Korg volca keys Owner's Manual

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the Korg volca keys.
The volca keys is a 27-key analog lead synthesizer with built-in delay effects.
You can enjoy wide-ranging synthesis, from chord playing or a crisp-sounding lead line
detuned with unison, which are achieved by using the three VCOs, to a metallic sound
using RING-MOD (ring modulation).
In addition, the sequencer´s FLUX function allows you to create loops with a groove not tied
to steps. Knob adjustments can also be recorded so that resulting tone changes become a
part of the loop.

Power switch

This switch turns the power on/off. To turn the power off, press and hold the switch for approximately one second.
Auto power-o
The volca keys has an auto power-off function. This function automatically turns off the volca keys after approximately four
hours have passed since it last produced a sound. If desired, you can disable the auto power-off function. (See Specifying
global parameter settings)
DC 9V jack
Connect the optional AC adapter here.
Only use the specified AC adapter. Using any AC adapter other than the specified model will cause malfunctions.

VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator)

The three built-in oscillators generate the sawtooth or square waves, which become the basis of the sound.
OCTAVE knob: This knob specifies the octave of the notes that will be produced when the keyboard is played.
VOICE knob: This knob sets the VCO operation mode.
POLY: Up to three chords of the sawtooth wave can be played.
UNISON: The sawtooth wave is produced at the same pitch by the three VCOs.
OCTAVE: The sawtooth wave is produced at the fundamental tone by two VCOs and at a pitch one octave higher by one VCO.
FIFTH: The sawtooth wave is produced at the fundamental tone by two VCOs and at a pitch a fifth higher by one VCO.
UNISON RING: The three VCOs are used to produce sound with ring modulation applied to the square wave.
POLY RING: Up to three chords are played with ring modulation applied to the square wave.
DETUNE knob: This knob sets the pitch shift for each of the VCOs 1 to 3. Shifting provides a thicker sound.
PORTAMENTO knob: This knob sets the portamento time.
EG INT knob: This knob sets the intensity with which the pitch is changed by the EG.
If you feel the pitch has drifted, please stop the sound for about 10 seconds. volca's auto-tuning function will
correct itself automatically.

Keyboard buttons

Press a button to produce a sound at the specified tone.
MEMORY button
The volca keys is equipped with 8 memory locations that are used to save sequences. Press the MEMORY
button, and then press a keyboard button between M1 and M8 to load the saved sequence. By pressing the
FUNC button and MEMORY button, and then pressing a keyboard button between M1 and M8 will save the
current sequence into the memory.
FUNC (function) button
The setting for various functions can be specified by holding down the FUNC button and pressing a
keyboard button. The LED below the keyboard button will light up or turn off to indicate the setting.
Motion sequencing
This function records adjustments made to knobs while a sequence is being recorded. Once the sequence
has made a full cycle from the step where a knob was used, this function is automatically deactivated.
Knobs that are adjusted during recording will blink.
FUNC + ON/OFF: This turns motion sequencing on/off.
FUNC + SMOOTH: When motion sequencing is turned on, recorded knob adjustments will change
smoothly at the beginning of the step. When motion sequencing is turned off, knobs will change to the
settings recorded with each step.
FUNC + CLEAR: All recorded knob adjustments will be erased.
NOTE: Transparent knobs other than the PEAK knob (below VCF) and the TEMPO knob will be recorded
with motion sequencing.
LFO settings
FUNC + SAW: This sets the LFO waveform to the sawtooth wave.
FUNC + TRI: This sets the LFO waveform to the triangle wave.
FUNC + SQR: This sets the LFO waveform to the square wave.
FUNC + TRIGGER SYNC: This resets the phase of the LFO waveform when a note is played.
Tempo settings
FUNC + 1/1, 1/2, 1/4: This sets the tempo to 1/2 or 1/4 the information from the TEMPO knob or MIDI IN or
SYNC IN jacks. When set to 1/1, the tempo information is used as originally specified.
Metronome
FUNC + METRONOME: The metronome will sound while a sequence is being played back.
NOTE: The DELAY effect cannot be used while this function is being used.
Step triggering
FUNC + STEP TRIGGER: This force-triggers the EG at the beginning of the step. (Available only when the
FLUX function is turned off.)
Tempo delay
FUNC + TEMPO DELAY: This links the delay time to the tempo to easily create rhythmical effects.
FLUX function
FUNC + FLUX: When turned on (button lit), the sequence will be continuously recorded and played back,
regardless of the step.
When turned off, the performance will be recorded, quantized at the beginning of the step.
VCF (Voltage Controlled low-pass Filter)
This filter modifies the timbre (tonal character) by boosting or cutting
specific frequency regions of the sound that's produced by the oscillator.
CUTOFF knob: This adjusts the cutoff frequency of the VCF.
Turning the knob toward the left will darken the sound, and
turning the knob toward the right will brighten the sound.
PEAK knob: This emphasizes the harmonic component of the cutoff
frequency. The more that the knob is turned toward the right, the more
o f a n e m p h a s i s w i l l b e
a p p l i e d t o t h e h a r m o n i c
component.
EG INT knob: This knob
s e t s t h e i n t e n s i t y w i t h
which the cutoff frequency
is changed by the EG.
VOICE
OCTAVE
1 2 3 4 5
Clearing
FUNC + ACT.STP: All steps in active step mode are turned on.
FUNC + ALL: All sequence data will be erased.
FUNC +  (REC) during playback: Sound information will be erased while the buttons are pressed.
Active step mode
While holding down the FUNC button, press the button (ACTIVE STEP) to enter active step mode (the 
button will blink). Each step of the current sequence can be turned on/off. Steps that are turned off are
disabled and will be skipped during playback and recording. The button for steps that have been turned on
will light up. When you have finished specifying the settings, press the FUNC button to exit active step mode.
Returning all sequence data to the factory defaults
1. While holding down the FUNC and MEMORY buttons, turn on the volca keys.
The  (REC) and  (PLAY) buttons will blink.
2. Press the  (REC) button to return the sequences to the factory defaults and start volca keys.
Press the  (PLAY) button to cancel the reset operation and simply start volca keys.
Battery level indication
When the volca keys is turned on, the LEDs below the keyboard buttons indicate the remaining amount of
battery power. If all LEDs are lit, the batteries are completely full. Fewer lit LEDs mean that the battery level is
correspondingly lower.
If an AC adapter is connected, the remaining battery level will not be indicated correctly.
Either alkaline or nickel-metal hydride batteries can be used. In order for the remaining battery level to be detected
and indicated correctly, the type of batteries being used must be specified in the global parameters of the volca
keys. If the batteries are running low during usage of the volca keys, it warns you by blinking all LEDs below the
keyboard buttons simultaneously. If the batteries run down completely, the volca keys automatically turns off.
NOTE: Itʹs not possible to stop the low battery warning; however, you will be able to continue using the volca
keys until the batteries have run down completely.
Main Specifications
 Keyboard: Multi-touch keyboard  Sound generators: 3 VCOs (saw, square), 1 EG, 1 VCF (12dB/oct LPF), 1 VCA, 1 LFO
 Connectors: Headphone jack (ø3.5 mm stereo mini-phone jack), SYNC IN jack (ø3.5 mm monaural mini-phone jack, 20V maximum input level), SYNC OUT jack (ø3.5 mm monaural
mini-phone jack, 5V output level)  Power supply: AA/LR6 alkaline battery ×6 or AA nickel-metal hydride battery ×6, DC 9V AC adapter (
 Battery life: Approximately 10 hours (when using alkaline batteries)  Dimensions (W×D×H): 193×115×46 mm/7.60"x 4.53"x1.81"  Weight: 377 g/13.30 oz. (excluding batteries)
 Included items: Six AA alkaline batteries, Cable, Owner´s manual  Options: AC adapter (DC 9V
* Specifications and appearance are subject to change without notice for improvement.
LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) EG (Envelope Generator)
LFO is t he low-frequenc y oscillator. The EG functions by changing the VCA level over time. It
With its cyclical changes, modulation can be used to apply volume dynamics to a performance.
can be applied to the VCO pitch and the
ATTACK knob: This knob sets the time from note-on (the
VCF cutoff frequency.
keyboard button is pressed) until the maximum of the
R AT E k nob: This k nob sets the LFO envelope is reached.
cycle. Turning the knob toward the right
DECAY/RELEASE knob: This knob sets the time until the
will shorten the cycle.
sustain level is reached after the attack level has been
reached. This simultaneously sets the time from note-off
PITCH INT knob: This knob sets the
dept h (i nten sit y) of t he modu lat ion (the keyboard button is released) until the level becomes 0.
applied to the VCO pitch.
SUSTAIN knob: This knob sets
CUTOFF INT knob: This knob sets the the volume that is maintained
wh ile t he keyboard button is
dept h (i nten sit y) of t he modu lat ion
applied to the VCF cutoff frequency. pressed after the decay time has
elapsed.
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
NOTE ON
ATTACK
MIDI IN jack
This jack is where you can connect an external MIDI device to control the sound
generator of the volca keys.
SYNC IN/OUT jacks
Use these jacks with the included cable to connect the volca keys to a monotribe or other
compatible equipment, such as an analog sequencer, and synchronize them. The SYNC
OUT jack sends a 5 V pulse of 15 ms at the beginning of each step. If the SYNC IN jack is
connected, the internal step clock will be ignored and the volca keys sequencer will
proceed through its steps according to the pulses that are input to this jack. You can use
this jack to synchronize the volca keys´s steps with pulses that are being output from
the audio output of a monotribe, another analog sequencer or a DAW.
Headphone jack
Connect your headphones (stereo mini-plug) here. If nothing is connected, the
sound will be output from the internal speaker.
TEMPO knob
This knob sets the playback tempo for the sequencer.
VOLUME knob
This knob sets the output volume.
DELAY
TIME knob: This knob sets the delay time.
FEEDBACK knob: This knob sets the amount of delay feedback as well as the mix level of
the effect and dry sounds.
(PLAY) button
Press this button to play the sequence. Playback always starts from the beginning of the sequence. The 
(PLAY) button will be lit up during playback. Pressing this button again stops playback.
 (REC) button
The performances in the keyboard buttons are recorded as a sequence. Press this button while stopped to
enter record-ready mode (the button will blink), and then press the  (PLAY) button to start recording
(the button will light up). Playing the keyboard while in record-ready mode will begin recording. Pressing
the  (REC) button during playback will begin recording from the point where the button was pressed.
Specifying global parameter settings
Setting the MIDI channel
1. While holding down the MEMORY button, turn on the volca keys.
2. Keyboard buttons 1 to 16 correspond to the MIDI channels 1 to 16. Press the button that corresponds to the desired
channel, and the LED below the keyboard button will light up.
Other parameters
Button Parameter
1. While holding down FUNC button, turn
1 Auto power-off function
on the volca keys.
2. Press a keyboard button 1-7 to specify the
Battery type selection
2
setting for the global parameter. (Refer to
the table.)
3 Sync Out polarity
4 Sync In polarity
When you have finished specifying the
settings, press the  (REC) button. The
5 Tempo range settings
settings will be saved, and the volca keys
6 MIDI Clock Src
will be restarted.
If you decide to cancel the settings, press 7 MIDI RX ShortMessage
the  (PLAY) button.
)
)
NOTE OFF
SUSTAIN
DECAY RELEASE
LED lit LED unlit
*Enabled Disabled
N i c k e l - m e t a l
*Alkaline
hydride
Fall *Rise
Fall *Rise
Full (10...600) *Narrow (56...240)
*Auto Internal
*On Off
*: Factory default setting