Firmware: LUMON OS XL and the Korg updater

Volca Studio XL installs LUMON OS XL v1.0.2 on the first-generation Korg Volca Sample (Volca Sample 2 is not supported). Studio contains no firmware. You download the official Korg updater yourself; Studio builds LUMON OS XL from it on your computer, checks the result and keeps both in its firmware library:

LUMON OS XL v1.0.2: to install LUMON OS XL;
Korg volca sample 1.42: to return the instrument to Korg's own firmware.

These two are the only firmware Studio offers.

1 · Download the official Korg updater

Open Korg's volca sample download page.
Read Korg's software licence agreement shown on that page. Downloading means you accept it.
Under System Updater, download version 1.42: volcasample_updater_1_42.zip (about 3.1 MB). Version 1.3.0 cannot be used.
Keep the zip as it is. Studio accepts the zip itself or the volcasample_sys_0142.wav inside it. Do not convert, trim or re-save the WAV.

If the download page moves, search Korg's support site for volca sample System Updater 1.42. Expected SHA-256 values, if you want to check:

File	SHA-256
`volcasample_updater_1_42.zip`	`f0df310b8bd43b6367dbd0c54ba75e3db53942087e1a4b1ae049f8f08e1731f3`
`volcasample_sys_0142.wav` (inside the zip)	`8fe4f43c333a753d589a4d7eff7859e8fce7155cf54b889f4848d595721a55a9`

On Linux use sha256sum FILE, on macOS shasum -a 256 FILE, on Windows Get-FileHash FILE -Algorithm SHA256. Studio checks the WAV for you anyway.

2 · Add it to Studio

Edition	Where	Action
WMC	Reintegration	Choose the Korg 1.42 updater…
Outie	Severance	Add Korg 1.42 updater…
Innie	Firmware menu	Add the Korg 1.42 updater…, or `volcastudio firmware add-korg ~/Downloads/volcasample_updater_1_42.zip`

Studio reads the updater, builds LUMON OS XL and checks the result: every step must match its pinned SHA-256 value, or nothing is saved. Any other file is refused. Building takes a few seconds, needs no internet connection and plays no audio. Adding the same file again changes nothing.

3 · Install LUMON OS XL (or restore Korg 1.42)

Use reliable power. Stop other computer audio, including notifications.

Select LUMON OS XL v1.0.2 in the firmware list (or Korg volca sample 1.42 to return to Korg's firmware).
Choose the audio output connected directly to the Volca's SYNC IN. Disconnect speakers and headphones from that output. Disable EQ, normalization, crossfade and other audio processing.
Power on the Volca while holding FUNC + PLAY and confirm that the display reads UPdt.
Start the guided update in Studio and confirm. Do not interrupt playback or switch off the Volca. The transfer lasts about 40 seconds.
Wait for End on the Volca, then power off and on again. LUMON OS XL shows LUMON OS at startup.

Innie's update command, once the connection is ready and UPdt is displayed:

volcastudio firmware list
volcastudio firmware update lumon-xl-1-0-2-8fcb7f9b0c86fd70

Studio asks for confirmation before sending. Firmware audio is a data signal: never listen to it through speakers or headphones. Signals sent means the computer finished playing; it is not installation confirmation. Check End on the instrument. There is no automatic retry, and cancelling cannot undo a partially received update.

After restarting

The version check (power on while holding REC) can show 1.60: this is the updater version of LUMON OS XL 1.0.2.
You do not need to install Korg 1.42 before LUMON OS XL. Studio only uses Korg's updater file to build LUMON OS XL.
Saved samples remain. LUMON OS XL stores patterns as LMX2; see the LUMON OS XL manual for its pages and controls.

Rights

The Korg updater remains Korg's and is used under Korg's licence agreement on your own computer. Studio contains only LUMON OS XL's own changes and instructions for applying them to your copy; it distributes no Korg firmware. LUMON OS XL is unofficial and not affiliated with or endorsed by Korg. See the third-party notices included with Studio.

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