Lithium powerbank for pedalboard?

[Radical CJ]

Hi all,

Lithium powerbanks for charging laptops and phones, etc, have come a long way in the past decade. Is there any reason why these wouldn't work well incorporated into pedal boards? Ostensibly they could provide for the power requirements of a pedal board for a fair duration of time, they're fairly compact, no mains hum, and no throwing away single use 9V batteries. I searched the forum and found a few remarks about using lithium "coin" batteries in 1590 enclosures (circa. 2009), but nothing about the rechargeable powerbanks available these days.

Am I missing an obvious reason why they aren't used?

R CJ     

Edit: I do note that there are some commercial products like this available, but not very many and they don't seem to be widely used. 

[idy]

Not common because no compelling reason to use them. One usually has access to electricity when playing amplified instruments, so power supplies are easy to use and good ones (one spot) are cheap. Very few of us use batteries anymore.

Now if you were busking with a battery operated amp and want to bring your pedal board with you, a power bank would be handy. Rarish situation.

[11-90-an]

I like this idea.. somebody make some schems and throw some ideas around...

[Radical CJ]

I like this idea.. somebody make some schems and throw some ideas around...

I was think more along the lines of using cable ties to attach a ready made laptop powerbank to the board... and then re-drilling all enclosures so I can replace the 2.1mm power sockets in my pedals with micro USB, haha 

I don't currently use batteries either, except for testing whether noise is related to the power supply when I'm building something. The reason I thought of using a lithium powerbank is that some circuits seem mysteriously super-sensitive to AC leak (typically olde time transistor Fuzzs), and only lose the hum after the power has been filtered through two rectifiers (one inside the pedal + one in an external box I put in the supply). My reasoning was/is that using a laptop powerbank would provide very clean DC, even if the powerbank was itself plugged in and so was acting more like a AC/DC converter/filter rather than as a battery.

R CJ       

[LightSoundGeometry]

I like this idea.. somebody make some schems and throw some ideas around...

I was think more along the lines of using cable ties to attach a ready made laptop powerbank to the board... and then re-drilling all enclosures so I can replace the 2.1mm power sockets in my pedals with micro USB, haha 

I don't currently use batteries either, except for testing whether noise is related to the power supply when I'm building something. The reason I thought of using a lithium powerbank is that some circuits seem mysteriously super-sensitive to AC leak (typically olde time transistor Fuzzs), and only lose the hum after the power has been filtered through two rectifiers (one inside the pedal + one in an external box I put in the supply). My reasoning was/is that using a laptop powerbank would provide very clean DC, even if the powerbank was itself plugged in and so was acting more like a AC/DC converter/filter rather than as a battery.

R CJ       

I think the lads over at gigrig are working on this and may even have some stuff released by now?

[Radical CJ]

I think the lads over at gigrig are working on this and may even have some stuff released by now?

Mooer do a powerbank called the S10, but I've never seen anyone use it or even review it. Gigrig have something called 'The Generator', but I can't tell from the description whether it stores power or is just a high-quality AC/DC converter. 

Gigrig's utility gear (channel switchers and blenders, etc.) look excellent, but yikes those prices are in £! I've been sniffing around for a secondhand amp with a budget lower than then the cost of their top tier switching device 

[LightSoundGeometry]

I think the lads over at gigrig are working on this and may even have some stuff released by now?

Mooer do a powerbank called the S10, but I've never seen anyone use it or even review it. Gigrig have something called 'The Generator', but I can't tell from the description whether it stores power or is just a high-quality AC/DC converter. 

Gigrig's utility gear (channel switchers and blenders, etc.) look excellent, but yikes those prices are in £! I've been sniffing around for a secondhand amp with a budget lower than then the cost of their top tier switching device 

duh me lol ..battery  the dude above noted electricity is pretty easy to get. this is something I could of used back in my band days playing on islands etc at lake parties or cornfields..outdoor festivals bonfires on remote locations.

i would want to haul too much good gear to a lake party ..we did play once on a island out in the middle of lake Carlyle ..my 3 piece party band 

[WormBoy]

Pedaltrain makes such battery packs, and Palmer as well. Wanted to buy the Pedaltrain, but could not get it over here in Europe, so I went for a cheap one from Rockboard. Same idea: small battery pack that fits underneath your pedalboard with velcro. I think it is a great idea, especially for the types of places I play at the moment: parties where you play one song, another band plays a song, another band, and then you again, etc. So, I keep placing and removing my pedalboard stage the whole evening, and less wires is better in that respect. In the past, I have played numerous small gigs were electricity was hard to come by or in an awkward place so you had to run long wires. So for me, battery power is the way to go.

That said, the one I have is not silent like you would expect. High-pithed hash noise creeps in with some pedals: mainly transistor-based fuzzes, and only when they're on. I think this is not the Li battery itself causing the problems but rather the circuitry around it (the soft-click on/off switch and the charge-level LEDs). I have a home-made power filter (inductor and caps) that I use with general-purpose switching power supplies, and that also kills the noise in this battery pack. So I just need to build a small filter to go underneath the pedalboard as well ...

[R.G.]

The company I work for considered that concept some years ago, and decided not to market one, largely on the basis of there being electricity available at most places where you run an amp.

But here's a McGuyver solution: take a battery powered drill. Cut off the end of the handle that the battery pack clips into. Mount this "battery socket" onto your pedal board battery end up so you can change batteries easily. Take the wires out of the battery pack and run them into a voltage regulator of some kind to make quiet power for the pedalboard. Keep at least two battery packs so you can be charging one while using the other. Repeat as needed.

[amptramp]

A battery powered drill usually comes with a charger and that is also a socket you can use (so you don't have to butcher a drill) and you could use the same charger socket for charging and running the pedalboard with maybe a "charge / use" switch.  There are loads of these things that get scrapped because one cell goes bad out of many.  Just find that cell, remove it, short across it and use the battery at a lower voltage than the usual 12/14/18 volts it came with.

[Radical CJ]

Well, interesting to know the idea has been considered, and doesn't necessarily provide silent DC when implemented. I've actually got a medium sized battery from inside a cordless vacuum cleaner, which I haven't found a use for yet. Not sure what voltage it puts out, but worth testing.

[Buran1997]

I was think more along the lines of using cable ties to attach a ready made laptop powerbank to the board... and then re-drilling all enclosures so I can replace the 2.1mm power sockets in my pedals with micro USB, haha 

I actually considered something like this when building a Ruby amp recently. 9V adapters can be a little hard to come by when you're staying with someone who doesn't play an instrument, but phone chargers are omnipresent. I had the idea that I could use a Lighting Port or USB-C breakout board in combination with a charge pump/voltage inverter to run the Ruby off of a common 5V USB phone charger, but ultimately decided to just go with battery operation. Still, I find it intriguing that someone else has had the same idea.

[vigilante397]

I have a customer that uses a USB power bank and one of these with a daisy chain:

https://www.amazon.com/current-Negative-Connector-compatible-effects/dp/B07GD54Q66

It has a boost converter built in that can source 800mA @ 9V, which is enough for his whole pedalboard. He says he likes it because it's one less thing to worry about at a gig, and he uses fairly low current pedals so his USB power bank lasts about 10 days with daily playing.

[11-90-an]

I was think more along the lines of using cable ties to attach a ready made laptop powerbank to the board... and then re-drilling all enclosures so I can replace the 2.1mm power sockets in my pedals with micro USB, haha 

I actually considered something like this when building a Ruby amp recently. 9V adapters can be a little hard to come by when you're staying with someone who doesn't play an instrument, but phone chargers are omnipresent. I had the idea that I could use a Lighting Port or USB-C breakout board in combination with a charge pump/voltage inverter to run the Ruby off of a common 5V USB phone charger, but ultimately decided to just go with battery operation. Still, I find it intriguing that someone else has had the same idea.

DIY version of what nathan said...
What if you feed the 5v into a charge pump to double it, then through a 9v voltage regulator....
but would a current regulator be necessary? Might accidentally overload the phone charger... (for pedalboard uses)

[Radical CJ]

... he uses fairly low current pedals so his USB power bank lasts about 10 days with daily playing.

I guess it would very much depend on what's on the board, I know a few people who use multiple digital loopers and modulators, and that sort of thing, which would probably suck it dry pretty quickly, but for a boost, fuzz and compressor it could last a very long time between charges.

... 9V adapters can be a little hard to come by when you're staying with someone who doesn't play an instrument, but phone chargers are omnipresent.

This is sort of the other side of what I was thinking about. The power needs of pedals don't seem to have changed all that much in decades, and so the sockets and supplies have remained the same. But the types of other electronics that people have in their homes and workllaces has changed quite a bit. There is an argument "if it ain't broke don't fix it", and of course people will always want to replicate classic sounds with vintage style technology, but with wireless power and some of the new types of battery in development (those endless power diamond batteries), I imagine 2.1mm power jacks will eventually be something most people would expect to see in a museum rather than a music studio.

[soggybag]

I have a laptop type power bank. It was $80 and will output 9, 12, and 16v. I originally got it to power a eurorack synth, which works well. I have thought about putting under my pedal train pedal board. It would fit neatly.

Pros: you could throw down your board anywhere and not worry about running a power cord. Power is clean no noise. I have a One Spot that has a very measurable triangle wave. Though it generally isn't noises, the power isn't clean.

Cons: $80, you have to charge it and turn it off or unplug it.

[LightSoundGeometry]

I have a laptop type power bank. It was $80 and will output 9, 12, and 16v. I originally got it to power a eurorack synth, which works well. I have thought about putting under my pedal train pedal board. It would fit neatly.

Pros: you could throw down your board anywhere and not worry about running a power cord. Power is clean no noise. I have a One Spot that has a very measurable triangle wave. Though it generally isn't noises, the power isn't clean.

Cons: $80, you have to charge it and turn it off or unplug it.

link to maybe amazon of something you have or similar? i might invest n one for myself since im playing again and would like to be cordless to the boards

[soggybag]

I have a laptop type power bank. It was $80 and will output 9, 12, and 16v. I originally got it to power a eurorack synth, which works well. I have thought about putting under my pedal train pedal board. It would fit neatly.

Pros: you could throw down your board anywhere and not worry about running a power cord. Power is clean no noise. I have a One Spot that has a very measurable triangle wave. Though it generally isn't noises, the power isn't clean.

Cons: $80, you have to charge it and turn it off or unplug it.

link to maybe amazon of something you have or similar? i might invest n one for myself since im playing again and would like to be cordless to the boards

This is what I bought.

https://www.amazon.com/POWERADD-Pilot-23000mAh-External-Smartphones/dp/B015OAJFOC?pd_rd_w=8Xwma&pf_rd_p=bc4faf6b-63fa-47cb-af0d-6aca62c67af2&pf_rd_r=6E83ZWCRFZ0815G86KHK&pd_rd_r=2003ead0-b3cb-49dd-8c50-f1a8f37f8d29&pd_rd_wg=urng9&pd_rd_i=B015OAJFOC&ref_=pd_bap_d_rp_1_5_i

I would search, there are a lot to choose from, since I wanted something with 16v output and I needed more capacity to power the eurorack synth I went with a more expensive unit. This unit works well and is a reasonable size, the battery seems to last pretty long.

[LightSoundGeometry]

I have a laptop type power bank. It was $80 and will output 9, 12, and 16v. I originally got it to power a eurorack synth, which works well. I have thought about putting under my pedal train pedal board. It would fit neatly.

Pros: you could throw down your board anywhere and not worry about running a power cord. Power is clean no noise. I have a One Spot that has a very measurable triangle wave. Though it generally isn't noises, the power isn't clean.

Cons: $80, you have to charge it and turn it off or unplug it.

link to maybe amazon of something you have or similar? i might invest n one for myself since im playing again and would like to be cordless to the boards

This is what I bought.

https://www.amazon.com/POWERADD-Pilot-23000mAh-External-Smartphones/dp/B015OAJFOC?pd_rd_w=8Xwma&pf_rd_p=bc4faf6b-63fa-47cb-af0d-6aca62c67af2&pf_rd_r=6E83ZWCRFZ0815G86KHK&pd_rd_r=2003ead0-b3cb-49dd-8c50-f1a8f37f8d29&pd_rd_wg=urng9&pd_rd_i=B015OAJFOC&ref_=pd_bap_d_rp_1_5_i

I would search, there are a lot to choose from, since I wanted something with 16v output and I needed more capacity to power the eurorack synth I went with a more expensive unit. This unit works well and is a reasonable size, the battery seems to last pretty long.

I have 4 one hour sets  - my aptop goes almost 8 hours on the battery that came with it nearly 6 years ao ..if I can get 6 hours out of 6 pedals ill be good to go !  the curent draw cant be anything substantial and most likely way less than a laptop ..ill spend a lot if I have too



this is the future ..those who make power banks , jump ahead of the curve now ..the one you linked to even has like 15 differnet barrel sizes ..the old plug in banks are a thing f the past. question now is how long to phase them out? first big company to put a lithium out for a pedal board specifically ?

just like I called the chorus thingy (offboard chorus super popular right now, guitarist trying to get that 80's clean pop tone)  lol im calling this too !

edit like the cordless drill..once dewat had the 5ah battery it was over ..I havent used a corded power tool in 2 years now ..even the cut saw works for hours on battery

[anotherjim]

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/mission-engineering-529i