Name: Korg Volca keys
Brand: Korg
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

To Next Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

VOICE

OCTAVE

MIDI IN jack

This jack is where you can connect an external MIDI device to control the sound

generator of the volca keys.

SYNC IN/OUT jacks

Use these jacks with the included cable to connect the volca keys to a monotribe or other

compatible equipment, such as an analog sequencer, and synchronize them. The SYNC

OUT jack sends a 5 V pulse of 15 ms at the beginning of each step. If the SYNC IN jack is

connected, the internal step clock will be ignored and the volca keys sequencer will

proceed through its steps according to the pulses that are input to this jack. You can use

this jack to synchronize the volca keys´s steps with pulses that are being output from

the audio output of a monotribe, another analog sequencer or a DAW.

Headphone jack

Connect your headphones (stereo mini-plug) here. If nothing is connected, the

sound will be output from the internal speaker.

Keyboard buttons

Press a buon to produce a sound at the speciﬁed tone.

MEMORY button

The volca keys is equipped with 8 memory locations that are used to save sequences. Press the MEMORY

buon, and then press a keyboard buon between M1 and M8 to load the saved sequence. By pressing the

FUNC buon and MEMORY buon, and then pressing a keyboard buon between M1 and M8 will save the

current sequence into the memory.

FUNC (function) button

The seing for various functions can be speciﬁed by holding down the FUNC buon and pressing a

keyboard buon. The LED below the keyboard buon will light up or turn oﬀ to indicate the seing.

Motion sequencing

This function records adjustments made to knobs while a sequence is being recorded. Once the sequence

has made a full cycle from the step where a knob was used, this function is automatically deactivated.

Knobs that are adjusted during recording will blink.

FUNC + ON/OFF: This turns motion sequencing on/oﬀ.

FUNC + SMOOTH: When motion sequencing is turned on, recorded knob adjustments will change

smoothly at the beginning of the step. When motion sequencing is turned oﬀ, knobs will change to the

seings recorded with each step.

FUNC + CLEAR: All recorded knob adjustments will be erased.

NOTE: Transparent knobs other than the PEAK knob (below VCF) and the TEMPO knob will be recorded

with motion sequencing.

LFO settings

FUNC + SAW: This sets the LFO waveform to the sawtooth wave.

FUNC + TRI: This sets the LFO waveform to the triangle wave.

FUNC + SQR: This sets the LFO waveform to the square wave.

FUNC + TRIGGER SYNC: This resets the phase of the LFO waveform when a note is played.

Tempo settings

FUNC + 1/1, 1/2, 1/4: This sets the tempo to 1/2 or 1/4 the information from the TEMPO knob or MIDI IN or

SYNC IN jacks. When set to 1/1, the tempo information is used as originally speciﬁed.

Metronome

FUNC + METRONOME: The metronome will sound while a sequence is being played back.

NOTE: The DELAY eﬀect cannot be used while this function is being used.

Step triggering

FUNC + STEP TRIGGER: This force-triggers the EG at the beginning of the step. (Available only when the

FLUX function is turned oﬀ.)

Tempo delay

FUNC + TEMPO DELAY: This links the delay time to the tempo to easily create rhythmical eﬀects.

FLUX function

FUNC + FLUX: When turned on (buon lit), the sequence will be continuously recorded and played back,

regardless of the step.

When turned oﬀ, the performance will be recorded, quantized at the beginning of the step.

LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator)

LFO is the low-frequency oscillator.

With its cyclical changes, modulation

can be applied to the VCO pitch and the

VCF cutoﬀ frequency.

RATE knob: This knob sets the LFO

cycle. Turning the knob toward the right

will shorten the cycle.

PITCH INT knob: This knob sets the

depth (intensity) of the modulat ion

applied to the VCO pitch.

CUTOFF INT knob: This knob sets the

depth (intensity) of the modulat ion

applied to the VCF cutoﬀ frequency.

Specifying global parameter settings

Setting the MIDI channel

1. While holding down the MEMORY buon, turn on the volca keys.

2. Keyboard buons 1 to 16 correspond to the MIDI channels 1 to 16. Press the buon that corresponds to the desired

channel, and the LED below the keyboard buon will light up.

Other parameters

1. While holding down FUNC buon, turn

on the volca keys.

2. Press a keyboard buon 1-7 to specify the

seing for the global parameter. (Refer to

the table.)

When you have ﬁnished specifying the

seings, press the



(REC) buon. The

seings will be saved, and the volca keys

will be restarted.

If you decide to cancel the seings, press

the



(PLAY) buon.

*: Factory default seing

VCF (Voltage Controlled low-pass Filter)

This ﬁlter modiﬁes the timbre (tonal character) by boosting or cuing

speciﬁc frequency regions of the sound that's produced by the oscillator.

CUTOFF knob: This adjusts the cutoﬀ frequency of the VCF.

Turning the knob toward the le will darken the sound, and

turning the knob toward the right will brighten the sound.

PEAK knob: This emphasizes the harmonic component of the cutoﬀ

frequency. The more that the knob is turned toward the right, the more

o f a n e m p h a s i s w i l l b e

ap p l i e d to t h e h a r mo n ic

component.

EG IN T knob: This knob

set s t h e i nte n s it y w it h

which the cutoﬀ frequency

is changed by the EG.

EG (Envelope Generator)

The EG functions by changing the VCA level over time. It

can be used to apply volume dynamics to a performance.

ATTACK knob: This knob sets the time from note-on (the

keyboard buon is pressed) until the maximum of the

envelope is reached.

DECAY/RELEASE knob: This knob sets the time until the

sustain level is reached aer the aack level has been

reached. This simultaneously sets the time from note-oﬀ

(the keyboard buon is released) until the level becomes 0.

SUSTAIN knob: This knob sets

the volume that is maintained

while the keyboard buon is

pressed aer the decay time has

elapsed.

(PLAY) button

Press this buon to play the sequence. Playback always starts from the beginning of the sequence. The 

(PLAY) buon will be lit up during playback. Pressing this buon again stops playback.



(REC) button

The performances in the keyboard buons are recorded as a sequence. Press this buon while stopped to

enter record-ready mode (the buon will blink), and then press the  (PLAY) buon to start recording

(the buon will light up). Playing the keyboard while in record-ready mode will begin recording. Pressing

the  (REC) buon during playback will begin recording from the point where the buon was pressed

TEMPO knob

This knob sets the playback tempo for the sequencer.

VOLUME knob

This knob sets the output volume.

DELAY

TIME knob: This knob sets the delay time.

FEEDBACK knob: This knob sets the amount of delay feedback as well as the mix level of

the eﬀect and dry sounds.

Clearing

FUNC + ACT.STP: All steps in active step mode are turned on.

FUNC + ALL: All sequence data will be erased.

FUNC +  (REC) during playback: Sound information will be erased while the buons are pressed.

Active step mode

While holding down the FUNC buon, press the buon (ACTIVE STEP) to enter active step mode (the 

buon will blink). Each step of the current sequence can be turned on/oﬀ. Steps that are turned oﬀ are

disabled and will be skipped during playback and recording. The buon for steps that have been turned on

will light up. When you have ﬁnished specifying the seings, press the FUNC buon to exit active step mode.

Returning all sequence data to the factory defaults

1. While holding down the FUNC and MEMORY buons, turn on the volca keys.

The  (REC) and  (PLAY) buons will blink.

2. Press the  (REC) buon to return the sequences to the factory defaults and start volca keys.

Press the  (PLAY) buon to cancel the reset operation and simply start volca keys.

Battery level indication

When the volca keys is turned on, the LEDs below the keyboard buons indicate the remaining amount of

baery power. If all LEDs are lit, the baeries are completely full. Fewer lit LEDs mean that the baery level is

correspondingly lower.

If an AC adapter is connected, the remaining baery level will not be indicated correctly.

Either alkaline or nickel-metal hydride baeries can be used. In order for the remaining baery level to be detected

and indicated correctly, the type of baeries being used must be speciﬁed in the global parameters of the volca

keys. If the baeries are running low during usage of the volca keys, it warns you by blinking all LEDs below the

keyboard buons simultaneously. If the baeries run down completely, the volca keys automatically turns oﬀ.

NOTE: Itʹs not possible to stop the low baery warning; however, you will be able to continue using the volca

keys until the baeries have run down completely.

Power switch

This switch turns the power on/oﬀ. To turn the power oﬀ, press and hold the switch for approximately one second.

Auto power-o

The volca keys has an auto power-oﬀ function. This function automatically turns oﬀ the volca keys aer approximately four

hours have passed since it last produced a sound. If desired, you can disable the auto power-oﬀ function. (See Specifying

global parameter seings)

DC 9V jack

Connect the optional AC adapter here.

Only use the speciﬁed AC adapter. Using any AC adapter other than the speciﬁed model will cause malfunctions.

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the Korg volca keys.

The volca keys is a 27-key analog lead synthesizer with built-in delay eﬀects.

You can enjoy wide-ranging synthesis, from chord playing or a crisp-sounding lead line

detuned with unison, which are achieved by using the three VCOs, to a metallic sound

using RING-MOD (ring modulation).

In addition, the sequencer´s FLUX function allows you to create loops with a groove not tied

to steps. Knob adjustments can also be recorded so that resulting tone changes become a

part of the loop.

VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator)

The three built-in oscillators generate the sawtooth or square waves, which become the basis of the sound.

OCTAVE knob: This knob speciﬁes the octave of the notes that will be produced when the keyboard is played.

VOICE knob: This knob sets the VCO operation mode.

POLY: Up to three chords of the sawtooth wave can be played.

UNISON: The sawtooth wave is produced at the same pitch by the three VCOs.

OCTAVE: The sawtooth wave is produced at the fundamental tone by two VCOs and at a pitch one octave higher by one VCO.

FIFTH: The sawtooth wave is produced at the fundamental tone by two VCOs and at a pitch a ﬁh higher by one VCO.

UNISON RING: The three VCOs are used to produce sound with ring modulation applied to the square wave.

POLY RING: Up to three chords are played with ring modulation applied to the square wave.

DETUNE knob: This knob sets the pitch shi for each of the VCOs 1 to 3. Shiing provides a thicker sound.

PORTAMENTO knob: This knob sets the portamento time.

EG INT knob: This knob sets the intensity with which the pitch is changed by the EG.

Main Speciﬁcations

 Keyboard: Multi-touch keyboard  Sound generators: 3 VCOs (saw, square), 1 EG, 1 VCF (12dB/oct LPF), 1 VCA, 1 LFO

 Connectors: Headphone jack (ø3.5 mm stereo mini-phone jack), SYNC IN jack (ø3.5 mm monaural mini-phone jack, 20V maximum input level), SYNC OUT jack (ø3.5 mm monaural

mini-phone jack, 5V output level)  Power supply: AA/LR6 alkaline baery ×6 or AA nickel-metal hydride baery ×6, DC 9V AC adapter ( )

 Baery life: Approximately 10 hours (when using alkaline baeries)  Dimensions (W×D×H): 193×115×46 mm/7.60"x 4.53"x1.81"  Weight: 377 g/13.30 oz. (excluding baeries)