Korg Volca Drum Physical Modeling Drum Synthesizer

Welcome to aninfinitely expanding world of sound-design.

Joining volca kickand beats as the third, and most unique, drum synth in the volca lineup. 

The volca series is all about uniquesound. Whether it's analog, PCM, or FM, the volca series puts unique soundsinto an accessible platform. And now, the series is joined by a new rhythmmachine that brings yet another sonic character. It's the volca drum digitalpercussion synthesizer. 

Based on a simple triggerwaveform, wave folder and overdrive are used to add overtones and distortion,and then a waveguide resonator effect brings the sound to life. The six-partDSP synth engine was designed with a completely different philosophy thanconventional drum machines, and generates a wide range of unexpectedly differentsounds. And of course, you can play those sounds from the volca-stylesequencer. 

Adding these distinctive soundsto your rhythms will revolutionarily transform your performances andproductions. 

A wide range of soundvariation

Digital percussion synth with a 6-partx 2-layer structure

The term "digital"typically brings to mind sounds that are based on PCM-sampled bass drum, snare drum,or cymbal, but the volca drum creates its drum sounds by DSP-powered analogmodeling. Oscillator waveforms such as sine wave, sawtooth wave, and noise areprovided. By applying various changes to these waveforms, you can create a widevariety of percussion sounds that range from realistic to idiosyncratic, andare not limited only to drums. 

The six parts each have twolayers, and do not impose any rules or restrictions such as specifying which partsmust be used for the bass drum or for the cymbal; all parts have the samespecifications. You can freely assign your new sounds to these six partswithout being limited by the conventions of a drum set. A kit consists of thesix parts that you've assigned plus the waveguide resonator effect settings,and 16 such kits can be stored in memory (the factory settings contain 10preload kits). 

Distinctive sound from a newlydeveloped DSP engine

Each part consists of two layers.For each layer, users choose one of five types of oscillator waveform includingsine wave, sawtooth wave, and HPF noise, and also choose from three types ofpitch modulator and amp EG, each optimized for drum sounds. Layer parameterscan be edited either individually or simultaneously, and users can also use thetwo layers to produce the same sound for additional thickness. 

You can customize the resultingtrigger waveform by applying bit reduction to produce roughness, adjusting thewave folder depth to add complex overtones, and using overdrive to adjust thedistortion. In this way, you can generate distinctive sounds from this soundengine that's structured rather differently from a typical drum machine. 

Once you've specified the sound,you can adjust the balance of the parts by modifying the timing at which stepsare heard, the pan, the gain before mixing, and the effect sends. 

Waveguide resonator adds richresonances

The effect section features awaveguide resonator that's based on physical modeling, and which adds sympatheticresonances to the sound. You can choose from two types of waveguide:"tube" which adds the resonance of a cylindrical object such as adrum body or a long pipe, or "strings" which adds the metallicresonance of a string. The three knobs located in the center of the panel letyou specify the DECAY (amount of attenuation), BODY (sonic character), and TUNE(pitch). Setting TUNE to a lower value will produce a delay-like behavior. Youcan take advantage of these knobs not only for sound design but also in yourlive performances.