Analog Designer Gregg Stock
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In this installment of Gear Guide, let’s talk about power! A common question that we receive is what kind of power supply can be used with Strymon pedals. There are many different options out there. We know that some users like to use third party power supplies. Using the right power supply is important to ensure that your pedal will power up reliably, and you don’t damage your pedal.
Power Requirements
First, it is important to be aware of the power requirements for each of our pedals to ensure that your power supply will power up the pedal reliably. There are three different power requirements for our pedals:
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| Our smaller pedals (blueSky, Brigadier, Deco, DIG, El Capistan, Flint, Lex, Ola, and Orbit) require a maximum of 9V DC and a minimum of 250mA current. | Our larger pedals (BigSky, Mobius, and TimeLine) require a maximum of 9V DC and a minimum of 300mA current. | Our (discontinued) OB.1 compressor/boost pedal is all analog, so it has a much lower power requirement of 9V DC, and <20mA current. OB.1 can be powered by a 9V battery. |
We ship many of our pedals with a 9V DC power supply that provides 660mA of current with a 2.1mm center-negative barrel connector. We recommend using our included power supply, as they should always power up your Strymon pedals without issue.
If you are looking to power more than one of our pedals from a single power supply, we offer the Ojai and Zuma high-current DC power supplies, each of which provide multiple high-current, individually isolated, ultra-low noise outputs to power your pedals.
Non-Strymon Power Supplies
If you are using a third party power supply, please make sure that it provides a maximum of 9V, provides more than the minimum required current (mA), and has a 2.1mm center-negative connection.
We do realize that many players build boards that warrant the use of centralized power. In addition to our Ojai and Zuma high-current DC power supplies, there are several other supplies on the market that will work. The Voodoo Labs Pedal Power Digital, 4×4, and Mondo can each power at least 4 of our pedals with 9V isolated outlets providing sufficient current.
The Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2+ can be used to power 2 of our smaller pedals (from outputs 5 and 6 only), but you would need to get their current doubler cable to power our larger pedals such as TimeLine, Mobius, and BigSky.
Important note: Many third party power supplies have settings that can send more than 9V to your Strymon pedal. Ensure that you are familiar with the settings on your power supply to avoid damaging any pedals. For instance, the Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2+ has series of dip switches on the back. Always ensure they are set to the NORMAL position when used with any Strymon pedal.
There are other power supply options available from manufacturers such as Truetone, CIOKS, Dunlop, T-REX, Eventide, TheGigRig and many others. Just make sure that the power supply you choose provides isolated 9V DC and at least 250mA (small pedals) or 300mA (large pedals) from a 2.1mm center-negative pin.
Isolated Power
We do not recommend using daisy chained power supplies as our digital pedals require isolated power. Using a daisy chained power supply can yield additional noise and hum in your audio signal, so make sure to use an isolated power supply.
The same can be said about multi-outlet power supplies that can provide power to several pedals at once. If the outlets of this type of power supply are not isolated, you may get additional noise and hum in your audio signal.
Troubleshooting
Here is some troubleshooting you can try that applies to pedals of any manufacturer. If you’re using a third-party power source (such as those sold by Voodoo Lab, Ciocks, Dunlop, etc.) but are having trouble powering your pedal, try running through these steps:
- Double-check the current and voltage requirements recommended by the pedal manufacturer.
- If your pedal shipped with a wall adapter from the factory, try powering with that. If it powers up, it’s probably a setup issue with your third-party supply.
- Check the current. Make sure the supply is capable of providing more current than the pedal requires. For example, if your pedal requires 200 mA, it’s probably best to provide it at least 250 mA to ensure it works properly under all circumstances.
- Check the voltage. Some pedals are very specific about their voltage requirements. If the pedal requires 9V, be sure not to send it more than 9V, because excessive voltage can irreparably damage a device. On the other hand, some pedals, such as fuzz boxes, are perfectly happy running at anywhere from 9V to 18V. Just be sure you know what the manufacturer recommends.
- Finally, check the polarity. Most pedals have center-negative power jacks, though there are a few with center-positive ones. Polarity is often indicated by a diagram on the pedal, but you may need to check with the manufacturer.
A happy pedal is one that is powered with the correct current and voltage. Go forth and keep all of your pedals happy!
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Hugo
Hugo is Strymon’s customer support manager and calm voice of reason. He spends his time driving through local canyon roads, noodling on guitar, and playing old Nintendo games.
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138 Responses
After going through all the pedals on my board for rewiring and searching for every individual spec sheet, it is really nice to see a vendor publish how to hook their pedals to a Power Plus 2.
Hi,
I just wanted to clear this up. Here: https://www.strymon.net/support/faqs/can-i-power-a-timeline-with-a-voodoo-labs-pedal-power-2-power-supply/ you say that you shouldn’t power a Timeline with a pp2+, but in this article you say that you can?
Could you clarify please?
Thanks
Hi Mark, we just updated the FAQ. You can use a PP2+ if you use a current doubler cable and connect to both outlets 5 and 6. Thanks!
Updated FAQ: https://www.strymon.net/support/faqs/can-i-power-a-timeline-with-a-voodoo-labs-pedal-power-2-power-supply/
Hey Hugo,
Thanks for the tips about power. Curious if Strymon has any plans to build its own power source capable of handling multiple pedals. I’d buy one!
Thanks a mil!
Steve
I’d like a Strymon power source as well!
Hi, I bought this great unit a couple of years ago on 4/14/2012. I was rearranging my pedal board order, unplugged the El Cap and then plugged it back in. The lights flashed on, then immediately off now it will not power up when plugged in to the AC adapter it was using. It is dead, I think. Is there anything Strymon can do for me or a place to send it for repair? I love this pedal – there’s nothing out there remotely as unique as this unit – but it certainly should function longer than 2 years and 2 months. I have my original order E-statements. What are my options? Please help!!!
@JB – Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with powering the El Capistan. Please write us at [email protected] with details on the problem including how you were powering the pedal so that we can help you get this resolved.
I just had the exact same thing happen with my Flint. Does anyone happen to know if JB’s problem was solved?
Hi! Please email us at [email protected] and we are happy to help 🙂
Just want to add to this discussion that I can power both the Mobius and the El Capistan from the original Voodoolab Pedal Power 2 (not the PLUS) at the same time, by using two current doubler cables. One is connected to outputs 4 & 5 (100+250mA) and the other one to 6 & 7 (250+100mA). Very handy and they sound like they should. The Mobius even worked perfectly when I power it from two outputs that only provide 100mA (1-4), which means that it actually only needs 200mA. I could, in this configuration, however, not start up the pedal. It would only work of these outputs if I switched the power cables from 4&5 to those low current outputs one by one after having powering up the pedal. So it needs more power at its start-up than for its actual use. I thought this was interesting. Keep up the good work!
Thanks!
This article made me realize that my Fueltank is causing a high frequency noise, used with the Flynt.
Unpacked the original power source and all is well now!
Thanks again!
Hey, I was just wondering. If I buy a strymon big sky reverb, will I get the correct adapter I need to use. And can I use it will a pedaltrain volto?
@Kendall – Yes, the BigSky comes with its own power supply to use with the pedal. Also, you can use the Pedaltrain Volto as long as you only power the BigSky by itself with no other pedals being powered by the Volto. This is because the Volto does not have isolated outputs and powering other pedals with the BigSky will yield undesirable noise in your audio.
So I should just plug it up by itself, and power the remaining pedals with the volto?
@Kendall – Yes, it would be best to power the BigSky on its own if you do not have a multi-outlet power supply with isolated outputs.
Hello! I’m going To hook up te timeline To a SKB Stagefive!
Can I plug ir in on the 9V 1.2A outlet without ruining the pedal?
Thanks Again!
@Diego – Looking at the specs of the SKB StageFive, the 9V 1.3A output is 9V AC and will fry the pedal if connected. Please make sure not to connect to this outlet. All of the 9V DC outputs on that pedal board only provide 100mA of current which is not enough to power up the TimeLine. You would need to use the factory power supply as this pedalboard does NOT have an outlet to power the TimeLine.
Thank you Hugo for talking the time to helpe me!
Have a great day!
Hello I just recently purchased the bigsky and I’m using voodoo lab pedal power 2+ and just wanted to make sure it would work on the 5 or 6 positions?? And also can the bigsky work with just the 1spot visual sound connection by itself?
@Josh – The BigSky pedal requires a minimum of 300mA of current to operate reliably. Outputs 5 and 6 on the Pedal Power 2+ only provide 250mA of current each. We recommend using a current doubler cable (available from Voodoo Lab’s website) to sum the current of 2 outputs such as 4+5 or 6+7 to provide 350mA of current which is enough to power the BigSky. You can also power the BigSky with a 1 Spot by itself without chaining to other pedals, but you can also use the factory power supply that comes with the pedal as well.
Thanks Hugo appreciate the help!
Getting ready to order a Mobius (literally in a few minutes). I power all my pedals from a PP2+ mainly for the isolated power. I am out of PP outlets so I have two choices, either us the power adapter that comes with the Mobius or get a PP digital. I want to keep all my pedals “isolated” and I am wondering if using the Mobius with it’s adapter will introduce ground hum. Long question made short (too late); is the adapter for the Mobius isolated or will I have to get the PP digital?
@Jon – You can use the factory power supply that comes with the Mobius and connect it to the courtesy outlet that is on the back of the Voodoo Labs PP2+ to power the Mobius.
I have been having an issue where the Strymon power supply keeps falling out of the power outlet. It won’t stay in a lot of power strips or other outlets unless I tape it down. I would love to keep using the Strymon power, but it is unpredictable and unfortunate when it falls out. Is this a common issue? Is there a work-around? Thanks.
@Eric – Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with the Strymon power supply. Which Strymon pedal are you having trouble with connecting the power supply to? If you plug in the Strymon power supply to another non-Strymon pedal with a 2.1mm power plug, does it also slip right off? The plug should feel secure when properly plugged in all the way with none of the metal from the barrel connector showing when plugged into our smaller pedals and very little exposed when plugged into our larger pedals. If you continue to have trouble, please email me at [email protected].
Hi! When I power up my Flint the lights flash on and then immediatly off… It seems to work fine but I just wanted to make sure that this is normal… Thanks!
Had the same problem when using the original power supply. I now have an ojai powering the flint and that strange behavior dissapeared
Hi, my gigrig generator, distributor and isolator will be plenty good enough to power a timeline with no issues, right? Just wanted to make 100% sure before I buy one next week. Thanks in advance for your reply!
Hey guys, I am currently powering my Strymon pedals off ‘The Source power supply units” as seen below in the link
Source pedal website Below
http://www.guitarbits.com.au/
Current rig setup below
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1617466305168578&set=pcb.1617485521833323&type=1&theater
Ok my issue is that when I charge up the Source power units and when they have been fully charged I cannot not switch the Timeline, Bigsky or Lex on instantly. Rather I have to wait for a period of time lets say about 2-3 hours until the pedals some what cool down and allow the Strymons to energize. Note all the other pedals turn on instantly after full charging is complete… The Strymon’s are not daisy chained rather they have individual power.
My question is have you guys at Strymon ever seen anything like this and is there anyway I can prevent it from happening and rather have the pedals switch on instantly????
Cheers for your help
@Leroy Jellicoe – That is a unique power source that we have never tested before, but if the pedals are not powering up right away when connected, there must be something about how that power supply provides power after a charge. Each of the Strymon pedals require regulated 9V DC and 300mA of current to power up reliably. If this is not happening, the pedals must not be receiving what they need from that power source after charge. You should probably check with the manufacturer of The Source to see if they have any information on what is happening or if they have ever tested the power supply with Strymon pedals.
Hi,
I bought a Strymon Big Sky about 9 months ago. Tremendous pedal. I bought it from a reputable store in Europe – one of the largest retailers online. I live in the UK. I was supplied with the standard power supply, which came boxed, plus a 3 pin adapter. The power supply or the adapter, or a combination of both, is very temperamental. Sometimes it works fine and other times you have to give an slight adjustment to ensure that there is contact between the adapter and 2 pin plug. This can happen during playing and can cut the signal chain and can be a big problem, especially in live gig situations.
I was wondering whether there is anything you could do? Is there a more suitable plug that I can exchange my current one for or alternatively is there one that is fitter for purpose – a replacement.
Many thanks.
Paul.
@Paul – Sorry for the trouble with the power adapter you received with the pedal. We are not too familiar with the adapter that is supplied in the UK, but we provide the same power supply with our pedals as are available in the US, which is why a prong adapter is necessary. Please send me an email to [email protected] with any pictures you can provide of the power supply and the adapter from different angles so we can help you with this.
I recently had a Voodoo Lab PP2+ die on me suddenly. I shipped it to Voodoo Lab for repairs and then plugged my El Cap and Brigadier in with their Strymon power supplies. I immediately noticed increased headroom and more dry signal coming through. I had always had a problem with my two small box Strymon pedals sounding “weak” and I’m beginning to think it was my PP2+. For the record I always used outputs 5&6 for them as recommended. So…in researching possible replacements for my PP2+, I read from Voodoo Lab’s website that the PP2+ and 4×4 actually supply 9.3 Volts to more accurately simulate a 9V battery. Could this be related to my not liking the way the El Cap and Brig behave on my PP2+? Is 9.3V safe for Strymon pedals? I really would like a definitive answer before I spend any more money on power supplies.
@Kristopher – Thanks for supporting Strymon! 🙂 There is nothing wrong with using 9.3V with your power supply as voltage fluctuation is pretty normal with most power supplies. Our pedals work with constant power where they draw more or less current depending on the voltage, but you want to make sure that your power supply outputs within the 9V range.
Plugged my Timeline into a 9V AC adapter. Opps. Can it be fixed?
@Dave – Hi Dave, I received your message and left you a voicemail along with sending you an email with details on how we can get your pedal fixed. Please give us a call or just reply back to the email I sent you to set up a repair with us.
Yesterday I tried to power my TimeLine, but the light of the supply started flickering and nothing happened. I used the supply from my BigSky and everything worked perfectly. Is the supply from my TineLine busted? The light keeps flickering when I plug it into an outlet. It would be a tremendous bummer, as it’s only a few months old and a new supply feels like a lot of money when I just spent all my money on other gear.. Cheers!
@Mattias – Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with the power supply of your pedal, but glad to hear that the pedal is working fine with another power supply. Shoot me an email to [email protected] to help you get this sorted out.
Will the Mod Tone Power Plant supply the Strymon Timeline?
Thanks!
@brandon – Although the ModTone Power Plant has isolated outputs, they do not provide enough current to meet the minimum requirements for our pedals (except the OB.1). The TimeLine requires 9V DC and at least 300mA of current, but the Power Plants highest current DC outputs only provide 200mA. Other power supplies like the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power Digital, 4×4, and Mondo along with the CIOKS DC-10, Big John, and CIOKOLATE will work.
I have 3 small boxes (blue sky, el capistan, and deco) and a pp2 plus. Can I use outputs 5 & 6 for blue sky and el cap, then use the deco’s original power supply plugged into the “courtesy outlet” on the pp2 plus?
@Laurence – Thanks for being a Strymon customer! 🙂 Yes, you can use those outputs for 2 of your pedals and the courtesy outlet on the back to power your 3rd Strymon pedal.
Hi, I am thinking about purchasing a BigSky to pair with my Timeline. I currently use a PP2+ and have my timeline on outputs 5 & 6 (250mA + 250mA). Can I use a current doubler on outputs 4 & 5 (100mA + 250mA) to power my timeline and another current doubler on outputs 6 & 7 (250mA + 100mA) to power the BigSky? Thanks!
@Bryant – Thanks for supporting Strymon! 🙂 Yes, you can use a current doubler with outputs 4+5 to get 350mA of current and another current doubler with outputs 6+7 to power your other pedal as well.
I’m powering my Timeline with a PP2+ using 5 and 6 power outs with a current doubler. Is the timeline still only getting 9V? I know this is what everyone is saying to do, but I’m afraid that I’m sending 18 V to the pedal.
I also know that there is a “Voltage doubler” cable that I would assume would be for sending 18 volts to a pedal. I just want to be 100% sure I’m doing this right so I dont blow up my timeline!
@Robby – Yes, using a CURRENT DOUBLER cable only sums the current from the 2 outputs being used with this adapter. So the pedal is still receiving 9V when connected to 2 9V outputs with a current doubler cable.
Hi guys,
first of all, thank you for your great products.
Unfortunately i’m currently having a noise problem with the strymon timeline which i use over a Diago powerstation. As you recommend for the TimeLine i need an isolated power supply to get rid of the noise. Diago offers such an adaptor to provide that but with only 110mA max.
I’ve already seen that it is working with the timeline (on YT), but i’m kinda confused where is the failure in this equation.
Thanks for your help in advance
Jan
YouTube-Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zWB9yHfD4E
DIago: http://www.diago.co.uk/adaptors/isolator.html
@Jan – Thanks for supporting Strymon! 🙂 The current power setup you are using with the Diago power supply is not isolated and it is causing the noise you are getting from the pedal. If you provide isolated power, you must provide at least 300mA of current minimum to have reliable operation of the pedal. If you provide less, it may not power up or can just shut off in the middle of usage if there is a demand for more current.
So I have a BlueSky and I see it can be powered through the Voodoo Lab PP2+, but can I also power it through a 1Spot adapter instead of the PP2+? I saw that it could be used for the BigSky, but I wanted to make sure it can be used for the BlueSky too before plugging it in. Thanks
@Isai Pena-Cruz – Thanks for supporting Strymon! 🙂 We do not recommend powering our pedals with a 1 Spot if you will be daisy chaining with other pedals as this can create noise in your audio from sharing the ground with other pedals powered with this power supply.
Ah ok thanks! Now if I use the 1spot to solely power the blue sky and not daisy chain would that be ok? I mean I have both the PP2+ and the 1Spot, which would be best to use?
Ah ok thanks! Now if I use the 1spot to solely power the blue sky and not daisy chain would that be ok? I mean I have both the PP2+ and the 1Spot, which would be best to use?
@Isai – Yes, you can try using the 1 Spot to power the blueSky by itself and you should not get additional ground hum noise. I would recommend just using the PP2+ output 5 or 6 with the standard black power cable and the DIP switch set to NORMAL.
Ok awesome thanks a lot man really appreciate it!!
I am using the power supply that came with the unit but still have a lot of noise. It all goes when I unplug the Mobius. I’ve only had it 6 months but don’t gig with it because of the noise it makes.
@CC – Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with the Mobius pedal. What is the connection setup that you are using the Mobius in? Is this noise present if you use the following isolated signal chain: guitar => Mobius LEFT INPUT; Mobius LEFT OUTPUT => amplifier input? Please check this out and let me know by sending an email to [email protected].
Is there any way to run a Blue Sky in to a Cioks Schizophrenic?
@Jason – Thanks for checking out the blog! 🙂 As the blueSky requires 9V DC and at least 250mA of current, the Cioks Schizophrenic cannot provide enough current to power the pedal is it’s maximum current output provides only 75mA. We recommend a power supply that can provide at least the minimum 250mA of current to power the blueSky.
Well It’s 3-4 outlets are supposed to provide 200mA and in their web page they assure they can run small Strymon pedals, that’s why I’m not sure yet, i also sent them an e-mail just to check out! In the link you can read what I’m talking about, thanks for replying!
http://cioks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=61&Itemid=76
@Jason – our pedals may run with 200mA, however, it is always wise to provide some headroom with current because if there is ever a dip on voltage when powering our pedals, they will draw more current, but if that is not available, they will just shut off and you will lose your audio. So it may work fine with that, but we recommend more just in case anything happens.
Thanks for clarifying!
Hi, I bought two pedals(TImeline and Mobius) and I noted that when I use the same power supply (handmade) for TImeline and Mobius I can hear a sound like a G# from my amp. If I use just one pedal with his original power supply(Strymon) and one pedal with my power supply the noise sound disappear. My power supply have 10 outlet power 9V 750mA and 2 aoutlet 12V 750mA. All isolated outlet.
@Davide Palamara – Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with powering the pedals. This noise you describe happens if you are powering the pedals from the same non-isolated power supply. If the 10 9V outlets share the 750mA of current, then these outlets are not isolated. Can you please provide the make and model of this power supply?
Hello,
This is Brandon Thomas, I purchased a blue sky reverb from you and and have loved it. I tried it out earlier today and it’s making an oscillating sound like a whammy in the background and the effect level has dropped dramatically. I am wondering if it is a bias problem or something else. I have only used the power supply that you have provided and plug that up to the back of a voodoo labs that is plugged up to a power conditioner(I like everything to be as protected as possible). I know that my warranty has expired and I am just trying to see what I can do to fix a pedal that I love! Thank you
Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPhone
@Brandon Thomas – Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with the blueSky pedal. Do you experience this problem if you use output 5 or 6 from the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus with the DIP switch set to NORMAL using the standard black power cable while in the following setup:
guitar => blueSky LEFT INPUT; blueSky LEFT OUTPUT => amplifier
Please give this a try when you get the chance and if the problem remains, please send me an email to [email protected] to help you get this resolved.
Hi, I bought an El capistan and I CIOKS Schizophrenic power supply. I tried to use the included power supply out of the box but there is noise in my rig that was removed when I connected it to 200mA out put of the schizophrenic. Is it safe in the long run or should I buy a higher output power supply? And is the power supply included defective in this case?
@Leo – Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with powering the El Capistan this way. This could be a grounding problem with the setup. Do you experience this noise if you use the El Capistan powered by the factory power supply on its own in the following manner: guitar => El Capistan => amplifier input? Please give this a try while making sure that both the El Capistan power supply and the amplifier are plugged into the same power strip. Check this out and send me an email to [email protected] with what you find.
I recently bought an El Capistan and use it with a 9v 600mA adapter.
When I power up either:
the tap tempo light won’t stop flashing however the unit will work for a time(before the repeats seem to freak out and the unit won’t work)
or I get a squeal sound and nothing works.
T
his was exactly the same with my Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 before I realised that I needed 600mA – I thought the adapter would fix this problem though.
@Rory – Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with the El Capistan. Is this power supply the same one that comes with the pedal (Damage Control 9V DC, 660mA output)? The pedal only requires 9V DC and 250mA of current, but the factory power supply provides more than it needs. On a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus, you must makes sure to use outputs 5 or 6 with the DIP switches set to NORMAL connecting with the standard black power cables. If you still have trouble, please email me at [email protected].
Hey hugo! I want to ask you something , i have walrus audio aetos power supply that have an isolated output on 7 and 8 for 300ma each , can i run timeline with only use the 300ma output from channel 7 or 8 from aetos? Will it damage the pedal? Thanks 🙂
@Sander – Yes, you should not have any trouble powering the TimeLine from outputs 7 or 8 from the Aetos power supply. 🙂
Hey hugo , i have entered the swell mode and then i turned the mix knob 100% but sometimes the dry signal still appear , is that a trouble ? Or that was the character of pedal? I think the dry signal wont appear when i set 100% mix , thx for your attention 🙂
@Sander – When using the SWELL mode, you must make sure to always use the LEFT INPUT on the pedals to detect your input dynamics for the SWELL to work properly. Also, there are some cases where the dry signal can pass through while the signal is swelling depending on your picking dynamics. If you still have trouble, please email me at [email protected].
Hey Hugo,
Just tagging onto this. I currently own both a Timeline & Bigsky along with other lower MA req drive pedals. I’m looking into upgrading power supplies and wondering if I could run into any issues trying to power both, plus others on the new Aetos with 2x 300 MA and 6 100 MA outputs.
Thanks!
@Patrick – As long as the Aetos provides reliably 9V DC and at least 300mA to the Strymon pedals, it should work just fine.
Okay , thx for your attention 🙂
Timeline is the best delay i ever have!
Hi there,
I have a big sky in my pedal chain and +8dbu seems to be very low for the input max. I am running into issues with clipping due to the pedals that come before the big sky in the line. Is this a common issue? and what would you recommend i do to solve this?
I use a keeley katana to push my signal through my board into clean amp and i love both pedals, i just have a feeling i’m going to have to lose one of them because they seem to fight lol.
@Adam – If the input signal level is too hot for the pedal, then you will experience the clipping that you describe. On top of that, some algorithms are more susceptible to clipping (especially with high level, low frequency signals) than others. Using a boost pedal that is hot enough to cross this threshold on the BigSky algorithms can definitely cause this to occur. In this case, it is always recommended to turn down the signal level going to the BigSky when you experience clipping in this manner or to place your boost after the BigSky.
Hey!
I just bought a Voodoo Pedal Power 4×4 which I want to use the high current 9v outputs with my Strymon Timeline. The supplied power jumper cables will not fully insert into the back of the Timeline. It seems the power supply connector from the Timeline is shorter than the Voodoo Cables. Any ideas how to make this work? I’ve spent a lot already on the equipment thinking they would work friendly without more things to buy.
@Chris – The length of the barrel connectors on power cable ends such as those from Voodoo Labs and our own power supplies are pretty standard. When connected to any pedals with power jacks flush to the chassis such as our TimeLine, a small part of the metal barrel connector sticks out (about 2-3mm) and this is normal. Are you having trouble with getting the pedal to power up? Please let me know if you have further trouble by sending us an email to [email protected] with any additional detail and pictures of what you are experiencing.
Hi, i bought in last time two smaller units El Capistan and Ola, I plan to buy soon one more Blue Sky. I see all pedels requirer 250mA current/9V according to spec. I plan to power them in pedalboard, from outlets 5&6(dips set for normal) of my Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus to provide correct/required 250mA/9V. In fact I will miss one more 250mA for 3rd small Strymon pedal, so i thought to use current adapter “Y” cable to combine 1-4 power outlets to get at least 200mA.
I saw that you mentioned “our pedals may run with 200mA, however, it is always wise to provide some headroom with current…”
QUESTIONS:
So all i risk is unexpected shutdown, if for some reasons it draws more amps? rather not damage or unwanted issues with sound?
Also which of them (El Capist, Ola, Blue Sky) you would suggest to run with combined outlets 1-4 to get 200mA? Maybe one of them has slightly “lower” real requirements due to particular effect spec/design/function.
Is it (maybe not perfect but) acceptable enough idea of powering them ?
I have european version of Voodoo Labs PP2, so it’s not as easy to just plug in other side orginal strymon adapter for 3rd pedal (there is different style socket)
I would also to avoid to multiply adapters, is pedal power is on board.
@Artur – If you must use the pedal power 2 plus to power 3 Strymon pedals, I would recommend getting a prong adapter for your Strymon power supply to plug into the courtesy outlet of the Voodoo Labs power supply. There is no configuration where I will recommend providing 200mA as the chances of the pedal shutting off are too great to risk when the pedal requires 250mA minimum.
Thanks for clarification.
It’s a pity only, that Voodoo Lab doesn’t put that EU plug in EU versions – in USA version things looks really easy for extra power supply.
eu this looks like this (one of pics shows rear side of eu version):
https://www.thomann.de/pl/voodoo_labpedal_power_2_plus.htm
So instead adding big adapter or cable with adapter (i’m even not so familiar with typical plug for courtesy outlet from EU version of PP2) , it’s easier probably to put extra power line for one more Strymon Pedal adapter, and accept situation with just more power cabels under feets…..
I was wondering if maybe better solution (means compact pack/less cabels around) would be to take 24V from built in Voodoo Lab PP2 to power Ojai, but i’m not sure about current with 24volt setup from PP2….possibly we will not provide enough amps… .
@Artur – Using 24V by summing the voltage of the front inputs on a Voodoo Lab power supply is not recommended. We DO recommend using the proper adapters to connect an Ojai power supply to the rear courtesy power outlet on a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus.
I just purchased a strymon flint. I recently noticed that there is a click when it powers up. I wanted to know if that is an issue. Someone asked a similar question earlier in the thread. Thanks in advance.
@Ibe Mitchell – Thanks for supporting Strymon! 🙂 The click at power up is the sound of the internal relay on the pedal clicking over and this is normal.
I have a Strymon Lex and would like to be able to use it in a situation where only battery power is available. Is that possible?
@Michael Sullivan – Yes, as long as the battery is ONLY powering the Lex pedal on its own. For example, you can use the Pedaltrain Volto rechargeable power supply to power the Lex, however, make sure that it is the only device powered by this rechargeable battery power supply.
I’m looking into an OB.1 and was wondering if the circuit could handle being run at 18v. I use extremely hot pickups and I need all the headroom I can get.
Hi Can i use Joyo Power Supply 2 for my Big Sky ?
@Steven – I cannot find this info on their website, but I read in a different forum page that output 8 of the Joyo Power Supply 2 provides 9V DC 500mA which should work with BigSky. We have never tested that supply, but if it does provide those output specs, it will work to power 1 Strymon pedal from output 8.
Hi- I have a cioks ciokolate power supply. I have a few things on my board that require over 250 ma (2 sennheiser wireless receivers- 400ma each, radial SGI-400ma, bigsky-300ma and an el cap-250ma). It looks like the power supply only has 4 slots for 400ma slots DC. I was wondering if there was a way to daisy chain the bigsky and the el cap to the slot with 600ma without it creating excess noise in my chain.
@Derek Hester – Both of your Strymon pedals must be powered from their own isolated output if you want to avoid getting unwanted noise in your audio. I do not think that you can daisy chain the wireless receivers either in your setup. You will need to power 1 of these devices with their own separate power supply or find another power supply solution that can provide isolated power to all of the listed items.
Hey,
I’m looking to power a board of 6 pedals with a 1Spot CS12 Power Supply. I’m wanting the Bigsky and the Timeline, and wanted to know if the 2 “9v 500mA” ports would damage the Strymons using the 1Spot CS12. I know your website says that the bigger pedals require a maximum of 9V DC and a minimum of 300mA current. But would 200mA more hurt the pedals? Thanks.
Eli Delp – Thanks for supporting Strymon! 🙂 The 9V 500mA outputs on the 1 Spot CS12 should work just fine. Providing more current to the pedals will not damage them as they will just draw the amount of current they need.
Hi Strymon
I have recently purchased the big sky (finally!) and already own the timeline. I am based in Australia but always had issues with the power supply that is shipped with these pedals. When i first got the timeline nothing would elminate a massive amount of hum (even just powered on its own with the provided supply) until i purchased the necassery gigrig isolators (timelord) and power supply which then lead to no issues since.
So on purchase of the big sky i thought i could put it on my (to that point noiseless/ every other pedal isolated) board and just use the power supply that came with the pedal to power it sepearely (just while i wait for another timelord to be deleivered) No joy. Huge amounts of hum. Also with the big sky straight into the amp using your power supply With no other pedals, it still hums…which is the same issue i’d had with the timeline a couple of years ago. It seems the power supplies that come with it jist don’t power them properly (which doesn’t make sense based on the info you’ve given me above and what it’s power requirements are) or i’ve had two faulty ones in a row, which seems unlikely. I know its not my amp…and not a bad power source ( and I’m pretty certain another timelord will eliminate any noise issues i have with the big sky) but i felt i should let you guys know and wonder if anyone else has had this issue that you know of.
Huuuuuge fan of your products and can’t wait to use the big sky next to my timeline on my board 🙂
@Jack Forsey – Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with our pedals and their factory power supplies. These supplies are the same designs as used here in the US and rest of the world as they are designed to work worldwide. If you are experiencing hum while using our pedal, there must be a grounding issue somewhere in the connections. You mentioned that you still get this hum when going straight into the pedal, then, amplifier. When set up in this manner, do you experience this hum when they are all connected to the same power strip into 1 power outlet? If so, does changing the audio cables that are connecting these devices while powered in this manner change the behavior at all? Please let us know by sending us an email to [email protected].
Hi.
where I live the voltage delivered is 220v. So can I plug my time line using the power suply directly at the wall?
@Ricardo – Yes, the factory power supplies we provide with our pedals are designed to operate world-wide at 100-240V.
Just got a brand new Strymon Flint. First thing I notice is that when powering up it doesn’t remember that it was previously on and defaults to off. Also, when turning on the power, the two LEDs briefly flash and there’s a clicking sound.
I’m using the supplied power supply and have also tried another power supply. Is this normal?
@Philtre – Thanks for supporting Strymon! 🙂 The behavior you describe for the Flint is normal behavior for the pedal. The pedal will always power up in the bypassed state regardless of the state when it was powered down. Also, the 2 LED’s DO flash at powerup.
Just purchased a ojai new from a trusted dealer and when my tubescreamer or my boss tu-3 or any other pedals are being powered by it, it works fine for a few seconds but every now and then my signal cuts out when the pedal is on and the power lights on the power supply turn off i have made sure everything is connected properly using the cables that came with it.
i have also checked everything else in the signal chain which seems to work fine. hope you can help
@Marcus – Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with powering your pedals with Ojai. I suspect that there is a problem with either the Link cable between the black 24V adapter and the Ojai, the 24V jacks on these devices, or the 24V adapter itself being faulty. Take a look at all the 24V IN/THRU connections and make sure that they are all intact. You may also want to move the link cable around to see if that causes the power to drop. Send us an email to [email protected] to let us know what you find so that we can help you get this resolved quickly.
Hi. Sometimes it happens that my Strymon Flint does not power up when plugged in with original power supply. The relay does not switch on. Last time it happened it was after the electricity has fallen out… I was unplugging and plugging again the power supply with 20s breaks but nothing. After 2 hours of calm, everything was alright. I am just wondering how to solve this issue immediately. It seems the relay is in some state that needs time to relax so the current from the original supply is not enough or the voltage? Thanks for any help.
@Petr – Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your Flint pedal. Sound like it could possibly be a hardware problem that would need a repair. But first, I do want to mention that I have seen where the plastic/rubber outer portion of the power cable is stopped by the metal chassis of the pedal when plugging in the power supply which would prevent it from powering up. If this is the case, just make sure that you are plugging the power supply all the way into the power jack and making sure it does not get caught by the metal chassis when plugging in the power tip.
If you still have trouble, please send us an email to [email protected] with details on how long you have owned the pedal and where it was purchased from to determine the best way of getting this resolved.
If I use a 9v DC 1500ma adapter with my Bluesky will it in any way damage or affect the performance of the pedal?
Thanks
@Alan – When using that power supply, the blueSky will only draw the amount of current it needs to operate. As long as it receives 9V DC, center-negative polarity, and at least 250mA of current, it will operate reliably.
Great. The only reason I ask is that I have a Boss DD-3 and it’s very particular about the ma setting, too little and it doesn’t work (though the LED lights, too much (1500 ma) and it emits a high frequency ringing.
Hi,
I bought Lex while in the states, will it work over here in the UK? I use a Cioks DC10.
Thanks,
Luke.
@Luke Murphy – Yes, you can use a 9V output that provides at least 250mA of isolated current from the CIOKS power supply to power the Lex.
Hi, tomorrow Im going to buy a strymon mobius and I would like to know if my T-rex Chameleon power supply works fine for that pedal.
I looked in the user manual of the power supply and it says that each output delivers 300ma but Im not sure if that power is enough cause the Mobius needs a “minimum” of 300ma.
@Daniel – Yes, you can power the Mobius with one of the 9V DC 300mA outputs from that power supply.
Hi – I about to buy a Strymon power supply for my Strymon pedals – BigSky, Volante, El Cap & Brigadier.
It’s manly for re-amping and using as a channel insert in the studio.
Does the BigSky and Volante work best with the 18v option available from the Ojai R30 or am I best just running 9v with an Ojai?
Many thanks – love the pedals!
Matt
@Matt – All of our pedals must only use 9V DC, center-negative power. Make sure to only use the 9V output or adjustable outputs set to 9V when powering our pedals with Zuma or Ojai power supplies.
What Will happen if my bigsky get 200mA instead of 300mA?
@Daniel – Your BigSky may not power up at all, and if it does, it may just shut off on you while using it when the processor gets going with the more processor intensive algorithms. Please make sure to provide BigSky with 9V DC center-negative power and at least 300mA of current for reliable operation.
What will happen if I use 10V? Is it ok? Thank you a lot.
Unless the pedal specifically states to use 10V, only use the recommend voltage. For all of our pedals, that is 9V DC. Anything else can damage the units.
I’m currently using a voodoo 2+ output 5/6 which is 250mA to power my Bigsky/Timeline which requires 300mA. It managed to power on and didnt shut off by itself after awhile.
Does this mean that my bigsky is damaged?
No, sometimes outputs on power supplies output more than what they are rated for. In this case if the PP2+ is powering your BigSky/Timeline just fine then you are good to go 🙂 Remember: more or less current (mA) won’t hurt a pedal, it will either power on or not.
Hi
I am a happy owner of a Strymon Riverside, but it turns out that after the last show I stopped working with the multipedal source that I had been using, and now it doesn’t work even with the original factory source … it doesn’t turn on … that there could have been past? There is no burning smell or anything similar …
Hey there! Please shoot us an email to [email protected] and we’d be happy to help 🙂
Thanks!
Hello,
Just received my new Riverside plugged on a Voodoo Lab power supply. It clicked for a long time and lights would turn on and off a few time.
I read it is a normal behavior but could you confirm that. It seems to work fine but the sound appears a bit “muffled” (but maybe it’s because of other pedals).
I wanned to know if this a know issue.
Thanks.
Hello! I believed you emailed in, but if not, your issue sounds like that Voodoo Labs is not getting enough current out to the Riverside. Riverside needs 300mA of current at 9V DC at all times. Please try with the factory power supply and see if you get the same behavior, If not, then your Voodoo Labs may not be outputting enough current. Please email us at [email protected] if you have more questions.
Hi,
Just got a Volante and while testdriving i accidentally connected a 12V supply. Unit did not power up. Switched to the correct supply, now it does power up, but has no sound, also the factory reset seems to not complete. How can I repair this?
Thanks,
Eike
Hi, please email [email protected] and we will assist. Thanks!
Hi, muy name is Álvaro from South Spain. I connect my Brigadier in a outlet with 12v and now the pedal is damaged. Do you know if it’s repairable?
Thanks guys!
It should still be repairable! Please email us at [email protected] and we can assist. Thanks!
I just purchased the Strymon BlueSky. I have an MXR M239 Mini Iso-Brick with 300mA outputs. I have not seen anyone use your BlueSky with the MXR M239 succussfully, however, I have seen people report great results using the 450mA outputs with the BlueSky on the MXR M238 Mini Iso-Brick. I know the minimum of 250mA current is recommended, but what is the optimal mA for the BlueSky to run at peak performance? My BlueSky comes with a 9V DC power supply that provides 660mA of current. Is 660mA the maximum current draw of the BlueSky at peak performance or is it 300mA, 350mA, 450mA? What ever that maximum current draw for the BlueSky is, that is what is going to determine the Iso-Brick I purchase.
There’s no optimal current rating for the pedals — as long as they are receiving their minimum amount of current, that is all you need to worry about. So pick one that can provide at least 250mA of current at all times, maybe something with 300mA for example to have some wiggle room. The pedals only take the amount of current that is needed, which means you can connect them to outputs with more than the minimum needed mA rating and they will only take the current they need.
Greetings!
I’m having some issues with the factory power supply for my Big Sky unit. I have a VooDoo lab PP2 and I’m trying to plug the Big Sky into the actual outlet that’s on the back of the VooDoo lab, the 3 prong outlet. (NOT any of the 8 inputs at the front) I didn’t want to take any chances and I thought the included power supply for the Big Sky would be best. However, the little green light on the power supply plug just flashes on and off and does not turn the pedal on…right away. Sometimes if I wait 1-2 minutes the pedal will turn on. The power supply does the same thing with other outlets that are not connected to my pedalboard. I have an outlet on the back of one of my amps and that seems to be the only one that works, but I really don’t want to plug this into the back of my amp. Any ideas what could be causing this? Thanks!
Hey Ryan, if that factory power supply is giving you issues across multiple outlets, that sounds like the issue may be that power supply itself. Please shoot us an email to [email protected] and we’re happy to assist!
Hi Gohan!
I contacted Strymon support and I was sent another power supply for the BigSky. That was indeed the issue. The unit powers up perfectly now every time. Awesome pedal!…Loving it! Thanks for your help.
Glad to hear all is well now! 🙂
Hi I have 3 strymon pedals (Mobius, Timeline and Iridium) and I’m wondering if I can use the Truetone CS7 as power supply. It only has 2 outputs providing 500 mA 9V and 4 outputs 200 mA 9V. Should I change my power supply?
Thank you!
You can certainly try any 9V DC center negative outputs, but all three pedals require at least 300mA so there’s a good chance those 200mA outputs won’t work. Unless you need them for something else, you can always use a current (not voltage!) doubler to combine both outs into a signal 400mA out that would then work for another Strymon pedal 🙂