Bad Gear - Korg Volca Modular
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ค. 2024
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Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world's most hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about the Korg Volca Modular. Is this compact modular system the ideal introduction to West Coast - style modular synthesis? Would Don Buchla approve? Modular - not even once!!!
Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:57 Overview Korg Volca Modular
01:17 WTH is West Coast Synthesis??? Moog vs. Buchla
02:30 Source (oscillator section), FM, Waveshaping
02:58 Dual LPG (Low Pass Gate 1 & 2)
03:16 Space Out (Reverb)
03:32 Functions (AHR & Rise/Fall Envelope)
03:51 Turn Function 2 into an LFO, Inverted Output, End of Cycle
04:12 Utility (+/-/x)
04:23 Woggle (Sample & Hold), Stepped/Unstepped
04:35 Split (Multiple)
04:38 Sequencer (Bounce, Stochastic,...)
04:57 Scales, Microtuning
05:14 Sequencer Gates, Tempo Modulation
05:31 Limitations, Connectivity, Use it with an external CV source
05:55 What else???
06:08 Hate
06:34 Jam 1
07:34 Jam 2
08:22 Finale
08:52 Verdict - เพลง
![เบิ้ล ปทุมราช - อ้ายกินดอง น้องลาบงัว ft. สแน็ก อัจฉรีย์ [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-OK--KaSPcI/mqdefault.jpg)
Audiopilz: *slaps roof of YT channel*
Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs: www.patreon.com/audiopilz
You will be turned...it's only a matter of time now that you've tasted the modular modulations. Gr8 memes as always...particularly liked the cronenburged ginger, and spock doggy dog.
Thank You
Which movie the first few seconds come from?
I am honestly unaware of any other show on youtube that has this level of editing per minute. Honestly the level of work here is always just so staggering.
Thank you!!!
@@AudioPilz Ah! TIL
Quite the only thing that isn't quite on the mark is the word Bad .... Could be just. gear 😬
Like every max0r video
Right! These videos at about 10min usually take me about 30 to watch, due to all the rewinding and pausing to catch all the good stuff... well worth it :)
the only channel where you constantly hold on to the space key not to miss a music meme haha
Way to go!!!
All those years playing whack-a-mole as a kid were just training our reflexes for pausing Bad Gear videos.
One full watch through then replay with spacebar auto fire!
And I thought Ibwas the only one here that did that. Lolz
I’m a two-pass watcher too
I legitimately burst out laughing when you said this volca is available for the price of one volca.
😀
Volca: first a unit of comparative size, and now practically crypto-currency!
Got me as well.
It is even more funny because it is true - all volca synths tend to go for more or less the same price.
Personally, I laughed out loud when he mentioned "The CONCISE" operation manual! A Korg VOLCA manual somewhat resembles a pharmaceutical leaflet: folded up, miniscule font size, multilingual? But in truth, so concise, so succinct is Korg that instructions on gear operation are economically just implied.
I’ve never got a cool sound out of mine without it being a total accident. Great jam!
Thank you!!!
That's kind of the point of west coast synthesis. Aleatoric experimentation.
Thee Process is Thee Product - Thee Product Is Thee Process
I wish I never sold mine now.
The acoustics of a Death Star urinal made me nearly spit water all over my floor! That was awesome!
Thank you!!!
@@AudioPilz Thank you!! For doing what you do!!!
My personal description has always been "a girder-based spring reverb emulation" but he really nailed it
0:58 "Smaller boxes have never been ticked" 😆Love that this channel has reached self-pun level!
😀
That first jam is basically every track they play on the noise-industrial floor at London's legendary Slimelight club!
Sounds like great parties;)
Syncronicity - "that lacks the self control to handle a can of pringles" I coughed up my pringles while one hand was in the can when I heard that :)
Haha. Once you pop, you just can't stop.😁
NOT EVEN ONCE!!!
I’ve been waiting for this one forever- seemed like Bad Gear from the outset, confusing non-modular people and making actual modular people annoyed by its lack of CV connectivity. Another great episode!
Thanks! True that!
true, but I actually love it. I just keep a recording running while playing with it and later cut out useful samples for actual music making
But it sounds great!
I...MUST...GET...ONE...😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫
@@estikaiThis. This is the way
I love your mixes near the end. The visuals and the mix always transport me to another dimension for a sec
Thank you!!!
I second this. Pilz you should do a half hour video jam sometime, maybe once a year over the holidays as Christmas fan service.
I midi modded mine, and it seriously opens it up! All the parameters that can be recorded to the sequencer actually have midi CC control.
I just pair it with SQ1 - no mod needed...
Wow, did you use a kit?
@@AudioPilz Yup! I got mine from some random guy on Etsy for about $30, it requires some minimal soldering and drilling a hole for the input, but it was surprisingly easy.
@@PhantomSpaceman5 That's cool to know 👍
Modded mine as well. The kits are super easy but I'm not convinced the pad connectors always make contact and the guy who sold it said "oh yeah I forgot to upload the instructions".... (Facepalm) good job I spent 18months building modular gear from kits otherwise I'd have probably blown it up (like the modular kits).
One of the reasons I love this series is that you can make anything sound hella good. I will never get tired of your videos.
Thank you so much!!!
I'm serious, I love the Volca Modular to death. Does it sound weird and janky? Yep. And that's WHY I love it. I'm getting sounds out of that thing I'm not sure I could get out of anything else. It's probably the most hilarious sounding synthesizer I own. I'm absolutely *delighted* that it's an actual thing that Korg made.
"death star urinal" YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU'RE RIGHT AND I *LOVE* IT
Yeah, it's quite unique
Can it make reverse cavern fart sounds?🤔🤔🤔
I’m watching trying to see if this is parody.. I love mine.. using it half time in reverse is so nice
count me in.
I really hope I find this in a charity shop now - seems perfect to use with cans of beans lying around - waiting for end days
True that!
It is just insane how you make every "bad gear" sound like gold.
Thank you so much!
Always a good friday when its Bad Gear! Its even better when on holiday and its Bad Gear!!
Have a nice weekend!!!
Looking forward to see the new Korg Drumlogue on your show! You rock!
Thank you!!! Let's see if we can find an excuse for that...
it already ticks all the boxes. you can fill a screen with all the moaning about this 600 dollar tragedy. admittedly it is more musical than the volca modular 😅
@@AudioPilz, I have suggested to Korg that they save themselves some time and ship it direct to you
Yeap...likewise! But, there's 1 short problem: KORG Drumlogue wiil 'not' be Bad Gear 🌹🌹🌹
I'm pretty sure that the drumLogue is awesome,so...unfortunately no
Man, you are incredible! In-depth but in-a-nutshell review, insanely hot original music using the device in question and everything packed into fun, witty, insanely efficient and entertaining videos. Thank you for your work!
Thank you so much!!!
This thing is completely underrated as a very fat or gnarly bass. Super pure tone. One of its secret abilities. Goes loooooooooooow
Agreed!
I agreee! i use it mainly for that as well for this and Not so much ambient generated harsh bleeps
Damn straight! It's so aggressive at depth it should probably have a health warning.
It's got The UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGLY and The FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLTTTH!!! 😖😖😖😖😖😖🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
i really enjoy your fun and informative reviews but most of all i love your music! even though we only get small insights into your creativity your ’songlets’ are great!
Thank you!!!
After this I may get one. It would NEVER be used to get any kind of "musical" sounds. It looks like an inexpensive way to experiment before going on to bigger things. That bit with the Drumbrute was great!
Thanks! It's a weird chaos machine
Oh my god, it happened, you finally covered a piece of equipment I actually used to own lol. I remember importing one of these from Japan a mere week or so after launch, it was still cheaper compared to what they cost here in India once they were officially available. Absolutely new to modular at the time, but I did have a Bastl Kastle! Much fun was had with the trio of this, Kastle and the Monotron Duo for its filter. Hell, I even re-scored the highway shootout scene from Sicario with the trio as an exercise (I hope I can find it again someday...). Oh, the digital spring reverb
Thank you!!! MB33 is a great choice!
Jóhann Jóhannsson right here on the Bad Gear YT comments page???
@@MD_is_me Ahaha, I wish. Sorry for the confusion. I just meant that it was one of the first exercises I did with the synth, re-scoring the scene from scratch. Wouldn't be surprised if one of these found its way to his studio, though!
These videos kill with the Memes - it takes me 3x longer to watch these as I have to pause to read each one - they are so well curated. Too funny. Straight-up entertainment with much-needed laughs. Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to create these videos.
Thank you so much!!!
The intro really stirred my ear modules in a positive way
Ear modules are supposed to be stirred;)
I know! That bass was filthy ...in a positive way...
The jams you did were honestly some of my favorites with any gear you’ve covered!
I would 100% buy a record of you doing tracks in this “style”
🤘🏻
Thank you so much!!!
Especially the staccato acid jazz weirdness
HIS JAMS ARE GOOD
Audio my jams are inspired sometimes by piano techno classic tunes-like the rhythm of them chord s when played on a modulated saw, I'm mostly original, but I try to remix that 2000 skydive trance tune the sequencer the string part ,it came out nothing like it ! but good tho,
I did it on the sequencer I meant ,the 2nd pt -when she starts singing
Hilarious. One of your best episodes. I'm probably biased, though, because I own (and love) the VM. I actually quite liked your use of it's "jello-like sounds". Your other musical bits were equally cool, better than most actually. LOL, another episode "ticking" on all cylinders.
Thank you!!!
I haven't laughed this much at an episode in a long time - I know comedy is kind of a secondary thing to reviewing the gear, but a comprehensive and hilarious review makes this gold medal material.
Wow you have just convinced me to get one! I do hope they go down in price after your review :)
Thanks! I think Korg is mostly unimpressed by my channel;)
@@AudioPilz disappointed they didn't give you a Drumlogue? Its turn on your show will come and the odds are I'll be able to say "I have one!".
@@unclemick-synths as I wrote under loopop review video, I bet the drumlogue will be the quickest piece of gear to go from release review to badgear video.
@@CiabaMusic hopefully they'll get the bugs ironed out. I'd like one but not with the launch day problems! The reviewers seem to genuinely like it despite the flaws. I don't have any ideas about using it as a groovebox so the paltry memory space won't be an issue for me - I've only overwritten a handful of samples in my Volca Sample.
@@unclemick-synths probably it is just me, but I felt the drumlogue totally uninspiring from what I saw. I'd much prefer a TR8s for similar money
I do love how wild West Coast synthesis sounds. Those were some great jams you made
Thanks!
The 'cello" sound is incredible. Very vocal and happily plays with modulations all day long. I used it to finish an album of mostly instrumentals. It filled the vocal void with all of the requisite tones.
yes! similar to what I did :)
Amazing episode, the proction quality, music and synthesis lesson are top notch. I can confirm the Volca Modular is actually a gateway drug to modular- I now have a growing Eurorack system to prove it!
Thank you so much! Not even once!!!;)
Amazing as always, I'm just floored. Your skills are insane! Thank you for producing such awesome videos! I particularly enjoyed that you included a short clip from the Vegetable Orchestra (a good reminder to listen to more of their stuff)! Greetings from Hernois!
Hernois 4 life!!! Daungschen!!!
another brilliant vid!! I was particularly digging that very last jam. bravo!!
Thank you so much!!!
Whilst entertaining, the amount of efforts going into understanding each gear and getting the most out of it is just unreal! Not to mention the video editing to make it entertaining AND to making demos that's actually sounding good. Honestly if it's bad gear, you're making me wanting to buy everyone one that you reviewed. Great job!!
Thank you so much!!!
I bought one of these the minute it was available, and I never regretted it for a second. Wonderful insanity machine. If you’re looking for conventional, look elsewhere. If you want weird, this thing has you covered. Great buchla type sounds with a surprisingly powerful sequencer for less than the cost of a romantic dinner for two? Yes please!!
...it never got weird enough for me;)
@@AudioPilz try microtuning, stochastic sequencer mode, some randomness from the woggle... i'm sure you can get there.
You're the best, dude. I love how talented you are with the editing and especially your jams! I would love to see you perform live or listen to more of your music!
Thank you so much!!!
Best show in a long long time. Loved every bit of it
Thank you so much!!!
Every time I throw money at the screen to get the album and nothing happens. Please release the double album with all-tracks from all episodes. I would buy it in a heartbeat. Today's track was amazing...
Thanks!!! You can get all the music on Patreon as a hi res wav file;)
Best TH-cam show of the past few years 😢
Thank you so much!
Another week and another great video thank you!
Thanks for watching!!!
dude, your gear demos are insanely sick
Thank you!!!
Dude you seriously need an album of your best jams at this stage..
❤️❤️❤️Thanks!!! Full tracks are available on Patreon (end of shameless plug;)
Holy crap, I had written this one off but now this episode makes me want one REALLY BAD. Curse you and your ability to make everything sound amazing!
Thank you!!!
The only reason why I waiting for a friday eve. Great as usual, thank you!
Thanks! Have a nice weekend!!!
I just love your videos man, i thumb them up even before pressing play.
Thank you so much!!!
I'm a big fan of the VM. To put its strengths simply, it has a unique sound, the best sequencer of any of the Volcas, and patching is just plain fun. It makes a great addition to other synths in a track.
True that!
Wow. I'd watched a few videos about this synth, but this is the only one so far that in which it's used to make actual music
Thank you!!!
Great jams, always a pleasure to listen and watch 👍🎶
Thank you!!!
Your jams are always so fire.
Thank you so much!!!
YEEEEEEEESSSS! I've been waiting for this for so long!
I hope it was worth the wait!
I think the Cre8audio West pest is actually the better alternative to the Volca, it has bigger knobs, midi and CV and for about 250 quid it is even in the same price class. Though it has only 1 lpg and no slope generator (but who cares if you have cv i/o).
I really have to take a closer look at that one. Thanks for the suggestion!
Oh maaaan! I've been waiting for the Volca Modular to show up here for so long!
It was about time!!!
Great as always! Fun little Bradley Strider cameo :>
Thank you!!!
That final jam was really good. Not that your jams aren't normally good. I think the Volca gave it a bit of bitterness that brought the dish together in an interesting and satisfying way.
Thank you so much!!!
I'd love to get one, they seem like so much fun ! Really like a mini Buchla Easel.
They use the same patch cables format as the AE modular which has much better cables (and also a special module to interface with the vola modular).
Ah, didn't know about the interface. Thanks for posting!
My recent Volca Modular patch sucks, but this little box in your hands flies! Nice jam!
Thank you!!!
Please keep doing what you are doing, as the world descends into absolute madness, you always put a smile on my face and make me chuckle. Thank you!!!!
Thank you so much!!!
Doing great jams with crappy gear is an art, well done mate.
Thank you!!!
You are definitely not the bad workman who blames his tools, You're the formidable workman who blames the manufacturers who are tools. 😉
Lol, thank you so much!!!
Brilliant! I have one of these beautiful crazy machines and you nailed it.
Thanks!
I got this one, and love it.
It is fun and nonsensical.
Great review and on point as always.
Can't wait for the volca cowbell.
Cheers
Thanks!!!
Korg also has a line of modular synth legos that predate the volcas, but I forget what they're called. IIRC, they literally snap together and you make a little modular synth that way.
Little bits
Yeah, these are definitely worth a look. Thanks!
Fantastic! I love the Volca Modular, you can run audio through the cv in and route it through the function generator with an oscillator and create terrifying ringmodulated sounds. Also the cello sound is really organic like a Mellotron. I like setting up the second envelope as a drone and jamming strange scales over it, like Ravi Shankar in Darth Vaders toilet 🤣 love your vids and jams.
Thank you, nice technique!!!
Incredible. Some extra dope tracks on this one, too.❤
Thank you!!!
great episode as always Mr Pilz!!! The volca modular will always be one of the most fun 1 trick ponies i ever had the pleasure of playing with Lmao. Also the memes were indeed fire in this one
Thank you!!!
I know it's supposedly bad gear but this episode makes me want one. It sounds like nothing else I have in my studio.
Yeah, completely different planet
I agree. I am trying to get a used one on the cheap just to make weird sounds that may never end up on any songs. Much like my Kastl synth. Sometimes it’s more about having fun than making songs
- Well done 👏 Your most unfathomable offering yet, now do the Meng Qi Wingie for the people who love that broken doorbell sound 😉
Thanks!
Wow! That first jam was the coolest thing I've heard anyone do with the Volca Modular. I had one briefly to try it out. It was fun to mess with, but easy to move on from and I do not miss it.
Thank you so much!!!
LOVE this version of the intro tune!
Thank you!!!
As a Eurorack player, doing some west coast, I LOVE that video. 'init modular' meme just wiped me. Thank you, sir, for providing a perfect dose of laughter!
Thank you so much!!!
You actually managed to pull that off really well. I think this synth does styles of music that is not really dancable and fits countless meters of tapes and a scissor better
Thank you!!!
Yeah I like Enoesque ambient so this has tasty potential for that kind of music. Combined with an Eventide harmonizer you could get some wild sounds.
Thank you for that short explanation of east coast vs west coast synthesis! This was the easiest to understand I've seen yet.
Thank you!!!
The music you crafted, especially the beginning bit with the Arturia Drumbrute Impact was delicious. That last bit reminded me of Isolee's Beau Mot Plage which is an amazing bit of minimal techno.
Thank you so much!!!
Your gif/jpg integration game is top shelf! Laughed at the whale and wailed at the (J)-Low!
Thank you!!!
Fun idea for a meme video - pretend you're going to do a Drumlogue unboxing, but inside the box you have a Volca Beats, Volca Sample, NTS-1, and SQ-64 duct-taped together.
Great idea!!! Thanks!
Always highlight of the week, thank you as always 😊☕
Thanks for watching!!!
Final jam is one of my favorites ever. Have been wishing for this episode and it kinda seals my desire to get one of these. But hey. I love that you found and used the ALTERNATE Switched-on-Bach cover!
Thanks!!! I only had vol. 2 on vinyl here;)
This is possibly one of the most entertaining videos in the series that I've seen, and Jam 1 is amazing! Also... I think you meant "West Coast Synthesis" at 6:12, right? 🤔
Thanks! True that, I mixed it up there
We need more synthesizers with Lopez-gates!
😂😂😂
a brilliant one this 🙂 super job lad, well done
Thanks!
6:48 what a fantastic jam
Thank you!!!
that thing sounds pretty insane. I recently got a "West Pest" and has a similar vibe. That wave folding is in it's own league. Great vid and review like usual.
Thanks! Really gotta check out the "Pest"
The Volca Modular was my first Volca and my first Non Teenage Engineering hardware synth and I have to say that I regret wasting so much time trying to make useable sounds out of it that weren't just plain triangle waves that I drenched in succulent reverbs and delays. I had this nagging feeling that I was missing something the entire time I owned it. The very useable and fun sequencer was definitely the best part of the device for me.
Yeah, it sounds completely bonkers without heavy use of the sequencer
@@AudioPilz There are a lot of sweet spots, sound-wise, you just need a little patience!
@@neuzethmusic131 Mother 32 is the same, unless you invest some time, you're going to be very vanilla, patience is a virtue.
@@AudioPilz The sequencer is gold, but a few other nuggets which enormously extend the sound range are not immediately discoverable:
1) you can get audio-range noise out of the random generator - available on the random _inputs_ (sic!).
2) You can run the FGs at audio rate when using the oscillator signal as trigger. Hello, live shapeable waveforms, from saw-ish to square (with PWM) :-) The latter can deliver exactly the nasty raw sub bass you might be missing.
3) There is more than one signal output on the complex oscillator - you can route both the carrier and the modulator separately (making the synth basically duophonic thanks to the modulator CV input). Goes nicely with point 2).
4) Now that you have at least two separate audio frequency signals you can run them through the adder/subtractor/multiplier. Voilà: ring modulation & co. Modulated ring-mod that is. 🤓
And yes, it still sounds bonkers then. Wonderfully bonkers :)
Another thing about some of this bad gear,,it last forever I've talked to some people that say they still have their units like alesis and korg from like the early 90s and they still work!
True that!
Very funny, love that last
line. And you never cease to amaze me with your ability to make really good music using virtually anything. And an other thing, this little box, all the Volcas actually, and KORGs synth output over the last ten or so years solidifies my love of KORG and puts it as my favorite Japanese synth manufacturer.
Thank you!!!
I have to admit this is hardware that does tempt me because it would be difficult to impossible to do this in a DAW unlike other types of synthesis.
True that!
It’s kinda great for ambient music. It can make some soothing sounds and accidental melodies
Apparently you can feed analog sound signals through it too, that could be interesting.
The VM is a great little synth! It's sounds fit perfectly in genres like Ambient, Electro or Drone. The only real letdown is the missing of a MIDI IN port, which makes it unfortunately quite unpractical in a more serious, complex setup.
There are ways to mod the VM with Midi, but it's not cheap or elegant. I owned the VM twice so far... Maybe I get it a third time at some point... G.R.A.S. syndrome 🤦🏻♂
Yeah, the CV in is not the same as full midi
Eheh awesome as always!
Can't wait to see you "review" the new Drumlogue by Korg..!
Thanks! Let's see if we can find an excuse for that;)
The 3 jams on this episode are definitely up there with my all time faves for this series.
Thank you!!!
Bought one when they first released, I have all the other Poke-Volcas. I struggled to get anything usable out if it other than some noise fx things. A bit of a one trick pony. Sold it on eBay for $20 less than I paid for it. I was happy the first day I owned it, and also the last day I owned it. Not much in the middle.
Yeah, not all of them are keepers
Hi! I think the Modal Craftsynth could be great for this show. When it's behaving properly it sounds amazing, but oh boy does it have bugs and connectivity issues.
Yeah, that one is moving up my list, thanks for the suggestion!
@@AudioPilz agreed here. CS2 has a amazing sound engine with the WORST clock ever. 120bpm == 127.1bpm WTF
@@min-yishen9324 haha! Maybe they programmed the clock while traveling close to the speed of light
You really made it sound great, so congratulations on that. tx
Thanks!
damn, you really cranked out some kick ass jams with the volca modular! i think these are some of the best volca modular jams i’ve heard yet! olga prudey has some nice ones too, but these are really diverse and interesting on top of being excellent and fun!
Thank you!!! I gotta check it out!
I was asked by my buddy Frank what I would recommend for his first (preferably very cheap) initiation into the world of modular so I sent him a link to this thing. I got a reply the next day: " - You do realise that Shiatsu is not really evidence-based medicine, right?" 😂
Lolz
I have no clue what's going on with this synth. It sounds cool though!
Same here;)
You have outdone yourself this time brother. That was amazing.
Thank you!!!
I bought one of these because of you're review it's great and thanx you're the best
This synth is ticking all the breadboards LOL
Lolz
Someday I wanna see you review one of the many Behringer semi-modulars. Either the clones or the Neutron. Many issues with the lot of them, and they get a lot of hate, but you can get surprisingly good results using them. Second hand they aren't too expensive either
Agreed, it's time for some Behringer love...
Agreed!
I love the Neutron. I control mine from my Roland AE-30 wind synth with the help of a CC to CV converter to give me live control of filter freq and res.
(This is definitely not me subtly pressuring you to get into modular)
This was my first/only explanation of east vs west synthesis, and I honestly feel like I got the jist of it from your breakdown
Happy to hear that!