Published
Mon, Jan 25, 2016, 14:50
- The Volca FM packs a Yamaha DX7-esque engine into a small package.
Korg has bolstered its Volca line of mini-synths with the Volca FM, a six-operator frequency modulation synth modelled off Yamaha's era-defining DX7.
Create Digital Music ran through the Volca FM's feature list at the recent NAMM conference. Users can automate the algorithm, which means you can map drastic changes in timbre to a cycling sequence, and original presets from the DX7 can be imported with SysEx files. Despite the unit's small size, you can access the deeper levels of FM programming that were notoriously difficult to edit on the DX7. New sequencer options called Warp, Active Step and Pattern Chain bolster an already impressive list of features conducive to live performance. Details on price and release date are unavailable, but previous Volca units retail for around €130.
Photo credit: Peter Kirn