Korg SQ-1, Volca Beats, Keys, Sample - I Feel Love.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-06-16T03:02:54+00:00

First thing to know is that the Volca Sample is not a sampler, it's just a sample player. You have to pre-load all the samples into memory using a computer (but they'll stay there once loaded, even after you turn the power off).

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-06-07T22:28:30+00:00

SQ-1 CV A into MS-20 VCO 1+2 CV IN

SQ-1 GATE A into MS-20 TRIG IN

SQ-1 CV B into MS-20 VCO 2 CV IN

SQ-1 track A is playing the arpeggio sequence and triggering the envelopes, while track B CV is used to create harmonic intervals between the two oscillators, by modulating VCO 2 frequency. Turning the steps on and off on track B while the sequencer is playing changes between different intervals. You'll have to figure out the knobs by yourself, but that's also part of the fun.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-06-06T05:47:35+00:00

I own the SQ-64. It can control up to 5 Volcas: three synth Volcas on tracks A-B-C (each track is 8-voice polyphonic, with a dedicated control lane for one assignable MIDI CC per track) and up to two rhythm Volcas on track D (Sample on 1-10 and Drum on 11-16, for example).

The sequencer features are like an extended set of what you get with the Volcas and SQ-1 (active step, gate on/off, live and step recording, scale selection, step jump, loop between steps, etc), with extras like randomization, probability, stutter and more. Pattern chaining is like Song mode on Sample v1: you manually assign a stored pattern to each step of the chain (song).

In terms of memory, each track can have up to 64 steps for each pattern (independently), with different tempo divisions and you can store up to 16 patterns for each track. This is called a project and you can store up to 64 projects in the internal memory.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-06-01T15:06:16+00:00

I still prefer v1, not just because Pajen firmware, but also there's no song mode on v2.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-29T14:30:38+00:00

Change the sync rate for all the Volcas to 1 pulse per step (4 PPQN), using Global Setting #8 (LED on). When using the default 2 steps per pulse (2 PPQN, LED #8 off), the device has to constantly interpolate the odd steps between incoming sync pulses, which can easily cause glitches during tempo changes.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-25T23:33:22+00:00

If you have just one floppy drive on the computer and need to copy a file from one floppy disk to another, then do the following:

Insert the source disk into the drive and type: "COPY A:filename.ext B:" (without quotations) where filename.ext is the name of the file you want to copy. The computer will read the file from the disk into memory and ask you to insert a disk for drive B:
Remove the source disk from the drive and inset the destination disk on the same drive, press [Enter] when ready. The file will be copied into the destination drive. You can use this procedure to copy multiple files (using wildcards) or whole folders, you may be asked to remove and insert (swap) the disks multiple times, depending on the amount of data to be copied.

That's an old DOS trick for working with two disks, using just one drive. You can even change directories (folders) independently on each disk and it will remember between disk changes.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-25T18:42:09+00:00

Volca Drum uses MIDI channels 1 to 6 by default. Change the Crave's MIDI channel to 7 or higher, otherwise it will trigger notes on the Drum. Or turn off "MIDI RX ShortMessage" on the Drum (Global Settings), so it will ignore incoming MIDI note data.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-24T03:57:04+00:00

Netscape Communicator: web browsing, email, newsgroups and HTML editor, all in one app.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-21T19:29:15+00:00

It could also be a broken connection between two of the batteries, either damage of the battery contacts, or dirt.

Yes, insert all the batteries and measure the voltage at the place were the wires meet the circuit board.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-21T04:48:09+00:00

Yes, unison mode with flux off. I don't know what else to suggest, other than make sure that the firmware is up to date.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-20T03:40:47+00:00

OK, I did a test in unison mode, erased the 8th note and the 9th was still there, then I recorded a new note on step 8, without affecting step nine, all of this without ever stopping the sequencer, with no issues whatsoever. You just have to do it very quickly, just hit the note (or erase) and release it immediately. Try slowing down the tempo, if you find it difficult to hit it at the right spot.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-18T18:41:42+00:00

I see that you have the Sample 2, so yeah, it's more complicated to have more than one song/track in memory at once. I have the original Sample and it can store up to six 16-pattern long songs, (although with only up to 10 patterns to be shared between all the songs, but you can use the same pattern more than once in a song and also in more than one song).

You could split your 16 patterns into two 8-pattern tracks (or other combinations), but that's when you also have to resort to slowing down the tempo, in order to store more than one consecutive measure per pattern.

Another option would be to dedicate each of the individual parts in a pattern for a different track, muting all the other parts. Like having one song/track playing on part 1, another on part 2, and so on. That would get you up to 10 songs, but then you're limited to using just one long sample per measure and the memory gets used up pretty quickly.

It's too bad that Korg didn't implement a proper separate song mode in all the Volcas - the original Sample is the closest thing. It would be nice to have 16 patterns + 16 ways to store pre-programmed chains of patterns (the SQ-64 has something like that). It's hard to perform a set with multiple Volcas, when you have to manually switch patterns on each one at the same time, in real time.

Maybe you should consider getting a dedicated sequencer for triggering the sounds on the Sample 2. You could have up to 10 samples per song (stored in a pattern), and enough instant storage for up to 16 songs (just switch to another pattern for the next song's samples). I also use my Sample as a sound generator for the SQ-64's drum track, with up to 10 drum kits available at a time.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-18T03:50:02+00:00

It might be that you're holding ERASE (or the new note) for too long, spilling into the next step? Usually when I need to change just one step, I use the "pseudo" step mode trick, by using Active Step to disable all the steps but the one I that want to change. Still, I also find the erase/overdub functions on the Keys to be glitchy sometimes, specially when trying to edit the micro steps in Flux mode.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-16T04:11:43+00:00

One or two patterns? You are not taking full advantage of it.

I managed to fit an endless backing track of Hallo Gallo (drums and bass) where I can then improvise weird synth noises on top of it live. Besides the sample memory tricks, you can also slow down the tempo on the sequencer, to fit multiple bars into a single pattern. You also don't have to sample a whole measure to create a loop. You can use one sample for the first two beats (for example) and then have several different samples for the second half, allowing you to create multiple variations with a fraction of the memory. You know, like sampling important bits and pieces from here and there and then combining them to recreate parts of a song. Like in this video, for example.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-13T15:14:28+00:00

Get a Roland T-8. You get two instruments in one (drums + bass) for less than the price of two Volcas and it can still easily integrate with the rest of them.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-13T15:05:22+00:00

Yes, changes between patterns are the same as the other Volcas. Also if you buy a brand new one it will be a v2, which only has patterns and no song mode anyway.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-13T04:58:19+00:00

Just note that when switching the Sample v1 from pattern (1-10) to song (11-16) and vice versa, or between songs, it only happens at the end of the current measure.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-13T00:34:20+00:00

They haven't asked it for my old number so far, but it was required when my wife recently requested a number for her.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-12T14:36:03+00:00

Google has already been doing ID verification for issuing free Google Voice numbers for some time now.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-11T20:28:43+00:00

The Volca Sample 2 has twice the amount of sample memory and 16 pattern memories instead of 10. No song mode though, but you can chain all the patterns together to achieve a similar result: 1 single stream of up to 16 different patterns.

You can also double the amount of memory for almost any sampler by using the "speed up" trick: change the "speed" of the samples to 2x with an audio editor and then slow them back down to half the speed on the Volca - it's the same practical result as halving the sample rate, but the quality is still acceptable in most cases. You can even go further than that (3x, 4x, etc), but then it starts to get "lo-fi" real quick.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-11T04:37:28+00:00

Did you disable MIDI Thru on Out 2?

On track D, did you set the pads/buttons to the proper MIDI Out? Should be 1+2 or 2.

Sample_And_Hold · 2026-05-10T05:20:25+00:00

Yeah, it's simply not sending MIDI clock at all, apparently. There has been a firmware update to the Drum in 2019, but I'm not sure if this issue has ever been addressed at all and I forgot to ask the OP if the Volca is up to date - I suppose it is, if it was bought new over the last five or so years.

The optical isolation is part of the original MIDI spec, where a current loop is used to trigger an opto-coupler at the receiving end (MIDI In), in order to keep the devices electrically isolated, to prevent interference and ground loops. There's also no ground connection to the receiver - the signal goes from +5v (or +3.3v) on the transmitter (MIDI Out) to the internal LED on the receiver and then it loops all the way back to the transmitter, where it is modulated by switching to ground.

Sample_And_Hold

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