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Pedalboard power supply???

#26
bassgod76 said:
I'm a dummy, what is a digital switching power supply?
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This is from Wikipedia:
A switched-mode power supply (switching-mode power supply, SMPS, or simply switcher) is an electronic power supply that incorporates a switching regulator in order to be highly efficient in the conversion of electrical power. Like other types of power supplies, an SMPS transfers power from a source like the electrical power grid to a load (e.g., a personal computer) while converting voltage and current characteristics. An SMPS is usually employed to efficiently provide a regulated output voltage, typically at a level different from the input voltage. Unlike a linear power supply, the pass transistor of a switching mode supply switches very quickly (typically between 50 kHz and 1 MHz) between full-on and full-off states, which minimizes wasted energy. Voltage regulation is provided by varying the ratio of on to off time. In contrast, a linear power supply must dissipate the excess voltage to regulate the output. This higher efficiency is the chief advantage of a switched-mode power supply.

Switching regulators are used as replacements for the linear regulators when higher efficiency, smaller size or lighter weight are required. They are, however, more complicated, their switching currents can cause electrical noise problems if not carefully suppressed, and simple designs may have a poor power factor.
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Here is the deal. The switch mode power supply has the advantage of being lower cost, more efficient and light weight. You don't get these benefits for nothing. Because the power supply is oscillating at a very high frequency this can interact with the clock's in certain pedals like analog dealys and chorus pedals etc. When you combine 2 different frequencies, that can generate sub harmonics which can get superimposed in the audio signal. You also have the issue of all the grounds being connected versus being isolated as with a battery or an isolated power supply.

I have a switch mode power supply and it usually works. I have also seen first hand how it can not work properly with certain pedals and in certain situations. For myself it's a convenient inexpensive way to use pedals at home. For gigs I have a couple of Voodoo Labs Pedal power units. In over 13 years and hundreds of gigs of use the Pedal Powers have always performed flawlessly which is not something I can say about my switch mode power supply.
 
#27
tech21nyc said:
This is from Wikipedia:


Here is the deal. The switch mode power supply has the advantage of being lower cost, more efficient and light weight. You don't get these benefits for nothing. Because the power supply is oscillating at a very high frequency this can interact with the clock's in certain pedals like analog dealys and chorus pedals etc. When you combine 2 different frequencies, that can generate sub harmonics which can get superimposed in the audio signal. You also have the issue of all the grounds being connected versus being isolated as with a battery or an isolated power supply.

I have a switch mode power supply and it usually works. I have also seen first hand how it can not work properly with certain pedals and in certain situations. For myself it's a convenient inexpensive way to use pedals at home. For gigs I have a couple of Voodoo Labs Pedal power units. In over 13 years and hundreds of gigs of use the Pedal Powers have always performed flawlessly which is not something I can say about my switch mode power supply.
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So a switch mode power supply is like a one spot? In layman's terms, the oscillation of something like a delay pedal may interfere with the signal if the power source is one like a One spot????
 
#28
bassgod76 said:
So a switch mode power supply is like a one spot? In layman's terms, the oscillation of something like a delay pedal may interfere with the signal if the power source is one like a One spot????
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Switch mode power supply is what the product is. Computer peripherals typically use these types of power supplies as well. One Spot is the name Visual Sound uses for their product.
 
#29
I've moved to pedal boards with power, simply to save real estate on my board. Like everyone, I started with batteries, then moved on to a One spot. Shortly afterwards I got anpedal that necessitated 18v, so I got the DC Brick from MXR. Spots started losing juice, probably due to misuse, & I got fed up. I found a Furman board with 3 power sockets & 8 9V connectors included. That did great & I only moved on because it was a soft shell. Now I'm working with an SKB hardshell board with the same setup as my old Furman. Works great!

That being said, I'm in a band with multiple pedalboards of moderate size (5-9 pedals) where 1 guy uses a One spot, 1 uses a VLPP, & 1 daisy chains off his tuner that is connected via BOSS PSA-120, & I've never heard anyone complain about power or hum issues...
 
#30
Probably another dumb question: I'm only running 3 pedals at the moment for my band's current tour cycle: Boss TU-2, MXR Bass DI, and a Morley Bass Wah - all 9v powered. Plenty of extra space on my board, and ive been powering it all with a 1-spot...not a single problem so far. But ive been thinking about upgrading the power supply to something more durable, for in the (hopefully) unlikely case that my 1spot were to ever go out on me. Ive seen many bassists with similar setups using the DC Bricks, however, the reviews I've seen on those are not always great. Is there something better to use to power 3 9v's? Or is the 1spot just a better value for the money?
 
#31
JakeTrippATW said:
Probably another dumb question: I'm only running 3 pedals at the moment for my band's current tour cycle: Boss TU-2, MXR Bass DI, and a Morley Bass Wah - all 9v powered. Plenty of extra space on my board, and ive been powering it all with a 1-spot...not a single problem so far. But ive been thinking about upgrading the power supply to something more durable, for in the (hopefully) unlikely case that my 1spot were to ever go out on me. Ive seen many bassists with similar setups using the DC Bricks, however, the reviews I've seen on those are not always great. Is there something better to use to power 3 9v's? Or is the 1spot just a better value for the money?
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I was told that the VL ISO-5, and T-Rex Fuel tank Jr. are good values.
 
#32
JakeTrippATW said:
Probably another dumb question: I'm only running 3 pedals at the moment for my band's current tour cycle: Boss TU-2, MXR Bass DI, and a Morley Bass Wah - all 9v powered. Plenty of extra space on my board, and ive been powering it all with a 1-spot...not a single problem so far. But ive been thinking about upgrading the power supply to something more durable, for in the (hopefully) unlikely case that my 1spot were to ever go out on me. Ive seen many bassists with similar setups using the DC Bricks, however, the reviews I've seen on those are not always great. Is there something better to use to power 3 9v's? Or is the 1spot just a better value for the money?
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Just my opinion, but if you're happy with the 1-Spot currently, then getting another for backup is probably your easiest and cheapest solution.
 
#33
Probably another reason I'm considering a different power option is the noise with my Bass DI. The noise gate feature with the distortion doesn't seem to make a difference at all. My studio guy told me that 1spots tend to have some noise issues with a lot of "hotter" pedals. Voodoo Lab seems to be the one people are digging, would it fix any noise issues?
 
#34
JakeTrippATW said:
Probably another reason I'm considering a different power option is the noise with my Bass DI. The noise gate feature with the distortion doesn't seem to make a difference at all. My studio guy told me that 1spots tend to have some noise issues with a lot of "hotter" pedals. Voodoo Lab seems to be the one people are digging, would it fix any noise issues?
Click to expand...

What your studio guy is likely referring to is an issue that can happen with daisy-chain power and some pedals. Daisy-chain power solutions (such as the 1-Spot) share a ground across all pedals and that can cause an issue with some pedals. If this is what is actually causing your noise, then using an isolated power supply, such as the Voodoo Labs solution, can help.

* EDIT: Also consider what tech21nyc said in the post above. I've not had experience with a switching power supply like the 1-Spot causing issues, but from what I've read, it could be another possible cause of the noise you hear.
 
#36
My BBE Supa Charger is cool...except I did run into problems with my Akai DI and Source Audio BEF Pro until I realized that I needed to hook them up to the 5 & 6 channels which put out 200ma as opposed to 100ma as the other lines do. Very quiet.
 
#37
I may just go with the VL PP2+. It seems that it easily powers all my pedals, including my Line6 G50. It's pricey, but just like when I bought my Furman PL-Plus or Korg DTR-1, it was a one time expense.
 

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