Powering pedals - Switching or Linear?

[cb951303]

Which one is quiter?

Also, is it possible to use a 12V power adaptor?  Is it just enough to use high Watt/Volt parts? If so, how many watts/volts?

Lots of questions Thanks in advance

[R.G.]

In general, linear is quieter. An average, off-the-shelf switching 9V power supply is likely to give you an annoying whine. We put a large amount of work in to making the 1Spot switching power supply be quiet under pedalboard conditions. We did that because in most other respects, switching is superior - smaller, lighter, more powerful, more flexible (the 1Spot works from any voltage from 100Vac to 240Vac, no changing switches).

It is not enough to use a large watts/volt - this is the same as a current because power = V*I.

How many watts/volt is almost meaningless if you're asking for a number to multiply by volts. You need enough current to run your pedals, which varies. Old, old topic around here, search for pedal current usage in the archives.

[cb951303]

In general, linear is quieter. An average, off-the-shelf switching 9V power supply is likely to give you an annoying whine. We put a large amount of work in to making the 1Spot switching power supply be quiet under pedalboard conditions. We did that because in most other respects, switching is superior - smaller, lighter, more powerful, more flexible (the 1Spot works from any voltage from 100Vac to 240Vac, no changing switches).

It is not enough to use a large watts/volt - this is the same as a current because power = V*I.

How many watts/volt is almost meaningless if you're asking for a number to multiply by volts. You need enough current to run your pedals, which varies. Old, old topic around here, search for pedal current usage in the archives.

Thanks for the replies. I'll then go with a linear supply just to be sure. I would order 1spot but international orders are PITA
I can't find that thread but I'll keep looking. I may explained it wrong though (dute to my english language limits  ) What I meant was, is there a way to supply my pedal board with 12V while almost every diy project here are rated for 9V?

[BrianJ]

For what it's worth I used a one spot for quite a while and gave me no problems.  I had 6 pedals in line, 2 with separate linear supplies of their own, in a high gain path and got ZERO noise.

[earthtonesaudio]

Most circuits will work fine at 12V, but if you're not sure, don't do it.  It might break.

You can use a regulator to make 9V out of 12V.

[Cursor]

Coming from a radio background, I'd say linear if given a choice; but I've had much more success using switching PSUs for pedals than I did for radio stuff.

At the moment my whole pedalboard runs from the 2A 9V switching PSU from a BT HomeHub. It's the size of a mobile phone charger, gives no hum and doesn't even get warm at 1A load. Why the HomeHub (a broadband router) has such an overspec'd PSU I've no idea.

I save every 9V PSU from my own and friends' junked gear and use them as pedal supplies. If/when one dies, I move onto the next. If it hums, there's another one waiting.

[cb951303]

I want to go with linear but it's just too heavy  A lot of my friends had success with this supply: http://www.yildirimadaptor.com/download/CYS-2500.pdf and they say it's very quiet, but there is also few on the forums who complains about hum ...

Is there any realtion between the hum coming from PS and the PS's operating frequency?

[MarcoMike]

I thinkl once I said that I went back from SW to transf because I had noise problems... well, now I'm back to SW and I have the quietest pedalboard ever!!! (even the rehearsal room owner is impressed, as his DCbrick is not as quite as my Frankenstein supply

Now I'm using a 19V laptop supply into a couple of voltage regulators (to get 9V, 9,6V and 12V) the supply is dead quiet!!!!
I think the problem I had before was the bad SWsupply: a 14V modem PS. I think spikes on the 14V may go lower than the "range of action" of the 12V regulator, appearing in the output voltage as well... now starting from 19V probably the regulators are able to take care of all the spikes and disturbances... just my guess...

[cb951303]

ahh, I'm thinking too much over this I'll go and buy the switching supply above, it's just 15$. I can't go wrong with it

Thanks everyone for replies.

[earthtonesaudio]

Remember, if it's noisy, you can still apply the power supply filtering that you would have used for a linear supply, but the components can be made much smaller on account of the higher noise frequency.