MyVolts Splitter Version 2 - review

Thanks to MyVolts for supplying the review cable for this post. If you want to get your own with a discount, CAROLVOLCA2 on their website will get you £3 off before 14 October 2016.

As alluded to earlier in the week, the folks at MyVolts have just released version two of their power splitter cable for up to five Korg Volcas, and now that mine has arrived I thought I would take it for a quick spin.

In the flesh, the updated cable is almost exactly the same as before with connector on one end for a 9V power supply, a point roughly two thirds of the way down the cable where the cable splits into five separate cables which end in five Volca-compatible connectors, though this time the connectors are right angled rather than straight up. Unless there are some other changes under the hood, this is the sole change that will be obvious or will matter to most users, myself included, as the length of the cable and build quality remains the same.

Version one on the left, version two on the right

I believe Nick Batt of Sonic State was one of the first people I had heard asking after this when the original cable was going around (at the time I was just pleased to be be able to power my Volcas with just one power supply rather than four), thought it wasn't until I replaced the cables in my rack setup that I realised what a difference this little change makes. 

As you can see from the comparison pic, the cables now route nicely round the sides of the Volcas and out of the way, whereas in the past they often got in the way of other controls because of the way they were plugged in. It's only now that I have the new splitter that I fully appreciated this new development.

Version two on the left, version one on the right

There is one area I have found where the previous version excels over the latest, which is where you can use the splitter to power the Kaossillator range. As you can see, the angled connectors mean that you will have to angle the connectors upward if you want to use these on a flat surface without obscuring the other connectors. In comparison, the straight connectors are perfect as they do not cover any of the other plugs or sockets and keeps things out of the way, so if like me you have the kaossilators and version one of the splitter as well, you can upgrade your Volcas with the new right angled plugs and will be able to power your Kaossillators too.

Conclusions

I recommended the original version one splitter earlier in the year as an excellent way of powering up to five Volcas at once and this new cable is recommended for the same reasons, plus it does its job more conspicuously with the new right angled cables. 

if you haven't already got one of these and have multiple Volcas, now is a good time to jump in and get one now that they are better adapted to do so. Even if you have an original one, a tenner plus shipping is not going to break the bank either and as Korg use the same connectors in multiple devices, your older cable is going to see further use elsewhere with different gear or simply five additional Volcas. 

Links

http://myvolts.co.uk/product/18809/ - MyVolts' Website and listing for the splitter

http://southerntrax.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/myvolts-5-way-power-splitter-cable.html - review of the original splitter.