just a quick poll of ideas, things you find frustrating etc. that could be improved.
-would be nice to transpose sequences once they are written.
-to RECORD velocity into the pattern, from external midi.
...
Volca Keys: what functionality could be improved ?
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Volca Keys: what functionality could be improved ?
Last edited by ShoNuff on Tue Sep 03, 2019 7:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- MeneerJansen
- Junior Member
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 3:13 pm
Not being able to transpose sequences is probably the feature that I miss the most. That would make the Keys, Bass and FM a lot more fun to play.
To record chords on the Keys all you have to do is... play chords while recording (in Poly mode, obviously).MeneerJansen wrote: And is there a way to record chords in the sequencer? The V. Keys has three voices...
- MeneerJansen
- Junior Member
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 3:13 pm
[sorry for the off topic] Won't it simply record three steps then?LM wrote:Not being able to transpose sequences is probably the feature that I miss the most. That would make the Keys, Bass and FM a lot more fun to play.
To record chords on the Keys all you have to do is... play chords while recording (in Poly mode, obviously).MeneerJansen wrote: And is there a way to record chords in the sequencer? The V. Keys has three voices...
sure, it will. and do 3-note chords. you've read the manual, yeah?MeneerJansen wrote: [sorry for the off topic] Won't it simply record three steps then?

it does 3-note chords with sawtooth in 'Poly' setting. nothing very magical here, tbh.
if you plug a midi keyboard in, you'll have more joy. (joy being relative here: it's fairly limited, and no complex chords possible)
you can do 3-step arpeggios - or chord sequences - using Active Step, or just with full length - here's the thing: it doesn't snap to quantised values. which is bad/good depending on how you look at it. there is a 'Flux' mode, which gives the chance to get more notes in per step. it's quite weird really.
one thing i like doing is doing a more organised sequence on a DAW or other sequencer, and getting the Keys to record that. at least it comes out sort of quantised then.
anyway: this is one area where Keys could be improved. not sure quite what yet.
and here's the thing: if you look on Korg's site: no Keys firmware to download. as of last couple of weeks however, someone has extracted the firmware, and a couple of whizzes, namely pajen, are able to decipher the firmware. so there is hope (if he can be a***d, or has enthusiasm to) that, one day, Keys might have an improved spec'.
taking it as it is, limitations and all, it is still, within it's sound range, a useful little sound module that responds to midiCC for nearly all parameters. it has often surprised me - i do get a bit frustrated by some things it doesn't do, but then, on the right day, it can give something nice too - except you usually can't go much further with it at that point. nevertheless, i've done a few things, where it's just the Keys, doing something simple (with Poly Ring used as a monosynth), sounding nice and vibey.
tbh i have a few other things that can do polysynth, better than it ever will, so i'm not looking for too much on that front. i have one or two ideas for it - as it is- that i havnt explored yet, and want to fit a midi out to it when i have time and the right minijack sockets (most are too high to fit in the bottom of the case).