Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?

[IMENATOR]

I just got an overdrive/distortion pedal that can take 9v and 18v. Currently I only have tiny 9v source but I am really curious on how it will sound with 18v but I have some concerns since all my other pedals are 9v

- Can 18v and 9v pedals be interconected safely? For example my current chain is this
guitar -> cry baby -> boss sd1 -> fulltone plimsoul -> boss metal core -> roland cube 40xl amp clean channel

plimsoul is the only one that can take 18v, all pedals polarity is center negative

- Asuming I can safely power the plimsoul with 18v when all others a 9v I am thinking on optionally trying to "overdrive it" with the sd1. Is anyone out there doing something similar to that?

Thanks in advance

 

[zzmoore]

Re: Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?

I do not see the "Mains Voltage" being a problem.
Am I wrong guys.?

 

[AlexR]

Re: Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?

If you connect an 18V source to a pedal that is only rated for 9V then you will do damage

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?

I could be mistaken about what the OP is trying to accomplish here, but from what I gather the question is about whether or not having 18V pedals turned on at the same time as 9V pedals in a signal chain will cause damage (in which it won't, regardless of whether a 9V SD-1's out goes to the in on the 18V Plimsoul or vice versa). However, a pedal's voltage rating is it's maximum voltage rating as mentioned above. There are two major cardinal sins with pedals: 1) connecting the polarity backwards (for instance, most pedals are center negative, but there are the occasional that are center positive) and 2) connecting more voltage than what the pedal is rated for. Both will wreck your electronics.

 

[MrTondo]

Re: Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?

And then there is the tricky business of running OD pedals that are rated for 9V (on the enclosure) at 12 or 18V. Some pedals do just fine when you do so and you'll create more headroom, some pedals will get fried . When you do not have the electronics skills to determine which of the two categories your pedal is, do not run it at another voltage then the rated one. Usually manufacturers will rate them 9V standard anyway, unless they need more. Lots of manufacturers, especially the boutique ones, will tell on their websites that you can run their pedals on 18V or 12V or whatever, even though the pedal itself says 9V. Yet in general you'd better not try to use any other voltage then the rated one, unless you have spare money, or certainty that you will not toast anything.

And as mr90's already mentioned it does not matter at all if your pedals run in different voltages. Currently I run a fuzz at 7V, an all others at 9V, and will run the Catalinbread DLS at 18V when I finally decide to buy it. Running these different voltages does not matter at all for your guitar sound (other than that the individual pedals may even sound better ).

 

[zzmoore]

Re: Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?

If you connect an 18V source to a pedal that is only rated for 9V then you will do damage

Did you read the First sentence of his post.?

 

[playas]

Re: Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?

possibly your original post is confusing people.

"Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?"

In essence if you mean "connected" as in guitar cable to the input of crybaby and output of crybaby to input of the sd1 etc. then there is no problem and you´ve nothing to worry about.

If you mean "connected" as in you are using one power supply for all the pedals connected with cables "daisy-chained" to power all the pedals one after the other it will probably damage at least one of your pedals. (assuming your trying to use an 18v supply)


"- Can 18v and 9v pedals be interconected safely? For example my current chain is this
guitar -> cry baby -> boss sd1 -> fulltone plimsoul -> boss metal core -> roland cube 40xl amp clean channel"


From this I understand you are just talking about the connections from the guitar to the amp. Nothing to worry about in that case, as long as you have 9v connections for all the pedals or have an 18v power connection for the plimsoul and the correct 9v connections for the rest you´re fine.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?

"Connected" is ambiguous in this context.

If by "connected" you mean "inputs and outputs of pedals are connected to each other", then no there is absolutely no problem with that.

If you mean "sharing the same power supply", it depends on the power supply in question. You'll either need a separate 18V supply for the 18V pedal, or a supply that can provide both 9V and 18V on separate lines.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?

Did you read the First sentence of his post.?

Indeed, very confused. Not the only one it seems.

OP - All guitar pedals are designed to be used with guitars if thats what you mean. You can plug them in any which way you choose, and turn on as many of them at once as your main power supply will allow. The power supply voltage is just that.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?

If you connect an 18V source to a pedal that is only rated for 9V then you will do damage

Says who?

 

[MrTondo]

Re: Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?

Says who?

If you're doing it to the right pedal: no one.

If to the wrong one: the black parts under the hood of your pedal and the possible scent of smoke.

So if you wanna know in advance, either get an electronics course or ask someone who did, like the designer/manufacturer .

 

[aleclee]

Re: Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?

If you're doing it to the right pedal: no one.

If to the wrong one: the black parts under the hood of your pedal and the possible scent of smoke.

So if you wanna know in advance, either get an electronics course or ask someone who did, like the designer/manufacturer .

+1. While we know of a number of 9V pedals that are perfectly happy (and some are even cooler) running on 18V, others will let the magic smoke out of the components when hooked up to much more than 9V.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?

+1. While we know of a number of 9V pedals that are perfectly happy (and some are even cooler) running on 18V, others will let the magic smoke out of the components when hooked up to much more than 9V.

Who is 'we'?

And do you have examples?

Has it happened to you personally?

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: Can 9v pedals be connected to 18v pedals safely?

From this I understand you are just talking about the connections from the guitar to the amp. Nothing to worry about in that case, as long as you have 9v connections for all the pedals or have an 18v power connection for the plimsoul and the correct 9v connections for the rest you´re fine.

OMG, I did not know my english was so bad to cause so much confusion. I plan on buying a new 18v dc source and use it ONLY with the plimsoul, all the 9vdc rated ones will still be powered using my existing 9v dc source, that would be the only change in my pedal board. I think playas got it rigth and this (I think ) answers my question. I was worried the output of a 18v pedal at very high gain could burn the input of my metal core which is not a true bypass and rated at 9v dc.