[Tfug] Opine: Bricks, warts or...?

[Bexley Hall]

--- On Tue, 8/5/08, Tim Ottinger <tottinge at gmail.com> wrote:

> > (reading ahead), so, the type of gear you use "on
> stage" tends (?)
> > to all be powered from a 9V supply (perhaps as an
> alternative to
> > 9v "transistor" batteries)?  I assume the
> "plugs" are the "barrel"
> > type connector (like an inside out "phone"
> plug, of sorts?).  And,
> > all the same inner+outer diameter (i.e.
> interchangeable)?
> 
> yeah, effects pedals tend to all be the same barrel,
> voltage, etc.
> 9v DC, and yes because of 9v battery heritage.  But nobody wants
> to carry a backpack full of batteries, so there are power supplies
> and daisy-chain cables.

Understood.

> For the *most* part they are interchangeable, but every once in
> a while someone does something weird. They're not required
> to be consistent, but we like it better when they are.

I.e., the 1/4" phone plug that you connect your guitar to
the rest of the audio processing chain is a "de facto"
standard -- but these other things haven't matured to that
point yet?

Is there evera *reason* why a different power plug is used?
(e.g., to support *3* conductors -- two voltages -- instead
of 2?)

> Is there a trade association "standard" that promotes this?
> 
> Not that I know of.
> 
> > Do you ever/often encounter devices that *don't*
> fit this standard?
> 
> Yes.  Generally for floor-model (not rack-mount)
> multi-effects units.
> I have one that takes 12v AC and doesn't have a
> standard plug.  When
> the power died, I started buying all 9vDC units. ;-)

(I assume you meant to say "power SUPPLY died"...)

So, the "features" that it afforded weren't that
"special" to justify supporting this oddball...?

> > I'll guess each load ('effects pedal") is
> rather small -- maybe
> > 200mA at 9V -- and just does some signal processing in
> the output
> > from the guitar's pickup coils?  (or, do they fit
> into the signal
> > loop further downstream)
> 
> Pretty much right.  You chain them from the guitar to the amp, and
> in order to fit in AFTER the amp's gain, you may have some inserted
> into the signal (amps allow line in/out or TRS insert plugs).
> 
> > Wouldn't it be prudent for your *amp* manufacturer to have put
> > connections for 8 9V outputs *on* the amp itself?  Or, is that
> > located too far away to be practical?  (seems like it would
> > almost be *free* to provide that feature)
> 
> Would sound nice to me. :-)

So, given time, one vendor will realize this...  :>

> > > I also own a "wall wart remover" which
> is
> > > essentially a short extension cord with an
> ungrounded end.
> >
> > Not sure what you mean by ungrounded?  I.e., two
> conductors
> > on one end and three on the other?  What is the
> advantage of that?
> 
> Two conductors on each end.  Mostly for plug adapters and
> the like, which are two-prong things normally.

Oh, OK.  Like an old-fashioned -- though *short* -- extension cord.