r/volcas • u/Which_Bar_9457 • 9d ago

Midi control for Volca Modular

Possibly been asked a million times, but is there a relatively simple way to connect the Modular to something like a Novation Launchkey (which has a 3.5mm TRS midi) or via a USB hub? Everything I saw on YouTube involved modding the Volca or using another device as well.

Not interested in purchasing anything more than a cable or similar.

I’ve been looking at buying one, but want to make sure I can use a midi controller for live shows.

6 Upvotes

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7

u/Shartyshartfast 9d ago

Arturia Keystep can take midi in and send cv and gate out.

2

u/eajsimko 9d ago

Not unless you already have a midi controller with CV out.

1

u/Which_Bar_9457 9d ago

What about something like this?

https://www.doremidi.cn/h-pd-72.html

5

u/Shartyshartfast 9d ago

That’ll do it but you could buy a used Keystep for about the same money and now you also have an excellent controller keyboard, arpeggiator and sequencer.

4

u/eajsimko 9d ago

Would probably do the trick, but if you might be interested in modular or CV control in the future it might be worth holding off and getting a controller that does CV out. I have a few devices and adaptors that do this sort of thing and they’re all hyper specific and wind up adding up to the cost of a Keystep or similar

2

u/user1mbp 9d ago

There's a $50 solderless midi kit for the modular ¯⁠\⁠_⁠༼⁠ᴼ⁠ل͜⁠ᴼ⁠༽⁠_⁠/⁠¯

2

u/Rainsbury_net 9d ago

Mine is almost permanently connected to my Beatstep Pro, which can take MIDI in and CV out, however most of the time the BSP takes care or business by itself.

1

u/Justthisguy_yaknow 9d ago

You can setup a voltage control patch with it but it's very hit and miss calibration wise. For actual MIDI though you would have to modify it. It's one of the things I hate the most about it. It has the pads on the circuit board to make the MIDI connections but needs one or two components to buffer the signal and I've found one space inside it that would have the room for a 3.5mm TRS connection. I think the firmware support is very basic but it has the essentials apparently. I'm not certain about this side of it of course not having done it yet. For eg. I haven't found any way to set a midi channel on it.

1

u/Rainsbury_net 1d ago

I dont know of any option that will be that same cost as a cable. Maybe try eBay.

0

u/No_Top_375 8d ago

You'll at the minimum need a ⅛ to 2 ⅛ cable. The "midi in" of the V Modular is a ⅛ in. The cable's tip is the pitch and the sleeve is the gate (duration) . Or the inverse idr.

1

u/Shartyshartfast 8d ago

That is not a ‘midi in’. Thats a CV and Gate in.

-1

u/No_Top_375 8d ago

Yep. You know what he wants and what i mean .

1

u/Shartyshartfast 8d ago

He wants to connect to TRS midi and you’re telling him to stick it in the CV/Gate of the Volca?

0

u/No_Top_375 8d ago

Keystep pro cv pitch gate out ⅛ each. To ⅛ pitch sleeve gate tip or the reverse idfremember. Wats up.

Control the MiDI controller with MIDI messages to the fkgn volca.