Cleanest Volca Midi Out Mod
This is the best way to add a full size DIN Midi Jack output to your Korg Volca. Below we will explain. Before we do, please also know, we can add a Boss style barrel jack for power, so that you can use the same power supply as most guitar pedals. For the Volca Bass, we can also add a distortion knob.
#volcabass gets a standard #boss style power adaptor.
This mod, or a clean flush-mounted midi out jack, can be yours for $60 plus return shipping. But I’ll also show you how to do it here.
No kit has a flush jack like this. Either the jack sticks out, or you have an 1/8” aux jack and use an adaptor.
My secret is that #midi doesn’t need all the pins, so removing the far two makes space to bend the others closer without anything touching.
This, or the Boss compatible power jack, (so it can use the same power as your guitar pedals), can be yours for $60. Plus return shipping. Parts included.
Most of all, don’t use a barrel jack that is metal on the outside. Metal jacks touch the outside of the barrel and conduct to what they are bolted to. The barrel is positive on the outside, but the front panel is grounded at the midi jack, so power will be shorted.
If you remove the old jack, don’t forget to short the pads where the old jack was. The two pads that were not for the center post. the new jack needs to be the opposite polarity, so the center post is now ground. the outside of the barrel is positive, and there’s an extra pin that is disconnected when you insert the plug. with no plug, this pin connects to the positive pin that always touches the outside of the barrel. That disconnecty pin, the switch pin I call it, it connects to the positive from the batteries. The remaining pin is for the outside of the barrel plug. It connects to the pad where the red wire from the batteries used to connect. the pad where the battery negative wire was, now gets connected to both the battery black wire, and the center post of the new plug.
Many Volcas, like the Sample, have forehead space where you can add this jack by the midi jack. Patch it in where the batteries go in, just like I did, and keep the old jack where it was. just in case. Plus, when it’s by the midi jack, all your cables are clustered to the same area.
Why add a Midi out jack? Well, recently a sysex command was discovered that lets you save and load sequences with any free sysex manager software. That means you can load it up before a gig with the best jives and tweak em out, mute parts to arrange live, all the stuff you can’t do with just a recording.
Hey that #volcabass would be handy as a sequencer or controller for other stuff, and don’t ya want to save your sequences outa there?
I will grant you that wish, while amazing your friends with the bold and daring location of such a confidently flush jack.
Send me your volca, $60 + shipping, parts included.
How did we get the jack flush, when all the kits for this include a jack that sticks out? The answer is hours of staring it. Fretting over it’s guts like we’re reverse engineering a ufo.
To be honest, if you need a solderless kit, you probably aren’t handy enough to put a hole this big in such a cramped area.
BTW get ‘stepped’ drill bits. game changer. Also, use an Automatic Center Punch to make a dent where you want the hole, and the bit won’t drift. They’re cheap too.
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