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Temp "Time Format" issue Fix in Discussions

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Author Topic: Trouble with Wall Warts  (Read 8832 times)

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Chip Roberts

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Trouble with Wall Warts
« on: Time Format »

Alright dudes, just got my Marshall 8004 and was so excited to arrange everything all nice and purdy.  My setup is the MP1 into the Midiverb II into the 8004; very simple.  Stompboxes are on their own drawer that comes out all the way and functions as a rackmounted pedalboard.  Everything is powered by a standard Furman power conditioner.  I know some of you say it's not necessary, but I want clean power and I appreciate the convenience of having the power available in case it's needed for other stuff during rehearsal/gigging.  Then came the wall warts.

First off, I had to order a very specific power supply for the MVII, since NONE of my supplies would fit into the slot (the ones that did didn't have the correct voltage or whatever  :facepalm:)

So long story short, the damn wall wart is blocking everything else from mounting properly, and then there's ANOTHER wall wart required for the MP1's phantom power!  Pedal drawer can't slide in all the way because the wall wart's sticking out, can't plug it in if it's mounted above or below anything because it takes up too much space; SO, a few ideas to bounce off of you.

  • Replacing the MVII with a different delay unit; I have an SPX90II sitting around that might work
  • Mounting a clean power strip somewhere in the rack case out of the way of all the god damn cables
  • Tracking down an adapter of some form so the wall wart can just chill out of the way and then plug into the adapter, which plugs into the Furman; this seems like the most cost effective solution

Any input is appreciated as I'd like to keep the MVII because I appreciate it's simplicity and it's 80s-ness, both aesthetically and sonically.  There's a MVIII at the pawn shop for $50, can't remember if it utilizes a wall wart or not.  The other option I've been looking at is replacing it with a Roland GS6, which has multiple effects and a noise suppressor, or a GP8.  I'd like to keep the rack as 80s as possible, cutoff year is 1991.


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Rack of Death:
MP1 v2.01/Roland GP8/Boss NS50/ADA B200s

Pedalboard:
Boss TU2, Mooer Pitchbox, Boss BF2, Boss CE5, MXR EVH Phase 90, Behringer HB01 Wah/ART X15 Ultrafoot/

Cabinet:
Custom 2X12 with WGS Retro 30/HM75

Dante

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Re: Trouble with Wall Warts
« Reply #1 on: Time Format »

I had the same issue with my Quadraverb. HUGE wall wart, blocking other things.

I fashioned an adapter by shortening a very cheap extension cord and tucking that into my rack with two wall warts plugged into it - one on each side.

Just exactly like the one pictured here

Chip Roberts

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Re: Trouble with Wall Warts
« Reply #2 on: Time Format »

That's kinda what I'm leaning towards right now.  And while the SPX90II looks rad and has some other useful features, like a pitch shift, noise gate, and EQ, I simply couldn't get the delay sound I wanted.  I just love the simplicity of the MVII and how it doesn't color my sound.  Plus the interface is MUCH easier to toggle between presets.
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Rack of Death:
MP1 v2.01/Roland GP8/Boss NS50/ADA B200s

Pedalboard:
Boss TU2, Mooer Pitchbox, Boss BF2, Boss CE5, MXR EVH Phase 90, Behringer HB01 Wah/ART X15 Ultrafoot/

Cabinet:
Custom 2X12 with WGS Retro 30/HM75

rnolan

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Re: Trouble with Wall Warts
« Reply #3 on: Time Format »

Hey Chip, Alesis wall warts have been the bain/pain of my rack(s) for ages. I get that it's better if there isn't a transformer in the case (noise etc) but finding a place for the transformers and "fixing" them  :facepalm: or finding enough space on the powerboard  :facepalm: . Lucky they sound so good  :thumb-up: .  and Dante, great tip/idea  :thumb-up: :wave: .

While I'm not a fan of chaining through Fx units to the poweramp (I prefer to use a mixer and Fx sends), you could put the SPX90II as last in the chain and just use the pitch shift, gate, (overall) reverb, eq.. so delays will be shifted rather than pitch shifts delayed...  IIRC the SPX90II has analog pass through  :dunno: so the wet/dry mix is akin to using a desk and shouldn't wreck the sound (worth a try ?)
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Chip Roberts

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Re: Trouble with Wall Warts
« Reply #4 on: Time Format »

That's not a bad idea, rnolan.  I always say that every man needs to know his limits and occasionally create them if he doesn't want to go overboard.  For me, I'm limiting myself to a 6U rack case, because I know how my brain works and I know if I have any more than that I'll start to look at it and say "Hmmmm..." So I can only choose either or.  Worse comes to worst, I can always end up throwing my NS2 in the MP1's effects loop for my rhythm channel  :dunno:  I prefer my leads to have no gates at all for sustain and whatnot.
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Rack of Death:
MP1 v2.01/Roland GP8/Boss NS50/ADA B200s

Pedalboard:
Boss TU2, Mooer Pitchbox, Boss BF2, Boss CE5, MXR EVH Phase 90, Behringer HB01 Wah/ART X15 Ultrafoot/

Cabinet:
Custom 2X12 with WGS Retro 30/HM75

Soloist

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Re: Trouble with Wall Warts
« Reply #5 on: Time Format »

Worse comes to worst, I can always end up throwing my NS2 in the MP1's effects loop for my rhythm channel  :dunno:  I prefer my leads to have no gates at all for sustain and whatnot.
That's when a compressor comes in handy after the gate to replace the sustain the gate removes :thumb-up:
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Live Rig:
Fractal Audio FM3 ver 1.06
Boss GT 100 ver.2.11
Switching- Radial Engineering Big Shot I/O v2 - Radial Engineering Pro D2 Stereo Direct Box
Power - Live Wire Power Conditioning Distribution System
Monitors  - (2) FRFR-112 Headrush Stage monitors
Axes - Charvel So Cal Pro Mod-Jackson DK2MQ Pro-Jackson USA Soloist-Ibanez RG3XXV
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MarshallJMP

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Re: Trouble with Wall Warts
« Reply #6 on: Time Format »

Well I also was fed up with wall warts, so since I only use ac voltages (3 x 9Vac and 1 x 24Vac) I bought some toroids with those voltages and build then in a small 19" rack  an IEC connector that goes to the furman and some of those dc jacks and gone are those wall warts.
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Dante

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Re: Trouble with Wall Warts
« Reply #7 on: Time Format »

I wish my brain was big enough to figure that stuff out

Samuraipanda

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Re: Trouble with Wall Warts
« Reply #8 on: Time Format »

Worse comes to worst, I can always end up throwing my NS2 in the MP1's effects loop for my rhythm channel  :dunno:  I prefer my leads to have no gates at all for sustain and whatnot.
That's when a compressor comes in handy after the gate to replace the sustain the gate removes :thumb-up:

I never thought of putting the compressor after the gate. Would that work for when I turn my guitar down as well?
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Soloist

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Re: Trouble with Wall Warts
« Reply #9 on: Time Format »

Yes Samuraipanda it will work just fine. My G-force and G- major both use this concept.  :headbanger:
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Live Rig:
Fractal Audio FM3 ver 1.06
Boss GT 100 ver.2.11
Switching- Radial Engineering Big Shot I/O v2 - Radial Engineering Pro D2 Stereo Direct Box
Power - Live Wire Power Conditioning Distribution System
Monitors  - (2) FRFR-112 Headrush Stage monitors
Axes - Charvel So Cal Pro Mod-Jackson DK2MQ Pro-Jackson USA Soloist-Ibanez RG3XXV
ADA gear: MP1- MP2 - MT200
Studio gear- way too much to list.

rnolan

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Re: Trouble with Wall Warts
« Reply #10 on: Time Format »

Mmm, IMHO it's better not to do any of this and if your gain structure is set up reasonably correctly you shouldn't have to.. :facepalm: . This is like applying a band aid to a cut that doesn't have to be there (not meaning to poo poo the idea BTW, I can see it has its applications).
Compressors reduce (squish) dynamic range, so if you feed 100db (softest to loudest signal) into it, it will squash it (well the bit above what threshold you've set) by the ratio you select. So louder sounds are softer and softer sounds are louder..

Gates turn the signal off (or fade them) when it reduces to a selected level (threshold). So a softer sound is artificially increased by the compressor so the gate won't turn it off yet (comp pre gate) or in this instance, whats coming through the gate is artificially increased by the compressor after the gate (but will only hear signals that were loud enough to exceed the gate threshold, but will make them sound louder than they were, hence make the sustain)..
but why  :dunno: , is your gain structure that bad that you need to do this ??
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Soloist

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Re: Trouble with Wall Warts
« Reply #11 on: Time Format »

Well for me, I am after that 80's compressed tone. This does the trick, squished/compressed "glamish" tone. ;)
Low threshold,  high ratio.
« Last Edit: Time Format by Soloist »
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Live Rig:
Fractal Audio FM3 ver 1.06
Boss GT 100 ver.2.11
Switching- Radial Engineering Big Shot I/O v2 - Radial Engineering Pro D2 Stereo Direct Box
Power - Live Wire Power Conditioning Distribution System
Monitors  - (2) FRFR-112 Headrush Stage monitors
Axes - Charvel So Cal Pro Mod-Jackson DK2MQ Pro-Jackson USA Soloist-Ibanez RG3XXV
ADA gear: MP1- MP2 - MT200
Studio gear- way too much to list.

bloodspoint

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Re: Trouble with Wall Warts
« Reply #12 on: Time Format »

I'm with rnolan. I try to use optimal gain staging to keep noise down. I'm not a fan of gates for guitar.
On the wall wart issue, I usually use shorty extension cords to move them off the power strip, then velcro or tie them to the rack case back out of the way of other stuff. Since I took the Quadraverb GT out in favor of the Intellifex, I am down one gigantic wall wart too, which helps.
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Chip Roberts

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Re: Trouble with Wall Warts
« Reply #13 on: Time Format »

One gigantic wall wart; you're lucky.  I have two: one for the Midiverb, one for phantom power, and if I wanted to implement a whammy into my board, that would make THREE.  Ye-no.
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Rack of Death:
MP1 v2.01/Roland GP8/Boss NS50/ADA B200s

Pedalboard:
Boss TU2, Mooer Pitchbox, Boss BF2, Boss CE5, MXR EVH Phase 90, Behringer HB01 Wah/ART X15 Ultrafoot/

Cabinet:
Custom 2X12 with WGS Retro 30/HM75

gb

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Re: Trouble with Wall Warts
« Reply #14 on: Time Format »

Well I also was fed up with wall warts, so since I only use ac voltages (3 x 9Vac and 1 x 24Vac) I bought some toroids with those voltages and build then in a small 19" rack  an IEC connector that goes to the furman and some of those dc jacks and gone are those wall warts.

Ohh I've spent all day trying to find something i can just plug into furman and from 3 or 4 9vac (1amp) and something that has 16vac for my rack wah... soo many big wall warts and yes they do bring in noise. Id love it to mount it rear top opposite my furman..

how hard is that to make.. im yet to talk to my amp repairer for a quote but is that something youd be interested in building for me?
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