Battery vs Adaptor

[Vladimir]

I'm slowly starting to gather some pedals, not near enough for a pedalboard, but I'd like to know what is the general census here on batteries vs adaptors. I'm thinking here mostly about cost effectivness including recharchables, but also not having to compromise sound quality with inadequate ac adaptors.

[sacizob]

Adapters sound better on a lot of pedals then batteries do. You can pick up used 9 volt DC adapters cheap at music stores and flea markets. Also, you don't have to worry about the battery going dead and keep unplugging your cords between sets.

[Jeff B.]

Originally Posted by sacizob

Adapters sound better on a lot of pedals then batteries do. You can pick up used 9 volt DC adapters cheap at music stores and flea markets. Also, you don't have to worry about the battery going dead and keep unplugging your cords between sets.

Be very cautious of used/random adapters. Most are unregulated and put out more than 9V. Usually betwen 11-14V for a "9V" adapter and their polarity may not match your pedals.

[Chiogtr4x]

More info: general power consumption guidlines-

distortions/Overdrives (there are exceptions) don't use a lot of juice and a battery will last a long time (over 100 hours on some).

Some folks swear fuzzes sound better and quieter using battery Vs. adapter (plus guitarist like the tone you get from the "voltage sag" of a battery that is "slowly dying" putting out less than 9V)

Delay Pedals (as they are reproducing, not just modifying your guitar signal) use a lot of power- you can drain a battery in 4-6 hours of use in a delay- use an adapter!

Just my two cents

[TaylorPlayer]

Get a One Spot and be done with batteries. Mine runs all of my pedals with the exception of my Holy Grail Reverb. That works better having it's own adapter for some reason. I can run it on the One Spot, but it seems noisy in the line then.

[Vladimir]

Genuine brand-name musical adapters are not that expensive here, but the daisy-chain distribution chords cost quite a bit. Lets say more than the cost of 3 9v's and a recharger.

[Thighbanez]

I use an adaptor for my delay, phaser, overdrive, Wah and tremolo. I use batteries for my Compressor because it's less noisy that way.
I built a 9-volt adaptor that plugs into the power jack on the pedal so that I don't have to constantly open any of my pedals to switch batteries.

[ChipOnly]

Over the long term, batteries are pretty bad ecologically and financially - a cycle of purchase, drain, discard is not the way to go for the environment or your wallet. And having to plug and unplug all your pedals in every time you play to keep them from draining is a drag too. I can say with confidence that the vast majority of gigging hobbyists and pros use a power supply, not individual 9Vs.

There are guys that say that batteries, and beyond that, certain types of batteries sound different, and they may be right. They usually are talking in terms of vintage effects and fuzzes though, not your typical board loaded with off-the-shelf effects. And as I think Thighbanez is hinting at, sometimes the easiest way to resolve ground loop buzz is to just isolate the offending pedal with a 9v. But past that, I'm hard pressed to think of any upsides to batteries.

Having said that, I do keep a couple fresh ones in the pocket of my board's gig bag, just in case. I've never had to use them (knock on wood!), but I have come to the 9v rescue of other battery-using players twice now.

One spot/Power-all/Danelectrode is just fine to get off batteries on a budget - I'd recommend a daisy chain solution to anyone using 9vs. Of course, the PP2+ is the standard bearer and for good reason, I think, if you can swing it. Eventually, either pays for itself.

[DOGMA Dunn]

A good adaptor with multiple 9v and multiple 8v output is ideal for longterm equipment. One that is board mounted is even better, and will be great in organizing fx for portability.

[jefrs]

Use one large powerful AC adaptor and the pedals loaded with NiMH rechargeables (not NiCD). Some pedals do not disconnect the battery and NiCD do not like being on constant charge, NiMH were designed to do this. Always keep a battery in the pedal in case it gets disconnected.

Alternative - use the new 9V Lithium re-chargeables. They have a long charge life. Expensive.

Alternative - use the more common 9V Lithium non-rechargeable type, massive power output and very long life. Expensive and expendable but can work out cheaper than alkaline.

Lithium cells probably make the AC adaptor redundant.

[Tele-phone man]

Originally Posted by ChipOnly

Having said that, I do keep a couple fresh ones in the pocket of my board's gig bag, just in case. I've never had to use them (knock on wood!), but I have come to the 9v rescue of other battery-using players twice now.

Happened to me last night. I was playing a revue with a variety of performers, and my stash of 9V batteries was a life-saver for two different guitar players.

Originally Posted by ChipOnly

One spot/Power-all/Danelectrode is just fine to get off batteries on a budget - I'd recommend a daisy chain solution to anyone using 9vs. Of course, the PP2+ is the standard bearer and for good reason, I think, if you can swing it. Eventually, either pays for itself.

I recently acquired a BBE Supra Charger for about $120, which was less than I could find the PP2. It works great, and corrected a ground loop issue that I couldn't work around with a daisy chain.

[Hack On Wheels]

An alternative would be to have a large battery pack that you can use in place of an AC adapter. Clean power, long lasting, and much easier to replace/charge than individual batteries.

[Zounds Perspex]

the best solution depends on what kinds of pedals you use.
most small pedal setups work great with a One Spot.
the VoodooLabs stuff is really worth the money, imo - it's the quietest solution
and the one that requires the least amount of fuss.
I'm one of those dudes who still uses carbon batteries for my fuzz pedals, though-
it's not just corksniffer nonsense, they genuinely sound better powered that way.

[zombiwoof]

Then there is the new hybrid approach, the Sanyo rechargeable Pedal Juice power supply. It has plenty of power to supply a number of pedals for many hours, and avoids problems like ground loops and funky wiring in clubs messing with your power supply. I'm seriously thinking of getting one, you just have to make sure it is recharged before a gig. It has LED's on it that let you know when it's losing the charge. Sounds great to me, it's like a multi-battery power supply with no need to hook it up to wall voltage. I'm holding out for the black version that is supposed to be out soon (maybe it's out now).

Yup, they now have the black version available:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...ter?sku=H65588

Al

[Thighbanez]

Argh...I can't remember.
There is a new pedalmaker out there that debuted at NAMM this year...or was it last year?
But anyway...the pedals have a rechargeable battery built into them so that you never have to buy batteries, the power adapter recharges the built-in battery and powers the pedal at the same time.

But I can't remember the maker....

[ChipOnly]

Originally Posted by Thighbanez

But I can't remember the maker....

Red Witch, the Seven Sisters line.

[Thighbanez]

Originally Posted by ChipOnly

Red Witch, the Seven Sisters line.

YES!!!
That's it!!

Thanks!

[Vladimir]

So I wen't out to the music store and bought an adapter. It's not a brand name, but the guy assured me it's pedal friendly as it has 1000mVa.
My pedal chain is simple (in order):
Fender PT100 tuner-> Marshall ED1 compressor-> MXR Carbon Copy delay.
When I plugged it all in, there was a loud high-pitched noise. After playing around, I realized that the noise is gone if the compressor and tuner are run of batteries. Only the Carbon Copy runs smooth with or without the adapter.
Is this normal?