14 DAY TRIAL // KORG, the Japanese electronic musical instruments manufacturer, has recently released firmware version 1.20 for their Volca Beats analogue rhythm machine.
The official website (or the contents of the update package) does not provide any release notes, so I'm waiting for your feedback in the comments section regarding the changes made by this update.
What caught my attention is the installation procedure. The process involves playing an audio file to your Volca Beats device.
To be more specific, one must know that the file available for download at the link below is mandatory, as well as a stereo mini-jack audio cable.
Make sure you have full batteries on the rhythm machine before you start updating. Running out of “juice” will cause the firmware not to install properly and possibly damage your product.
First of all, check the version by pressing the power on and REC buttons. The device should be powered off before you do that. The first line on the display will lit up showing the version.
If your screen shows 1.00 or 1.01, connect the audio output of your computer to the SYNC-IN marked port on the Volca Beats.
Power the device on by pressing the FUNC and PLAY buttons. The message “UPdt” will show on the screen. It is now time to play the volcabeats_sys_0102.wav on your PC.
Bear in mind that other sounds like e-mail notifications will cause the update to fail. Mute all applications for a successful installation.
The process will take about two minutes and, if the display shows “End,” it means everything went well and the firmware update is complete. On the other hand, if the knobs start blinking, start over and pay more attention to either the output volume of your PC or equalizers and the sound effects you may be using.
Get the firmware at the link below and stay “updated one minute ago.”