Save money on expensive batteries and stop wasting your time taking apart your pedalboard to change them out. Works with all effects that run on 9V battery including vintage pedals without power jacks.
Works with carbon batteries, but can also be used with select modern pedals. Be sure to check your pedal’s manual if you use this to make sure it can handle the lower voltage.
Vertex Effects Battery Power Supply
If you’re a fan of vintage pedals, you probably already know how quickly those batteries run out, and how tedious it can be to take apart your entire pedalboard each time you need to change a battery. The Vertex Effects Battery Power Supply lets you bypass the input jack and use external 9V batteries to power your favorite overdrives, distortions, fuzzes, and wahs without all the hassle. Simply load up to four carbon batteries with the simple thumbscrew, and you’re ready to rock. The power supply will only “ACTIVATE” the input feed when it’s receiving battery power, and will DISABLE the batteries when it’s not. That means you’ll never need to tear your board apart or disconnect an input jack, which can be very important for keeping your signal clean.
The power supply itself may look like a super-simple device, but it features some very smart thought and serious processing under the hood. The idea is to give your pedals the same kind of optimized 9V power that they got when they were brand new out of the box, and were used by players who demanded top-notch tone. Players like Eric Johnson, Scott Henderson, Michael Landau, and Josh Smith all prefer cheap Dollar Store variety carbon batteries over an AC power supply because of the sag and amp-like feel that they impart on overdrive and distortion pedals.
Another benefit of the Battery Power Supply is that it doesn’t introduce a series of rectifiers and capacitors into your power chain the way an AC power supply does. This is because AC power supplies convert the current from your house/venue into DC for your pedals, and then have to use a bunch of filters and caps to smooth it out before it gets to the actual pedals. In addition, the audible 60 cycle hum that you hear with an AC power supply comes from the ground loops that they create when fed with your house/venue power.
Using the Battery Power Supply for your daisy chain of analog pedals can help you get rid of this problem, and will also let you add more digital pedals to your setup, since they don’t generate any perturbations on their own. Just make sure to pick up one with isolated power outputs, as most cheap ones don’t have them, and it can cause problems when you connect multiple pedals in parallel.
Drill Battery Pedal Build
A power supply is a great way to keep your pedals running and sounding their best. It will give you a steady voltage (usually 9v) and the current required to run them. A good power supply will also be quiet, reducing the chance of ground loops that cause hum in your signal path. Some will even isolate each output so you can daisy chain your pedals and eliminate tone-robbing interaction between them.
Pedal power requirements are generally stated by the manufacturer of the pedal and can be found in the manual or online. Using an alternative power supply can cause problems with your pedal, especially when used in conjunction with other pedals. A power supply that does not meet all three of the pedal’s power parameters (Polarity, Voltage, and Amperage) may not work with it at all or worse, could damage your pedal.
There are many different types of battery power supplies available on the market. Some are AC powered and others are battery operated. Battery-powered power supplies are portable and ideal for busking or traveling. They typically have a USB output that can charge your phone or tablet while you play.
Most pedals have a 2.1mm plug that can be connected to either a positive (+) or negative (-) power supply. Some pedals have a diagram on the outside of the box or manual showing which polarity to use. Using the wrong polarity will prevent the pedal from turning on or, in the worst case, permanently damage the circuitry inside.
The Pedal Power 2 PLUS is an ideal power supply for small to medium pedalboards and as a supplemental power supply in larger rigs. It is quieter than most because it uses custom-designed, ultra-low noise toroidal transformers to power each output. This eliminates the large magnetic fields generated by wall warts, which can create a hum in any pedal that is close by.
The Pedal Power 2 PLUS has isolated outputs to prevent a common problem known as ground loops. These occur when the ground paths of multiple pedals are connected and create a hum in your signal path. It has built in a 7.4V/4400 mAh rechargeable battery pack that provides you with plenty of power for your entire pedalboard while it’s charging.
Voodoo Lab 9V Battery Snap to Right Angle 2.1mm Pedal Power Cable
When you build a pedal board it is important to consider how you will power your effects. Pedal effects have different voltage requirements, connection types and current demands. Getting all of this together is a challenge.
There are a few good options available to help you get the job done. One is to use an isolated power supply that has specialized 9V, 12V and 18V output ports within the same unit. This option is not only more cost effective than buying multiple pedal power supplies but it also eliminates the possibility of mixing different polarity pedals in a daisy chain or non-isolated power supply, which can lead to hums and buzzes.
Another option is a pedal board with built in isolated power supply ports. This type of setup has the added benefit of keeping all of your pedals neatly organized and allows you to keep your board clean. If you are building your own pedal board, the cable runs for the pedals can be routed using industrial adhesive-backed velcro or nylon cable tie mounts and wire ties. This will give your pedal board a professional look.
Most pedals require a standard 2.1 mm power connector. However, some effects have a 2.5 mm plug and socket. These are usually marked for reverse polarity. Voodoo Lab marks these plugs and sockets with a white label while Cioks uses red to identify them.
If your pedals have a 2.5 mm power input, the Pedal Power 2 PLUS will allow you to connect two of these outputs in series to create a single 24V output that will run a large number of Electro-Harmonix effects. The Pedal Power 2 PLUS also has outputs that are switched to 12V ACA mode to provide the voltage required for most Boss effects.
The Pedal Power 2 PLUS has a power indicator LED to let you know it is on. Outputs 1-8 are individually isolated, filtered and regulated DC power outputs. Each output is capable of providing up to 400mA. The outputs can be combined using the Output Splitter or Voltage Doubler cables.
Battery Clip Converter Cable
The battery snap works with any pedal that can run off of 9V and it’s ideal for older vintage pedals without power jacks. It’s also great for guitarists who cannot tolerate the noise or hum that can result from daisy chaining pedals to power supplies. This is because the 1 SPOT uses a unique circuit to provide true isolated power, ensuring the cleanest power possible.
Power adapters, which are also known as DC to USB converters or power supply units, convert the AC (Alternating Current) that comes out of your wall outlet into the DC current that runs your pedals. They use rectifiers and capacitors to “smooth” the current and to protect your pedals from spikes and surges. This happens inside the “wall wart” part of the power supply.
Most pedals require 9V DC supplied through a center negative plug. Some pedals, however, can take higher voltages and may even sound better at these levels, depending on the design of the pedal. This is why you’ll see some power supplies that have the option to run at 12V or 18V. It’s important to read your pedal’s instructions manual and be sure that the pedal can handle the higher voltage.
You’ll also want to check the maximum rated current of the power supply. This will be listed in the user’s manual or on the bottom of the unit. It is best to not use a power supply that can deliver more than the recommended maximum rated current because this could damage the pedal or even burn out the power supply itself.
It’s important to remember that voltage is directional, meaning it has a positive and a negative. The vast majority of pedals are DC center negative but you should always consult your pedal’s instruction manual to be certain that your setup is correct.