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WinningDays « Korg Volca Keys: A Great Machine, but the Phara-O Mini Fixes Its Weaknesses »
Published on 05/09/25 at 13:30
Best value:
Excellent
Audience:
Anyone
The Volca Keys was my first compact analog synthesizer. I’d previously owned a Minikorg 700, and I missed it. As a big fan of Korg’s sound, I was immediately curious. I sold it a few months ago without regret, after the announcement of the Behringer Phara-O Mini. In the meantime, I’ve been able to get similar sounds with Korg DS-10.
What stood out for me was the ergonomics—probably the best I’ve found on such a compact synth. The sound was thick, lively, and the filter was exactly to my taste: expressive, with tons of character while still being quite versatile.
There were a few downsides. The delay effect, while useful, often introduced a bit of unwanted noise. Also, the power setup always felt off to me—especially with the uncommon adapter and the reliance on 6 AA batteries. Not ideal for long sessions.
And I never understood the point of the built-in speaker. It’s pretty much useless and, in my opinion, detracts from the overall value of the product.
Despite these issues, I have great memories of the Volca Keys. It’s a charming, accessible, and effective machine. However, the Behringer Phara-O Mini seems to fix most of its shortcomings, which is why I decided to move on.
What stood out for me was the ergonomics—probably the best I’ve found on such a compact synth. The sound was thick, lively, and the filter was exactly to my taste: expressive, with tons of character while still being quite versatile.
There were a few downsides. The delay effect, while useful, often introduced a bit of unwanted noise. Also, the power setup always felt off to me—especially with the uncommon adapter and the reliance on 6 AA batteries. Not ideal for long sessions.
And I never understood the point of the built-in speaker. It’s pretty much useless and, in my opinion, detracts from the overall value of the product.
Despite these issues, I have great memories of the Volca Keys. It’s a charming, accessible, and effective machine. However, the Behringer Phara-O Mini seems to fix most of its shortcomings, which is why I decided to move on.