Calling all Hartke Bass Attack owners!

[kingbee]

I've just acquired a Hartke Bass VXL Tone-Shaper Pre-Amp (second-hand, but in excellent condition, with original box and instruction manual).

What's not clear from the manual, though, is: (1) if I use a DC supply, can I use any old DC supply or do I have to buy the ("optional" = rip-off) Hartke version? (2) if I use a 9v battery instead, can I leave this in when the pedal's not in use - in other words, will I drain the battery if I don't remove it between playing sessions? Having to remove the battery after each gig would be a royal pain, but I'll bow to the wisdom of others.

Any and all advice most welcome. Many thanks.

Edited July 5, 2011 by kingbee

[lemmywinks]

I just used a standard 9v source linked from my Sabine tuner pedal which in turn was fed by a standard Boss-type supply, never really thought about it at the time!

It worked fine for ages until the Sabine got nicked and the Hartke pedal developed a loose jack.



EDIT: Make sure you get a dedicated regulated one as the universal jobbies are prone to interference and noise.

Edited July 5, 2011 by lemmywinks

[Guest MoJo]

I use a DC brick I got from Maplin Electronics and I've also powered it with our guitarists 9v adaptor so no, you don't have to use the 'official' adaptor. There is no drain from the battery when the unit is not in use or when being powered by an AC adaptor

[JimBobTTD]

...but unplug your cables (especially from the input) to preserve battery. On most pedals (this might not be the case with the Hartke), the input cable creates the circuit, thus using the battery even when the thing is switched off.

[kingbee]

Thanks guys. This in fact has answered a third question (well, not so much a question - more a "duh?"): I couldn't understand why the LED lights would come on while the pedal was cabled up, but remained inactive when no cables were attached. Now I know, so thanks JimBobTTD for that. See, in all the years I've played bass I've never once used a pedal of any kind, so I know literally f-all about how they work. Only reason I'm employing one now is, I'll be going through PA using the Hartke's DI-Out XLR.

I think the manual - like many typical manuals - assumes too much prior knowledge on the part of the reader. Anyway, thanks again - most helpful, as always. What a great forum this is.

[Bottle]

Yep, just to echo the comments above, any [i]well-regulated[/i] 9V [b]DC[/b] 'wall wart' type adapter or specific pedalboard adapter should work, as long as the DC connection is centre-negative (see the attached symbol) and it can supply at a minimum the amount of current required by the pedal (usually quoted in milliAmperes - mA). You won't hurt the pedal by having a PSU that can supply more current than the pedal requires, it will just have more in reserve for when you add other pedals.

HTH
Ian