MyVolts Crazy Chain - reviewed!

MyVolts are no strangers to making power solutions and I make no secret that I get free samples from time to time to test out. Crazy Chain is their latest foray into powering multiple items with a twist; it's a fully modular power solution that you can mix and match equipment of different plug sizes and even polarities so you can add as many devices as you need.

Clearly the opportunities extend to more than just powering Korg's Volcas this time around, but clearly there is much more to this than meets the eye, so I was delighted to be sent a couple for review.

Packaging

I love the small packet size for the cables and the resealable bag, it looks really professional. Reduces p&p costs, environmental costs, the whole shabang. The folded up instructions work well, as do the stickers - I now need to figure out where to use mine!

Crazy Chain is available either in single packs with different sized tips and cable lengths, or larger Volca or Guitar Pedal "chain gang" packs of five cables. The Volca pack comes with four volca-sized connectors plus an inverted cable for an effects pedal and at around £13 was a no-brainer for me to pick up for myself.

Instructions

I did have some initial difficulties in understanding which parts of the cables to use and only "got it" after re-reading the instructions and then looking at the website for some examples of how to use them properly. It's fairly straightforward: a grey plug matches the polarity of the incoming supply, whereas the orange plug inverts it (both back and forth in a chain as you need). 

I highly recommend that you get a polarity checker when you buy a packet of Crazy Chains - as it turns out, there's actually one that MyVolts offer called Hot Tip and it takes the guess work (and heartache when you break things) out of checking polarity down a chain.

Appearance

Every product MyVolts have every made is better than the last one and this is no exception. The moulded plugs feel great - very solid indeed - while the braided cables look and feel like a premium product and in general it's all very impressive.

Plug colours are a good choice - orange, black and blue are all easy colours to identify AND they should work for users who have common forms of colourblindness.

General use

Once you get the right end worked out, Crazy Chain is a breeze to use. With the SUNVAR1 and 2 I have two volcas and a centre negative mini guitar pedal working off a USB Ripcord on my PC and I can see that it's easy enough to add more.

Being able to use a few centre negative items in a power chain like guitar pedals means that I can really cut down on all the trailing wires and only use as many as I need in one go - brilliant idea, innovative even! 

Something I was concerned about initially is the way that the T shape of the Crazy Chain connector going into the volcas might cover any buttons etc but I was surpised to see that the power switch fits well into a corner piece of the T so you can switch it on with no issues. Compared with the connectors of the 5 way splitter the Crazy Chain covers much more of the face plate of the volca but the relatively low profile and the fact that it doesn't cover any crucial controls helps mitigate this.

Cable length is definitely going to be an issue for multiple volcas or larger sized gear but that's why you have the longer SUNVAR5 cables should you need them.

Noise

Nada. None. Zero. Or at least, so low that I couldn't hear it. Kudos to MyVolts for this one.

This was one of those products that I had to get more of as soon as I tried it - well done to MyVolts for putting this product out there and for quite such an affordable price.