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Who still uses batteries? Let's make a list!

#22
Zooberwerx said:
I checked my junk bin…sonofa*****!! Send me some batteries, would ya?

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Batteries? In this economy? It’s been quite a while, but IIRC, batteries didn’t last very long. I remember you had to unplug the pedals all the time. (I’m having PTSD from remembering that huge Line 6 delay. Didn’t that thing go through 4 C batteries in mere hours?).

Anyway, maybe I’ll need a Costco membership after this.
 
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#23
triviani said:
There's little justification for using batteries in pedals in 2026, and being lazy to bring a power supply is not one of them.

Maybe that germanium fuzz, that's pretty much it.


Yep, I don't think they have come with a practical solution to power bass preamps without batteries!
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My thinking was, buy a small cheap but reliable power supply and a small board.

I haven't look at the cheap boards on Amazon or Temu, but the more well-known stuff is either too large or the gig bag is sold separately for almost as much as the board itself. Pedaltrain makes the Nano, but I can't seem to find one locally. I assume since it's the same prize as the Nano+, it's what stores are stocking. The Nano+ is a bit too big. There are some online stores that stock the Nano, but it's under the free shipping threshold, so it drives the price way up.

For the power supply, I would've thought 1Spot would've made a smaller one by now to put on top of a small board, but no. The smaller ones (Strymon, CIOKS) are expensive.

I suppose I could always buy a 1Spot without a board. But it’s also not that much cheaper than the Strymon.

We’ll see how long batteries last.
 
#25
These do; I have more. I use adapters.
My Boss OD-3 too.
 

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#26
trout fishing said:
My thinking was, buy a small cheap but reliable power supply and a small board.

I haven't look at the cheap boards on Amazon or Temu, but the more well-known stuff is either too large or the gig bag is sold separately for almost as much as the board itself. Pedaltrain makes the Nano, but I can't seem to find one locally. I assume since it's the same prize as the Nano+, it's what stores are stocking. The Nano+ is a bit too big. There are some online stores that stock the Nano, but it's under the free shipping threshold, so it drives the price way up.

For the power supply, I would've thought 1Spot would've made a smaller one by now to put on top of a small board, but no. The smaller ones (Strymon, CIOKS) are expensive.

I suppose I could always buy a 1Spot without a board. But it’s also not that much cheaper than the Strymon.

We’ll see how long batteries last.
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I just picked up a cheap board for $40 including a small bag. It’s great and it fits 5 pedals comfortably. Vohalo or Sonicake 14” boards on Amazon, same size as the Nano,
with some room underneath

I’ve also been using a rechargeable power supply on and off for a couple years, and for low draw pedals it will run all day. It’s been very quiet for me, but I’ve only been running analog pedals, none digital. The only downside is that it won’t power multiple high draw pedals - but there are some that will. I paid $35 for it, and the ones I’ve seen with higher output run $50-60
 
#29
I use a dummy plug to disconnect the battery when not in use.
"Scotch Extreme Interlocking Fasteners" keep things in place.
"Powerex 9.6V Rechargeable NiMH Batteries" for power.

​

 

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#30
trout fishing said:
My thinking was, buy a small cheap but reliable power supply and a small board.

I haven't look at the cheap boards on Amazon or Temu, but the more well-known stuff is either too large or the gig bag is sold separately for almost as much as the board itself. Pedaltrain makes the Nano, but I can't seem to find one locally. I assume since it's the same prize as the Nano+, it's what stores are stocking. The Nano+ is a bit too big. There are some online stores that stock the Nano, but it's under the free shipping threshold, so it drives the price way up.

For the power supply, I would've thought 1Spot would've made a smaller one by now to put on top of a small board, but no. The smaller ones (Strymon, CIOKS) are expensive.

I suppose I could always buy a 1Spot without a board. But it’s also not that much cheaper than the Strymon.

We’ll see how long batteries last.
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There are a bunch of economic small pedalboards in Amazon or ebay, but the soft cases they come with are not great. I simply bought a pedalboard and then use my own backpack to carry it. I also use a Nano as compact carry-on.

For the power supply, I haven't tried the newer, budget-friendly power bricks (brands like Lekato). I did use the more expensive Cioks or Strymon for a while, but I later switched to a Godlike Powerall, and it has worked great for me.

I get that for us it’s easier to just use a battery-powered fuzz and be done with it. But as soon as you add a tuner and another pedal, a power supply simply becomes the better option.
 
#31
I use batteries in a couple of situations, one being a quick in ear rig with an MXR M81 so that I don't need to use two wall warts, and the other being a Keeley Bassist compressor if I want to keep it simple for a gig or rehearsal. I use rechargeable 9V batteries and unplug from the input when I'm done. I also have a Turbo Tuner at home that I keep on battery.

I consider it an entirely viable option for pedals to make it easy and limit setup time.
 
#32
I run my Bass Fly Rig, and sometimes an OMEC Teleport, and sometimes a Boss Vocoder, and occasionally the guitarist’s multiFX (if his batteries die) off of a large power bank. It has a 9V tap, but does need a polarity inverter. It only needs charging every few months (but we only rehearse once a week at most).
 
#36
As a guitar player I learned pretty quickly when I got into fuzz pedals that using a battery is 9/10 better than NOT using one. I even go for the old style carbon batteries since I've tested them side by side and there is a difference to my ears. The old school batteries create a natural "sag" to the voltage that fuzz pedals really love, mimics a dying battery often. Pretty much everything else except for transistor based overdrives as well. I usually test them along with my power supply and a battery. Sometimes it's better, but not always with most modern designs.
 
#38
So, I just finished moving things around.

If a USB power bank is a battery, then I'm running it all on batteries.

I've pretty much switched to virtual amps & effects

5V USB to iPad & Babyface

15V & 18V to preamp & wireless receiver via Songbird Birdcords

Pretty cool upgrade.

Bonus hiss reduction from not being connected to wall juice

Seems to get 5-6 hours before needing recharge
 

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