Korg Volca Beats
Quick reference and troubleshooting
Button combinations
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Select part | FUNC + step 1 to 10, or PART < / > |
| Step grid on or off | STEP MODE |
| Real-time record | REC (blinks), then PLAY |
| Step record | FUNC + REC; FUNC to exit |
| Motion record stutter | FUNC + step 11 |
| Motion record PCM SPEED | FUNC + step 12 |
| Global stutter | FUNC + step 13 |
| Reset active steps | FUNC + step 14 |
| Clear selected part | FUNC + step 15 |
| Clear whole pattern | FUNC + step 16 |
| Active step mode | FUNC + PLAY; FUNC to exit |
| Step jump mode | FUNC + STEP MODE; FUNC to exit |
| Mute parts | MUTE, then step 1 to 10 |
| Unmute all | MUTE + step 16 |
| Solo | FUNC + MUTE |
| Load pattern | MEMORY, then step 1 to 8 |
| Save pattern | FUNC + MEMORY, then step 1 to 8 |
| Power off | Hold power switch about one second |
| Global settings | Hold FUNC at power on |
| MIDI channel | Hold MEMORY at power on |
| Restore factory patterns | Hold FUNC + MEMORY at power on, then REC |
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Pressing step buttons plays drums instead of editing | STEP MODE is unlit; press it |
| Pressing step buttons edits the wrong drum | Wrong part selected; FUNC + step for the right one |
| A part is silent | It’s muted (MUTE + step 16) or its PART LEVEL is down |
| PART LEVEL does nothing | It only acts after you turn it for the newly selected part |
| Loop is shorter than 16 steps | Active steps are off; FUNC + step 14 |
| Sequencer won’t run on its own | A cable is in SYNC IN; remove it |
| Tempo won’t go below 56 or above 240 | Narrow tempo range is set; change global step 5 |
| Lost a pattern | It wasn’t saved before loading another slot; save with FUNC + MEMORY |
| Kick sounds weak | Built-in speaker has little bass; use headphones or a speaker |
| Unit switched itself off | Auto power-off after about four hours; disable via global step 1 |
Where to go next
- Recording: take the headphone output into an audio interface and record each part separately using solo, so you can mix them individually in a DAW.
- Firmware: Korg’s download page lists system updater version 1.04 for the Volca Beats, installed as an audio file played into SYNC IN.
- Deeper reading: Tony Horgan’s Korg Volca Beats: The Expert Guide covers each control in more depth.
Sources
- Korg volca beats Owner’s Manual (all button combinations, controls, global settings and specifications)
- Korg volca beats downloads page (manual, MIDI implementation and system updater 1.04)
- Korg volca beats MIDI Implementation (note numbers, quoted in the Synthstrom forum thread)
- Sound On Sound review (FUNC + MUTE solo)
- Wikipedia: Volca Beats (release history and review summary)
- Korg Volca Beats: The Expert Guide