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Electo Harmonix users, Help! How do you power 24V using the 9V DC on pedalboards

albass111

albass111

Feb 13, 2006
1,405
27
Los Angeles, CA
#1
My pedalboard has gotten too bulky. What do I need to buy to eliminate the use of the 24V EHX plugs? Ideally, I'd like to plug into the 9V plugs which power the rest of my cables.

These posts on Harmony central says that the adapters that come standard with the pedalboards can be used with the EH pedals, but that doesn't seem right. Please see post 6
Link Removed

Help me please...
 
#4
albass111 said:
I've got a SKB powered Pedalboard.
Click to expand...

I'm in no way an effects powering engineer or anything, but I'm pretty sure that what you want is impossible. Firstly I think that the power supply on your board is a daisy chain (like a one spot) so you wouldn't be able to wire two or more plugs together without trouble. Secondly the 9volts will not add up to be 24 volts so you would either under or overpower the pedal. I think the only non-ehx-walwart solution is something like the diago or trex fuel tank. Correct me if I'm wrong though.
 
#5
Save some money and drop the $120.00 for a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power II plus. It will run any pedal you will ever use, unless someone comes out with a new effect that needs something weird like 43.5 volts. It is one of the best things I have ever purchased for my pedal board, and your effects will sound better too.
 
#6
albass111 said:
My pedalboard has gotten too bulky. What do I need to buy to eliminate the use of the 24V EHX plugs? Ideally, I'd like to plug into the 9V plugs which power the rest of my cables.

These posts on Harmony central says that the adapters that come standard with the pedalboards can be used with the EH pedals, but that doesn't seem right. Please see post 6
Link Removed

Help me please...
Click to expand...

It is perfectly possible to convert 9V/DC to 24V/DC. I haven't seen anything on the market that does it but it technicaly speaking it is possible. I wonder why EHX doesn't do it internaly in their pedals...

The problem is that you may end up with an extra box that is bigger then a 24V PSU. :)
 
#7
While it may be "possible" to convert 9V to 24V, voltage-increasing circuits are still in a developmental stage alongside switch-mode technology. The largest increase I've seen is double the voltage, and even then there can be issues if the supply feeding it doesn't allow enough available amperage. And the amperage question is why many daisy-chain type power distributors wouldn't work for this even if you had a box that could bump from 9 to 24V.

Post 6 in that HC thread is from an ignoramus. All he's saying is that there are adaptors from -tip barrel plugs to +tip mini plugs. It does not address voltage or amperage at all.
 
#9
albass111 said:
These posts on Harmony central says that the adapters that come standard with the pedalboards can be used with the EH pedals, but that doesn't seem right.
Click to expand...
slap.gif

That's for reading HC forums and then not wiping your feet before you came in here!

bongomania said:
...ignoramus.
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I think they're breeding over there...

Long story short - you either need a dedicated 24V supply, or you need a multi-output isolated 9V supply like the Voodoo Labs PPII - even then, to get one feed of 24V will eat up multiple outputs.
 
#10
Now, before we close the argument on current and voltage issues alone... consider just one more factor.

Some (perhaps all... I'm not certain) of these oversized 24VDC EHX pedals use PNP transistors (in other words, "positive-ground" circuit design), so voltage alone won't cut it, and neither will current.

What this means is: the "voltage pump" connectors offered by Diago and Godlyke WILL power a low-current pedal like the EHX Bass Micro Synthesizer (24VDC, but only 100mA)... but you CANNOT daisy-chain it with other pedals. In other words... you've just spent a lot of money to re-create the stock wall wart, and you're back to square one - but with less money in your pocket.

I started a thread a long time ago in the quest to resolve this power dilemma... the result was disappointing. Only two non-DIY solutions exist: one is using a Y-cable to connect two 12VDC outputs on an isolated-output power supply (i.e., Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2+ or one of T-Rex's isolated power supply bricks); the other is sticking to the wall wart.

I'd be happy to dig up the old experiment thread of mine if you're interested, but normally I'd leave you to find it on your own. ;)
 
#11
albass111 said:
These posts on Harmony central says that the adapters that come standard with the pedalboards can be used with the EH pedals, but that doesn't seem right.
Click to expand...

niftydog said:
slap.gif

That's for reading HC forums and then not wiping your feet before you came in here!
Click to expand...

Umm that's exactly what I did. I employed the help of my highly researched and educated talkbass community. :smug:
Otherwise I would have read HC and have a dead pedalboard or two dead EHX pedals.

bongomania said:
..... ignoramus
Click to expand...

niftydog said:
I think they're breeding over there...

Long story short - you either need a dedicated 24V supply, or you need a multi-output isolated 9V supply like the Voodoo Labs PPII - even then, to get one feed of 24V will eat up multiple outputs.
Click to expand...

were you calling me an ignoramus?? :hmm:;)

niftydog said:
slap.gif
Click to expand...

This makes me laugh...
 
#12
Nah, the ignoramus was the guy whose post on HC you referenced. And Nifty was just broadening the term to include a larger percentage of the HC population. We won't call you an ignoramus unless you make a habit of relying on the inarticulate babble over there. :p
 
#14
WOW! 1st off there is an important formula to think of when talking about power Watts=volts x amps ... no not like mesa amps but amperes.... so even if you could convert 9volts to 24volts thats not going to make the amps correct... most 9v pedals are in the 1500mA range and I believe the EH 24v is a 100mA pedal... Trust me!!!
So looking at it from a Watts standpoint 9vX1500mA= 13.5Watts vs 24vx100mA=2.4Watts so trying to add 3 9v's to get 27v hoping that is close enough will likely leave you with melted wires... because then you's have like 3.5A or 3500mA or roughly 3400mA tooo many!

I know the problems I have a black finger that has a 300v AC adapter two the run on 9v DC and my V-bass which is 110AC... I'ts a pain in the ass but thats what u got 2 deal with... lots of wires...
 
#16
Like ehque said, the mA rating states the max current that can be supplied, not the amount of current that the supply will try to shove into your pedal.

Also, most 9v pedals need 1500mA?! I don't think so - I have a 9v 1500mA supply that powers 10 pedals no problem (and I suspect many more than that).
 
#18
dannybuoy said:
Also, most 9v pedals need 1500mA?! I don't think so - I have a 9v 1500mA supply that powers 10 pedals no problem (and I suspect many more than that).
Click to expand...

Nope. It just doesn't make sense to build power supplies that are rated exactly at the pedal's usage (since the tooling, stocking, and design would cost more than the material savings) and so the generic boss pedal pumps out 500ma of power, a lot more than is required for most pedals.

I can't, in any case, think of a pedal that needs 1500ma, bar the big line 6 products. Even my English muffin doesn't draw that much current, AND it's a tube effect.
 

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