Small pedalboard woes

[Dood]

I thought it'd be fun to make a little pedal board for gigs. My version of a 'fly rig' if you will. I started it several weeks ago but really have just been utterly frustrated and an ready to ditch the idea.

The pedals are:

Smoothound Wireless
TC Tuner
TC Compressor
EBS Sheehan Deluxe
TC SubnUp
TC Dreamscape
Digitech Solo XT
Micro DI.

They won't all run from one power supply. I'll need at least three. The wireless wants it's own supply and so does the Digitech. The Digitech won't play ball with most isolated power supplies because it needs nearly 1A at boot time. Find me a small distro that can do that which didn't cost a fortune lol. I want to use the XT Solo as I can save tracks and recall pre-recorded loops. Most loopers can't do this.

So my fly rig has got to now include a mains brick and a few adaptors. No longer small.

In my dream world, manufacturers would agree to a standard where units could all share the same supply. Oh well.

Do I give up functionality to get the small board? Ideally having these pedals I don't really want to have to cough up too much more to make this work.

[Al Krow]

Hey Dood - what are the power requirements of the 8 pedals in terms 9V / 12V (or more) and 100mA vs 300mA etc.?

My Smooth Hound wireless works fine with 9V 300mA from my Ciocks DC8

[dannybuoy]

The Truetone CS7 should sort your power requirements Dood. The manufacturer says you can ignore the mA labels as long as you don't exceed the rating for the entire supply.

Edited June 10, 2017 by dannybuoy

[CameronJ]

My "in progress" board is being powered by a couple of Rockboard Power LT XLs. They each have 2 9v outputs which run at 1A apiece. I've dedicated one output to my Smooth Hound (with a Gigrig Timelord and polarity reversing adapter in between) and have daisy chains running from the 3 outputs I have left. I could have gotten away with just the one Power LT but I decided 2 would be best for battery life. Having 2 power sources isolates my effects into 2 completely separate groups by default which is a nice bonus even without the Timelord

With my setup, you could dedicate one Rockboard LT XL to just the Digitech and the Smooth Hound - The Digitech plugged straight in and the Smooth Hound with a Timelord feeding it. The second LT XL will then happily power your remaining pedals. The whole setup costs around £140 and leaves you with just a single cable running from your board to your amp. You won't look back!

[krispn]

Maybe you should hang on to the TC

[elephantgrey]

The gigrig timelord will probably do to isolate the digitech. (Specs for it below from its manual)

I couldn't find the current requirement for your wireless, I just found that it's center positive. Might be able to run it of a pedal supply with an adaptor. (And isolate it if current is low enough).

[quote]
Specification:
Type: DC-DC full isolator...
Overload, short circuit and temperature protected.
Output Connector 2.1 mm Centre Negative.
Output Voltage 9V DC. At 400mA..
Output Current max 999mA aprox. Temperature trip when left shorted, or covered for long periods.
Output Ground. The DC output is isolated from all earth.
Input Voltage Range. 9 to 12 V DC at 1A
Input is reverse diode protected.
[/quote]


Should be able to fit this blow a board. Depending on brand.

Edited June 10, 2017 by elephantgrey

[ordep]

[quote name='elephantgrey' timestamp='1497130436' post='3316114']
The gigrig timelord will probably do to isolate the digitech. (Specs for it below from its manual)

I couldn't find the current requirement for your wireless, I just found that it's center positive. Might be able to run it of a pedal supply with an adaptor. (And isolate it if current is low enough).




Should be able to fit this blow a board. Depending on brand.
[/quote]

this. Was using a timelord and a 1spot daisychain before for my my solo XT and its working fine.

[Dood]

I really appreciate all the replies, some great stuff here for me to take a closer look at and I'll reply after a geekathon. Keep 'em coming! (I've even thought about building my own PSU!)

[Dood]

[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1497123738' post='3316055']
My "in progress" board is being powered by a couple of Rockboard Power LT XLs. They each have 2 9v outputs which run at 1A apiece. I've dedicated one output to my Smooth Hound (with a Gigrig Timelord and polarity reversing adapter in between) and have daisy chains running from the 3 outputs I have left. I could have gotten away with just the one Power LT but I decided 2 would be best for battery life. Having 2 power sources isolates my effects into 2 completely separate groups by default which is a nice bonus even without the Timelord

With my setup, [b]you could dedicate one Rockboard LT XL to just the Digitech and the Smooth Hound[/b] - The Digitech plugged straight in and the Smooth Hound with a Timelord feeding it. The second LT XL will then happily power your remaining pedals. The whole setup costs around £140 and leaves you with just a single cable running from your board to your amp. You won't look back!
[/quote]

I'd have to try it, but the Digitech won't play ball with any other pedal daisy chained to it, even off of a battery pack, though I haven't tried a 'semi-isolated' supply (the type that isn't galvanically isolated) .

[Dood]

[quote name='elephantgrey' timestamp='1497130436' post='3316114']
The gigrig timelord will probably do to isolate the digitech. (Specs for it below from its manual)

I couldn't find the current requirement for your wireless, I just found that it's center positive. Might be able to run it of a pedal supply with an adaptor. (And isolate it if current is low enough).




Should be able to fit this blow a board. Depending on brand.
[/quote]

Will I need one for the Digitech and one for the SmoothHound? (I have a centre positive adaptor for the SH)

[0175westwood29]

feel like i say this alot, but the stymon ojai has to be worth a shout, 5x 500ma double isolated outputs.

i also use a gigrig isolator to turn one of the outs into 4x100/120ma outputs with another level of isolation, works really well and the Ojai is tiny

[Dood]

[quote name='0175westwood29' timestamp='1497174114' post='3316250']
feel like i say this alot, but the stymon ojai has to be worth a shout, 5x 500ma double isolated outputs.

i also use a gigrig isolator to turn one of the outs into 4x100/120ma outputs with another level of isolation, works really well and the Ojai is tiny
[/quote]

This one has been on my radar but I wanted to find out if the outputs could handle the Digitech. I ought to drop them a line!

[Dood]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1497174694' post='3316252']
This one has been on my radar but I wanted to find out if the outputs could handle the Digitech. I ought to drop them a line!
[/quote]

I've sent them an email.

[CameronJ]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1497173540' post='3316242']
I'd have to try it, but the Digitech won't play ball with any other pedal daisy chained to it, even off of a battery pack, though I haven't tried a 'semi-isolated' supply (the type that isn't galvanically isolated) .
[/quote]

Hence why I'd have a Timelord isolating the Smooth Hound. That way neither the Smooth Hound nor the Digitech will "see" each other, and your Digitech will have a full 1A of current available at all times.

[0175westwood29]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1497174694' post='3316252']
This one has been on my radar but I wanted to find out if the outputs could handle the Digitech. I ought to drop them a line!
[/quote]

from looks of the site you should be fine they say 2watts power consumption which is weird but considering uk power 230v the ma draw would be pretty small so cant see the strymon not handling it

[Dood]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497121140' post='3316034']
Hey Dood - what are the power requirements of the 8 pedals in terms 9V / 12V (or more) and 100mA vs 300mA etc.?

My Smooth Hound wireless works fine with 9V 300mA from my Ciocks DC8
[/quote]

I realised I didn't directly reply to your message. Looking at the specifications I am definitely not looking at more that 100mA for each pedal, not including the afore mentioned SmoothHound and Digitech. The TC's are DSP so I expect them to be a bit more, but the Sheehan pedal specs say 35mA only.

Thank you for the suggestion

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497121140' post='3316034']
My Smooth Hound wireless works fine with 9V 300mA from my Ciocks DC8
[/quote]

I used to have it on a HB Powerplant junior from one output and most of the time it was ok, but sometimes it produced a lot of noise. Connecting it to two outputs cured that issue. So as they are 120ma out each, somewhere around 150 I would think would do it.

In the end I got a cheap Chinese isolated power supply that said DC8 (the B3 needed an isolated supply too), and I power everything off it without issue, it cost £36.95

[Dood]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1497258774' post='3316783']
I used to have it on a HB Powerplant junior from one output and most of the time it was ok, but sometimes it produced a lot of noise. Connecting it to two outputs cured that issue. So as they are 120ma out each, somewhere around 150 I would think would do it.

In the end I got a cheap Chinese isolated power supply that said DC8 (the B3 needed an isolated supply too), and I power everything off it without issue, it cost £36.95
[/quote]

I'd have taken your original advice on the HB PJ too if it weren't for the big hungry Digitech on the board too, though I hadn't mentioned that at the time. I must admit, I'm really tempted to just rehouse three 1A 9v SMPS adaptors is one small box. That'd be pretty cheap and I'm pretty happy that I'd be able to do it safely. The only thing I don't really have right now is time..

[Dood]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1497175194' post='3316256']
I've sent them an email.
[/quote]


To which they haven't replied. I guess we'll never know lol. I just can't understand why so many companies offer 'Customer Support' but never ever reply. Nothing like instilling confidence in a product. Not. I've sent them another email.

[dannybuoy]

I think they have a support rep who's very active on Talkbass, user name is along the lines of DigitechRep. Bound to find them lurking in a Digitech thread!

Edited June 14, 2017 by dannybuoy

[Dood]

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1497441440' post='3318149']
I think they have a support rep who's very active on Talkbass, user name is along the lines of DigitechRep. Bound to find them lurking in a Digitech thread!
[/quote]

Oh Digitech look after Strymon too? That's very handy!

[0175westwood29]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1497453547' post='3318306']
Oh Digitech look after Strymon too? That's very handy!
[/quote]

dnt think they do think maybe a crossed wire somewhere

[dannybuoy]

Yeah sorry, thought you were trying to contact Digitech to confirm the current draw!

[Dood]

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1497479603' post='3318628']
Yeah sorry, thought you were trying to contact Digitech to confirm the current draw!
[/quote]

He he! Not to worry! Kinda right though, contacting Strymon to find out if Ojai could handle the current draw of the Digitech. Still no reply.

[fretmeister]

The full Gigrig Power system will do it easily. You'll need the generator, a distributor and isolators. And just a centre neg adaptor cable for the wireless.

Not cheap though. Best supply I've ever owned.