Power Supply for Multiple Stomp Boxes

[Larry R]

I have several stomp boxes that I would like to chain together but don't want to use individual power supplies. I have been looking at the JIM Dunlop JD-10 which will give me seven 9v ports and three 18v ports.
I don't know if Boss still makes a Pwr Supp
or not.
Anyone got any suggestions?

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[Jerry Hedge]

The best one I've found is by a company called Voodoo Labs. It's expensive,but well regulated and worth the money!

[Larry R]

Jerry, I looked at one at a music store to the tune of $189 and it's a special order only. The store doesn't stock them.
Why is this one better than any of the others?

[Jack Stoner]

I would think that that unit is overkill for a couple of effects units. Beside, some effect units do not require an external reglulated power supply - just an unregulated DC voltage.

[Keith Hilton]

Yes Jack, most of them just take un-regulated DC voltage. There still could be some concerns. Some devices have power adapters made for the device. In these special cases some filtering is added after the AC is converted to DC. Try the multi-power device you plan on buying, to make sure there is no noise due to any loss of filters. Be especially careful not to plug into a higher voltage. If the device says 9 volts, don't plug into a power supply that has more voltage. All of your boxes should have voltage regulators inside, and they should regulate to about 35 volts. The problem is when you get up above 20 volts and try and regulate it down, you need heat sinks. Due to the small space inside some of these boxes, the manufacturers don't put in heat sinks. So, you must stay in a low voltage range ,or risk burning up your voltage regulator. By the way, a 9 volt power supply won't read 9 volts. My 12 volt power supplies read in a range from 17 to 20 volts-un-loaded. Usually a power supply will read slightly more than it's rating. So, be really careful about plugging into any higher voltage source.
Remember there are AC to AC converters, but you probably need AC to DC. If you can afford it, the higher priced regulated and filtered power supplies are best. The only problem is that they can cost quite a bit.


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[Bill Crook]

Just my personal experiences....

I have a "Boss" ac adaptor model "PSA-120T" that I use to power 2 (sometimes 3) stomp-boxes. This PS is rated at 200mA and dosen't even get warm, much less hot when used for 2 or 3 devices. It is a 9 volt PS, eventho it may read a bit higher than that if checked un-loaded.

For the average PSG player, we don't have more than 3 stomp-boxes in a series. If we need more ef'xs than that, usually we have a Profex II or equivalent Efx unit in the loop.

Just my thoughts

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bill Crook on 01 July 2000 at 08:21 AM.]</p></FONT>

[Dennis Detweiler]

I built a power supply many yrs ago with schematics from a radio shack project book. I added more filter caps to it. You can dial in the voltage you need on it's outputs and add as many output jacks as you need. The chassis and parts cost me under $15 and the unit has no cycle hum. If you or someone you know can read basic electronic schematics and use a soldering gun, it's a worthwhile project.
DD

[Michael Brebes]

A rule of thumb for powering pedals is that usually a pedal powered by a 9-volt battery draws less than 10 mA. That means that the Roland power supply should be able to drive atleast 20 of the above devices. I have been using one for some time to supply power to 9 pedals in my guitar pedal board without any problem. Also, alkaline batteries usually start out more around 10V so if you are going to make a power supply I would recommend making it atleast 10V to get better headroom.

[Larry R]

Good Feedback guys. I have 3 pedals, maybe a 4th pedal that I will use.

B0B-close this thread.