Will this power my pedals?

[ReeV0]

Hi all,

I'm a noob with electronics. I've got this power supply, notice the polarity symbol on it - it doesn't match the symbol of that of the two pedals on the right. And the two on the left don't even have that symbol.

Am I ok to use this or will it blow up my pedals? Lol

 

Edited October 7, 2020 by jjl5590

[Baloney Balderdash]

While not all pedals use this polarity, the standard is center minus, sleeve plus, like the two pedals on the left.

I think it's pretty safe to assume the two pedals on the right use that polarity too (center minus, sleeve plus).

And no, your power supply with the reverse polarity won't work! ( Edit!!! : that is assuming your description had actually matched reality, however that is not the case, as the power supply, after having had a closer look on the picture you provided, does in fact use the same polarity as your pedals, so it will work perfectly fine )

Weather it could potentially harm your pedals to use it I don't know, but there is no reason for trying it out, as I can guarantee that it most definitely won't work.

Edited October 7, 2020 by Baloney Balderdash

[bobbass4k]

First things first - the power supply IS the same polarity as the SDRUM and the Zoom (generally called "tip negative" or "centre negative".)  and WILL work with these two.

The fact the plus and minus are the other way round on the symbol on the power supply is NOT important - the important information is which is which. The diiagram shows the centre pin (the solid black circle) and the sleeve (the semi circle). These are then labelled positive and negative, so THAT is the information you need too match. You can and will see these symbols both way round, what matters is if the solid black circle is connected to the minus or plus.

The other two will also work but the explanation is a little longer - Boss pedals all use standard 9V tip negative 2.1mm connectors, like your power supply (it is also called "Boss style power" as they popularized it). This is the industry standard and most pedals use this. The problem with the Boss and Jamman is that the big companies will often tell you to use only their power supplies, but the manual will usually tell you even if the pedal itself doesn't - (the manual I found here confirms it is tip negative).

So you're safe to use it on all four. Some extra advice though about current draw since I assume you'll be daisy chaining. Your pedals "draw" current from the power supply, when you're daisy chaining this means that you add up the current draws given on the pedal and the total has to be LESS than the current output of the supply. So your total current draw is 500mA (0.5A) + 500mA + 350mA (0.35A) + 70mA (RC-3, I looked it up) = 1.42A. So you're fine as this is well below the 3A of your supply, but if you add any other big digital pedals you'll need to be careful as these generally have big current draws.

Edited October 7, 2020 by bobbass4k

[TwoTimesBass]

15 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

And no, your power supply with the reverse polarity won't work!

 

Respectfully i disagree, the PSU is centre-negative as are all the pedals, and with 3A at 9v available this should work fine*

*Disclaimer that I'm not responsible if it goes bang...

[Baloney Balderdash]

11 minutes ago, TwoTimesBass said:

Respectfully i disagree, the PSU is centre-negative as are all the pedals, and with 3A at 9v available this should work fine*

*Disclaimer that I'm not responsible if it goes bang...

Respectively I didn't actually look at the picture more closely, but trusted the OP saying that the power supply used reverse polarity.

But since that does not actually match reality, and that the power supply indeed does in fact use the same polarity as the pedals, yes, it will work perfectly fine.

Edited October 7, 2020 by Baloney Balderdash

[TwoTimesBass]

Just now, Baloney Balderdash said:

Respectively I didn't actually look at the picture more closely, but trusted the OP saying the power supply having reverse polarity.

It is confusing the way the symbols are drawn in reverse on the PSU, unhelpful especially if you're trying to plug up in a gig situation...

[ReeV0]

Thanks for the v helpful replies! I've learned a lot

Another stupid question...

Do I have to be careful that two exposed daisy-chain plug ends never touch, when the power supply is turned on? If so, I guess I'll have to put tape around them or something.

Edited October 7, 2020 by jjl5590

[itu]

It is reasonable to check the polarity from the manufacturer's manual from their websites. If the unit and the manual are in conflict, I would rely on the unit's markings. Most of the pedals are centre negative, but there are also units that may need 9 VAC, centre positive, 12 VDC, 18 VDC and so on.

It is not possible to mix units with different voltages or polarity, if the PSU does not have separated outputs.

The currents should be summed (like 5 mA + 127 mA + 35 mA = 167 mA in total) and that amount should not exceed the output of the PSU. If there are many outputs, the single output limit should not be exceeded.

The daisy-chained cable covers could touch each other without any harm. It is still better to cover them, so they will not touch any metal parts. There are plastic parts, where you can put the ends to. You could even 3D-print a plastic part for the free ends.

[ReeV0]

12 minutes ago, itu said:

It is reasonable to check the polarity from the manufacturer's manual from their websites. If the unit and the manual are in conflict, I would rely on the unit's markings. Most of the pedals are centre negative, but there are also units that may need 9 VAC, centre positive, 12 VDC, 18 VDC and so on.

It is not possible to mix units with different voltages or polarity, if the PSU does not have separated outputs.

The currents should be summed (like 5 mA + 127 mA + 35 mA = 167 mA in total) and that amount should not exceed the output of the PSU. If there are many outputs, the single output limit should not be exceeded.

The daisy-chained cable covers could touch each other without any harm. It is still better to cover them, so they will not touch any metal parts. There are plastic parts, where you can put the ends to. You could even 3D-print a plastic part for the free ends.

Thanks, I was more talking about the metal ends that aren't plugged into any pedals. One of them did accidentally touch another, the pedals all lost power for a second and reset...

 

 

[TwoTimesBass]

2 hours ago, jjl5590 said:

Do I have to be careful that two exposed daisy-chain plug ends never touch, when the power supply is turned on? If so, I guess I'll have to put tape around them or something.

Yes, it's generally good practice to secure and insulate any spare connectors so they can't touch other connectors or short on bare metal. A bit of heatshrink over the ends or electrical tape will suffice, then cable-tie them so they don't rattle around in transit.

[ReeV0]

Hello again all,

So all was working great with my Digao power supply... Until I added the C4 Synth. Now there's a lot of noise unless I power that separately.

I guess now I'm back to square one and need to find an isolated PSU, as you all originally suggested.

Below is my setup, I think the HX Stomp alone draws 1A (it came with a 3A supply). Reading back through the thread, the max total current out of all the PSU's suggested was only 2.5A. Do you think this would be enough to power these pedals?