Please note - the RK-002 has many different firmware versions to work with a wide range of instruments; It comes pre-loaded with the Volca Sample softare but you can easiy change that by heading to the Retrokits site and updating the RK-002 from their web based interface (the Chrome browser is the best to use for this we have found)
The RK-002 ‘Smart MIDI cable’ has already found it’s way in various studio and live setups. It looks like a +/-1.5m ordinary male-male MIDI-cable but… it is not! It houses a very powerful MIDI processor which can run the most complex MIDI bending. You can try a multitude of MIDI processing apps on our DUY Exchange Portal or even write your own by using the Arduino IDE and our custom RK002 Arduino Board Library!
But, if you’re not a coding wizard – You can also order it pre-installed with fixes and additions for specific devices like the Volca Sample, Kaossilator, Digitakt,.. and it can add MIDI effects to any synth like an Arpeggiator, PolyMUX (polyphony MIDI chaining), Sequencing, Euclid,..
NOTE: Using multiple MIDI-powered devices on one MIDI output can lead to an unstable signal. Since the RK002 derives it’s power from the MIDI port you should use a proper thru box with it – NOT an audio splitter or a MIDI-powered thru device which also harvests power from the out-port (e.g. the MIDI Solutions Quadra Thru which can actually break the RK002). For Swapping firmware on the RK002 you need a MIDI interface with MIDI System Exclusive support like the RK005/RK006.
For more info on MIDI Type A/B please check out - https://minimidi.world/
How much is my shipping?
Shipping is automatically calculated before you submit your payment information. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the checkout page, where you'll be offered shipping options and their prices. In the UK it's normally around £4 for order values under £150, and free above that. Shipping to mainland EU is typically between £7 and £20, depending on the shipping method and the size and weight of the order.
Do you ship to my country?
Almost certainly - the site will give you an estimate of shipping costs if you add an item to the cart and then enter your country and postcode. If you have specific requirements (such as if you prefer UPS over FedEx, for example) then let us know in advance and we'll try to work something out for you.
Shipping methods
We use a combination of Parcelforce, DPD, Royal Mail and UPS for the UK, and for international orders it's either Royal Mail, UPS, DHL or FedEx depending on where you are in the world. If you have a particular preference then try to let us know BEFORE you order so we can look into it for you. Please note that there may occasionally be additional shipping charges if you live in a remote area, depending on what surcharges are applied by the shipper. We'll get in touch to discuss this with you in such cases.
Dispatch times
For UK orders, we normally dispatch the same working day if we get the order before 15:00. If you have a really urgent situation then of course drop us an email before ordering and we'll always do our absolute best to accommodate you.
For international orders, we normally dispatch the same day if we get the order before 13:00 but again, occasionally it might be the next day before we can send it out, and sometimes FedEx or UPS may come a little earlier than scheduled which would also push an order into the next day.
Shipping times
Since April 2020 the couriers we use have suspended guarantees for shipping times, so even though we're paying them for priority services - 24-48 hours for most of the world - in practice it's often an extra day on top and sometimes it can be longer.
There is absolutely nothing we can do about this unfortunately. If you are outside the UK and it's a life-or-death situation where you absolutely MUST have that passive mult for the next day then... it may be better to find a local supplier.
Saturday shipping
If you're in the UK and you order before 15:30 on a Friday then we can send something for a Saturday delivery (NB: this applies to UK mainland addresses only). The success rate with DPD is about 95% so it's worth a punt most of the time. Please note that if you select Saturday shipping on an order placed earlier in the week, we'll wait until Friday to ship it.
Pre-orders
If a product is listed as a pre-order, it means we've ordered it from the supplier but it's not physically in stock yet. The product listing will include an estimated shipping date based on the best information we have from the supplier, but do bear in mind this is subject to change and is not a guaranteed date.
If you place an order containing a mixture of in-stock and pre-order items, we'll normally hold off on shipping anything until the pre-order item(s) have arrived, rather than splitting it into multiple shipments. If you need the in-stock items sooner, we'd recommend placing separate orders. As always, please get in touch if you have questions.
Product Overview
Please note - the RK-002 has many different firmware versions to work with a wide range of instruments; It comes pre-loaded with the Volca Sample softare but you can easiy change that by heading to the Retrokits site and updating the RK-002 from their web based interface (the Chrome browser is the best to use for this we have found)
The RK-002 ‘Smart MIDI cable’ has already found it’s way in various studio and live setups. It looks like a +/-1.5m ordinary male-male MIDI-cable but… it is not! It houses a very powerful MIDI processor which can run the most complex MIDI bending. You can try a multitude of MIDI processing apps on our DUY Exchange Portal or even write your own by using the Arduino IDE and our custom RK002 Arduino Board Library!
But, if you’re not a coding wizard – You can also order it pre-installed with fixes and additions for specific devices like the Volca Sample, Kaossilator, Digitakt,.. and it can add MIDI effects to any synth like an Arpeggiator, PolyMUX (polyphony MIDI chaining), Sequencing, Euclid,..
NOTE: Using multiple MIDI-powered devices on one MIDI output can lead to an unstable signal. Since the RK002 derives it’s power from the MIDI port you should use a proper thru box with it – NOT an audio splitter or a MIDI-powered thru device which also harvests power from the out-port (e.g. the MIDI Solutions Quadra Thru which can actually break the RK002). For Swapping firmware on the RK002 you need a MIDI interface with MIDI System Exclusive support like the RK005/RK006.
For more info on MIDI Type A/B please check out - https://minimidi.world/
Technical Specs
Shipping Details
How much is my shipping?
Shipping is automatically calculated before you submit your payment information. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the checkout page, where you'll be offered shipping options and their prices. In the UK it's normally around £4 for order values under £150, and free above that. Shipping to mainland EU is typically between £7 and £20, depending on the shipping method and the size and weight of the order.
Do you ship to my country?
Almost certainly - the site will give you an estimate of shipping costs if you add an item to the cart and then enter your country and postcode. If you have specific requirements (such as if you prefer UPS over FedEx, for example) then let us know in advance and we'll try to work something out for you.
Shipping methods
We use a combination of Parcelforce, DPD, Royal Mail and UPS for the UK, and for international orders it's either Royal Mail, UPS, DHL or FedEx depending on where you are in the world. If you have a particular preference then try to let us know BEFORE you order so we can look into it for you. Please note that there may occasionally be additional shipping charges if you live in a remote area, depending on what surcharges are applied by the shipper. We'll get in touch to discuss this with you in such cases.
Dispatch times
For UK orders, we normally dispatch the same working day if we get the order before 15:00. If you have a really urgent situation then of course drop us an email before ordering and we'll always do our absolute best to accommodate you.
For international orders, we normally dispatch the same day if we get the order before 13:00 but again, occasionally it might be the next day before we can send it out, and sometimes FedEx or UPS may come a little earlier than scheduled which would also push an order into the next day.
Shipping times
Since April 2020 the couriers we use have suspended guarantees for shipping times, so even though we're paying them for priority services - 24-48 hours for most of the world - in practice it's often an extra day on top and sometimes it can be longer.
There is absolutely nothing we can do about this unfortunately. If you are outside the UK and it's a life-or-death situation where you absolutely MUST have that passive mult for the next day then... it may be better to find a local supplier.
Saturday shipping
If you're in the UK and you order before 15:30 on a Friday then we can send something for a Saturday delivery (NB: this applies to UK mainland addresses only). The success rate with DPD is about 95% so it's worth a punt most of the time. Please note that if you select Saturday shipping on an order placed earlier in the week, we'll wait until Friday to ship it.
Pre-orders
If a product is listed as a pre-order, it means we've ordered it from the supplier but it's not physically in stock yet. The product listing will include an estimated shipping date based on the best information we have from the supplier, but do bear in mind this is subject to change and is not a guaranteed date.
If you place an order containing a mixture of in-stock and pre-order items, we'll normally hold off on shipping anything until the pre-order item(s) have arrived, rather than splitting it into multiple shipments. If you need the in-stock items sooner, we'd recommend placing separate orders. As always, please get in touch if you have questions.
