Power Supply Choice

[Fresh_Start]

Part 2 of pedalboard design: power supply

I'm using a Visual Sounds One Spot right now. Somebody wrote that there could be problems using a single One Spot both for pedals in front of the amp and for the pedals in the effects loop, so maybe getting a second one is the cheap solution to my noise problem.

Then again, this house seems to have "dirty" power. Plugged straight into the Blues Jr., I get much more 60 cycle hum than my old house and have some noise even with humbuckers. (This is regardless of whether the guitar is shielded or not - 2 out of 3 are heavily shielded.) The electrician told me it was probably a crappy transformer on a pole behind the house. Everything electrical is overhead and 50 years old in the neighborhood.

So, should I:

1) buy a Dunlop DC Brick ($99);
2) buy a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 ($169); or
3) try running AC through a computer-type power conditioner (or UPS) and using One Spots.

BTW - no fancy pedals with odd voltage or other special needs.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Chip

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Power Supply Choice

Hm. First, I would test the pedal board in a more friendly environment. I have lived in houses that had 2-wire outlets. I have lived in others that the 3-wire setup was questionable.

Resolve the pedal board power first, then find a way to make it work in the house.

 

[JLagoon]

Re: Power Supply Choice

Get the DC Brick if you don't need the power sagging feature. I have one.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Power Supply Choice

I'll tell you this...I just finished my pedalboard after lots of shopping for both a board AND a power supply...I ended up with a VooDoo Labs Pedal Power II plus. This thing will power both PSA and ACA Boss pedals, DOD pedals, my Expandora, both 9 and 18volt Dunlop pedals, All new EH pedals (including the Holy Grail), all reissue as well as original MXR pedals, Line 6 Pedals (the big units as well as the smaller ones), the list goes on...in fact the ONLY pedal it will not power is a Digi Tech Whammy Pedal...I just plug it into the outlet! I also really like the "sag" features...I run the control down just a tad on my Rat and down a little more on my Tweak Fuzz...really cool feature! I know it's pretty costly compared to all the other units out there but it is WELL worth it in my opinion.

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Power Supply Choice

Chris, that sag feature sounds interesting. Can you explain it a bit more? I mean, I know what it does but what kind of voltage range does it have?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Power Supply Choice

The sag control goes from around 4 to 9 volts...with distortion and fuzz boxes it actually makes more distortion with a lower voltage but it has a different feel as well as it changes he EQ a tad...I actually like it quite a bit.