onespot combo vs, Voodoo labs pedal power

[j_nition]

looking into a clean power source for about 5 pedals. GFS, EBS, Boss, Tech 21, and MXR (all 9V)

So I see a serious difference in price and both claim to be quiet. The voodoo labs seems to back up the claim with more factual reasoning but what are your real world experiences between the two?

[isko]

Another option is the Godlyke powerall.2000mah and very quiet.I use that for my effects.

[bongomania]

Advantage OneSpot or Godlyke:
--high available current (good for high-current-draw digital fx)
--cheap
--small

Advantage PPII:
--isolated outlets (see below)
--better resistance to external noise sources
--none of the clock-noise/whining that some people experience with switching power supplies (e.g. Onespot or Godlyke)
--physically rugged
--able to switch between different voltages without external accessories

The "isolated outlets" thing is the big deal, the real reason for the cost difference, and probably the biggest reason why people still buy the PPII. What it means: All pedals in your chain share a common ground plane via the patch cords. Sometimes the jacks are grounded to the pedal housing, sometimes they are not. A "daisy chain" supply like the Onespot or Brick also makes all of the pedals share a second common ground plane, via the daisy chain's negative wires. So right there is a potential ground loop, which is a very common source of noise problems. Read here: http://www.rane.com/note110.html Beyond the ground loop, it's also the case that some pedals are "+ ground" and others are "- ground". So even if you use the correct +/- adapter off your Onespot, there is now a direct connection between the ground plane (where all the noise goes) and your signal path. This also sometimes causes one or more of the pedals in the chain to shut down or operate badly.

Conclusion: Be aware of the ground orientation of all pedals in your chain, and be aware that it's a crap shoot whether you will or won't have issues with a ground loop. I use both kinds of supply, and I carefully manage which pedals are on which supply.

[newbold]

my EP-1 needs AC. I didn't realize that when I bought my powerall. Now I use 2 wall warts for my effects. Wish there was a small power supply that could supply both AC and DC.

[lowfreq33]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Advantage OneSpot or Godlyke:
--high available current (good for high-current-draw digital fx)
--cheap
--small

Advantage PPII:
--isolated outlets (see below)
--better resistance to external noise sources
--none of the clock-noise/whining that some people experience with switching power supplies (e.g. Onespot or Godlyke)
--physically rugged
--able to switch between different voltages without external accessories

The "isolated outlets" thing is the big deal, the real reason for the cost difference, and probably the biggest reason why people still buy the PPII. What it means: All pedals in your chain share a common ground plane via the patch cords. Sometimes the jacks are grounded to the pedal housing, sometimes they are not. A "daisy chain" supply like the Onespot or Brick also makes all of the pedals share a second common ground plane, via the daisy chain's negative wires. So right there is a potential ground loop, which is a very common source of noise problems. Read here: http://www.rane.com/note110.html Beyond the ground loop, it's also the case that some pedals are "+ ground" and others are "- ground". So even if you use the correct +/- adapter off your Onespot, there is now a direct connection between the ground plane (where all the noise goes) and your signal path. This also sometimes causes one or more of the pedals in the chain to shut down or operate badly.

Conclusion: Be aware of the ground orientation of all pedals in your chain, and be aware that it's a crap shoot whether you will or won't have issues with a ground loop. I use both kinds of supply, and I carefully manage which pedals are on which supply.

Very good explanation, everyone should read this. I've tried all kinds of power supplies (including the T-Rex that costs more than the pedal power ) and the PP was the only one that didn't give me some kind of hum.

[cheapbasslovin]

Pedal power 2 worked better for me with lower noise. It is also much more versatile and allowed me to purchase some 24v effects without worrying about the ease of powering them up. You can also look into a BBE Supacharger. It has similar versatility and is a little bit cheaper, IIRC.

[kenstee]

Originally Posted by lowfreq33

Very good explanation, everyone should read this. I've tried all kinds of power supplies (including the T-Rex that costs more than the pedal power ) and the PP was the only one that didn't give me some kind of hum.

Currently using a T-Rex Fuel Tank Jr. power-source. No hums. And I do have one outlet on it daisy chained. One reason I got it is that it was considerably cheaper ($99 which I got for $79 during one of the many 20% off sales) than a PP2 and had all the power options I needed. It has isolated outputs (just like the PP2+) and each supports 120mh in draw. No issues for you at all. Your pedals - like most pedals - draw considerably below that. It has 5 outputs - which is less than the number on a PP2+. So, this would be a good solution for your 5 pedal 9v set-up. In fact, you wouldn't even have to daisy chain unless you got more than the 5 pedals. So each would plug into its own isolated output jack. This power-source also can be easily installed with velcro (suggest 3M Dual Lock) under most Pedaltrains (except the Mini) or on a custom-made board if you are going the board route. YMMV. If you get more pedals you can certainly daisy-chain them. And if you eventually end up with a 18v pedal the FTJr comes with a Y 18v cable which you must attach to 2 outputs. All cables are included.

One note: The FTJr and other power supplies do not fit easily if you're using a Pedaltrain Mini. If you want this board this guy does make mods which seem to get excellent reviews: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/....php?t=2472374.

[Kosko]

Originally Posted by newbold

my EP-1 needs AC. I didn't realize that when I bought my powerall. Now I use 2 wall warts for my effects. Wish there was a small power supply that could supply both AC and DC.

Should check out the T-Rex chameleon. It lets you switch between different voltages and AC / DC. Pretty amazing really, not sure if its released yet.