30 Pedals in 30 Days – Day 3 – Power & Switching – Voodoo Style!
The Tone King | Nov 03, 2009 | Comments 5
Boys & Girls – WELCOME to The Tone King’s latest & greatest set of videos …
30 Pedals in 30 Days!!
DAY #3: November 3nd, 2009 :
Focus is on : Power & Switching for any custom pedalboard!
Units used in the video are :
1) The Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus
2) The Voodoo Lab Pedal Switcher
Dear Diary, I own lots of pedals and have these issues … 1) I am spending a fortune on batteries. That sux! 2) I have blown out a few pedals, by using wall-warts that weren’t made for the pedal – for 3 primary reasons : Too low of a Ma rating, incorrect Voltage, and wrong polarity. That sux too! 3) On top of power – I feel like my tone is being sucked dry. WHAT DO I DO???
So, here is the deal. The answer is simple. A GOOD pedal power solution will get you going in the right direction. A GOOD pedal switcher will give you endless amount of options, all while preserving your tone! Here’s the run-down.
PEDAL POWER :
There are many Pedal Power Solutions out there. The one used in my video is the Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus, which gives you 8 ports, and will allow for AC / DC voltages, ranging from 100Ma to 250Ma, for the most demanding pedals. There are options for SAG control (which simulates the characteristics of a drained 9V battery), and allows you to run many voltages. A must for any home brew / custom pedal board, that doesn’t already have a built-in power solution.
Here is a rough chart (Shopper’s Guide), which is a bit incomplete, simply b/c I couldn’t find all of the relevant information. BUT, as I learn more about each product, I’ll fill in the blanks. At the very least – it should put you in the right direction!
PSA | ACA | |||||||||||
Pedal Power Solutions | Ports | Sag Control | 9V | 12V | 16v | 18V | 24V | Max Ma | 120v/240v | Reverse Polarity Capable | Isolated Outputs | |
Visual Sounds One Spot Combo | $ 34.95 | n/a | ||||||||||
Gator G-Bus 8-US Pedal Board PS | $ 94.99 | |||||||||||
T-Rex 9V Fuel Talk Jr. | $ 99.99 | 5 | Yes | Yes | up to 120ma | Yes | ||||||
Pedal Pad Power II PS | $ 119.99 | |||||||||||
Voodoo Lab Pedal Power AC | $ 139.99 | 6 | ||||||||||
BBE Supa Charger | $ 149.99 | 8 | Yes | Yes | Yes | 100-200 | Selectable | With add-on accessory cable | Yes | |||
Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2+ | $ 169.99 | 8 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 100-250 | Fixed | Yes | ||
T-Rex 12V Fuel Tank Juicy Lucy | $ 199.99 | 5 | Yes | Yes |
AS FOR SWITCHING … I am not aware of any product quite like the Voodoo Lab Pedal Switcher. It gives you quite a number of set-up options.
Options such as :
1) Allowing for 4 true bypass loops.
2) Allowing you to patch in a tuner, in a true bypass loop.
3) Allowing you to A/B to different amps.
4) Allowing for buffered or non-buffered inputs.
These are all great considerations in any pedalboard set-up.
IF YOU KNOW IF ANOTHER PRODUCT THAT COMES CLOSE – email me, and I’ll but together a buyer’s guide on Pedal Switching products.
Below are some useful links …
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A killer article from Peter Cornish ‘against’ True Bypass : http://www.petecornish.co.uk/case_against_true_bypass.html
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Here is a tutorial on ‘How to Order my FX Pedals’: https://thetoneking.com/?p=681
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The Tone King’s UPDATED Tube Amp Buyer’s Guide (Fall / Winter 2009): https://thetoneking.com/?p=861
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About the Author: The Tone King | TheToneKing.com | TTKRocks | REAL reviews for REAL players! ROCK hard, ROCK loud, ROCK ON!