Korg Volca Modular, Volca Drum Coming At 2019 NAMM Show? (Unofficial)

It looks like a pair of new Korg Volca devices could be coming at the 2019 NAMM Show.

Multiple sites have shared an image of a Korg Volca Modular Micro Modular Synthesizer.

The Volca Modular appears to be a normalized modular synth design – playable without patching, but with routing that can be customized using breadboard-style patch cables.

There also appears to be support for gate manipulation, sequencing, microtonal tuning, randomization, Buchla-inspired dual-LPG’s, wavefolding and a special ‘Space Out’ option.

Korg Volca Drum

Multiple sites have also shared images of a Korg Volca Drum Digital Percussion Synthesizer:

Note: Korg has not officially announced either a Volca Modular or Volca Drum at this time.

44 thoughts on “Korg Volca Modular, Volca Drum Coming At 2019 NAMM Show? (Unofficial)”

  4. It is wicked curious that a post like this doesn’t stack up comments even half as fast as a Behringer post. They are real products, not a prototype or 3D print, both look awesome and are under $200. What exactly makes this less exciting than a clone of a 1 oscillator keytar?

    1. Two things, essentially:
      1. Entitlement that breeds hatred for anything that doesn’t 100% cater to one’s personal taste
      2. It’s way way way easier to shit on things than to encourage other’s efforts

    2. “They are real products, not a prototype or 3D print, both look awesome and are under $200”

      No, they are internet rumors with no official verification, no price tag, no demos, etc.

      Looks cool but I reserve excitement for official announcements and demos.

    3. Probably they are real but that isn’t confirmed yet. And Half the posts on Behringer releasing a 101 clone were complaints about how unoriginal it is, none of which will trouble me in the slightest when I get my greedy little hands on one.

      People are always going to love the sounds of those early breakthrough synths, just like guitarists are always gonna love the sound of a real Telecaster or Les Paul. Roland kept trying to cover themselves in the glory of their old hardware while foisting poorly-designed digital emulators on customers who hadn’t asked for that, and now they’re wondering why people are throwing money at Behringer for supplying what customers actually want.

    1. Honestly I don’t care if it sounds like a cat trapped in an accordion, at Volca prices it’s too much fun not to experiment with.

  7. Yes please! Maybe with a little DIY adapter for eurorack jacks. At that point, Bob would basically be anyone’s uncle. #hooray #korg #modular #bob #uncle

    1. Was wondering the same. Maybe you can patch directly into the SOURCE inputs via adapter? Or maybe that’s actually a stereo input? If not, I guess it’s meant for controlling other bits, not so much note-on/off. Without MIDI input, that would be a shame.

      2. It’s likely a stereo jack with cv at tip and gate at ring, similar to how old Moogs like the Rogue worked. You use a stereo to mono Y adapter with it.

    2. GATE in is next to CV in, and is called SYNC in. If you have had some experience with analog synthesizers, you would know AD envelopes do not have sustain phase, hence varying gate length would not make ANY difference, therefore clock/trigger input and gate input could be shared, depending on the way you want to use your synthesizer. Note the transparent outline around CV & SYNC adjacent inputs, meaning they are designed as a CV/GATE pair. You can patch any signal with a rising edge past certain threshold (5V probably) to override internal clock and/or trigger A/D envelope. This signal could be trigger, gate, clock, LFO, audio rate oscillator wave like pulse, and even random. These all are the basics of modular synthesizing. YW.

      1. Yeah, I definitely do know how an AD envelope works. I suppose the SYNC IN could be used to trigger gates (that would be great!), but on most of the Volca line it is used to sync the sequencer with other devices. I suppose it is silly at this point to debate how the function on this hypothetical synth works though. Also, are you aware that the combination of your tone and user name comes across as a little condescending? I know sometimes people aren’t fully aware of how they come across to other people, but it seems like a weird flex.

        1. A little condescending is an understatement. I guess everyone has different ways of feeling good about themselves and in this case it seems to be acting like a know-it-all in discussing a product which may not even exist. To each his own.

  14. The perspective on the knobs is weird. They should point down, not up. Also the grayed-out sequencer steps in the drum machine don’t look right. Concept shots maybe?

    1. Notice the mouse pointer on the Volca Drum picture: we’re looking at photos taken of a computer screen (pretty obvious if you look at them at full size). The knobs perspective is from the original picture, the trapezoidal perspective from the screen photos. They look real to me.

  15. Korg has not been getting much right lately. The firmware for the Volca FM is still buggy when applying certain types of lfo mod waves. My Volca Sample stopped importing samples no matter what device/level I use (yes I make room for new samples, read the ‘manual’, etc..) If Yamaha still has an interest in them they need to get on their case.
    Why do you think they didn’t touch the MicroKorg S update except to add speakers and extra patch banks – because they knew they would probably screw something up! I’ll need to be heavily convinced before even dropping < 200 on the micro-modular.

  17. “Buchla inspired”…That is very interesting to me…

    The price point and the design philosophy of the Volca’s with modular is going to be hugely popular if it sounds good. I hope this 2nd generation batch is as well done as the first.

    Just looking at the picture, it has tons of personality and I’m very excited.

    Also like the update drum machine idea. Volca Beats was my intro and I was never that impressed by it.

  19. Nice to see a “swing” knob on the drum perc Volca pictured…finally!

    I do wish Korg would make a Prologue Drum Machine…something decent sized and featured

  22. The CV input has a Gate (?) breadboard socket linked to it, the input to the left of the CV in, so it can be gated via the CV input, also it has an onboard sequencer so can be synced via the standard Volca sync input aswell. Hop this is for real as it looks like an interesting product to say the least. The mini display on the Volca Drum is a good addition also.

  24. I think they’re fake. The graphics and styling are too far from the rest of the line. If they’re real, they’re being made by a different team (I know Tats is gone but still. Branding?) also did korg invent a new kind of LCD screen? cause I don’t know what that is on the “Drum”. Just make a desktop keyless microkorg with a mono/minilogue sequencer and space for tons of patches. ?

  27. Yeah the Volca Drum. Just get one. I don’t recommend anything usually, but it’s £150, it can sound analogue or digital, you can change the kits, great sound quality, and you play multiple patterns in chains. Cheap little drum machine that makes more sounds than anything else at that price. Deffo, get one, my view

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