Power supply vs. daisy chain?

I'm beginning to build my first pedalboard. Nothin special- tubescreamer, crybaby, cheap dist that I modded, tuner, a little zoom multi effects pedal. As far as I understand, I have two options for power- a power supply box (I'd probably get a voodoo lab pedal power), or an ac adapter with a daisy chain. What say ye? Obviously I'd eventually like the Pedal Power- but would it be worth it to daisy chain for the time being and get the PP2 when I have the extra cash? Or would it even work to stay with a daisy chain for...ever?

Just use a OneSpot, piece of cake.

I have had great luck with the onespot as well.....

Cool, that sounds good to me. Any problems with noise if I don't use all 8 plugs?

Save up your money and buy a Voodoo Lab Power Pedal 2+

Wrap cloth or foam around the unused tips, tape them over, then you won't have the shorting of they touch certain things.

Save up your money and buy a Voodoo Lab Power Pedal 2+

Why? What exactly is the benefit? Hope I'm not asking the obvious.

Wrap cloth or foam around the unused tips, tape them over, then you won't have the shorting of they touch certain things.

I think I will :) thanks.

Wrap cloth or foam around the unused tips, tape them over, then you won't have the shorting of they touch certain things.

Good advice right here

Wrap cloth or foam around the unused tips, tape them over, then you won't have the shorting of they touch certain things.

good idea

I go with the daisy chain method for four to five pedals...usually a tuner, two distortions, a tremolo, and a delay. I power up with a Boss PSB-1U that I got for free from a local music store that was tearing down and redoing their stomp box display. It works so I've never bothered to try anything else.

I think the main concern is the total amount of current needed. I'm not saying noise is never an issue with daisy chaining, but I have not run into it with my setup(s). I'm a little worried about your multi-effects box. Sometimes those things can pull a couple hundred milliamps all on their own. You'd have to just check.

I've been using a daisy chain as well (Godlyke Powerall) with no problems.

-Jagg

I've switched to voodoo power :-)
As someone else remarked previously - it got rid of noise i didn't know i had! Very happy.
On the other hand, if a one spot works for you it's a sensible cost effective alternative :-)

http://stinkfoot.se/archives/808

This site should be helpful.

A One Spot will probably be fine, though you might want to check to see if that multi-effect pedal has any special requirements- don't some of those digital pedals need a lot of juice?

The fancy Voodoo Labs and other such power blocks provide more power at a more consistent rate, and some folks find they help eliminate noise. But before you buy a Mack Truck, you might want to see if a pickup will do the trick.

The voodoo lab is awesome! I will never use anything else. As far as powering all your stuff with the daisy chain, that multi effect prob draws too much current AND ARE YOU SURE IT ONLY NEEDS 9 Volts?!?!

The voodoo lab is awesome! I will never use anything else. As far as powering all your stuff with the daisy chain, that multi effect prob draws too much current AND ARE YOU SURE IT ONLY NEEDS 9 Volts?!?!

Eventually I might go with the voodoo lab. And yes, everything is 9. Worst case scenario I run the zoom on a separate adapter that it came with.

The main advantage of the VLPP2 (and similar supplies like the BBE Supra Charger) over daisy-chain systems is that each 9V supply on the PP2 is isolated from the others. This eliminates ground loops, which can introduce an ugly hum that you can't get rid of, and which is amplified dramatically by dirt pedals. This became the reason I HAD to go to a fully isolated multi-supply. Now, this may not be an issue for you. If not, you can save a few bucks. However, I have to say that I've done each method over 30 years, and I will NEVER go back to a daisy-chain setup. The difference it made was huge.

Another noise factor to consider is that the Godlyke and the One Spot use a switch-mode power supply, which can introduce digital artifacts into the supply line. These can sound terrible when they are amplified through the roof by, again, dirt boxes. The PP2 and the Supra Charger are fully analog designs that also have toroidal transformers. They are as quiet and reliable as it is possible to make a pedal power supply. I cannot recommend the PP2 or Supra Charger strongly enough.

I'm confused- the One Spot supplies power to my pedals, but my signal doesn't go through it, so how can it introduce digital artifacts?

I'm confused- the One Spot supplies power to my pedals, but my signal doesn't go through it, so how can it introduce digital artifacts?

You are right. The One Spot is simply supplying DC power. However a switched mode supply could possibly introduce an audible effect to your signal through the analog/AC path. I would use the term "noise" rather than "digital artifact", but whatever you call it the bottom line is it's something you don't want to hear. With good design, noise from a switched mode supply can certainly be avoided. I have never used a One Spot so I can't comment on its design/performance.

It might be worth pointing out here that noise is an issue with all power supplies. It is not confined strictly to switched mode designs.

When I used a One Spot in the past, I believe the daisy chain cable came with covers over the plugs.
I used a small ty-wrap to hold the on till I was ready to use them.

When I used a One Spot in the past, I believe the daisy chain cable came with covers over the plugs.
I used a small ty-wrap to hold the on till I was ready to use them.

Yup; got one last week and it came with 5 rubber covers. They work great.

I used the daisey chain method for years when I just used a handful of 9 Series Ibanez pedals. When I started using pedals with varying power requirements I went with the Voodoo Lab power supply and haven't looked back.

I like the Voodoo Lab power supply, but you certainly don't *need* it. I used a OneSpot for years and it worked ok. I noticed an improvement in tone and reduction in noise when I switched to Voodoo Lab.

with hum that goes away when I turn my guitar volume down would a pedal power plus 2 fix that hum ?

I'm confused- the One Spot supplies power to my pedals, but my signal doesn't go through it, so how can it introduce digital artifacts?

It can introduce digital artifacts in the same way that a poorly filtered power supply can introduce hum into your signal. If the power supply is not ruler-flat, but instead has irregularities such as ripple, or digital spikes or valleys, those irregularities will show up in the signal that the transistors are amplifying. The transistors count on that DC being clean in order to create a clean signal. This is no joke or snake oil. It can happen, but it's rare. Most of the time, it's just not an issue. Most quality switch-mode supplies (such as the Godlyke or One-spot) produce a perfectly clean signal. It was worse early in the days of the technology, but it's improved. However, I know several players who absolutely WILL NOT use a switch-mode supply to power their pedals due to prior negative experience. And when it shows up, it shows up with high-gain devices like dirt boxes or wah pedals.

For me, the major issue was ground loops, so I HAD to go with an isolated supply.

with hum that goes away when I turn my guitar volume down would a pedal power plus 2 fix that hum ?

No. That noise is coming from your guitar. Or, more accurately, that noise is being received by your guitar from the immediate environment, and your guitar doesn't have noise-canceling pickups or proper shielding or either.

When attempting to eliminate noise, it's always best to start with the guitar. If you must have true single-coil pickups in your guitars, then at least shield the instruments the best you can. I use noise-free pups (Wilde Bill and Becky on all guitars) and I use copper tape or graphite paint in each instrument. It's AMAZING how low-noise my guitars are.

I use a BBE Supra-Charger to run my pedalboard. That eliminated all hum from the board. The only noise I now have to deal with is the hiss that comes from all of the gain stages in my rig. This includes the buffer amps in the non-true-bypass pedals. This is a factor few look at. You want the least number of buffer amps possible before any high-gain pedals. Each buffer amp introduces a TINY amount of hiss; it's so low you can't hear it by itself. However, if you run three buffered pedals (all in bypass mode) before a high-gain distortion pedal, compare the level of background hiss (when that high-gain pedal is on) to what you hear when you plug your guitar directly into that same high-gain pedal at the same settings. I guarantee you that you WILL hear a difference in hiss. This difference comes from the buildup of low-level hiss from the buffer amps in your other pedals.

Noise comes from a bunch of sources, and each has to be addressed separately. But start with the guitar.