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isolated power supplies

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 6:41 pm
by tuj
hey guys and gals:

For years I've successfully run 2 one-spot's daisy chained across my 20-pedal board. I've slimmed down now and I'm reading about the virtues of isolated supplies. To be honest, I never had any hum issues, and I'm not having any in my current chain of about 10 pedals.

The second problem is that I have at least 2 pedals that draw over 100ma and I'm having trouble finding a proper power supply that has enough outlets for me to isolate every pedal.

What say ye:
-isolate all
-isolate some, daisy-chain some
-screw isolation

???

Re: isolated power supplies

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 7:16 pm
by backwardsvoyager
if you have no noticeable noise issues and the one-spots have been reliable thus far, then any benefits from going isolated are going to be minimal and not worth the money.
i would say consider it for recording purposes as even small amounts of noise that wouldn't be noticed in say a rehearsal will become a bit of an issue, but otherwise it's the sort of thing worth upgrading out of necessity only when daisy chains are proving to be a pain in the ass. i only ever get noise problems with daisy chains when i use certain brands of pedals - strymon and moog in particular, also some analog flangers, but everything else has never been an issue for me.
if it works, it works. PLENTY of touring musicians are rocking onespots with no issues.

Re: isolated power supplies

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 7:26 pm
by lordgalvar
Currently I have a pedal pad non-isolated 2.7amp 8-out supply that I use for some pedals. Some pedals with charge pumps recommend isolated power supplies (I think some subdecay). I use the extra plug on the supple to run an VL iso-5 for my digital pedals and modulation (raptio/DSD-2/Compact faye sing b). The 2.7a is more than enough for dirt and the iso 5 has 3 100ma outs and one 400ma (plus that 18 that I dont currently use).I wouldn't worry about isolation unless you have noise issues (which you don't) but it's pretty easy to run a dual setup.

Personally, I moved on from the one-spots because the cables just wern't long enough and I didn't like having the cables so tight or one loose plug between two pedals.

Re: isolated power supplies

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 7:31 pm
by foomanfat
What backwardsvoyager said.
I ran 10 or 12 pedals on a One Spot for years and only switched to an isolated supply when I needed to run 12 or 18v.
As far as isolated supplies go, I'm using a Cioks DC10 running three chains of two pedals and isolating a Digitech Drop, DMM and Cadavernous.
I'd take that over buying a giant supply to isolate every pedal any day,

Re: isolated power supplies

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 8:07 pm
by tremolo3
Unless you play solo performances of soft music in quiet small spaces with your 5 Watt mic'd amp cranked to 11, the difference betwen a 1stop and a $150 isolated power supply is about $120 bucks.

Re: isolated power supplies

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 8:03 am
by digi2t
I ditched daisy chains a while back. Besides the fact that some digital and analog effects don't play well together on the same chain, mixing of NPN, and PNP effects is verboten. My first isolated power supply I built myself, using R.G. Keen's paper as a guide. I used an old Modicon industrial modem box to house everything.

Image

Image

I also picked up two Rifftone RT-10 power supplies, like this one;

Image

I've had them for over two years now, no problems. They come with a bevy of cables, and the power configurations possible are handy too. You can sag two outputs as well. At $85 US, they're a steal.

Re: isolated power supplies

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 9:05 am
by kbit
If the one spot is working for you with no issues, I'd say keep it. Ive been using the same one spot for like 4 years now with no issues, including high draw digital pedals.

Re: isolated power supplies

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 11:28 am
by echoraven
I have a VL PP+2 on my "dirty" board (mostly dirt pedals). Since that board has about 14 pedals, I've had to daisy chain a few, though I chain pedals that are not likely to be on at the same time, my Muff Nano and my Akai blues have their own spot (the battery drain simulator plugs) since sometimes I stack them. For my modulation board (which is MUCH smaller) I'm hoping to get a VL ISO5 soon.

I don't play out (I just suck too much) but I'm getting into recording so I'm trying to avoid problems...

Re: isolated power supplies

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 12:04 pm
by hbombgraphics
They only issue I have ever had with a onespot and noise has been with line6 stuff
other than that they work very well
I do have an ISO5 but that is more cause I want the 18v

Re: isolated power supplies

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 3:36 pm
by frigid midget
Yep, stick to the one spot, so you can add a somewhat compact and affordable power supply...

It's what I did, cause the Harley Benton Power Plant Jr I got was a 'b stock', so it didn't cost me much more than another one spot. Don't know what the US (or where ever you are) equivalent would be though, but if you're not as stinchy as me you could just go with the real thing and get a T-Rex Fuel Tank Junior, or the Classic if you want more juice. The Voodoo labs units are popular as well, and I think they're considerably cheaper than those cioks power supplies.

Re: isolated power supplies

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 4:26 pm
by hbombgraphics
I still have I think 5 or 6 onespots floating around the house,
always at least 2 on my board (one powers my pitch factor)

They are just ridiculously handy
As a side note
that Rifftone supply is a crazy good value, looks like you can snatch one up on ebay for around 80

Re: isolated power supplies

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 4:29 pm
by UglyCasanova
I have a Voodoo Labs 4X4 for picky pedals and I just daisy-chain the rest. The new Walrus Audio one looks nice though, but it's not something I really need.

Re: isolated power supplies

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 5:27 pm
by 11A
digi2t wrote:Image
What the fuck :!!!:

Re: isolated power supplies

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 5:44 pm
by hbombgraphics
Where did you get them transformers?

Re: isolated power supplies

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 7:17 pm
by digi2t
hbombgraphics wrote:Where did you get them transformers?
Mouser, part number 41PG120, was what I used. I don't see them anymore, but Triad F-113X will work fine too.

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Tri ... 8q842Cg%3d