Korg Volca

A Korg Volca FM synthesiser (first-generation version)

Korg Volca (stylized as volca) is a series of electronic musical instruments and accessories released by the Japanese manufacturer Korg. The various units in the range are noted for their inexpensive price and compact dimensions.

The series bridges both digital and analogue synthesis; synthesizers and drum machines, with many different types of noise generation represented in the 10 models available as of January 2024.

The range was initially launched in 2013 with the Volca Keys, Volca Beats and Volca Bass, all initially at £119.99 each. These models all featured MIDI-in for external control, as do most of the later releases with the exception of the Volca Modular.

Models

Current

As of January 2024 the range includes:

  • Volca Bass - Analogue synthesizer intended for bass sounds
  • Volca Beats - Hybrid rhythm machine with analog and digital sound source
  • Volca Drum - Digital percussion synthesizer
  • Volca FM (second generation, AKA "fm2" and "next-gen volca fm") - Polyphonic digital synthesizer based around FM synthesis with 6 operators, 6 voice polyphony and 32 algorithms. Promoted as able to reproduce the sound of the Yamaha DX7 and completely compatible with DX-7 SYS-EX patches.
  • Volca Keys - Analogue loop synthesizer
  • Volca Kick - Analogue kick generator for kick drums and kick basses
  • Volca Mix - Four channel analogue mixer featuring a built-in speaker
  • Volca Modular - Semi-modular analogue synthesizer
  • Volca Sample - (second generation, AKA "sample2") Sample sequencer.

Other

As of January 2024, the following models are no longer listed in the current lineup at the Korg Volca website.

  • Volca FM (first generation) - Polyphonic digital synthesizer based around FM synthesis with 6 operators and 3 voices polyphony, and 32 algorithms based on the Yamaha DX7's engine.
  • Volca Sample - Sample sequencer. (Superseded by second generation Volca Sample/Sample2)
  • Volca Keys
    Volca Keys
  • Volca Modular
    Volca Modular
  • Korg Volca Bass
    Korg Volca Bass
  • Volca Beats
    Volca Beats
  • Second-generation Volca FM
    Second-generation Volca FM
  • Korg Volca Keys looped sequence demo. Further effects/adjustments were applied live during playback using only the built-in controls and no further processing.