Hey AWESOME!! I’m certain you’ve probably encountered this detail about the Volcas, but maybe important to remind here. There is a way (on the modular) by holding ‘func’tion button while powering up to access the Global Parameter settings. From there you can press the number 5 button and in doing so, you’re tempo will now go as low as about 30 BPMs and all the way up to about 600 BPMs!!! Maybe you taught me that, but anyways it’s a good thing to keep in mind with the pulse width ideas!! Very nice sounds your coaxing from not just the Volcas but all sorts of ‘undesirable/obsolete gear’ in so many of your videos. In the proper hands, anything can serve up some beautiful sounds! THANKS FOR SHARING, very insightful!!
Yes I have poked around in the global menu. A super fast tempo would be a pretty good way to make so nice chiptune style arpeggios actually. Thanks for watching by the way 👍
One of the best tutorials on Volca Modular! I wonder why Korg didn't re-issued this synthesizer with better quality (less flimsy connectors but the same type, bigger knobs maybe with knob caps), more features: normal MIDI support, a deeper wavefolder, a better/bigger fx section with more control points, ref. voltage output (to make an external oscillator for example), an additional buchla-style sequencer/arpegiator (like in Moog Labirynth), PCB type keyboard with MPE support. My biggest dream if it will be polyphonic (4 voices at least) and have some type of multitimbrality. IDK how it can be solved with the analog patching design though! It could be a programmable matrix like MicroFreak does. But I'm not sure if Korg engineers are capable to resolve all this and remain the main modules analog.
Ha yeah it is a bit like that 😆 There's a few things I've found since that do really interesting things that make almost no sense to me at all, but they sound good 🤷♂️
I took your idea and really ran with it! Since I am now using the Microbrute to CV pitch control the Volca Modular (VM) and I am sending the output of the VM into the Audio In of the Microbrute and using the envelope as well, it means the LPG become redundant (at least to me). So I do not even need to gate the envelopes as only EG1 on the VM and EG1 EOC are used to create the square via the Utility a/b/c , freeing up EG2 to be triggered by CV OCD choice of clock speeds from 1 bar to 1/16th into Synch In to create an LFO to clock sync. I run the output of EG1 EOC directly to the input of the SpaceEcho, bypassing the LPG (making sure the LPG1 is turned down) It sounds great! And I have you to thank for it.
@@ChrisLodyMusic I did some guinea pig experiments by feeding the +5V Envelope Out from the uBrute to control the A+B*C control for the pulse shape on the KVM. The KVM did not blow up and works well with at least stuff rated for +5V. I also fed the DC coupled LFO from uBrute to control pulse shape on the KVM and this works well. I took trigs from CV OCD @5V and this also works with the KVM. Another thing I did last week is take the pitch CV out to the KVM mult and feed it to the pitch CV in. I added in AC coupled signal from the LFO on the uBrute and was able to create vibrato. IMO, the uBrute is an excellent CV controller for the KVM.
wish i would have known about these tricks before i sold the thing. thought i tried everything. even made a diy attenuator and added the midi mod. i guess that's the magic of modular, the limitless possibilities
christdolphin69 Oh that’s a shame. I must admit it took me a while to really ‘get’ this Volca where as the others are a lot more immediate. I’m planning to make some diy bits for it too. Only problem is now I’m drawn to start building a eurorack system which could get expensive 😬
I love the complexity this instrument contains, I only wish it was in a bit larger form factor for ease of maneuverability. In your opinion, would you say that something like the Make Noise 0-coast can achieve somewhat similar soundscapes when explored as deeply? At present, I'm not in a financial situation where I'm able to build a modular rig in the lineage of say a Buchla or Serge system, but I'm deeply passionate about exploring the West Coast style of synthesis. Thank you for the wonderful dives into devices, they're most enlightening and encouraging. I hope this message finds you well, all the best.
The 0-Coast has been recommended to me to but I've never had the chance to try one. They do sound really nice and as the name suggests they are a hybrid of East and West coast thinking. Check out some of Undulations channel on here, he uses one of those. I'm not in a position to buy a Buchla either but I have been using one at a studio I've been employed at, amazing bits of gear
@@ChrisLodyMusic Thanks so much for your kind response. I will definitely give his videos on that a look, as I enjoy his content as well. It's awesome to hear that you have the opportunity to utilize and access such a wonderful system.
Hi, Chris! It's awesome! :) Especially the part with Woggle. I don't remember if I've seen tutorials on _active_ solderless breadboard modules on your channel. I'm pointing to the area that a square oscillator here isn't VCO (traditionally), isn't it? It's just a triggered cycle (works more like DCO by the principle as I understand). I think it's possible to make a simple square wave "VCO" on a breadboard with a simple 555 IC or an op.amp maybe. The one thing I'm not sure about is the power for an external oscillator. I guess that internal op.amps in Volca Modular works on +/- 4.5 volts rails. But traditionally a VCO (on op.amps) drains at least +/- 12v. P.S. would be very cool to see Volca Modular's schematic. I've didn't found it in Internet.
Thank you. Yes I made a video about the passive use of a breadboard but not active circuits yet. I'd probably start by showing how to build an oscillator that doesn't track to pitch using logic gates because it would be much easier to build and will run off almost any voltage, +5v being safe for the VModular for example. The same chip is useful for all sorts of utility functions too including turning the internal oscillators into squares too. The way I think of vco Vs dco is a dco constructing its output from bits output through a D to A convertor, where as a vco's output just listening to a voltage rise and fall. On the VMod it's the later and so I'd say the is a vco, the same is true of logic chips where it's just listening to an on\off voltage taking place. But It's an ambiguous subject sometimes tbh 😄
If you click on the DropBox link in the description I've been adding patches to a folder there as I think of things. Hopefully you'll find something useful there. Thanks for watching :)
Awesome! I have a volca, make cool sounds and still have almost Zero idea wtf im doing. Yea i read everything, know the terms, still no idea wtd means what..
Thanks very much. Well keep playing and learning I'd say, we all start out not knowing what we're doing. As long as you're having fun that's the main thing 😁
Thanks for the tips. I really like the square wave patch. How does the function 1 pulse output work? Does it send a pulse at the end of the release stage?
Thanks. Yes that’s right, the output of Function 1 is just an inverted version of its input which is handy. Function 2 has a similar output but it works differently as it is delayed by the length of time it takes to go through its cycle. Not useless but much less musical
If you have another Volca you can connect that via midi and sync the two over the sync in and out sockets. If you just have this you can create a click on a channel in your daw and route that to an output that you can plug into the sync in socket. Be careful just the click plays through that channel though or it will skip about and not sync properly
Yeah, waves that aren't available from the oscillator section to begin with - you can't generate additional waves on a regular synth apart from self oscillating the filter for a sine wave. I think that's the point here
Hey AWESOME!! I’m certain you’ve probably encountered this detail about the Volcas, but maybe important to remind here. There is a way (on the modular) by holding ‘func’tion button while powering up to access the Global Parameter settings. From there you can press the number 5 button and in doing so, you’re tempo will now go as low as about 30 BPMs and all the way up to about 600 BPMs!!! Maybe you taught me that, but anyways it’s a good thing to keep in mind with the pulse width ideas!! Very nice sounds your coaxing from not just the Volcas but all sorts of ‘undesirable/obsolete gear’ in so many of your videos. In the proper hands, anything can serve up some beautiful sounds! THANKS FOR SHARING, very insightful!!
Yes I have poked around in the global menu. A super fast tempo would be a pretty good way to make so nice chiptune style arpeggios actually. Thanks for watching by the way 👍
You've turned this little guy into a Roland System 100!
Ha, just trying to squeeze it for all it's worth 😄
One of the best tutorials on Volca Modular!
I wonder why Korg didn't re-issued this synthesizer with better quality (less flimsy connectors but the same type, bigger knobs maybe with knob caps), more features: normal MIDI support, a deeper wavefolder, a better/bigger fx section with more control points, ref. voltage output (to make an external oscillator for example), an additional buchla-style sequencer/arpegiator (like in Moog Labirynth), PCB type keyboard with MPE support.
My biggest dream if it will be polyphonic (4 voices at least) and have some type of multitimbrality. IDK how it can be solved with the analog patching design though! It could be a programmable matrix like MicroFreak does. But I'm not sure if Korg engineers are capable to resolve all this and remain the main modules analog.
the change of my "what the why" and "this makes sense" levels are going into audio rates on this little machine. thanks for sharing this!
Ha yeah it is a bit like that 😆 There's a few things I've found since that do really interesting things that make almost no sense to me at all, but they sound good 🤷♂️
Oh no!! Now I want a Volca Modular! 😄 hehe. Thanks for really showing what this can do.
Ha sorry about that 😅💰Glad you enjoyed it
That is why I bought two Volcas Modular :)
I took your idea and really ran with it!
Since I am now using the Microbrute to CV pitch control the Volca Modular (VM) and I am sending the output of the VM into the Audio In of the Microbrute and using the envelope as well, it means the LPG become redundant (at least to me).
So I do not even need to gate the envelopes as only EG1 on the VM and EG1 EOC are used to create the square via the Utility a/b/c , freeing up EG2 to be triggered by CV OCD choice of clock speeds from 1 bar to 1/16th into Synch In to create an LFO to clock sync.
I run the output of EG1 EOC directly to the input of the SpaceEcho, bypassing the LPG (making sure the LPG1 is turned down)
It sounds great! And I have you to thank for it.
Excellent! I'd love to have a go at that. I've got some semi modular equipment ear marked to buy eventually that would do this!
@@ChrisLodyMusic I did some guinea pig experiments by feeding the +5V Envelope Out from the uBrute to control the A+B*C control for the pulse shape on the KVM.
The KVM did not blow up and works well with at least stuff rated for +5V.
I also fed the DC coupled LFO from uBrute to control pulse shape on the KVM and this works well. I took trigs from CV OCD @5V and this also works with the KVM.
Another thing I did last week is take the pitch CV out to the KVM mult and feed it to the pitch CV in. I added in AC coupled signal from the LFO on the uBrute and was able to create vibrato.
IMO, the uBrute is an excellent CV controller for the KVM.
Fantastic tips, the sounds you get are absolutely incredible! Great work, Chris.
Sinevibes Thanks very much 😁
Great! Are you using external reverb?
Only on the short demo on the intro which would be a Zoom Studio 1201. The rest of the tutorial has no reverb on it
wish i would have known about these tricks before i sold the thing. thought i tried everything. even made a diy attenuator and added the midi mod. i guess that's the magic of modular, the limitless possibilities
christdolphin69 Oh that’s a shame. I must admit it took me a while to really ‘get’ this Volca where as the others are a lot more immediate. I’m planning to make some diy bits for it too. Only problem is now I’m drawn to start building a eurorack system which could get expensive 😬
Easy mod tip: add a vactrol on the volume out... fantastic sound!
What a little beast.
You did a great job here!
Thank you 😁
getting this unit to output a square wave is a game changer for me!
Liss K Glad to help. Turns it into a fairly good chip tune machine 😄
Damn you! I'd just about cured myself of wanting to buy one of these. And you've managed to convince me that I really want one again.
Sorry about that 😬 It's not the easiest device to learn how to use, maybe that's enough to put you off again 🤷♂️
Truly eye - opening information. Many thanks.
You’re welcome, thanks for watching 👍
Thanks for the patch diagrams ! I wish more people did this 👍
I’ve learnt more useful tips watching this than any you tube video on the VM
You're welcome. I must make some more patch videos for the Modular like this, still plenty to explore
@@ChrisLodyMusic that would be great -just got mine (and have some other semi modular) but first west coast so big learning for me thanks
It's my first step with volca modular... for me too, with your video, you have open new possibilities! Thanks very much
No problem, thanks very much for watching and I hope you have fun 😁👍
Please give us more
READY2fly Will do when I find some more tips to share 😁
Fantastic video, thanks a lot for all your tips on the volca modular! I'm really impressed by all the possibilities hidden inside of it!
Thank you. Yes there's plenty of trickys to discover in this little box. They did good 😁
Brilliant!
Thank you 😁
bloody brilliant!
Hope you find it useful, thanks for watching
Thank you! Best Volca Modular Tutorial I have seen
Thank you, you're welcome 😁
Groovy!
superb
Thanks 😁
as usual my man thank u so much u star!!
No problem 😁
awesome tutorial! thanks a lot!
No worries, thanks for watching!
I love the complexity this instrument contains, I only wish it was in a bit larger form factor for ease of maneuverability. In your opinion, would you say that something like the Make Noise 0-coast can achieve somewhat similar soundscapes when explored as deeply? At present, I'm not in a financial situation where I'm able to build a modular rig in the lineage of say a Buchla or Serge system, but I'm deeply passionate about exploring the West Coast style of synthesis. Thank you for the wonderful dives into devices, they're most enlightening and encouraging. I hope this message finds you well, all the best.
The 0-Coast has been recommended to me to but I've never had the chance to try one. They do sound really nice and as the name suggests they are a hybrid of East and West coast thinking. Check out some of Undulations channel on here, he uses one of those. I'm not in a position to buy a Buchla either but I have been using one at a studio I've been employed at, amazing bits of gear
@@ChrisLodyMusic Thanks so much for your kind response. I will definitely give his videos on that a look, as I enjoy his content as well. It's awesome to hear that you have the opportunity to utilize and access such a wonderful system.
This is killer. An excellent approach to this instrument. Thank you!
No problem, thanks for watching 👍🏻
ChrisLody Hey Chris, I was wondering if you have any blank patch cards available for download?
I can help with that yes. If you google Volca Modular Blank Chart you should see a link to a pdf on Korgs website of one
ChrisLody Ah, gotcha. I browsed the website but apparently not hard enough! Thanks for that!
Thank you for making this great tutorial!
You're welcom thanks for watching 😁
Thanks, this opened up a lot of ideas for me!
No problem. Glad to help 👍🏻
Thank you very much for this video
Thanks from Russia
No problem, thanks for watching 😁👍
Nice vid
Thank you 😁
Hi, Chris! It's awesome! :) Especially the part with Woggle. I don't remember if I've seen tutorials on _active_ solderless breadboard modules on your channel.
I'm pointing to the area that a square oscillator here isn't VCO (traditionally), isn't it? It's just a triggered cycle (works more like DCO by the principle as I understand).
I think it's possible to make a simple square wave "VCO" on a breadboard with a simple 555 IC or an op.amp maybe. The one thing I'm not sure about is the power for an external oscillator. I guess that internal op.amps in Volca Modular works on +/- 4.5 volts rails. But traditionally a VCO (on op.amps) drains at least +/- 12v.
P.S. would be very cool to see Volca Modular's schematic. I've didn't found it in Internet.
Thank you. Yes I made a video about the passive use of a breadboard but not active circuits yet. I'd probably start by showing how to build an oscillator that doesn't track to pitch using logic gates because it would be much easier to build and will run off almost any voltage, +5v being safe for the VModular for example. The same chip is useful for all sorts of utility functions too including turning the internal oscillators into squares too. The way I think of vco Vs dco is a dco constructing its output from bits output through a D to A convertor, where as a vco's output just listening to a voltage rise and fall. On the VMod it's the later and so I'd say the is a vco, the same is true of logic chips where it's just listening to an on\off voltage taking place. But It's an ambiguous subject sometimes tbh 😄
Great patch! Thank you!
Dmitry A No problem, hope you find it useful!
Thx for sharing !
No problem, thanks for watching 👍
Thanks, really instructive!
No problem 👍🏻
Most excellent!
Mark Pigott Thanks very much. I watched loads of you Blofeld videos so I had a feeling the Modular would appeal to you 😄
Would very much appreciate more patch ideas for the volca modular🎹🎧💫😵👌😎👍 Thank you!✌
If you click on the DropBox link in the description I've been adding patches to a folder there as I think of things. Hopefully you'll find something useful there. Thanks for watching :)
@@ChrisLodyMusic I'll check that out. Thank you!👍✌
much appreciated!
No problem 👍🏻
Groovy....! 💡💡💡✔
Yes
Thanks Chris- great tips - fantastic sounds! Did you use external reverb?
Awesome! I have a volca, make cool sounds and still have almost Zero idea wtf im doing. Yea i read everything, know the terms, still no idea wtd means what..
Great video though, as far as cool sounds.. this is it. ;)
Thanks very much. Well keep playing and learning I'd say, we all start out not knowing what we're doing. As long as you're having fun that's the main thing 😁
Thanks for the tips. I really like the square wave patch.
How does the function 1 pulse output work? Does it send a pulse at the end of the release stage?
Thanks. Yes that’s right, the output of Function 1 is just an inverted version of its input which is handy. Function 2 has a similar output but it works differently as it is delayed by the length of time it takes to go through its cycle. Not useless but much less musical
Im struggling to see the panel on mine, never mind patch it!... Okay I need glasses 😢❤
Yeah they are a bit small at the best of times, difficult to film 😄
Does anyone know how to sync it to a daw.
If you have another Volca you can connect that via midi and sync the two over the sync in and out sockets. If you just have this you can create a click on a channel in your daw and route that to an output that you can plug into the sync in socket. Be careful just the click plays through that channel though or it will skip about and not sync properly
Seems like quite a lot of work to get some very basic waves.
Everything is this amount of work on the Volca Modular. It’s just the way it works
Yeah, waves that aren't available from the oscillator section to begin with - you can't generate additional waves on a regular synth apart from self oscillating the filter for a sine wave. I think that's the point here