Product ReviewsKorg Volca Keys Keyboard Synthesizer

Small, portable, and highly user friendly

This little synth box is would make awesome addition to your analog collection. It mixes old synthesizer technology with modern interfaces very well. It has a touch screen for a keyboard and the knobs and programmability is easy for to use for someone just getting into analog synths. I also just recently figured out how to connect its midi port to my DAW so I can program it to play entire songs and not just sequences. You can also use the midi in port to connect it to a full sized keyboard. The only thing I wish it had was a screen to show me the number set of its tempo knob so I can get specific tempos but this can be fixed externally with a DAW or by connecting it to its cousin the volcabeats.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: *pitbullaudio*

Getting one gently used is the way to go

This is a cool little analog synth, but IMHO, the price of a brand new one from Korg is too much for what it does, especially since it doesn't even come with a power adapter. To get a bundle like this, gently used, with power adapter, in perfect working order, is awesome and the price was just right.

As for the device itself, the motion sequencing is its greatest feature. I wish it had an aux input so I could run another instrument through a motion sequence.

You can get some interesting sounds out of it, but due to the only oscillator waveform being saw, you're pretty limited here. Playing with external keyboard via midi is a must. I have medium/large hands.

The controls that can be sequenced are obviously digital, otherwise they wouldn't respond to midi messages and you wouldn't be able to sequence them. Because of this, there is definitely some audible stepping that you can hear, especially when manipulating the filter cutoff.

The delay is a nice feature, but it is very noisy. This unit, in general is pretty noisy.

If the price were right, I would rate it 4 stars. I'm basing my rating off of the manufacturer's price.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: aceeugene

My Second Volca Keys

I love the whole Korg Volca Line. The Keys is one of my favorite in the series, it's mandatory. Great for learning analog synthesis. The different voice modes sound really good. Super easy to operate. It's small, portable, takes batteries, has a built in speaker. You can't get anything like it really for its price.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: altomusicpro

Love my new Korg synthesizer! I am still learning to use it. The instructions are not very good.

I am still learning to use my Korg synthesizer. I have it hooked to my Korg sequencer and my Yamaha keyboard. I can make the most awesome sounds with it. Sounds that cost $10,000 in the seventies are no problem! It is very small but is very big on sound. I am recording my first song using it and my Yamaha keyboard together. I am teaching myself to play the piano and I write my own music and lyrics. The Korg adds exactly the sound I want when I want it. The instructions are a little vague but I am learning more every time I use it. The knobs are small but manageable. The keys are very small too but I can get buy. For the price you can't go wrong! I will buy a charger for it as it did not come with one but the built in battery monitor lets you know when the batteries are low. Actually I am still using the batteries that came with it. All in all the Korg is an awesome addition to my music and I am very pleased with my purchase!Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: ez4u2buynow

Volca Keys is a great place to start.

Great beginner synth. Super fat filter section and tones for such a tiny module. Wish it came with an AC adapter though. Great when used as a module through a MIDI keyboard. I give it's transport functions and automation a 5 star. I can't believe all the things they packed into this tiny synth! Love the solid build and retro vibe.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: altomusicpro

needs some clarity, but very good for the money

This is a great little instrument, makes for endless experimentation and the sounds are great. Seems to be pretty efficient with the batteries so far, I'll probably get a power supply. Only cons for me:

1- the instructions are a little vague on the recording key sequence, I am still trying to figure out exactly what combo of buttons to push to get it to record every time. Sometimes it saves things and sometimes it doesn't, wierd.

2- in tandem with the above #1, triggering record sends it into some altered-sound mode where the recording is not exactly what the thing is playing when you trigger record. Again, instructions are not clear on why this is, you have to play around a lot to figure the thing out.

Still, for the budget it's an easy way to get your hands on this kind of a synth and see if higher grade gear is worth your time. You can be Roger Waters for cheap!Read full review...

Great Analog Poly Synth

The Korg Volca Keys is a fantastic sounding analog poly synth even if it were more expensive. This can really get pretty fat too. I love the Volca Keys so much that I made a sample library with it using motion recording and doing two passes of each sound to give me stereo imagining of the LFO phase. If there's one thing that's greatest about it, it's the filter. Korg filters are the best and this filter, based on the miniKORG 700S, is no exception. The different oscillator modes give it a wide range of sounds and one of my favorite features of this is the pitch envelope. The pitch envelope just really sets it apart from synths lacking such control. I've used this with its sequencer and that’s totally fun for DAWless jams. I'm now also enjoying using it in sampled form. Every parameter is motion recordable except oscillator mode & resonance and you can motion record all other parameters without limit. I hope to always have a Volca Keys and I just know I’ll only ever get rid of it if Korg comes out with a Volca Keys 2.Read full review...

Verified purchase: No

Fun little toy

Love the small size, great for taking along on trips as a "doodle pad". The speaker is anemic, better to use it with headphones. The keyboard is worthless except for sequencing & entering machine commands / value changes. At home, I have it ported to an external controller keyboard with a MIDI cable, works fine. It only has one oscillator, so the sound is not exactly "fat" but there are a good selection of controls to sculpt the sound, offering a myriad of possibilities. This mini synth offers a lot of bang for your buck and it's tons of fun too!Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: theschickster

Volca Series Rocks

Best in portable synth on the market with quality sounds and defined variables. For the price of a crappy casio piano this synthesizer is a power punch based on you creativity. Weather it be live or in the studio you will not get bored with little beast of sounds.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: salidino18rc7

Cool Analog Sound 3 VCOs

This is not a toy, although it looks like one. It is basically a synth module with 3 VCOs and and LFO. VCOs sound better than DCOs and are in synths like the Roland Jupiter-8 and Sequential Circuits Prophet 5. Not many synths have 3 VCOs per voice. It is monophonic. Hard to play little keyboard. Best when used with a MIDI cable and an external hard keyboard.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: so_long_oblong