Which one is your favorite?

skywalkman · Post by **skywalkman** » Wed May 01, 2013 7:12 am

staticwarp wrote:
cynkh wrote:I have to admit to being drawn initially to the Volca Bass but the fixed filter setting (well, admittedly the non-18dB filter) along with the lack of per-step accent shifted my inclination toward the Beats.
i was hoping this wasn't the case. a volca bass would be much cheaper than a x0xbox but the accent is pretty important.

i won't be able to decide until i try them out at the music store.

im sure there is motion sequencing! if I remember rightly from the video's, if that's the case you can add an accent to a note, by using step mode while motion sequencing is on, just raise the volume when you get to the desired step, or if step by step mode wont work, you could always lower tempo so you can add an accent (higher volume note) that way

brambos · Post by **brambos** » Fri May 03, 2013 3:29 pm

The beats is my favorite, but the bass is probably going to be of much more use in my productions. So I'm still undecided which one to get first.

Re-Member · Post by **Re-Member** » Mon May 06, 2013 11:02 pm

I pre-ordered all three units. These are going to be fun to mess with and are super cheap.

Someone mentioned the Volca Beats being the closest thing to a TR-808, but I will say that the Roland MC-505 actually is. It may be digital, but it has the entire TR sound set and each piece can tweaked and manipulated by the synth engine. There's also multiple outputs for recording/mixing, plus real-time TR style programming like the 606, 808, 909 etc. There's a good reason I've held on to one for nearly a decade now.

Rooftree · Post by **Rooftree** » Tue May 21, 2013 2:38 am

I've ordered all three also. I'm mostly interested in Beats. But at the price I couldn't pass up the other two. I'm looking forward to hooking them all up together and seeing what I can do.

Hugo · Post by **Hugo** » Tue May 21, 2013 1:32 pm

I somehow fail to see what's so interesting about the Volca Beats. Could someone enlighten me? Personally I think sampled drums and custom made percussion are a lot more functional. I mean, I don't really need the volca Bass and Keys, but tweaking them is just irresistable. I don't see the same potential in the Beats

cynkh · Post by **cynkh** » Tue May 21, 2013 1:57 pm

It's the same sort of tweaking which makes the Bass so appealing. Granted it's just a few parts with just a few parameters but there's a nostalgic component (for those of us who've ever had a chance to play with a TR-808 and/or -909) and a utilitarian component.

I also agree that samples can be much more functional- but there's a certain "feel" that real analog offers. Besides, when Korg started with the Monotron series and its authentic MS-20 filter many of us got a chill up and down our spines that maybe they'll someday re-release a fully functional MS-20! Beats may not just be a great way to get into some analog rhythm; but, also a toe in the water for something altogether more grand (fingers crossed

).

And, having said all that, if you don't want one I'll just have yours!

Cheers!

Hugo wrote:I somehow fail to see what's so interesting about the Volca Beats. Could someone enlighten me? Personally I think sampled drums and custom made percussion are a lot more functional. I mean, I don't really need the volca Bass and Keys, but tweaking them is just irresistable. I don't see the same potential in the Beats

Hugo · Post by **Hugo** » Tue May 21, 2013 4:04 pm

Fair points, cynkh!

cynkh · Post by **cynkh** » Tue May 21, 2013 4:13 pm

Hee!

Hugo wrote:Fair points, cynkh!

cynkh · Post by **cynkh** » Tue May 21, 2013 4:20 pm

If so, that would be a quite acceptable workaround. I know the -303 (and -202) had the accent control the VCF as well as VCA (this was user-selectable with the -202) so one could "hard-code" the VCA accent using motion sequencing then just perform the VCF accents with the (gratuitously proportioned

) cutoff knob!

Good tip, skywalkman!

Cheers!

skywalkman wrote:
staticwarp wrote:
cynkh wrote:I have to admit to being drawn initially to the Volca Bass but the fixed filter setting (well, admittedly the non-18dB filter) along with the lack of per-step accent shifted my inclination toward the Beats.
i was hoping this wasn't the case. a volca bass would be much cheaper than a x0xbox but the accent is pretty important.

i won't be able to decide until i try them out at the music store.
im sure there is motion sequencing! if I remember rightly from the video's, if that's the case you can add an accent to a note, by using step mode while motion sequencing is on, just raise the volume when you get to the desired step, or if step by step mode wont work, you could always lower tempo so you can add an accent (higher volume note) that way

Rooftree · Post by **Rooftree** » Tue May 21, 2013 5:10 pm

Hugo wrote:I somehow fail to see what's so interesting about the Volca Beats. Could someone enlighten me? Personally I think sampled drums and custom made percussion are a lot more functional. I mean, I don't really need the volca Bass and Keys, but tweaking them is just irresistable. I don't see the same potential in the Beats

The thing that interests me is connectivity. I have a DAW with 8 jillion samples and a couple dozen soft synths. But making music on the computer isn't fun for me. Three syncronized hardware boxes that are ready to play together in real time is hugely appealing to me.

I would have bought all three Volcas even if the sounds were just a little better than mediocre. Some of the drum sounds in demo videos sounded fairly good. That was enough to get my attention. But then I noticed the ability to tweak the drum sounds (3 controls for each analog sound and PCM speed for digital). This level of tweakability much better than my 606!

Crystalmsc · Post by **Crystalmsc** » Tue May 21, 2013 5:31 pm

skywalkman wrote:the analogue low end that is hard to emulate.

agree, I own the Monotribe and the Volca Bass is the missing link.

Destri · Post by **Destri** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 6:12 pm

Probably the volca beats for me, I was just watching youtubes vids on these before I spotted this thread, the beats unit will sit nicely with my newly purchased Microkorg XL+, but to be honest, I know I will eventually end up with all three

1_inch_punch · Post by **1_inch_punch** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 12:45 am

I was getting all fired up to purchase the Beats - but based on my bad experience with the Kaossilator 2 -- I am not filled with confidence at the quality of the product.