How do you all keep your pgram notes?

fotizimo1 · Post by **fotizimo1** » Mon May 01, 2017 5:02 pm

Hey all, I am new to the Volca world, and am just breaking in my Keys device over the past weekend, and as this is my first physcial synth, the first question that hits me is, how do you manage the settings for your favourite patches?

I basically put together an excel spreadsheet/table of each setting which I can use as my template, and every time I hear something I like, I record the settings down.

Just wondering how everyone else keeps track of these types of settings, especially when using multiple devices for a song.

CraigTumps · Post by **CraigTumps** » Fri May 05, 2017 1:58 pm

On Win8 there is a sticky notes app. It creates re-sizable post-it note floating on the desktop.
I write my programs in there and the notes stay on your desktop after reboot.

I also have a second sticky note with the midi numbers in case I need to assign them. Im sure you can do a similar thing on Mac too if thats what you use.

Only problem with sticky notes is that if you close them with the X it doesnt save. So every now and then I save them to a notepad for backup. But I never closed it by accident yet, its just in case. Just leave the notes open and it will automatically be there next time when you login.

jeftones · Post by **jeftones** » Fri May 05, 2017 7:31 pm

i find that part of the magic in the volcas in the inability to really save patches. that being said if i find that i have something dialed in i want to have later i do 2 things. the first i do is save the position of 4 knobs on my monomachine, i keep three volcas hooked into the monomachine and 4 knob positions will save per "kit" per midi track. additionally i have a moleskine that i draw little knob diagrams in for the remainder of the knobs i need to keep track of.

CraigTumps · Post by **CraigTumps** » Sat May 06, 2017 1:19 am

Using Bitwig its also possible to save the midi positions for next time using the remote control device.

Dragan · Post by **Dragan** » Sat May 06, 2017 10:41 am

There is a excellent <a href="http://fabriziopoce.com/volcacontrol.html">software</a> by Fabrizio Poce which can manage your presets and do many other great things which include unlocking some new Volca features.
The price for the package is 8€, I use it and can highly recommend it.

There is a standalone version and Max-for-Live version.

fotizimo1 · Post by **fotizimo1** » Sun May 07, 2017 2:35 pm

CraigTumps wrote:Using Bitwig its also possible to save the midi positions for next time using the remote control device.

Hey there CraigTumps, I would love to hear how you do this in Bitwig. I use Reason and if I could implement integration of my vKeys with my DAW. I have never connected reason by Midi to anything, so maybe I need to read up on that.

fotizimo1 · Post by **fotizimo1** » Sun May 07, 2017 3:08 pm

Dragan wrote:There is a excellent <a href="http://fabriziopoce.com/volcacontrol.html">software</a> by Fabrizio Poce which can manage your presets and do many other great things which include unlocking some new Volca features.

Wow, this looks great, I am going to look into this.

CraigTumps · Post by **CraigTumps** » Mon May 08, 2017 7:53 am

Hey Fotizimo1. On Bitwig there are two devices, Midi CC and HW Instrument.

Download the Volca midi CC chart from Korg. It will tell you what CC numbers map to each control. In the Bitwig Midi CC device you need to add each CC number and label it yourself so you know what it is.

Then on the HW Instrument panel you pick the midi channel the device is on. I dont have my Volca connected right now so it says No MIDI Output, but thats where it would be.. Turn on Midi Clock so that the Volca receives the correct BPM from Bitwig. On the input section select whatever audio input you plugged your Volca sound in to.

Then on Bitwig you can right click the Midi CC wheels and either map them to your controller or automate them. If you do that for all of the Midi CC controls then you completely control the Volca only from the software. I dont need to touch anything on the Volca itself.
When you open the project it will put all of the CC info back to where it was so in effect you just saved the Volca preset.

Something that is really cool on Bitwig is the modulation tools that can be added to any device. So here I added a simple LFO to one of the Midi CC controls. You can create some really nice wobbly sounds like this.

Sending notes and controlling the Volca from your DAW like this really unlocks what its capable of.

This is all on Bitwig version 2. Grab the demo and give it a try! I never used Reason but Im sure there will be something similar possible on there.