TheGigRig Generator/Modular Power System

[pantherairsoft]

Stolen from my website & blog: [url="http://www.sheponbass.co.uk/blog/2012/4/28/review-thegigrig-generator-modular-power-system.html"]HERE[/url]

This is something that I have been meaning to write up for a while now. [url="http://www.thegigrig.com"]TheGigRig[/url]'s gear has been discussed on this blog numerous times and my '[url="http://www.sheponbass.co.uk/blog/2012/4/7/signal-chain-bassics-part-vi-pedal-power.html"]Signal Chain BASSics, Part VI: Pedal Power[/url]' blog post does discuss the items below briefly, but I thought it deserved a real write up.

For a long time I was very dubious about spending large amounts of money on power supplies for pedals. Adding up the cost of using such a system on my massive board was quite scary and well over the cost of a couple of top end pedals themselves. I am however, VERY glad I decided to take the jump!

[b]TheGigRig Generator:[/b]


The Generator forms part of a 'Modular Power System' which offers not only the mother of all power supplies, but also a replacement for the traditional 'Daisy Chain', in the form of a high quality terminal strip-style distribution unit, simply called 'The Distributor'. The Modular System also has a range of smart little adapters that can be added to any of the Distributors outputs to convert it's 9v supply into 12, 15, 18 or even 24v, reverse polarity, change plug size etc. and [url="http://www.thegigrig.com/acatalog/PS_Virtual_Batteries.html"]TheGigRig Virtual Battery[/url] can be used to provide isolated outputs. This effectively allows you to buy the exact components required to power an entire pedal board (even a huge one like mine) off a single 9v DC supply.

[i][b]SPECIFICATION...[/b][/i]

[b]TheGigRig Generator:[/b][list]
[*]A huge 5 Amps (that's 5000mA!!!) of power
[*]Regulated 9v DC output
[*]Switching system that works anywhere in the world (from 110-250v) without power convertors
[*]Short circuit protection
[*]Self-healing fuse (if it blows it actually heals itself!)
[*]Very compact and super lightweight
[/list]
[b]TheGigRig Distributor:[/b][list]
[*]Provides uninterrupted 9v DC output to 6 pedals
[*]Cut-to-length power cables (supplied) so no excess cable to deal with
[*]Distributors can be linked together to provide more outputs
[/list]
[b]TheGigRig Virtual Battery:[/b][list]
[*]Allows powering of pedals that require 'isolated' power
[*]Power noisy and problematic pedals from your Generator
[/list]
Various [url="http://www.thegigrig.com/acatalog/PS_High_Current_Adapters.html"]High Current Adapters[/url] are also available for the system.

[i][b]FEATURES: 9/10[/b][/i]
The unit pretty much has it all. You can't deny it. Looking at the list above it's easy to see why it's the power supply of choice for many top touring musicians around the world.

The Generator is the most powerful 9v supply on the market with massive amounts of headroom even for demanding pedal boards. 5000mA is serious juice! The fact it can be used anywhere in the world and has a range of built in filtering and protection circuits also earns it massive points. You know you're safe in venues with questionable electrics and dodgy wiring & you always know you're pedals are protected.

The Distributors are also fantastic a design, allowing exact cable lengths to be used when powering your pedals. It is worth pointing out that the Distributor is not 'required' to use the generator (which will function perfectly with traditional daisy chains) but they are a must for a tidy board! Here are a couple of shots from the back of my board where you can see the Generator, Distributors, Virtual Batteries and Reverse Polarity (red) adapters:



The high score here is really relevant to The Modular Power system as a while though, rather than just the Generator. The range of adapters along with the awesome Virtual Battery (which lets me power my Moogerfoogers from the same supply without horrid noise!) means the system really has the ability to power almost every pedal in the world.

The only minor set back is powering those pedals which require an AC supply. Some rival supplies (that often lack in flexibility) do have a dedicated AC output for units such as the Digitech Whammy (GigRig did make a Whammy AC adapter for a while but it was discontinued) which is a VERY useful addition.

As soon as TheGigRig crack the AC side of things this is on for a perfect 10!

[i][b]PERFORMANCE: 9/10[/b][/i]
It does what they claim without a doubt. It provides perfect quality power while protecting your pedals. Even with a hefty load the Generator remains very cool compared to many supplies I have used and while some of the high current adapters do get quite warm while in use, the manuals clearly state this is totally normal and they do not introduce any unwanted artefacts or noise etc.

The system is easy to set up and move around with all the cables being reusable should you decide a new layout is required.

I've been gigging with my board being powered by a Modular Power System for nearly a year now and have not experienced any powering issues and no sign of any noise being added to the signal chain from any part of the set up. Having confidence in your gear is a huge bonus for any musician and this performs by letting me perform with no worries!

One observation I have had is that the power cables from the Distributors can emit a slight 'rustling' noise when moved by hand - not that this would ever interfere with live or studio work, but when making slight adjustments to locations of stuff in the rehearsal room while the board is powered up I have heard this. I assume this is part of the cable contact not being soldered in place. The sound is slight and in no way related to a crackly cable connection. This does not bother me in any way, but a point worth noting for completions sake.

[i][b]BUILD QUALITY: 9/10 [/b][/i]
The Generator is built like a tank. Holding it, you'd expect it to be the one thing along side the Cockroach that will survive nuclear fallout! The Distributors are also well made, especially given they are in essence small plastic cubes. They feels sturdy with no movement in any of the components. The terminal clamps hold fast and require a small tool (such as a precision screwdriver) to move them. When the cables are clamped in place they require SERIOUS force to pull them out (you'd be more likely to snap the cable in two!) - no way anything is coming loose here!

The high current adapters are built from the same materials as the Distributors and feel just as solid.

A few discussions around online forums have argued that the cable itself is quite thin and flimsy when compared to the insulation around the cable on a typical daisy chain. I think it's important to point out that the GigRig power leads are comparable to that used from most professional wall-wart style supplies and offer more than sufficient protection for the cable inside.

[i][b]VALUE FOR MONEY: 8/10[/b][/i]
This is a very tough one to score. There is no doubt about the units 'worth' - It does what it does better than the competition and with more options available to it than almost any other power supply on earth. It runs without interference and ensures you get the best out of your gear. In those terms, a GigRig Modular Power System is STUNNING.

It would be very unfair to score top marks across the board though (not that an 8 isn't a bloody awesome score!) as this is a VERY expensive system. Not to say this is the MOST expensive system out there but the price point to power a larger board, or one with some more demanding pedals, would price this system out of the market for a fair portion of musicians who have already invested all their money in the pedals to start with. I'd like to state for the record that personally I feel the price point is totally justified given the quality of the product and the fact that I really can't put a price on piece of mind and reliability for my gear... others however (particularly those with smaller set ups) my struggle to justify the expense given the prices of some other options on the market.

[i][b]CUSTOMER SUPPORT: 10/10[/b][/i]
This one is easy peasy... Dan is a customer service monster! He understands that happy customers are the bread and butter of his business. He replies to emails daily, answers questions on social networking sites like facebook throughout the day and picks up the phone/returns calls promptly.

He is also determined to solve all and every issue that could come to light. The simple fact is that on paper it's easy to work out which adapter will power which pedal, but in practice simple things like the order of the pedals, the noise floor of older units etc. can have unexpected results. Dan ensures all of these situations are dealt with. TheGigRig will modify and tweak adapters to get the correct results and Dan doesn't rest until your set up is working 100%. I had one particularly naughty pedal when I first made the move over the the Modular Power System and Dan was good enough to send me out a modified adapter to ensure the results were perfect before I paid for it!

The bonus with this is that Dan is not just the customer service man for the company, but also involved in the conception, design & creation of the products.

Prompt service. Knowledgeable. Helpful. Friendly. What more could you want!

[i][b]OVERALL: 9/10[/b][/i]
Without a doubt the daddy of all pedal powering solutions. Compared to the other options is offers masses of headroom and unlimited powering options as part of a noise and hassle free system. The Generator and it's little friends offers me everything I could ever need and should I ever get to the point that 5000mA wasn't enough for me then a 2nd Generator would allow me to split my existing Distributors between the 2 of them for a total of 10,000mA headroom!

Even some more expensive systems available actually offer you less for your money and many are sold on benefits & functions that The Modular Power System includes as a given. The system is offered with fantastic customer support behind it (which adds to the piece of mind) and will ultimately never become redundant as your pedal collection grows.
Expensive - Yes. Quality - Yes... and we all know that you get what you pay for!

This is a professional system for professional musicians and I know for a fact that mine will be staying for life.

Shep

A little video from TheGigRig which offers a run down of how most of the Modular Power System works along with some of it's smart little adapters:
[media]http://youtu.be/36wQ0QmI8RY[/media]