Volca FM 2 FM Synthesizer

Imagine holding the essence of a Yamaha DX7 in your palm—the kind of FM synthesis that defined '80s pop and beyond, now shrunk down to pocketable perfection.

This second-gen wonder packs six operators across 32 classic algorithms into a featherlight 360g chassis, just 193 x 115 x 40mm, with a multi-touch 27-key keyboard for intuitive play. Dial in modulator and carrier envelopes via dedicated attack/decay knobs, tweak LFO rate and depth, then switch between poly, mono, or unison modes up to six voices—now velocity-sensitive over MIDI for expressive chords that won't cut out mid-sequence. Fire up the 16-step sequencer with motion recording to capture knob tweaks in real time, chain up to 16 patterns, or arpeggiate with nine types across rise/fall/random directions; chorus and reverb add lush space, while sync I/O, USB/DIN MIDI in/out, stereo 3.5mm output, built-in speaker, and battery power (six AAs) make it a Volca series sync king.

Players love how it nails DX7 SysEx patches in 64 slots (double the original's memory) without needing hacks, sparking endless happy accidents via the randomize button—though some wish for deeper per-operator editing without diving into edit mode.