Bad Gear - Korg Volca Drum

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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 Drum. Is the third drum sound specialist of the Volca series (after the Beats and Kick) a worthy successor to the legendary Korg Electribe ER-1 drum machine? Can it step out of the Shadow of the Electribe and when will Korg release the long overdue Drumlogue?

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:54 Overview Korg Volca Drum
01:28 The OG Korg Electribe ER-1 drum machine
01:40 Synth engine (Oscillator)
01:52 Pitch modulation
02:04 Envelopes
02:35 Bit reduction, wave folding, overdrive
02:53 Layers (concept, kick & snare example)
03:23 Waveguide, physical modelling (effects section)
03:48 Hidden Menu (panning, pitch quantization, accent track, slice)
04:21 Improvements (pattern chaining, swing, saving kits and patterns)
04:38 Randomizer
04:46 Motion recording, parameter locks (Elektron-style)
05:12 Active Step (polyrhythms), Step Jump (fills)
05:33 Limitations, pricing
06:11 Hate
06:40 Jam 1
07:37 Jam 2
08:32 Finale
08:59 Verdict

[robertpennycook]

Dude you put so much work into these, seriously I am thankful. There is more editing in your videos than in videos 20 times longer and it adds to the chaotic comedy flow. The predator menu diving got me this week as well as the Backrooms montage. Clap clap.

[underduckbro]

The grooves you make while demonstrating each of its parameters are all song worthy.

[Katmat]

Every track or jam I’ve recorded with the drum stands a mile apart from the ones with usual Roland sounds. It sounds unlike anything else. I think it’s amazing. And the polyrhythm, random probability potential takes it to another level

[fffrage]

One of my favourite features in Volca Drum, not mentioned in this vid - is that you can set per-step probability in sequencer.

[zanderxymox]

That "Backrooms" video montage is fantastic on every level

[foxholeartist]

Volca Drum is amazing. Not often you get drum synth capable of huge noise sounds and industrial like textures. For real. Not beafy enough? Maybe. But huge. I love mine and want bigger version of it

[FormerlyOrca]

NOOO MY GEAR IS ON BAD GEAR!!! The drum is my first drum machine and while I do like it, the headphone out and the small knobs really do break my heart. But it's still fun to play and learn how to make some funky drums. Great episode Florian!

[ooktar]

I traded in my Volca Beats for the Drum and I'm pretty glad I did. The fact I can make a decent snare drum on it is enough to justify it. Still some inconveniences for a drum machine but overall there's a lot going for it.

[jdrukman]

I’ve got one of these and I love it. Your review is pretty accurate as far as all the pros and cons. My main use for it is to make “weird glitchy bloody unpredictable sequence layers”. I just record them all into Logic and save them as loops. I’ve got a pretty big library now. Great to just sneak them in wherever to fill out a track. For the price, you really can’t beat it.

[ProducerRealz]

I'm a 61 year's old musician and a big fan
of your deep analyzing and speedy flow of honest creative criticism.
Love your videos - Very helpful 🤗

[johngalvin]

It's impressive how you remember the workflow of all the different bits of gear. Great show.

[tubeMonger]

More versatile than I thought. Enjoyed the review. Thanks for sharing!

You really have something here on your YouTube channel.

The videos are top notch (full of useful info, verdict, and continuous popular culture references, cool sounding music) and there is no GAS-inducing affiliate marketing with cautions against GAS.

Perfect!

[geminidefect]

ok, Florian. I said you inspired me today, and this is the Bad Gear I went with. Volca Drum, Volca Kick, with a Behringer Crave. Modulation by Zig Zag, the coolest Chorus/vibrato pedal I've ever owned. Canadian made. Your inspiration is exactly what I needed today! <3

[huntergalloway]

Not my secret weapon for making drum layers and samples!?

I love the V Drum also as an all in one IDM groove box. Such a useful synth.

[frankgibson]

You nailed it. It’s good for making samples and I love recording mine through the DAW to edit and beef up the sounds but the interface is not as fun as the electribe. I am also hoping they throw the synth engine in the drumlogue cause it sounds great. I prefer using oscillatorsink's free Synthmata tool to program the kits quickly.

[stephenkyburz]

That's the only Volca I own. Got it just to mess around with the CC on the Digitakt and there is so many things you can do with it. Pure delight. Great video as usual

[alexwestconsulting]

Volca Drum is one of the best low budget devices on the market. To me it is essential gear.

[DoodMang]

The volca drum is so good when you make things at a slower tempo. You can really bring out some trippy sounds.

[markffff]

Couldn't agree more that this synth voice in a more back-up capable, fleshed out interface a la Drumlogue would be awesome. The Volca drum actually sounds amazing, and the physical modeling section is niiiice

[cassiomendes]

The videoclip of the finale jam is one of the coolest of all times. Really great!