9v adapters are crap!

[bwanasonic]

In my experience, more often than not, the culprit has turned to be the jack on the effect, and not the supply plug/ cord. I did have a 1Spot go bad on me, but it was because it frayed on the crap rough edges of my board after about 6 years.

[R.G.]

@RG.  I've read many of your posts on ampage, here and geofex.  I have much respect and believe that you are very very knowledgeable about these things.  That being said here's my 2 cents. I think that the cable for these things should be more IEC'esque.  Maybe not THAT big, but along those lines.  I understand it's tough to fit such things in small packages though.  That being said I'd be happy with a slightly larger unit and more reliability.  And this is my 2 cents as a consumer and someone that gigs weekly on a regular basis.  I also think that the daisy chain cord is even "chintzier" than the 1 spot cable.  It's quite thin.  I'm gentle with my gear, but I know that many many musicians are not.  Musicians are known for beating up and neglecting their gear.  I repair amps and pedals for a living and see it all the time.  I can't imagine I'm the only one that feels this way about 9v adapters.  Not sure if my opinion is of much help RG.  But there it is!

That's reasonable.

Pigtails - and mousetails! - are always a weak point. I still fondly remember the old IBM-manufactured mouse I had - not built by someone and re-labeled "IBM"; built in an IBM- owned factory by IBM employees.    That did in fact have connectors on the mouse itself. Mine survived a number of machines until the available hardware would no longer recognize it. On the other hand, they cost $85 as a replacement part, and were only available as part of the terminals that they came with.

I also like to float improvement requests back at the office. I'll bring up the separate-cord 1Spot, and an industrial-strength daisy chain cable. Reliability is not a hard sell - the boss likes to make things sturdier - but the big question is can we sell enough of them at a higher price to recover the costs of a new plastic mold for setting the connector in, can we physically fit in a connector that is itself more reliable than the cable plus stress relief plastic it replaces, and does that mean we have to go pay for a new round of safety certifications?

And so I can put the business case together a little better, how much over the $20-$25 cost of a 1Spot would you pay for a more connectorized version? Both in terms of money and a bigger, clumsier box that might have to give up some of the "one-spot-ness" of the 1Spot depending on how hard we have to search for a suitable cable connector? Same questions about the daisy-chain - how much money and size is that worth to you? (Notice the clever, subliminal way I get you to volunteer to do the market research...  )

Do you have any experience with the more recent (last 5 years, I think) real Visual Sound 1Spots with the sturdier cable? If so, has that has given you problems?

[Earthscum]

R.G.

Check out what Phillips is doing with their headphones. I have a set of these, and they are worth the $100 I spent on them (for listening, not flat response for audio work). I can say that the rip plugs are definitely an awesome thing. The braiding is every bit as good as the larger guitar cables that we're used to. I can snap pics of mine if you can't find a certain shot.

philips o'neill headphones tr 55 lx - Google Images

As a side note, I've heard people mention "this is better than that... see how it's actually built like guitar equipment" (to paraphrase the general idea). We use a similar idea when we build trophies. We use Epoxy Resin Marble bases, which are cheaper than the plastic ones, but shipping... anyways, it's the perception that "weight=quality". Kids are holding the trophies, and they sit nice and sturdy... perceived price increase, as a (calculated) side benefit. To work back to what I started at, I've been noticing people can spot a 1-Spot now, and it's almost becoming a catch in itself. If you guys do end up making new molds for whatever reason, you could take advantage to define the shape a bit. If the process allows, molding the logo in the top instead of the label would be a good way to "up the ante" in the appearance area. Remember I do graphic design and process, so I just tend to pay more attention to things concerning advertising (an artistic form of selling, the artist being the salesman), so I'm definitely not nitpicking by any means, just throwing ideas out there, because I have nothing else to do with them but let them rot in my head.   

[HOTTUBES]

Does anyone have any links on how to build your own 9v power supplies etc

[frank_p]

I hate 1spots with a broken cable !  I just can't throw it to the junk. 

[R.G.]

Does anyone have any links on how to build your own 9v power supplies etc

Power supplies basics, geofex.

[R.G.]

Check out what Phillips is doing with their headphones. I have a set of these, and they are worth the $100 I spent on them (for listening, not flat response for audio work). I can say that the rip plugs are definitely an awesome thing. The braiding is every bit as good as the larger guitar cables that we're used to. I can snap pics of mine if you can't find a certain shot.

Got a link?

If you guys do end up making new molds for whatever reason, you could take advantage to define the shape a bit. If the process allows, molding the logo in the top instead of the label would be a good way to "up the ante" in the appearance area. Remember I do graphic design and process, so I just tend to pay more attention to things concerning advertising (an artistic form of selling, the artist being the salesman), so I'm definitely not nitpicking by any means, just throwing ideas out there, because I have nothing else to do with them but let them rot in my head. 

It's a good idea, and one that we have toyed with. The issue is really back at dollars and cents. When I escaped from TIC (Three Initial Corporation) I had just come off  a stint getting an appliance terminal done. We had plastic die molds made for it. They cost in the range of $300,000 for the first die. That's not a typo - $300K before we got the first prototypes shot to see if they fit. You can get simpler dies made cheaper, and much cheaper in other places, but it's still tens of thousands of dollars before we get the first test units  back. Right now, we're trying our very best to sell enough units to wear out our first dies so we can get new ones  . When that happens, we'll certainly look for ways to refresh the trade dress.

No nitpicking taken. It's a valid and helpful hint.

[joegagan]

earbuds? that is another story. the thin cables are essential to light weight; keeping them from falling out of the ear due to cable weight, but i have made huge strides in durability by careful handling and judicious use of shrinkwrap to 'alter' the area of stress at earpiece and jack points.

Don't forget how useful superglue can be. One drop in each ear, insert the earbud, and you're good for a week.

rg, this is actually not too far from truth. one day, while out in the field, the doughnut popped off my earbud and disappeared. lacking a replacement,  i found a roll of butyl glazing bead ( think windshield installation caulking material) in the van and formed my own doughnut on the earbud. for the next 3 weeks, i actually enjoyed the adhesive qualities, that sucker almost never came out of my ear! left a little residue in my ears, but no big deal as far as i could tell.

[lowell]

RG honesty IMHO they're too expensive already.  But hey, that doesn't help you.  I guess I'd be willing to pay $35-40 if it was advertised as said and was more sturdy.  But maybe others would pay more. 

[lowell]

Oh and yes i have a newer one... And no it hasn't given me problems YET.

[Earthscum]

Wow... dies are a bit expensive. I was looking at stamping dies (heavy, for .060 aluminum box forming). To have someone make me a die set would cost me about $30k, and I thought that was expensive! I could make stamping dies on a mill (that would work for what I need) for a fraction of a fraction of that. See my current sig... 

Link to images in prev post, link to Phillips site for those headphones: Philips O'Neill THE STRETCH headband headphones SHO9560BK

I've noticed a trend over the last couple years of products with hard flutes, rather than springy rubber boots. I always seem to break cables inside the boot right at the sharpest angle... imagine that! It seems like, with proper reenforcement on the cable sleeve, this eliminates the sharp flex point. Quick sketchup of what I mean by "flutes":