Korg Volca FM 2 Synthesizer

General

It's been a while since the original Volca FM was released, so the arrival of its successor has been highly anticipated. Now, the Korg Volca FM 2 is finally here and what's immediately clear is that it doesn't have the original three, but six voices. On top of that, it's touch-responsive (via MIA) which means you're looking at maximum musical expression - especially because it's FM synthesis we're talking about. Also, the chorus effect of the original has been thoughtfully expanded with a reverb, while other upgrades include a TRS-MIDI input and output you can use to control other gear via the built-in sequencer, as well as a randomize function that enters random parameters to shape totally surprising sounds.

The Korg Volca FM 2: Small in Size, Big on FM

The FM synthesis of this bold little synth is fully compatible with Yamaha's renowned DX7 synthesizer, meaning that loading in DX7 sys-ex's is no problem. Several control elements are present, but as anyone will understand, the Volca has nowhere near enough room to give every single FM parameter a physical control of its own. Nevertheless, all of the parameters can be accessed through a bit of menu diving, which may sound scary but it's simply how FM synthesis works. If you know what you're doing, you'll be just fine. And if you truly can't do without a large and easy editor, you can always use the free, browser-based Volca-FM / DX-7 Patch Editor to create literally millions of different sounds, experimenting with things like pitch and intensity.