KORG Volca - any experience?

alif ibrahim's icon

Hi all,

Anybody have experience syncing Max with the KORG Volca series?
Trying to build a live solo set, and I'm contemplating a purchase, wondering if it is compatible or difficult to work with in Max.

it's the first time I'm working with hardware that isn't a pure MIDI controller, so any advice on that topic would be helpful too. The most basic function I'm looking for is to sync tempo between MAX and the volca.

Andrew Benson's icon

The Volcas all have a MIDI in port, so at the very least, you should be able to send clock or noteon/offs. I think the specs vary between Volcas about what's MIDI controllable, but messing around with midiformat/midiout along with any docs you can find online will be a good place to start.

Volcas can also take a 5v pulse for sync clock over a 1/8" patch cable, so it would be fairly simple to imploy an Arduino or similar to do that.

alif ibrahim's icon

Thanks for the reply.
How would I go about sending clock/ noteons to the hardware? Is this what you meant by messing around with midiformat/midiout? Also, do you know what objects will be able to handle MIDI outs from the volca itself?

Syncing over arduino isn't a bad idea either, thanks for that.

Source Audio's icon

"do you know what objects will be able to handle MIDI outs from the volca itself? "
Did You have a look at the Units ? They have NO midi out, so nothing to
do in Max wih that.
Sending notes is no problem, just as to any other midi Device.
To sync tempo/bar,beat You need to send Midi Beat clock, and maybe Song Position Pointer,
if You start, stop, continue whatever is running in Max.
What would You want to sync ?
Sample Playback in Max with Sequencer in Korg ?
With variable Playback Speed in Max, KORG following the tempo ?
I ask because to send Midi Clock, one has to translate whatever control signal
Max would be generating into midi ticks.
If You need any help with that, no problem.