Daisy chaining Boss pedals

[Sumbabba]

I have a Boss TU-3 and an OC-2 that I want to daisy chain as the OC-2 needs an old ACA-240 power adapter which are quite hard to get hold of these days. I also thought it would be a neater and easier set up. However, it seems you can only get a minimum of 5 adaptors on those parallel cables (such as the Boss PCS-20A) and I only want 2! I can see how it makes sense to have 8 if you want to fill up your pedalboard but I just don't see myself buying anymore Boss pedals. Does anyone know anywhere I can get hold of something like this? Cheers!

[martindupras]

I have not seen any two-output 2.1mm daisy chains or Y-connectors.

My advice would be for you to get a 5-output daisy chain and not use three of them. If you're worried about them shorting out you could cover them in shrink-wrap tubing or electrical tape. Also since they are parallel connections, in theory you could just cut the three you don't need; if could make a neat cut and isolate the cut end with tape or shrink-wrap tubing then there's nothing to short out and there's no unsightly wires.

You could make your own 9v leads, but I found that the barrels are actually quite fiddly to soldier, and they are much longer than the ones on daisy-chains.

- martin


[quote name='Sumbabba' post='1064582' date='Dec 20 2010, 01:19 PM']I have a Boss TU-3 and an OC-2 that I want to daisy chain as the OC-2 needs an old ACA-240 power adapter which are quite hard to get hold of these days. I also thought it would be a neater and easier set up. However, it seems you can only get a minimum of 5 adaptors on those parallel cables (such as the Boss PCS-20A) and I only want 2! I can see how it makes sense to have 8 if you want to fill up your pedalboard but I just don't see myself buying anymore Boss pedals. Does anyone know anywhere I can get hold of something like this? Cheers![/quote]

[ahpook]

[quote name='martindupras' post='1064838' date='Dec 20 2010, 05:44 PM']If you're worried about them shorting out you could cover them in shrink-wrap tubing or electrical tape.[/quote]

my top tip for this is to cut about an inch of some mains electrical cable, pull out the conductor wires and slip that on the barrel connector...tho you may need to use something to widen the hole slighty (ooooh ! misses )

cheap and no adhesive residue !

Edited December 20, 2010 by ahpook

[0175westwood29]

i honestly wouldnt worry?

or just use batteries?

andy

[xgsjx]

Godlyke Powerall. Has a 5 point daisychain with yellow caps to go over the unused.

[martindupras]

Actually, I just had a thought: if your OC-2 is old and needs an ACA-240, does it need 12V rather than 9v? According to the information that I found the ACA-240 is 12V, but the ACA-240G is 9V.

If it was me, I wouldn't run the TU-3 from a 9V supply, just in case. It will probably work, but I wouldn't risk it.

- martin

[Sumbabba]

Thanks for the advice guys, I've got KiOgon making me up a single lead for a very reasonable price :-)

Martin, it does need a 12V but I've tried plugging it into a PSA-240 9V and it worked. The light was a bit dim but other than that it seemed OK. Plus I got the idea from BossArea which seems to be populated by weirdly obssessive Boss freaks so hopefully they know what they're talking about :-) [url="http://www.bossarea.com/other/aca.asp"]http://www.bossarea.com/other/aca.asp[/url]

[martindupras]

I've thought about it some more and since the pedal can take a 9V battery there's no reason why a 9V supply wouldn't work.

My guess is that the reason why they used 12V power supplies in the early 80s was because they weren't using regulated power supplies, which means that the voltage drops a bit when you power several pedals at once. With regulated power supplies, this doesn't happen.

- martin



[quote name='Sumbabba' post='1066637' date='Dec 22 2010, 12:05 PM']Thanks for the advice guys, I've got KiOgon making me up a single lead for a very reasonable price :-)

Martin, it does need a 12V but I've tried plugging it into a PSA-240 9V and it worked. The light was a bit dim but other than that it seemed OK. Plus I got the idea from BossArea which seems to be populated by weirdly obssessive Boss freaks so hopefully they know what they're talking about :-) [url="http://www.bossarea.com/other/aca.asp"]http://www.bossarea.com/other/aca.asp[/url][/quote]

[joegarcia]

Surely you could just use a standard 9V supply into the TU-3 then link out of the 9V output on it with a standard DC patch into the OC-2. I do this all the time at home.

[martindupras]

[quote name='martindupras' post='1065880' date='Dec 21 2010, 04:31 PM']If it was me, I wouldn't run the TU-3 from a 9V supply, just in case. It will probably work, but I wouldn't risk it.

- martin[/quote]

I just re-read the above. I meant to write "I wouldn't run the TU-3 from a *12V* supply". The point being that it is meant to run on 9V.

Just for the record.

- martin