Korg Volca FM2 review
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- čas přidán 15. 07. 2024
- Is the new Volca FM2 the DX7 in a little box we've all been waiting for or is it a silly machine with a ridiculously complex and inaccessible synthesizer engine? I think it's a bit of both and in this video I'll show why it's a work of flawed genius.
Retrokits DX7 loader:
www.retrokits.com/rk002/setti...
DX7 Factory Sounds:
yamahablackboxes.com/collecti...
Buy a Volca FM at Thomann:
thmn.to/thoprod/542496?offid=...
Or from Perfect Circuit:
tinyurl.com/molten-volca-fm2
Written version for those who like to read:
moltenmusictechnology.com/kor...
Index - 0:00
Intro - 0:09
Having a play - 6:20
Adding a MIDI keyboard - 23:58
Loading DX7 sounds - 25:37
Conclusions - 31:38
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link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/...
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Good to see that it does EXACTLY what I hope it would do. I have no experience with FM and chances are I will never have the time to really learn it. But with this, I can use thousands of DX sounds, modify them a bit with simple buttons and try out random adjustments to it. Cool!!!
great in-depth review, much time was put into this informative video. It appears that whatever you play on it sounds so calming, maybe it's the talent you have.
I ordered one. 6 voices and a couple effects for $170. I've spent more money on less useful things and I'll only ever use a Keystep keyboard with it. I don't think I'll be disappointed. Plus, WWIII is right around the corner so I've nothing to lose, really.
You're forecast is right on spot. I'm feeling quite the same now. Planning to buy this beast and Elektron Model: Samples to keep my head cool these mad times
@@dymmalowitz5465 let's hope that we can enjoy our gear for decades to come!
So I’m happily watching an interesting video about a new FM synth, and now it’s World War III. If this doesn’t sum up the CZcams comments section, nothing does.
Lmao ww3 around the corner facts thats the best excuse to buy gear 😂
@@fgpd7710 There is a dark logic to that.
Nice review Robin, thanks!
Nice work sir! Nice to have a conformational, yet unique take in this instrument! Thank you
Great review, nice to see its power and a realistic assessment of limitations of the Volca FM 2.
Great review Robin 👍
Thanks for the review, an eye opener!!🎉
Been one of my favorite things to use for sound design
Great review, thanks!
Sorry.. i LOVE it! lol... can you imagine paying for this in the 80's?... I did my time thru the 80's and beyond till now! 2022, professionaly and in bands, this thing is just the dogs bollox for that era, maybe not these days with advanced FM like OP6 but it is a fantastic starting point for FM newbies, and oldies (like me) great stuff... bring it on Korg...
I agree 😅👌
The op6 has been discontinued, sadly.
Nice review.
As I watch you enjoy the strange little machine,it seems I've fiddled about it with equal enthusiasm and adventure, but the other technical essential aspects weren't addressed as clearly or perhaps not at all.
Here, I learned the missing instructions to get further down the rabbit hole of this crazy gadget.
This is a very good review
very informative.. thanx.
i will add this to my studio (my first and only volca) as
its a small 6 voice fm synth with sequencer plus it can load the dx7 sounds..for a decent price.
Great video, convinced me to keep mine!
can you just update the firmware to the old fm or do you need to buy a new one and why doesnt it say FM-2 on it?
Very nice play and thanks for this great video. I've seen so many videos complaining about the "flaws" of the Volca FM2. Not sure why people want more from a synthesizer that sounds as good or better than a DX7, is as portable as a book, and costs about as much as a venti these days at Starbucks. The presets are awesome for beginners, and the slider brings plenty of tonal flexibility. The added editing capabilities are a love letter to FM synth nerds that (for synth programmers) is not difficult to navigate. Of course editing will be annoying, of course they couldn't find room for a full-sized MIDI input - if you want a bigger synth with this kind of sound, go get you one!
Nice review Robin. As the owner of several Volcas, I can appreciate the small form-factor these boxes have. I can see a use-case with my KSP or the NDLR but definitely dislike the built-in keyboards too. Still, six-note polyphony would make it viable in context with other synths.
I bought one, because I owned a DX9, in the 80s lol, but could never afford a DX7 (at the time) its a "nostalgia thing" i love those Bass sounds, and Bells... thats it lol. No regrets with mine, its a great FM tool for noodling on and I love just being in bed and tweaking it in my headphones, no power supply, love it! .. yeah, its not a DX7, but i got my "lately Bass" and the motion sequencer, battery supply, (which is great by the way), create loops on the FM2 and loop into my MPC live 2, which i do a lot... its so so so versatile, even better than the AKAI OPX4 plugin which costs £80 at the time as as special offer (suprise, suprise), just buy this!!!.. 6 OP and better value hardware. great review!!!...
Finally 6 voices, can play 80s fusion on the go
I'm currently testing, very good channel, thanks for the info...sub 4 you😻
Hi Robin, sorry for another comment but I have a video suggestion.. I’d love to see you go over your favourite modules, and perhaps modules that you didn’t get on with, if you still have them! Thanks for the vids and keep up the good work, you’re very easy to listen to.
Yes, totally sound suggestions and ones that are already in my long list of videos to get around to.
Is it possible to send chords into it via MIDI to get around the non latching arpeggiator?
yes... although you have to send it constant chords
Hello Sir,
Could you please link the adapter for connecting the keyboard (I own a KSP). Thanks!
I never know. I try random adapters until it works. If i say Type A then it will be Type B - it's a conspiracy and i can't take that level of responsibility!
I understand the dilemma completely. If it's a modular FM synth that you want (since the keyboard isn't useful for actual playing anyway) and don't mind building a bit, build yourself a miniDexed! And if it's a good interface that you need, the big brother Opsix would be better.
Pew pew!
I just wanna know how it compares to the Reface DX
Possibly being really daft but I don’t see the links to the patches or the retro kits page in the description.. I can grab the URL from the video direct though thankfully but would like to know the patch location!
Nope, I completely failed to do that - I will fix it!
Fixed! Try the description again
@@MoltenMusicTech legend!
sounds surprisingly amazing! does this have portamento slide available in the device?
Not that I know of
Thats a good question as Dexed does.
what's the story on that volca stand you have? where can I find one?
Loci stands
Can't get this or any other method (Dexed, Midi-ox) to work to load sysexes into my FM2. I know the midi interface is working because I can play the FM2 from the PC. When I try to send anything (single sound or whole bank) the FM2 doesn't react at all. The midi interface LED flashes briefly to show it's sending, but the name of patch doesn't change on the FM2 screen, neither does the sound.
I just did what I did and showed you what happened - i can offer no clever advice or special settings i'm afraid. Maybe there's some protection switched on.
@@MoltenMusicTech turned out that the cheap midi interface doesn't pass sysex properly. One of those no-brand black oval shaped ones with a treble clef as the logo. Replaced with a roland UM one mk2 and bingo!
Extractor, is it means i can export my patches from Volca FM 2 to this program/PC is it right?
No, it doesn't do that - it's one of the flaws of the FM2 that I talk about in the video
@@MoltenMusicTech I found patchbase which can export/import patches and patterns, it's for Mac only but anyway it's still a one way to do that
Nice one
Vfm is a great surprise mashine,for me.
When you are playing this stuff , could you reproduce it ..or is it just music played at a moment and lost to the ether?
I'm just playing around - but you could sequence it or record it, write notes etc.
Try a Keystep pro and that little thing will sing better than a DX 7 especially with a little NTS doing the fx...
when it is connected to a keystep, does it sustain when triggered?
If you are referring to the lack of sustain - this is with a sustain pedal, not sustain as part of an envelope. So..... i'm not really understanding you but pressing a sustain pedal over MIDI does nothing regardless of which mode or triggering you are using.
@@MoltenMusicTech I'm Brazilian, excuse my language. 🇧🇷
I used google translator. What I meant is that, if I connect via MIDI the Volca FM in a DX7, when I press the sustain pedal that is connected to the DX7. Will the pedal also act on the Volca FM? Making its sound last longer? I want to layer DX7 EPs with Volca FM.
No - sustain doesn’t appear to work on the Volca FM
@@MoltenMusicTech tanks ✌️
when are you going to do your review of the Stochastic inspiration generator, there are zero reviews out there
I a did a big live stream on it which felt useful so I don’t have a burning desire to do another video on it. But it’s always a possibility.
@@MoltenMusicTech thanks very much I found that video
i'm thinking of getting one of these and sequencing it from an electribe 2 any thoughts ?
yeah, do it
@@MoltenMusicTech thanks my only issue is that as far as i know you can't save your own patches on it ..
You can save your own patches on the FM2 - you just overwrite an existing one. You can't export them - that was the point.
@@MoltenMusicTech thanks thats not mentioned anywhere !
I mentioned it at exactly this point :D
czcams.com/video/FPXb204-0h8/video.html
what is better Yamaha DX7 or E463, E 463 you can create any sound you want without being a tech man from samples.
Samples and Fm are very different forms of sound generation. You should use whatever works for you.
The apparent absence of any portamento/glide capability renders the mono mode largely useless. Other than that (and maybe the absence of swing too), it's alright. Sonicware's Liven XFM is a better FM groovebox/sound module for roughly the same money.
The XFM is double the price in the uk
The gold on it alone is worth more than it’s asking price
It is not a box, it is a synth.
What about the drum parts?
It has drum parts?
So you love it you hate it you marry you it you divorce it you sleep with it on the sly. Got it. Great price and you get quite a lot, don’t you?
Yep, good summary
You did some great stuff with this, Robin. I ordered it. I dig your candor and humor! You make a fine presentation. Would you like this unit better with a Keystep?
Thanks after this i decide not buy it ... but still a nice toy hugs from Chile
NO SUSTAIN...WHY ?
RED FLAG you cannot use a sustain pedal with it?!?
There is a firmware update that adds sustain pedal capability, through midi.
I suppose I am torned between the 2 opinions.
When it happens. Not for me.
Toy.
mmm... I don't see anywhere that this little box has the Fisher Price brand and that it is aimed at children from 5 to 11 years old....
It's much more than just a toy. LInking the CC messages to a controller and playing away tweaking knobs -- it can do much more than a DX7 used to and the MIDI control doesnt glitch like Dexed --- so for 155GBP its very useful
A synthesizer makes sounds. If you don't like the sounds on board, you can make new ones. Review it for what it is or don't bother with the review.