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Power supplies: Let's have it out!

#61
jwr said:
I will say this about power supplies. It only seems to matter when you have a larger board.
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jmattbassplaya said:
Personally, I think all those "nicer" power supplies are nothing more than smoke, mirrors, and some seriously good marketing.
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Not true. ^^^
If I could make a 1 Spot deal with all the pedals I have I'd happily use a 1 Spot. It won't though. And I don't need a large pedalboard to justify a T-Rex Fuel Tank either. Running an Eventide Modfactor, a T-Rex Roommate reverb and a Diamond compressor (a configuration i actually use on occasion) and you've got a board where the 1 Spot will power NOTHING on it.
 
#62
jeffbonny said:
Not true. ^^^
If I could make a 1 Spot deal with all the pedals I have I'd happily use a 1 Spot. It won't though.
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it's usually grounding issues. If your pedals & house power will share a ground wire, then by all means use a one spot. if not, a power box built to meet the specs of your setup will put the conflicts on separate channels & cure what ails you.
 
#63
jeffbonny said:
Not true. ^^^
If I could make a 1 Spot deal with all the pedals I have I'd happily use a 1 Spot. It won't though. And I don't need a large pedalboard to justify a T-Rex Fuel Tank either. Running an Eventide Modfactor, a T-Rex Roommate reverb and a Diamond compressor (a configuration i actually use on occasion) and you've got a board where the 1 Spot will power NOTHING on it.
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That's not the point. If a specific pedal or yours requires a specific power source then by all means use that. I countered that problem by having a full-size surge protector on my board. But for everything else the 1Spots worked flawlessly.
 
#64
jmattbassplaya said:
That's not the point. If a specific pedal or yours requires a specific power source then by all means use that. I countered that problem by having a full-size surge protector on my board. But for everything else the 1Spots worked flawlessly.
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No, it is exactly the point.
You're saying a boutique PSU is smoke and mirrors.
I'm saying a boutique PSU is a practical and if I want to get rid of multiple wallwarts a NECESSARY thing for certain pedals I use. I cited three of those pedals. I don't run big enough boards that a surge strip or even a power bar filled with wall warts is practical. And if that surge protector of yours is any good by using it you just took back anything you gained in terms of footprint and cost with the 1 Spot.
 
#65
I understand you're talking about the quality of the sound but along with that some really practical reasons for using something other than a cheap daisy chain seem to be getting swept under the carpet to some degree with broad unqualified strokes like "smoke and mirrors".
 
#66
I agree that the "smoke and mirrors" line was unfounded... to put it nicely.

There are well-documented hard science reasons for choosing an isolated supply. I've gone it over in detail in a hundred previous threads.

There are also strong good reasons for choosing a daisy chain.

I use both, as the practical situation demands.
 
#67
Some pedal builders tell you to only use Isolated power supplies with their products and in some cases this can even void your warranty if you go against it.

I don't like One Spots. The only reason I can see using one, is to save money. Other than that, I don't get it.
 
#68
HolmeBass said:
The Voodoo Labs PP2+ has two 250 mA taps- while not a ton of current, that's still enough to adequately daisy chain 5 dirt and fx loop pedals together.

I'm a bit surprised that their "high current" taps on the Mondo only go to 400 mA. I would have picked at least 500, and maybe more like 600 - 800 specifically for daisy chaining.
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In my case I generally only will run 2 or 3 drive and 3-4 other very low-draw pedals at any one time, but I have (or have had/coveted) a handful of pedals with mA draws beyond 100 mA (and my Boomerang III, which requires 500-1000 mA) so neither the PP2 or the Mondo would be ideal for my needs. I have been surprised by that particular limitation as well- I wouldn't consider investing in an isolated supply that couldn't eliminate my wall warts or there wouldn't be any point!

jmattbassplaya said:
I ran 14 pedals at one time with 2 1Spots. I had zero issues with that setup. Personally, I think all those "nicer" power supplies are nothing more than smoke, mirrors, and some seriously good marketing. I had a Voodoo Labs for a week before I discovered that it didn't power my pedals any better than the 1Spot. I sold it and made my $100 back.
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You were fortunate to have a taste for pedals without limiting power requirements! Add an AC powered pedal, some 12V/16V/18V/24V or a funky digital delay or quirky fuzz that hisses or clocks (or won't even function) when daisy-chained and suddenly the more expensive/feature-laden supplies seem pretty useful. I had the exact opposite experience from you when I first bought my first isolated supply after many years using a 1 Spot- suddenly I was able to power all my pedals from one box (I used to sometimes have a 1 Spot + 3 seperate wall warts to get the correct power for all my pedals at once), AND completely noise-free which I couldn't get from the 1 Spot depending on my chain (it was easy enough to find which pedals were prone to cause noise and make sure they were isolated on the new supply). Considering each output on most isolated supplies is essentially its own power supply, it is hardly just smoke and mirrors compared to one single power supply- just because your particular pedals fit the ideal for use with a 1 Spot doesn't change the fact that a 1 Spot inherently has limitations that arise with some/many other pedals out there. They are purpose-built technology, so if your needs don't match the particular purpose of the supply then use what does work for you- good on you if you can save $100 in the process!
 
#69
jwr said:
Some pedal builders tell you to only use Isolated power supplies with their products and in some cases this can even void your warranty if you go against it.

I don't like One Spots. The only reason I can see using one, is to save money. Other than that, I don't get it.
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Well that tears it. This guy says I can't use a 1Spot, so I've changed my mind...I'm dropping the 1Spot. I don't want him thinking I'm a douchebag.
 
#72
oh **** YOU Jimmy. i've been sitting here hungry as BUTTS but too lazy to go get something to eat.

now i want a burrito.

so i'm going to get a burriton.

you bad, bad man.

and lay off the Jwars you silly goose. i ADORE that man.
 

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