How to Run Your Elektron Octatrack (and Other Elektron Gear or Gear that Runs on DC) on Battery Power with the Tekkeon myPower ALL Plus MP3450i

Modulate This! – Synth Tech & Technique Artilcles by Mark Mosher

October 7, 2013

Almost immediately after buying my Octatrack I wanted to go mobile with it. I saw a post on the old Elektron-User forum where a user BIRDSINBRANCHES mentioned the Tekkeon myPower ALL Plus MP3450i Battery. I picked one up at B&H fro $139.

Options

The unit ships with a little bag of 5 tips (you can order more online) and a cable that allows you to set polarity for the tip. There are also dip switches so you can change the voltage allowing you to use this solution on the entire Elektron link including Analog Four (caution analog four runs at a different voltage than other Elektron gear so double-check the settings before you plug-in).

In Use with Octatrack

I’ve been using it for a few months and can report it works great. I pair this with a Zoom H2 running on battery turning Octatrack into a complete mobile solution.

It takes around 3 hours to charge the battery with an included AC adapter. I’d say I get around 5 hours of battery life when powering the Octatrack. An audible alarm sounds from the battery when your about to run out of power giving you a heads up so you can save your work. There is also a button on the top with a blue LED that shines when the unit is powered on so you don’t accidently leave it on. If you press the button a series LEDs light up to show you how much charge is left in the battery.

In Use with Other Mobile Devices

The manufacturer’s site has a table with estimated battery use times for various devices and the unit has a USB port. I’ve used it to run and charge my iPhone and iPad which has come in super handy. The battery will run an iPhone 50-100hrs and an iPad 23-46 hours! It seems that this battery is also popular with photographers so it might be useful if you want to power a camera to video your set, or act as a backup battery for your laptop.

Solar Power

Another cool feature for you Burning Man fans or those who do remote field recordings is an option to charge from solar panels:

The bottom row of the 6-Pin Input Port is designed to allow charging by smaller solar panels (lower than 25W), and requires an optional Smart 3-Pin Adapter (Sunbooster) available from Tekkeon.

Bottom Line – I give it a 10/10

This was a super useful addition to my rig and has come in super handy for travel in general. I no longer have to hover around electrical outlets at airports when my iPhone is low and I can now bring my Octatrack anywhere. Even if you don’t want to take your Octatrack out of your house it can reduce cable clutter.

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Hi, it’s Mark. I’m a Synthesist, Sound Designer, Electronic Musician, and Multimedia Artist out of Boulder, CO. Subscribe if you’d like to receive emails when I post.

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