Cage Match: Batteries vs. AC Adapters

Last Updated on January 30th, 2020

The stage at any club or festival is usually a maze of wires. Guitar cables, microphone cables, speaker cables, and more snake their way under our feet and around the amps and guitar stands. Some club designers don’t have the forethought to put AC outlets on all sides of the stage either, so the pedals by our feet might have long extension cords to get the power they need. Batteries are an option too, which saves space and looks cleaner, but they have drawbacks too. Until someone can develop a device to power the pedals with the kinetic energy harnessed from your drummer’s blast beats, we have to make a choice of how to power the pedal collection we have curated over the years. This article will look at all sides of the pedal-powering game, and hopefully help you decide what can keep those LEDs at our feet shining brightly.

Power Ain’t Pretty

Don't buy cheap ones. Really, don't.

Don’t buy cheap ones. Really, don’t.

I will say this: I don’t like to spend money on things that don’t make sound. I know adapters and batteries (like cases and cables) help your gear make sound, but they don’t make sound by themselves. They aren’t as sexy as a new pedal with a flashing blue LED, or a new Burgundy Mist Strat. But those pedals need reliable, consistent power if they are going to work properly. Both AC adapters (or power supplies) and batteries cost serious money over time, and it is silly to invest so much time and cash into your pedals and not think of how they will be powered. Researching power supplies isn’t fun. YouTube videos about adapters or power supplies don’t rock.
You should be realistic about the kind of places you plan to play, and how much you can invest in reliable power. To some people, buying a battery here and there isn’t a big deal, but some would rather invest in adapters up front. I occasionally do outside acoustic shows where AC power is nowhere to be found. For these shows, I use a battery-powered amp as well as battery-powered pedals.

Adapter? I don’t even know her!

Ah the ol' Boss PSA, which almost every guitarist has somewhere.

Ah the ol’ Boss PSA, which almost every guitarist has somewhere.

Power adapters can range from ones that are very specific to that pedal (if it uses non-standard connectors, or has odd voltage requirements), to the daisy chain variety (using one adapter to power many pedals). Another option is a dedicated power supply, which can power multiple pedals while filtering and regulating the power to each pedal. If you have more than three pedals, individual adapters for each pedal can get a little messy. It also requires a power strip and extension cord, which doesn’t always look great on stage.
Individual adapters for each pedal provide isolated power for each pedal, and will generally not introduce noise into the audio signal. Most of the time, they are inexpensive (or come with the pedal if you are lucky), so it is cheap enough to carry backups in case they fail at a gig. However, they tend to take up a lot of room, and won’t fit neatly next to each other on a power strip. They will weigh down a gig bag or pedalboard, and the wires seem to tangle easily. Their thin cables generally fail before the adapter itself does.

Daisy-chaining pedals takes up less space than individual adapters.

Daisy-chaining pedals takes up less space than individual adapters.

The daisy chain power supplies like the One Spot or the Power-All are great in that they allow one power supply to power many pedals. Usually, these types of supplies can provide lots of power for up to eight pedals, greatly reducing cable mess. Their cables are a little more robust, and you simply select the right ‘pigtail’ cable for your particular pedal. You need to look at the polarity of the DC jack (usually spelled out on the bottom of your pedal or in the manual) and match the right connector to the connector on the daisy chain. I use these types of adapters for most of my pedals with no problems and minimal mess.
In fact, the current Seymour Duncan pedal line can be powered with these types of adapters with no adverse effects – heck, the 805 Overdrive is capable of being run at 18v for more headroom and power.
However, there are some pedals that don’t play nice with daisy-chaining, like some fuzzes, or effects that require lots of power. Older effects might not work quietly either, so do some research before you buy. These supplies can sometimes introduce hum, or cause other audio problems. In that case, you either have to power that hum-causing pedal with batteries, a separate adapter, or a regulated power supply.

All the power you need? Probably.

All the power you need? Probably.

Regulated power supplies are the kings of the AC adapter world. These are larger boxes that are affixed to your pedalboard and provide regulated, isolated power to all of your pedals. They are quiet, convenient, and generally use sturdy IEC cables to get the power from the wall. Some even provide an AC outlet for those fancy new power-hungry modulation pedals available, or for a fan by your feet to make your hair look cool. They provide a number of power options for many types of pedals, and they cure the hum and noise problems that the daisy-chain adapters have.
The biggest drawback here is that they are expensive – easily as much as another pedal. They also can take up pedalboard real estate, although some can be mounted underneath the pedalboard.

Battery is Found in Me

Batteries provide an alternative to the bulky and expensive power supply. Most pedals today can be powered with batteries (9v is the most common), and batteries can be found almost everywhere. They are cheap enough to keep backups in your cable bag, and usually pretty quick to replace. You don’t have to rely on AC power near the front of the stage or a tangled mess of ultra-thin AC cables. They provide reliable, consistent power- at least until they start to die. You can get a pretty long life out of batteries in overdrive and distortion pedals, although digital delay pedals eat them quickly.
Many old pedals, like my old wah, don’t have a jack for power, so batteries might be the only option. They won’t introduce hum or noise into your signal, and batteries were what many of our guitar heroes used (and many still insist on).

Batteries or adapters, these pedals work fine either way.

Batteries or adapters, these pedals work fine either way. They also feature real battery doors on the bottom.

Batteries do have significant shortcomings. The cost adds up over time. Good batteries aren’t cheap. If you have 10 pedals and gig regularly, you might replace the batteries once a month. Using and disposing of so many batteries might be a concern. Rechargeable batteries might be an option, but the biggest flaw is that you have to remember to charge them. You have to unplug the inputs of the pedals when you aren’t using them, which might be difficult when they are wedged together on a board. And there will be times when you forget to unplug them. Sometimes battery compartments are difficult to get to (using screws instead of a battery door) during the middle of a set. Batteries are a cheaper initial investment, but over time, they can be a more costly option.

How do you power your pedals? Do you have any pedals that require specific power needs?

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