For the roving musician, inspiration can strike anywhere. The good news is that there’s never been a better for this to happen, with a plethora of options — both digital and analog — for playing and recording music. The bad news is that all of this equipment, from guitar pedals, amps, synths and keyboards to mixers, MIDI recorders, and tuners, all need to be powered by batteries that are too expensive or power outlets that may not be compatible or not there at all.
The team behind the Ripcord believe that due to its ubiquity, USB power is the future. To take advantage of the fact that most people carry already carry with the USB chargers, power banks, laptops, and smartphones all with USB ports, the Ripcord was developed to be a plug-and-play power cord that allows the standard 5V output of USB ports to charge musical equipment requiring 9V.
It sports a variety of tips that can fit whatever piece of equipment a musician may need to charge, and is cleverly designed to be durable and long-lasting: Its braided outer sheath construction makes it tangle-free, it won’t fray because of its concave cable saver endcap that holds cable centrally, and a pull strap keeps tidy and pocketable. Backers can grab a Ripcord for $16 and can expect it to be delivered by August 2016. In the meantime, its Kickstarter campaign is looking for about $29,000 by June 5th, 2016 to see success.
An interesting caveat to the Ripcord’s smartphone compatibility is that it doesn’t come with a Lightning adaptor, stating on its website that the iPhone 7 is expected to do away with the 3.5mm audio jack. Instead, Apple is rumored to replace it with Type-C, signalling a concerted effort by it and other companies to do away with the antiquated port. If this is the case, then there will be a flood of USB ports everywhere, increasing the value of something as unique as Ripcord. Musicians will definitely get a kick out of being that much more flexible, making the Ripcord a must-buy.