Korg Volca Series

Patch Editor

This is a combined patch editor for all MIDI-enabled Korg Volca devices:
  • Bass
  • Beats
  • Drum (Single and Split Modes)
  • FM (Including Pajen Firmware)
  • Keys
  • Kick
  • NuBass
  • Sample (Original and Pajen Firmware)
  • Sample2
Why is this a combined editor? Partly because most Volcas have few parameters, no sysex, and no MIDI out. And partly because I didn't want to pollute Edisyn's list of synths with a zillion Volcas. :-) (Actually Volcas are believed to support sysex, perhaps for patch uploading and potentially downloading, but the sysex, if any, is a closely-held Korg secret).

Communicating with Edisyn

Make certain that you have updated to the latest Korg or Pajen firmware revision on your Volca. Turn "MIDI RX Short Message" ON. Set Edisyn's send/receive channel to your Volca's channel as appropriate. Then set the Edisyn editor's Synth Type to the type of your Volca: this both displays the Volca's parameters and instructs Edisyn to send data for that kind of unit. The Volca Drum and Sample2 have two different MIDI modes: Single mode will respond to a single MIDI channel, while Multi (or Split) mode will break drums/parts out across multiple channels. Make sure you have set up your Volca to use the appropriate mode.

Hints


About the Volca Bass

The Volca Bass has three options which do not exist on the front panel and can only be controlled over MIDI (such as from Edisyn). Slide Time determines the rate of a slide. Expression is effectively a secondary volume control. And Gate Time controls the length of time between the start and release of a sequencer note.

The VCO Pitch is displayed either in cents ("c") or when appropriate in notes ("n").

About the Volca Beats

To get Edisyn to play a drum note, set the "Test Notes Play" chooser to the appropriate drum sound and start sending test notes. This will override Edisyn's usual test note pitch to play the appropriate drum.

The higher Stutter Time values on Edisyn (125-127) are longer than you can set on the Volca directly.

About the Volca Drum [Single and Split]

You need to set your Volca Drum up properly or Edisyn will appear to be sending the wrong commands. Specifically, the Volca Drum has two modes, Split Mode and Single Mode. Split Mode is the default. If you have selected a MIDI channel, the unit changes to Single Mode. To go back to Split mode, just deselect your selected MIDI Channel (by pressing it again): the first six LEDS will light. Edisyn has editors for both modes. Set up your Volca as you like, then use the appropriate editor.

In Split Mode, regardless of the setting of Edisyn's send/receive channel, the Volca Drum will commandeer the first six MIDI channels, each corresponding to Parts 1 through 6 respectively. Thus if you want to play a drum note, just set the "Test Notes Play Part" combo-box to the appropriate part. Don't hear anything? Try increasing both the Level and the Dry Gain.

To get Edisyn to play a given drum part, set the "Test Notes Play Part" chooser to the appropriate drum part and start sending test notes. This will override Edisyn's usual test note pitch to play the appropriate part.

A weird bug: it appears that the waveguide model cannot be changed by Edisyn unless the Volca Drum's sequencer is running.

Remember that if motion sequencing is turned on, the Volca Drum will reset the changes you've made in Edisyn as you're playing a sequence.

If you make changes to a part, you won't see those changes reflected on the Volca's screen in real time unless you switch to that part on the Volca.

See the end of this document for a table on Korg Volca Drum pitch mappings.

About the Volca FM

The Transpose dial on Edisyn is the same as the Transpose slider on your Volca: and its effect on the Volca depends on whether you've set it to transpose in semitones or in octaves. Because Edisyn doesn't know what you've set, it displays both of them in the form OCTAVES:SEMITONES.

To upload a DX7 bank, just use Edisyn's DX7 editor. To upload a single DX7 patch and you're not using the /u/pajen firmware, you can use the DX7 editor but you need to check the "Korg Volca FM" checkbox: see instructions in the DX7 editor About pane.

If you are using /u/pajen's alternative Volca Firmware 1.09 (and you really should) you can send real-time parameter changes to the Volca via Edisyn's DX7 patch editor. This firmware also has an option to turn off the mistake Korg made which requires the "Korg Volca FM" checkbox discussed earlier, so you don't have to check that box if you're turned on that firmware option. See here for a discussion of it (in the 1.08 documentation).

/u/pajen's alternative firmware also includes a number of new CC messages, which you can modify from the Volca editor. See the explanation on what and how Load Patch, Load Pattern, and Mod Wheel CC work.

About the Volca NuBass

The VTO Pitch is displayed either in cents ("c") or when appropriate in notes ("n").

About the Volca Sample / Sample2 (Multi Channel)

This editor works for the Volca Sample, Sample (Pajeen Firmware), and I think the Sample2. But I do not have any way to test it with the Sample2, so I don't know for sure. If you have a Sample2, please contact me with bug reports.

To get Edisyn to play a given sample part, set the "Test Notes Play Part" chooser to the appropriate sample part and start sending test notes. This will override Edisyn's usual test note pitch to play the appropriate part.

Regardless of the setting of Edisyn's send/receive channel, the Volca Sample will commandeer the first ten MIDI channels, each corresponding to Parts 1 through 10 respectively. Thus if you want to play a sample for a given part, you need to change Edisyn's send/receive channel to the MIDI channel corresponding to that part number.

A Volca Sample bug: if you play a note via MIDI (rather than on the keyboard or through the sequencer), it will reset that part's level and speed. Thus when Edisyn is sending test notes, you may be frustrated by an inability to maintain level and speed.

If you are using /u/pajen's alternative Volca Sample Firmware 7 (and you really should) there are additional parameters. These are marked with a [P]. Edisyn doesn't implement the /u/pajen "Channel 11" CC parameters, as they do not add any additional editing capabilities beyond the standard ones (they're meant to make things easier for sequencers that don't do multiple channels).

Bugs in /u/pajen firmware The /u/pajen firmware has two bugs and a significant oddity; these may get revised in the near future. But you need to be aware of them:



About the Volca Sample2 (Single Channel)

I believe that this editor should work properly with the Sample2 (Single Channel), but I do not have any way to test it with the Sample2, so I cannot verify it. It may be completely wrong! If you have a Sample2, please contact me with bug reports.

Korg never released a MIDI implementation for the Sample2, argh. Based on my best guesses from certain online postings, I believe that Part 1 may have more parameters than the other Parts, as shown in the editor. Again, this is a guess.

To get Edisyn to play a given sample part, set the "Test Notes Play Part" chooser to the appropriate sample part and start sending test notes. This will override Edisyn's usual test note pitch to play the appropriate part.

Korg Volca Drum Pitch Table

This is from the following posting by /u/J0sephKnecht on reddit. This table translates between Korg Volca Drum pitch values, actual pitches, and frequencies. Hopefully you may find it useful. Note that as there are only 128 CC values (spread over the 256 pitches), you can only dial every other pitch remotely via Edisyn.
Value01-08091011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950515253545556575859606162636465666768697071727374757677787980818283848586878889
BaseOffsetFreq
Note(Cents)(Hz)
[unknown]
Ab0-2425.6
A0-3826.9
Bb0-4828.3
Bb0+4629.9
B0+4331.6
C1+4233.5
C#1+4235.5
D1+4437.6
Eb1+4539.9
E1+4742.3
F1+4844.9
F#1+4947.6
G1+4850.4
Ab1+4753.4
A1+4556.4
Bb1+4259.7
B1+3763.1
C2+3066.6
C#2+2370.2
D2+1474
Eb2+478
E2-882
F2-2286.2
F#2-3790.6
F#2+4795
G2+2999.7
Ab2+10104.4
A2-11109.3
Bb2-33114.3
Bb2+43119.5
B2+19124.8
C3-8130.3
C#3-35135.8
C#3+37141.5
D3+7147.4
Eb3-24153.4
Eb3+44159.5
E3+10165.8
F3-24172.2
F#3+40178.8
F#3+4185.4
G3-33192.3
G3+28199.2
Ab3-11206.3
Ab3-49213.5
A3+7220.9
Bb3-35228.4
Bb3+22236.1
B3-21243.9
B3+34251.8
C4-12259.8
C4+42268
C#4-5276.4
C#4+47284.9
D40293.5
D4+48302.2
Eb40311.1
Eb4+49320.1
E4-2329.3
E4+47338.6
F4-6348
F4+41357.6
F#4-13367.3
F#4+33377.2
G4-21387.2
G4+23397.3
Ab4-33407.6
Ab4+11418
A4-46428.5
A4-3439.2
A4+39450
Bb4-19461
Bb4+22472.1
B4-37483.3
B4+3494.7
B4+43506.2
C5-18517.8
C5+21529.6
C#5-41541.5
C#5-3553.6
C#5+35565.6
    Value90919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172
BaseOffsetFreq
Note(Cents)(Hz)
D5-27578.1
D5+10590.6
D5+46603.2
Eb5-18615.9
Eb5+18628.8
E5-46641.8
E5-11655
E5+24668.3
F5-42681.7
F5-8695.3
F5+26709
F#5-40722.9
F#5-7736.8
F#5+26751
G5-42765.3
G5-10779.6
G5+22794.2
Ab5-46808.8
Ab5-15823.7
Ab5+17838.6
Ab5+48853.7
A5-22868.9
A5+9884.3
A5+39899.8
Bb5-32915.5
Bb5-2931.2
Bb5+27947.2
B5-44963.2
B5-15979.4
B5+14995.7
B5+421012
C6-301029
C6-21046
C6+261062
C#6-461079
C#6-191097
C#6+81114
C#6+351131
D6-391149
D6-121167
D6+151185
D6+401202
Eb6-341220
Eb6-81239
Eb6+181257
Eb6+431276
E6-321294
E6-71313
E6+181332
E6+421351
F6-331370
F6-91390
F6+151409
F6+391429
F#6-371449
F#6-131469
F#6+101489
F#6+331509
G6-441529
G6-201550
G6+31570
G6+261591
G6+471611
Ab6-301633
Ab6-71654
Ab6+151675
Ab6+371698
A6-421718
A6-211739
A6+21762
A6+231784
A6+451806
Bb6-331829
Bb6-131850
Bb6+71872
Bb6+291896
Bb6+491919
B6-301942
B6-81967
B6+121989
B6+302010
B6+492032
C7-302057
    Value173174175176177178179180181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220221222223224225226227228229230231232233234235236237238239240241242243244245246247248249250251252253254255
BaseOffsetFreq
Note(Cents)(Hz)
C7-92082
C7+112107
C7+332133
C7-482157
C#7-302179
C#7-132200
C#7+52224
C#7+262251
C#7+462277
D7-342303
D7-142331
D7+72358
D7+242382
D7+392403
Eb7-462424
Eb7-292448
Eb7-92476
Eb7+112505
Eb7+312534
E7-482564
E7-282595
E7-102622
E7+52645
E7+202667
E7+332688
E7+482711
F7-352738
F7-152770
F7+52801
F7+242832
F7+432865
F#7-362899
F#7-172931
F#7-12957
F#7+122980
F#7+243001
F#7+353021
F#7+473042
G7-403065
G7-243093
G7+133158
G7+263184
G7+373204
G7+483224
Ab7-381625
Ab703323
Ab7+163352
Ab7+283377
Ab7+403399
A7-503420
A7-403440
A7-293462
A7-173485
A7-43511
A7+203563
A7+383600
A7+483621
Bb7-253676
Bb7-163694
Bb7-73714
Bb7+183771
Bb7+273792
Bb7+383810
B7-453850
B7-83934
B7+33957
B7+113976
B7+193994
B7+264011
B7+334028
B7+414046
B7+494064
C8-94164
C8+44212
C8+164230
C8+234245
C#8-434326
C#8-354346
C#8-294362
C#8-224380
C#8-144398
[unknown]
C#8+234500


Thanks

Thanks to Dave Mac (Volca Facebook Group) for providing the NuBass pitch values.

By    Sean Luke
Date    August 2021