcas via MIDI

@Supernautiloid 2 жыл бұрын

Sweetwater sells a 2x2 Sequenz Volca rack. It's 110 bucks USD. I was seriously thinking about getting one. Just to make my music area a little less messy lol.

@flipspark 2 жыл бұрын

110 USD wow, im pretty sure thats what I payed for the 3x4. Yeah 100% a tidy studio is a productive studio

@clickfpsmusic4238 Жыл бұрын

Hello friend :) I have a little problem, when I totally plug my jack ( volca mix or volca bass etc ) in my macky mix table I can hardly hear. If I plug it half way it works. I use TRS 3.5 mm jack adapters, do you think that's where it comes from? Which cable do you use to connect your korg to your macky? Sorry for my English :/

@PFDarkside Жыл бұрын

Do you ever use the effects on the Volca Mix or would a VMIX-10 be just as effective for you?

@basamortua8791 Жыл бұрын

I went with: Keys, bass, FM, sample, each one has their own KP3. Works pretty well, and if I need to, I can connect the kp3s to each other and harmonize with myself. I was inspired by your set up and Beardman’s old beatbox set up

@tropicalplantguy 2 жыл бұрын

Quick question.... I have a keystep 37, keys, drum, bass, sample, fm and mix... What is the best way of syncing these please, as no matter what I do I seem to have issues. Should it be: Keystep -> 4 way midi split -> each volca... and then how should the keystep be physically set on the back clock toggle switches (internal / midi / usb / sync in?) Is the mixer ever gonna play nice here, as it always wants to be the master doesn't it? As it only has sync out via cable. Thanks!

@flipspark 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah ignore the Mix sync out, just use it for audio. From memory, the switches at the back of the keystep 37 are referring to MIDI RECEIVE, rather than send. Set it to INTERNAL, so the keystep is the master. Then have the midi out going to the splitter and then to each volca. You will need to make sure each volca is set to RECEIVE MIDI clock and has a dedicated MIDI channel, which you change in the volca settings menu (Usually hold function when powering up - Check the online manuals). And then when you push play on the keystep, it should work? You can then change midi channels on the keystep to control each volca, and record the melody directly into the volca's internal sequencer with your finger or using the keystep. Let me know if that works, else I might do another vid!

@tropicalplantguy 2 жыл бұрын

@@flipspark Amazing, thanks so much for your time explaining it so well. Much appreciated :)

@gixerags750 3 ай бұрын

Hi , would it be possible to modify the Volca MIX with a SYNC IN jack , eg a Roland aira compact T8 sending it the sync ? Also what brand are your midi 1 to 4 through boxes ? Cheers

@jelmerdegroot8540 2 жыл бұрын

I have the same rack. I had to unscrew it a bit to get my MIDI cables in between the rows. Great idea to put the rack on a keyboard stand, also a good idea to use MIDI clock instead of sync for a cleaner look and more stable clock.

@nicholasdaniel9496 2 жыл бұрын

Cool rig bro. I gotta say tho I STRONGLY disagree with you opinion in regards to the VBeats .. the kick on that thing is absolutely, massively, SINISTER! Like insane! So much so I’d honestly put it up against my MFB Tanzbar kick especially in the sheer earth shuttering Low end. Maybe I got lucky with the circuit on my batch? Mine is like no.403 from the first run of the og3 volcas… but tunes sounding nice man! Just a friendly offering of opinion in hopes of inspiring a revisit to the glory that is volca beats kick 🤗 (and imho I wouldn’t kick its Toms outta bed either)

@flipspark Жыл бұрын

I need to put more love in it for sure. Might try and use just the kick then and see if you are right!

@martinez9905 7 ай бұрын

Bro where does the kick come from? Do you use only a volca to make a kick? And another question, do you think a volca can manage a professional sound system?