 |
Korg Forums
A forum for Korg product users and musicians around the world.
Moderated Independently.
Owned by Irish Acts Recording Studio & hosted by KORG USA
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
qwak
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 2
|
 Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2017 1:07 pm Post subject: Volca as a birthday present |
 |
|
Hello, World!
In few weeks my girlfriend is turning 30 and she always dreamed of synths. I was googling for some time and figure out that Volcas would be the best option. I have a budget for about 4 units but as I am a total noob I have a problem of picking correct ones. My lucky guess was Sample + Kick + Bass + Keys but I am not sure.
I can imagine that it would be best to have them all and to have a freedom of creation but maybe in near future  I think choice also depends on a type of music she wants to create. She is into acid, tech house, disco, ambient.
Can you help me with correct choice?
Thanks |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
jeftones
Junior Member
Joined: 03 May 2017
Posts: 61
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2017 5:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
it really is a preference choice, depending on your gfs taste in synthesis.
Myself I have the FM, Key, Sample, & Beat which can all be used together to create complete compositions. The beat has a great kick and hats. The sample fills in other drum parts for me, should note getting samples on it is not the easiest. The fm is a great fm synth and the algorithm knob will give some cool outcomes, The keys i used the most and find it to be the more versatile of the volcas.
hope this is helpful. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Spheric El
Platinum Member
Joined: 21 Jul 2014
Posts: 795
Location: Liverpool
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2017 10:41 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I have the keys and fm.
My friend has the bass and sample.
All 4 are good but we have drums sorted on other machines.
The kick I'd probably go for last.
Maybe consider teenage engineering Pocket Operators po-32 & po 12 for drums. One of these would give good drums. I would choose the po-32 from the two,but it costs more than the 12.
Also consider a 2nd hand Monotribe,maybe.great synth and proto volca.heaviest bass and capable of acid and much more.gnarly.
If I could only have 4 i'd go PO-32,Monotribe,volca Keys,then choose between sample and FM.I love my FM but so many people rave about the sample.
Your girl may desire some samples and if she's on iOS then I'd say get that and she can venture into replacing the samples in future. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
qwak
Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 2
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
LM
Full Member
Joined: 09 Oct 2017
Posts: 143
|
| Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2017 1:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
| You will also need some kind of audio mixer to hook up all this stuff together. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
megamarkd
Platinum Member
Joined: 15 Aug 2017
Posts: 635
Location: Australia
|
| Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2017 5:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
| LM wrote: | | You will also need some kind of audio mixer to hook up all this stuff together. |
And it would also be nice if she could have a keyboard to play make believe pop star (until she becomes an actual pop star). At least I know I would soon tire of the little stylaphonic keyboard.
Really to get going all that is needed sound wise is some sort of percussion and a synth. If you get the Keys and Beat (or Kick), you have some dough left for a small mixer and a controller keyboard.
Going with the Keys means you get a more rounded polysynth than a FM. Yeah the FM does DX7 sounds, but that will become rather limiting as soon as you want to do a phat bass line. Add the FM and the Bass later.
I'd say the Volca Beat is the best starting point for programming drums. It's got all the usual suspects (including cowbell if you tune the Agogo right and parameter lock it to do the "mo'cowbell" signature tonk-line) and is great for learning the basics as well as getting tricky.
It's a little ridiculous that controller keyboards with MIDI din ports should cost upto twice the cost of their USB imbued cousins, but they do. A good alternative to a full-sized controller with a bunch of knobs you won't need is an Arturia Keystep. It's got minikeys, but they are very playable and not a hard jump for those used to full sized keys. Plus you get a very good step sequencer with it. It's quite a good buy considering a controller from the same company with no MIDI din ports and a few knobs is $50aud less. You won't get anything from Korg with MIDI din port for less than $50aud more than a Keystep.
There are built-in speakers for the entire Volca range, but the sound tinny. There is someone trying to croudfund a Volca specific mixer, but that is a cash grab as you can get a small Mackie/Behringer/Phonic/Samson/Yamaha mixer that does the job for around the $100-125aud mark. All in all, forgoing two modules would afford you the controller and mixer (if you are buying in Oz, but remember our $1 is worth about $0.77usd)
If you get all the bits you want from the same *PHYSICAL" store, you can ply the salesperson for free cables and adaptors and ask for a cash price too, not to mention starting a rapport with staff. Can't do that on Amazon....
_________________
Stuff I'm using: Umm right now, well there's a Volca Drum, a Micro Freak, an ADX-1, a Pulse, a Blofeld, a UNO Drum, KeyStep/Beatstep Pro/Keystep Pro (one of each), a Circuit, a LiveTrak L-12 and this nonsense: The Brief-case as it was about a bit over a year ago (the the complete ridiculous GAS monster collection here)and here |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Spheric El
Platinum Member
Joined: 21 Jul 2014
Posts: 795
Location: Liverpool
|
| Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2017 10:22 am Post subject: |
|
|
Monologue - good choice. I'd be made up with a girl buying me this stuff! (well anyone actually).
I would consider megamarkd's idea about replacing the Fm with Keys, but you do need to consider gf's taste in sounds.FM would compliment the analogue sounds of monologue with a crisp digital selection of wide variety of instruments. Nice but your girlfriend may prefer the lovely analogue poly synth that is the Keys to jam with the monologue. Check them both on YouTube.
About the mixer..it's not technically vital as you could drive the 2nd synth through your monologue input and process this synth with the mono's filter and fx. This would work great on the Fm to compliment the sharp digital tones with an analogue lpf. This would have loads of room for exploring at first.
Then use a computer to mix these two with your 3rd buy. But you would need an audio interface to input two lines into your comp (or ipad). One left, the other right, then use software to record to two tracks and mix. She may well want to record at some point,so an interface is an alternative to a mixer to get you started.
Saying that,little mixers can be found cheap -but to recommend an audio interface I'd say the cheapest from Focusrite with two line inputs.
About the 3rd instrument I'd go for the volca sample over the vbeats. It's just rated more and more capable. Everyone loves it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
megamarkd
Platinum Member
Joined: 15 Aug 2017
Posts: 635
Location: Australia
|
| Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2017 6:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
WTF? How did I miss this post?
Well you got the fat bass and MIDI keyboard covered with the Monologue.
_________________
Stuff I'm using: Umm right now, well there's a Volca Drum, a Micro Freak, an ADX-1, a Pulse, a Blofeld, a UNO Drum, KeyStep/Beatstep Pro/Keystep Pro (one of each), a Circuit, a LiveTrak L-12 and this nonsense: The Brief-case as it was about a bit over a year ago (the the complete ridiculous GAS monster collection here)and here |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
