Is the Volca Keys Still Relevant in 2021? 

I got the Volca FM, you can pump out some gritty sounds that accommodate the Circuit really well. FM definitely has a learning curve and I haven't began to unlock it's full potential, even after two years. But it sounds so damn good, and even on the surface level a novice synth player (like me) can enjoy working with it. But if you're willing to do some menu diving, and take some time to experiment, you will unleash a beast within this little synth. All that being said; I'd still love to have the Volca Keys as well for it's raw analog sound and simplicity. These little synths are definitely not a toy, in fact the FM can easily stand toe-to-toe with many $400 digital synths, possibly even out preform them, at half the price.

It has a huge sound for the size and price.

The Volca Keys is full of surprises. Even if you’ve had one for years there are still times when it will produce something new and unexpected. Fantastic little box.

I used in my last album in every songs, far the best volca, that timbre and the noise from the delay are unique. Just love it! I use it with fx pedals its lovely whit a good reverb. ITS DARK, NOISY LUSH, THAT FILTER WHIT THE DELAY LIKE REVERB SETTINGS ITS A BEAST!

The volca series was my re introduction to gear/synths so they will always hold a special place in my heart I have always vacillated back and forth between electronic based music and grungy dirty effects-laden guitar, I got my first two Volcas a few years ago, and it really caused me to dive headfirst into chasing after some of the strange glitchy sounds in my head that I have not been able to produce by other means

hi Gabe Miller Music, you are Real - and that is what I like! your reviews are always contentful and I like to be informed by your videos... thank you for your Time and your Work. best regards, Frank Liebe

And with a couple of guitar pedals you can get great results, plus it's battery powered and super compact. The keys are really fun for legato leads. Thanks for the video!

I got my Volca Keys 2 weeks ago, it is my 2nd synth after the MicroBrute (I don't count the Volca Sample among the synths now) and I think it's unbelievable what kind of sound comes out of this little box. I am really happy that I bought it and I will definitely buy the Volca FM too. I especially like it, even if it sounds a bit stupid that it has a metronome. So it is very easy to play and record something.

Such a lovely little thing. Love mine. So powerful and easy to use. Use a keyboard with Mutate arps via midi to make wild sequences. Thanks for this Gabe.

You answered all my questions about the Volca Keys. Great intro jam. I'll wait for the Volca Keys2, with features that match the FM2.

Just got mine today! I hope I could incorporate it on my coming albums! Last month I took the leap of faith and go with the Volca Beats. Still learning it but already put a few beats I created on it to my 4th album (unreleased). Thanks for this, man!

Came here because I didn't know if I should buy it.. 3 minutes and I'm ordering

Love it, its on my top list now.i love 💘 jamming with korg volcas.... Keep on jamming positive vibes❤💚🤩❤💛💙🧡

That song at the beginning hit so hard, love it!

Nice review and part tutorial, too. I've not got the keys (yet) but have the bass and the Behringer Crave for some analogue warmth and grit to pair with the digital sound of the Novation Circuit. I like the sound from the keys that I've heard on RU-vid, it sounds massive and warm.

Thank you for information of volca keys. I am a beginner of volca keys. And I must learn much more.

Nice one, Gabe. I had the Keys first and recently got a Circuit, in large part because of your videos. Loving the circuit but was wondering about the Keys and now I know . . . hook the brothers up!

great video, melody and harmony.

I make music on the side for fun and love learning more and more about EDM/electronic music, it's a passion I have had since high school. I think the Volca Key's would do great for people who like making music but having that new sounds each time, it fits that unique flavor that producers need to have there own sound/style.

yes,and fits in everywhere, i love this baby!👍

One of the loveliest and beloved synth ever

Stiiilllll!!!!! this is small one, but with some pedal can be a beast.

Thanks for the video, I think it answers the question you put in a very helpful way. I used to have one, and a feature I quite enjoyed was that the motion recording capabilities work even when there are no notes recorded in a sequence. Now, you said you don't really use the sequencer at all, but I was wondering whether it is possible to motion record some knob tweaking and have that running over a sequence coming from, say, the Novation Circuit? I guess that could work, and might motivate me to get a volca keys once again.

Your “1 bass note used for everything” at 5:20 is known as a basso continuo in traditional historic musical terms. Ancient monks used this technique as a early form of harmony, and is somewhat the basis of modern harmony.

It's very helpful in considering buying a new piece of gear, to honestly show the pros and cons

Cool tune!

Don't know why this one isn't a favourite one of my favourite volca's, was my first analogue synth. Got it to play with my G2M mark 2. Cool you have midi out!

Great video

With analog gear like this, everytime I hear something I like, I sample. Its one way of getting "memory".

very dope vid

Just picked one up for £90, super excited...!

The pre sets can be saved as a blank pattern😉 I have mine with a zoom cdr70m fx pedal....next to other bigger synths because it has a definate sound.

Thanks for the video man, Let me ask you how loud is the audio output? cause usually minijack synths arent that loud but judging by the fact that is analog should sound loud,

The Keys can store 128 presets and have additional, any-shape LFOs. 128 Presets: Think of a preset as a photography of the state of your knobs. Load an empty sequence. Create your lovely sound. Activate motion sequence, and one single step of your 16 steps sequence. That will be the photography of your preset. Push Rec and move every knob just a bit so its position gets registered. Don't record notes. Save. To access the preset later on, just go back to that single step and press play. 16 steps x 8 sequences = 128 presests. You can freely play it with the device keyboard itself or a nice, big MIDI controller. One LFO per Knob: Think of an LFO as a tiny robot repeatedly moving a knob for you. Instead of an actual LFO, that could be the motion sequencer. The result is the same. Load an empty sequence. Create your lovely sound. Activate motion sequence. Record knob movements according to how you would modulate them with an LFO. You don't need to record notes but you can put something just to hear what's happening and erase it once you're done. If you want to do LFO shapes that require a lot of speed or abrupt changes, you can take advantage of either lowering the tempo or editing step by step with the Active Step funtion as in the previous operation. For the rest of the knobs, the ones you want to remain still, record moving them just a tiny bit so their position gets recorded, and allow the bar to end so their stillness is also recorded. To access the preset later on, just go back to that sequence and press play. 8 sequences = 8 presets but with complex LFOs. Save. You can freely play it with the device keyboard itself or a nice, big MIDI controller. Interesting stuff: You can use these LFOs to modulate the actual LFO, by moving the Rate, Pitch and Cutoff Ints!

fuck it, i’m buying it 😂

Thanks for putting light on my favorite volca! The keys ARE definitely small, but to me, you're missing out on it's biggest strenght: the 128 step sequencer! Yea the sound is sure nice but the 3 voice paraphony and the sequencer allows very elaborate ideas, once you dive into it 😉 Cheers!

Awesome video thanks man! Have you connected it to a novation product there? I have an Ableton push 2, would I be able to connect it and do you have a link how to do it?

Love the set up...im choosing the arturia micro freak as the side synth ..the korg sounds great but the arturia has wayyyy more flexibility for 40 bucks more.

I think the mixture of no presets and limited sound design make thing a great synth fundamentals machine for beginners and a fun cheap synth for experienced people who don't want to shell out big money for true analog sound Furthermore, having everything limited like this makes me appreciate the Volca keys more as an instrument rather than a piece of gear... Just connect it to your favorite midi keyboard and start playing!

Would you suggest the volca keys or arturia microfreak as another/third synth to pair with Novation Circuit OG for newbie ?

Shop around - I've just picked up a mint condition boxed example for £50. At that price, it's a total no brainer. It is limited and programming the onboard sequencer is never going to be fun but the basic sound is pretty good. A great lead synth once MIDId up to a playable keyboard. and pair it to a cheap stereo FX pedal like a Hardware DL-8 and is comes alive as an atmospheric mood machine.

Yes, Excellent A+

Dark and warm sounding synths are the best imo

I have one. It's still decent. But really the microbrute is the king of cheap analog.

It's great. For that price is amazing. If You have more gear it blends well.

I like those light rings in your eyes.

The call of the volca keys

still one of my favourites

I have a love hate relationship relationship with it. I use it without effects. Sometimes I love some sounds and sometimes it sounds too metallic and too harsh and when you change notes it gives a small click noise and the reverb is not usable (I remember in the beginning it was). I would advice buying the microbrute or behringer crave instead or the uno.

In 2023 the Volca Keys is still relevant! You can really get some fat sounds from this little guy. I really feel in love with it over again connecting it to my Arturia Keystep Pro. I'm a hardware guy because hardware, to me, sounds more authentic than digital. And the Volcas' have that fat crunchy, noisy, analog sound most of us ole school producers love. Long live the original OP-1 too...

I love my Volca Keys 🤘🏼❤️

my favorite Volca is Volca Bass oscillator for NTS-1 ))

I might be wrong, but when you save a sequence on the Keys it also saves the sound.

The Volca's are brilliant. The Bass is still one of the most fun little synths to experiment with to me. The 3 step sequencers that all can have a different length make ot a great poor mans Subharmonicon replacement. I know it's quite different, but to me it's a more practical way to experiment with interesting minimalist polymetric music. I might finally have to give the Keys a try as soon as we can go to physical music stores again.

U can save presets whit volca keys editor. My favorite is fm.

I can't figure out how to use the Roland mc 101 to control the volca

Use the volca modular with the Korg distortion synth, and start tripping without even taking a tab.

Yes still good! but they could make an updated "Volca Synth", "Lead" or "Chords" to match the newer volcas

Interesting video. It's annoying how the KVK only has 8 pattern slots. it's also annoying how not every knob (e.g. filter) is Motion-automatable. The unit seems quite noisy/dirty-sounding but I guess that's its appeal.

Gabe, you heard these rumours about a Novation Circuit Rhythm and Circuit Tracks? Any thoughts?

Why do the knob light keep going out? My peak was out when i nought it Now another just went They work but the lights dont

Great vid but I have a newbie qu - at the end are you comparing the keys with akai mpc 1, live machine +? Doesn't seem like a realistic comparison, or another akai I've missed

Hi Gabe, for a beginner hardware synthesizer, what is the best in your opinion? For meanly futuristic neuro drum and bass, I saw the microfreak or the minilogue are good, thanks!!!

yes

Love the keys, but the FM is my favorite.

I've got one of these Volca Keys but rarely ever use it. Probably due to my own lack of knowledge and experience.

do you know where I can find custom patches sheets ?

Would you compare that to the Nuetron synth by Behringer. ? Can u save patches on there ?

Is it possibile to save your sounds on the Volca Keys?

I deleted the 1st of the 8 sequences so it was left blank. I feel your pain. lol

Hi Gabe, thank you for this. Very cool insight on the Volca Keys. Can you explain your setup here. What exactly is the Circuit doing? Are you using the sounds from Keys and letting the Circuit sequence them?

I see people still use the volca series. I personally hate the workflow and the tiny keys, but good tones none the less

This was gonna be My first synth, but i'm thinking that getting the skulpt by modal can be a better entry synth, opinions ? 🥺🥺

Does have a beat setting?

looove mine but often out of tune 1 full step...not on batteries...why?

I sold a bunch of cheaper equipment, Behringers, arturia and volca series in order to get Moogs matriarch and grandmother. The only one I regret selling is the volca keys. I had two of them and I wish I kept them.

the sound lvl es to low, is so limit in control midi, i change for a volca fm and i very happy with it

Good for trance

Hi, can you plug a microphone in it ? If you can what can you do with it ? Cheeeerz

I’m looking into learning how to use synths. As a total beginner to this, would this be a great thing to purchase?

I was thinking I need a cheap synth that play chord, So I choose Volca FM not the volca Key. But then I realize that, I love knobs and faders which mean a control panel not a preset player. I still use my vBass today, but not using the FM that much because changing the sound on the fly is fun:)

Can anyone tell me what he means by"dal" in recording?

What gear are you using in this video?

Can I eprom with this?

"You can't save presets" *laughs in guitar tube amp*

Volcas in general are relevant and will be.

Cannot decide between this Volca Keys n the VOLCA FM ... Any advice?? T-you 😊

I sold mine and I miss it a little. Even if I have a minilogue xd now :-D no, just kidding. But the volca fm is still in use.

These things are gonna go for 4x original value in a few years, mark my words. Make the investment now and reap the rewards in the future.

What is the best korg volca for hip hop beats???

Oooh

Ive wanted one for years just got one on ebay for under $120.

Gabe - Have you heard anything about new Circuits? I saw this article today: sound-economix.com/new-novation-circuit-leaked/

I am very tempted, I would like an analogue polysynth, how could I go past this? I have enough money in my paypal.... why wouldn't I

MiniKORG 700fs has the same filters as volca keys

get a Behringer crave, same price and its semi-modular, and its built way better

Was it ever?

3 note analogue poly synth going at less the £150 GBP...... Its the best value for money analogue synth in the UK today. Still relevant - yes, on the cost . functionality ratio.........

Why clear the built in pattern every time? Just clear it once and save the empty sequence...

It was good for the time, for the price. But no saved patches makes it extremely limiting for most people. There's a reason you have it in your closet. In 2021 unless you need the specific sound and have a very limited budget and only want hardware there are better options with presets and the ability to save patches.