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Hi! I've just picked up Volca Keys and enjoy its potential - fun machine! But so far I've found that envelopes in poly modes work as RTZ envelopes - meaning each new press generates envelope from zero = non-legato way. Which is the least useful way of handling polyphony ? Why haven't korg used its mono/poly algorithm of osc/env allocation ? Is there a way to enable env triggering only on first note ? Its funny, because in unison modes, env works legato if portamento is > 0 . There's clearly a design intention behind this behavior.

In fact Voice mode could include "Mono/Poly" mode, where one midi note would trigger 3 oscs in unison, but 2 notes would assign 2 to lower note and 1 to higher, and 3 notes would spread voices equally. All while the envelope is sustained, meaning opened on first note on and closed on last note off.

RTZ envelopes is what causes Minilogue to 'click' at the note trigger. Volca Keys and Minilogue share this bug. RTZ's are usable only for techno staccato chords/ block chords , more legacy or intricate styles of playing (i.e. funk-disco synth pads/ string machine like sounds or simply where voices move up and down while chord is sustained) require different env trigger algorithm.

Its highly unlikely Korg will update Volca Keys, but the probably can release its firmware in open format, so enthusiasts could hack its firmware.

And here's the most ridiculous part - With max4live patches you could actually play this with .... wait for it !... Volca Bass! Beacuse Volca Bass does not retrigger on new press, m4l patch allocates osc tuning to incoming midi notes.

And Keys actually make great unison synth. It actually sounds HUGE. It also makes a great monophonic acid machine.

It's a clear design flaw, which could be remedied with firmware update (i'm 95% sure of that).

It's called paraphonic. There's one envelope, and it's a paraphonic synth. This was always a well-known aspect of it, and if you'd checked out reviews of it, this should have been a clearly explained aspect of the synth.

Subject to correction, the electronics internal to the synth only include one envelope, so firmware updates have nothing to do with it.

No. I've used A LOT of string machines over the years (also called combo organs with single envelope like Elektronika EM 25, EM 04 , EM 26 etc.), also Behringer Neutron does paraphony THE RIGHT WAY, so as Korg ARP Odyssey and countless VSTs - Full Bucket Mono/Poly, Korg's own Mono/Poly etc. Even archaic Hammond B3 did it right with its 'Percussion' module (ready to retrigger only when hands are off the keyboard).

Just think of it like this - set attack fairly high as well as release. Now play chord and quickly play another chord and you'll see the sound to start from zero according to attack portion.

So this style of playing is possible if I set attack to 0 and sustain all the way. This way there is no articulation in the sound (xcept for possible LFO).

The Issue is with so called 'retrigger mode' . There are different ways to handle single envelope depending on the input and Volca Keys does it the least useful way - by retriggering env with each 'note on' msg (in Poly modes). It works well for staccato lines - think juno 60 punchy bass arp or short techno arp/chords. Not so usefull for actual playing with full sized keys. Unison/Oct/5th modes actually do 'legato'-style retriggering when portamento is more than zero (which is a beautiful design trick BTW!), which is the way I would preferred env to be handled in poly mode too.

P.S.: I've found that there's funky business going on with Keys'es envelope overall. It cannot change sustain value while note is sounding, which points me to slow/maxed microcontroller. But it bugs me to watch my playing that much not to retrigger attack accidentally (adding note/suspension/7th/etc.) while I'm holding a chord. I'm guessing designers had sequencing in their mind more than live playing.

Potreba wrote:
Its highly unlikely Korg will update Volca Keys, but the probably can release its firmware in open format, so enthusiasts could hack its firmware.

check out - and post on - new thread i just made re: possible improvements for Keys.

the firmware is now extracted, as of last 24hrs. so some small hope that someday it could get some new tricks.

what i noticed with the envelope, of course, is that it affects VCA and VCF at the same time (is this correct? it was something like that), in contrast to the Bass, where they can be separate (Amp EG on/off).