A must-have for Volca FM users – Volca FM Buddy Review

Thank you, thank you, THANK you to the developer who created this app and released it for free. This is the utility app for Volca FM that Korg should have released along with the device, instead of leaving it up to a 3rd party to develop. This app imports DX7 patches (different instruments/sounds programs), stores them in a library on your device, and transfers them to the Volca FM one at a time. I had been using either Patch Base or a desktop sysex program to get new patches on my Volca FM. While Patch Base was decent and was literally the only option, this “FM Buddy” app is superior in several ways. First, and most important, it sends the patches via 3.5mm audio cable, the cheap kind you probably have dozens of at home. This is FAR easier than using a MIDI interface and the 5-pin DIN connection. Second, the app works on iPhone! Patch Base and some of the other options were iPad only. Third, the library in the app is actually stable and can be navigated quickly. The developer even posted links to a DX7 online resource I didn’t know existed, and there is an option to generate random patches, though that is obviously hit-or-miss. I will say that even though I turned up the volume on my phone to MAX, I still got “input error” on my Volca FM around 30-40% of the time I tried to send one. That sounds bad, but it’s really not - you just try again, and once it’s on the Volca, you hit SAVE on the device and you have it forever. If I could make one selfish request to the developer - if you have any interest in the Volca Sample, I would LOVE an app that works just like this one that could store and send samples in this same way. But this app is pretty great for the Volca FM - it’s a must-own.
Review by HouseOfHomuth on Volca FM Buddy.