Your Volca Keys contains a sequencer with 8 memory slots. Each holds one recorded pattern of 16 steps. The plan is to record up to 8 patterns in memory to combine as a song. On scrap paper, note the memory slots and what they contain; it may help later when assembling your song.
Recording live playing involves quantization, which is on by default: key presses are recorded at the nearest step. You can alternately use the Step Recording mode where you'll toggle each step on or off for the current sound. Another fine option is to perform live while recording on a computer through audio cables and an audio interface.
Press + and release, then through to select the slot to hear or record to.
Press to hear a stored pattern, or + to record to that slot. If the slot is empty when you start, you can simply press then as soon as you press keys, the sequencer begins recording and will continue looping. In any case, when you like what's been recorded, toggle off.
With the memory slot selected and playing, keep listening and when you're ready, toggle to add more to the slot. Alternatively use 'step recording' described later. A red dot moves left to right as the sequencer plays, to indicate the current step. Subsequent recording adds to the recorded pattern unless you erase the slot first.
Once patterns are saved to several memory slots, press + through to play them. The sequencer continually loops while you shift between memory slots. You could record your song to a computer in this manner using audio connections; you can optionally adjust knobs to affect the sound while patterns are playing. You could instead compile a song in the Volca (described later).
Start your song making by recording melodies or chords to a pattern. First we'll look at the real-time recording method, then the step-recording method.
To toggle on and off, hold +
If the sequencer isn't running, select the desired memory slot first, then press then play your notes.
If the sequencer is currently playing a pattern, toggle recording on and off by pressing . Results may be unpredictable.
To start sequencer with recording active, hold + .
Coming soon.
Press + through or to erase all slots, press + (last key on keyboard).
Real-time recording saves your live playing, fitted (quantized) to the 16 steps in a pattern. The sequencer will continue playing, repeating the pattern. Recording may stay active.
Step-sequencer recording allows you to precisely tell the Volca when to play the current sound along the 16-step sequence (also called a pattern). The recorded pattern is affected by later knob adjustments so we recommend recording your pattern to a computer (covered later) if you will be adjusting knobs for other patterns afterwards.
Adjust your sounds before or during play, and after recording patterns. When you adjust knobs, all future sounds are affected as well as patterns already recorded. To be certain about capturing sounds as you currently hear them, save to a computer using audio cables and a Digital Audio Workstation software.
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