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I've been on the fence for quite a while thinking if I should get a Volca Keys, simply because its a very affordable analog poly synth (for this and only this reason, since I already have a very solid minibrute). But I keep seeing so many sync issues, missing LEDS, step skipping problems, etc. that now I'm starting to wonder if the quality on this synth is just as low as the price.

So I figured I'd start a thread where owners/users of Volcas can all chime in on this. Are the Volcas worth it in terms of quality vs cost? Do they feel like they will hold up, in terms of build quality? How often do these issues mentioned above occur, and are there others, as well? Overall, are you happy with your purchase?

roblabs wrote:I've been on the fence for quite a while thinking if I should get a Volca Keys, simply because its a very affordable analog poly synth (for this and only this reason, since I already have a very solid minibrute). But I keep seeing so many sync issues, missing LEDS, step skipping problems, etc. that now I'm starting to wonder if the quality on this synth is just as low as the price.

So I figured I'd start a thread where owners/users of Volcas can all chime in on this. Are the Volcas worth it in terms of quality vs cost? Do they feel like they will hold up, in terms of build quality? How often do these issues mentioned above occur, and are there others, as well? Overall, are you happy with your purchase?

I'd like to chime in

I got beats first (no problems), than keys (not sure what the problem would be here) , but bass I had to replace (today got a new unit) funny enough I already knew what to look for when I got to guitar center (they held 2 units for me as I requested - just in case) first replacement was messed up LED not showing up again etc
- second one is spotless.

I believe the quality of the product is good they are just fragile you need to take care of them . they might get damaged in transportation they are not packed very well

as a noise making toy, the keys, are well worth the money, the nearest you could get to something like this would be the Struthi and that hasn't got a sequencer, as a serious music making synth you can just about forget it, so all in all it again depends on how you intend to use them, they are in fact very cheap and cheerful toys if you expect anything else go for something higher priced.

You may want to watch my video posted in the "promote your music" thread to see how I have and intend to continue using mine

I got all 3 Volcas about 4 months ago, no issues at all, build quality is pretty solid, no dodgy LEDs or sync problems. A few observations:

Most sync issues people are having are due to using incorrect cables, use TRS 3.5mm cables and no problem at all.

The mini pots are solid, but feel a little wobbly just because they are small, the actual part used is decent quality, so I think they will last ok.

The Keys is a basic and ok polysynth, you do get what you pay for, for simple Juno type sounds it is ok, but not much else. The touch keyboard is very sensitive, so double triggering occurs a lot, no such problems using it over midi though.

I have Bass and Beats. Both of my units were fine. That does NOT mean there are no defects; there are. I just wouldn't want someone reading this forum to think, "Oh no, they are all broken!" and pass because of that.

It's been said already, but it bears repeating (and maybe specifying): if you have sync troubles, check to make sure that you are using STEREO cables. The sync cables -- I don't know why -- are stereo. If you use something other than the original sync cables, make sure your replacements are stereo. The output cable is stereo too. Mind you, the two channels are identical; there's no reason you can't sum them to mono, and you can use a stereo to mono adapter like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000068O3F/ I have two of these. But if you plug a straight mono cable into the headphone output, you can get sync problems.

I don't have the Keys, but I hope no one buys it expecting a true polysynth. It can play three simultaneous notes, but they share the same envelope. That's fine for three-note chords, but staggered notes can sound weird (...or different/new/wonderful). I don't say this to disparage the Keys; just know what you're getting. By now there are many good demos on YouTube.

Know also that the Bass doesn't really sound like a TB-303. In some ways the Volca Bass is actually a more sophisticated synthesizer than the 303. But it's not a clone; see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaedv-QeiUY. I like mine a lot: it has a rich analogue tone, which is not restricted to bass duties, and it's super portable.