Probably on the showroom at Sweetwater getting fondled by synth-nerd Hoosiers.
Edit: wow, this guy is Canadian, I never knew
Iām secretly hoping sweetwater overnights me a new one, though this is probably an unrealistic expectation on a few levels.
What? Thereās a 6 voice FM volca?
I had no idea .
Usually doesnt know theres a party let alone being late for it
They did overnight me a new one! Weeks later but still!
This thing is GORGEOUS! I was a big fan of the original, and I love the opsix. Home run korg!!
Hi, Iāve got a Volca FM 2. IMO its an overseen well sounding FM synth:
In combination with an Arturia Keystep 37 and the Keystepās powerful arp you can generate up to 6 note arpeggiated chords.
Live Recording of these arpeggiated chords, Motion-Sequence (a sort of live parameter locking/recording) and the very intuitive sequencer are fun.
My best invest in the last years.
Does anyone know if MIDI clock is transmitted via the midi out? Is it possible to use as a MIDI through for MIDI clock? Iām actually thinking of getting one to take care of some clock plumbing (so to speak) for a live set while also getting a bonus FM voice. I need analog clock for a Lorre Mill Double Knot but also need a midi through for a drum machine.
Yeah this thing is amazing. I loved the original fm Volca but this one is a giant step up. Would love to see updates to the keys bass and rhythm.
Okay I read the midi implementation chart and it seems like it does transmit midi clock. Would anyone who has one be willing to test it out with a device that receives midi clock just to make sure everything works as expected? @ddiamond84 would you be willing to try it out for me? Normally I would just expect these things to work but it is the first Volca with a midi output so it would be nice to get a confirmation.
Iām not seeing many of these pop up second hand. Is the small roland range that much better? Iām looking for a small cheap desktop synth to combine with the DT2 and this seems so simple
Well the Roland S-1 has a lot to give.
Iāve never tried the Volca FM but, feature-wise, it seems very basic as compared to the S-1.
(And Iām not saying this prevents anybody to make excellent music with it)
For what they sell for on the second hand market, they arenāt really even worth selling, IMO, especially the FM2 which is 6-voice. Nice to just have around for whatever reasons needed.
The Volca FM is a different sound than the Roland Boutique range, given that its FM-based. Just depends on what sounds you are going for. If you want traditional subtractive synth sounds, the FM isnāt going to get you there, but it will get you to more interesting / weird places quicker.
If you are new to FM, get a RefaceDX or OPSIX.
Volca FM is nice, but itās literally a DX7 in a much smaller box, with all the ease of programming of the DX7.
If you are patient and have time on your hands, the Volca is a fantastic value.
I donāt have one, and I agree building a patch from scratch on a 6-op fm synth really does not appeal ⦠BUT ⦠Iāve got this on my wishlist because of itās patch randomisation feature. Start with a patch that appeals ⦠and keep pressing the button till you hit a variation on that patch that you like.
This is what appeals to me about it too; that and the fact that my DX7 takes up so much space and weighs a metric FM shedload (nice keyboard, mind).
You and @DoS have a realistic understanding of the Volca FM. Get one, and maybe consider putting effort into learning to program it on its own terms. There is a zen to programming DXes, but it is painstaking.
This is why I pretty much stick to swapping preset cartridges on the DX7 and occasional forays into Dexed.
And why I used to collect DXes but never release any music.
Yeah, I love the DX7 sound, had the DX IIFD myself. The fm2 takes DX patches AFAIK.
I just want a nice small sound module to feed my DT. Patching a FM synth is out of my league lol. But something that invites me to knob/slide around looking for happy accidents is perfect.
The roland SH01-a getās a lot of praise as well. And thereās a bunch of iPhone apps you can access with the right cable.