Batteries or power supply?

John Harrison · July 5th, 2003, 07:14 PM

Do some effects operate better with batteries? Others with a power supply? What's your $.02?

jordanl · July 5th, 2003, 09:56 PM

Depends on the pedal. Vintage style fuzz pedals often sound best using batteries. Most time based effects and IC based overdrives sound as good or better with a power supply.

studio1087 · July 6th, 2003, 12:03 AM

I use batteries rather than a power supply pedal board because I switch things around a lot when recording.
Just an FYI, I buy 9 volt batteries at the local "Batteries Plus" store in boxes of 12. The price drops by about 40% if you are a building contractor or working musician or some sort of proffesional user of batteries. They have unpublished prices. Ask! They may tell you....and no I don't work there, they treat me well and I like to pass along a good bargain. I buy 2 dozen at a crack and put them in my gig bag - it's handy.

Steven · July 6th, 2003, 02:09 AM

I have a pedalboard with 8 pedals attached to it. I dont use batteries cous I like the reliability of an external power supply. I do a lot of gigs and I dont trust batteries. Dont have the time to cahnge batteries during a set if one suddenly would die. Also, if you have your pedals pemanently fastned to a pedalboard, using batteries would mean that you have to unplug the cords going to each pedals input to prevent the batteries from loosing theis charge. That would result in a lot of strain on the plugs on the cords. I find it a lot easier to use an external power supply. I use one switchmode powersupply (1000mA) to run all my 9 v dc pedals and one Line 6 wall wart for my Line 6 pedal. The current from those two powersupplys run in two XLR cables with than connects to a small box on the pedal board from where the current is distrubuted to all my pedals. This is a great solution i found on this site. Check it out!

http://www.pedalboards.com/

Lance · July 6th, 2003, 06:57 AM

As said before, older distortion pedals - those based on geranium transistors sound better with batteries (the old type of battery also - not alkelines). Example is a Fuzz Faces.

I also have a Z Vexx SHO that I run with a battery - considering the battery has now lasted almost 2 years, it's not an issue. I found that an external power supply made it noisier.

The rest of my pedals run off a Pedal Power (first version) that I got off Harmony Central for under $100. It's really the way to go for powering multiple pedals.

I also had a Switchmode power supply (same as a 1-Spot) but it could only power pedals that all had the same polarity. If I plugged my Rat in (positive ground), the supply would die. The Pedal Power can power positive and negative ground pedals simultaneously.

Hope that helps.

John Harrison · July 6th, 2003, 04:20 PM

I'm running out of space and connectors on my current pedal board (SKB-PS.25). I have a power strip, mounted on the board, and run one pedal off its supplied wall-wart (Dunlop Univibe), one pedal directly via it's AC cord (TC Electronic chorus). The other pedals run off the board's own regulated power supply (I've had no issues with it, other than too few connections).
I want to add a couple of pedals and will probably end up, at least temporarily, going to something like the "One Spot", to accomodate them. I plan on using batteries for my Fuzzface (it's been recommended that I use Carbon vs. Alkaline).
Any of these pedals with special requirements?:
Ibanez CP-9/compressor (eventually a Keeley) > TS-9/tube screamer > SD-9/sonic distortion > Demeter Tremulator > Univibe > Ibanez AD-9/analog delay > TC Electronic stereo chorus/pitch modulator/flanger.
I'm adding a Boss OC-2/octaver, a Fuzzface (Analogman mods), a Crybaby wah (Teese mods), a Dunlop volume pedal (Fulltone mods), and may get a phase shifter (probably MXR) and a digital delay (probably Boss DD-6), at some point.
Other suggestions for power? Thanks, jh

Luca · July 7th, 2003, 07:16 AM

Mike at Analogman is offering to me a '75 MXR distortion +, and he could add an AC jack to use it with an external power transformer.
Would you recommend it? He says that using the pedal with batteries or with house voltage doesn't change the sound.
Of course, avoiding batteries is a good thing, but I never had the chance to try this pedal powered by a transformer.
What do you think?

July 5th, 2003, 07:14 PM	#1 (permalink)
John Harrison Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Corvallis, OR Posts: 1,043	Batteries or power supply? Do some effects operate better with batteries? Others with a power supply? What's your $.02?

July 6th, 2003, 12:03 AM	#3 (permalink)
studio1087 Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2003 Location: Near Milwaukee Age: 44 Posts: 3,587 36 Photos	Batteries I use batteries rather than a power supply pedal board because I switch things around a lot when recording. Just an FYI, I buy 9 volt batteries at the local "Batteries Plus" store in boxes of 12. The price drops by about 40% if you are a building contractor or working musician or some sort of proffesional user of batteries. They have unpublished prices. Ask! They may tell you....and no I don't work there, they treat me well and I like to pass along a good bargain. I buy 2 dozen at a crack and put them in my gig bag - it's handy. __________________ JLG Carry On

July 6th, 2003, 02:09 AM	#4 (permalink)
Steven Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sweden Posts: 511	Power supply I have a pedalboard with 8 pedals attached to it. I dont use batteries cous I like the reliability of an external power supply. I do a lot of gigs and I dont trust batteries. Dont have the time to cahnge batteries during a set if one suddenly would die. Also, if you have your pedals pemanently fastned to a pedalboard, using batteries would mean that you have to unplug the cords going to each pedals input to prevent the batteries from loosing theis charge. That would result in a lot of strain on the plugs on the cords. I find it a lot easier to use an external power supply. I use one switchmode powersupply (1000mA) to run all my 9 v dc pedals and one Line 6 wall wart for my Line 6 pedal. The current from those two powersupplys run in two XLR cables with than connects to a small box on the pedal board from where the current is distrubuted to all my pedals. This is a great solution i found on this site. Check it out! http://www.pedalboards.com/

July 6th, 2003, 06:57 AM	#5 (permalink)
Lance Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,157	Depends As said before, older distortion pedals - those based on geranium transistors sound better with batteries (the old type of battery also - not alkelines). Example is a Fuzz Faces. I also have a Z Vexx SHO that I run with a battery - considering the battery has now lasted almost 2 years, it's not an issue. I found that an external power supply made it noisier. The rest of my pedals run off a Pedal Power (first version) that I got off Harmony Central for under $100. It's really the way to go for powering multiple pedals. I also had a Switchmode power supply (same as a 1-Spot) but it could only power pedals that all had the same polarity. If I plugged my Rat in (positive ground), the supply would die. The Pedal Power can power positive and negative ground pedals simultaneously. Hope that helps. __________________ Lance "not very good...but I make up for it by playing loud"

July 6th, 2003, 04:20 PM	#6 (permalink)
John Harrison Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Corvallis, OR Posts: 1,043	Current crisis, pun intended I'm running out of space and connectors on my current pedal board (SKB-PS.25). I have a power strip, mounted on the board, and run one pedal off its supplied wall-wart (Dunlop Univibe), one pedal directly via it's AC cord (TC Electronic chorus). The other pedals run off the board's own regulated power supply (I've had no issues with it, other than too few connections). I want to add a couple of pedals and will probably end up, at least temporarily, going to something like the "One Spot", to accomodate them. I plan on using batteries for my Fuzzface (it's been recommended that I use Carbon vs. Alkaline). Any of these pedals with special requirements?: Ibanez CP-9/compressor (eventually a Keeley) > TS-9/tube screamer > SD-9/sonic distortion > Demeter Tremulator > Univibe > Ibanez AD-9/analog delay > TC Electronic stereo chorus/pitch modulator/flanger. I'm adding a Boss OC-2/octaver, a Fuzzface (Analogman mods), a Crybaby wah (Teese mods), a Dunlop volume pedal (Fulltone mods), and may get a phase shifter (probably MXR) and a digital delay (probably Boss DD-6), at some point. Other suggestions for power? Thanks, jh

July 5th, 2003, 09:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
jordanl Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Farmingdale, NY Posts: 554	Depends on the pedal. Vintage style fuzz pedals often sound best using batteries. Most time based effects and IC based overdrives sound as good or better with a power supply.

July 7th, 2003, 07:16 AM	#7 (permalink)
Luca TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 60	Mike at Analogman is offering to me a '75 MXR distortion +, and he could add an AC jack to use it with an external power transformer. Would you recommend it? He says that using the pedal with batteries or with house voltage doesn't change the sound. Of course, avoiding batteries is a good thing, but I never had the chance to try this pedal powered by a transformer. What do you think?