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Boss ACA Adaptor alternatives...


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Personally, I think non-regulated supplies should be banished - you'll get much better performance and less noise with a properly regulated/filtered supply. The pre-1997 ACA pedals will want to see 12 volts DC on the adapter jack, unless you daisy chain them together with at least one normal 9vDC pedal, in which case they will work fine from 9 volts DC. The only time one of those pedals actually need 12 volts is when they are powered solo from a power supply.

 

/Andreas

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1) First check this to see if your pedal really needs the ACA and not the PSA:

http://www.stinkfoot.se/andreas/diy/articles/bossadapt.htm

 

2) If your pedal is really a 12V pedal, then yes, you can use an off-the-shelf PSU. I've used those selectable voltage ones and never had a problem.

 

I would recommend, though, that you get a good regulated supply with plenty of current capacity. And make sure you get the polarity right!

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Personally, I think non-regulated supplies should be banished - you'll get much better performance and less noise with a properly regulated/filtered supply. The pre-1997 ACA pedals will want to see 12 volts DC on the adapter jack, unless you daisy chain them together with at least one normal 9vDC pedal, in which case they will work fine from 9 volts DC. The only time one of those pedals actually need 12 volts is when they are powered solo from a power supply.


/Andreas

 

 

Here's the thing, it doesn't want to work from my Rocktron DC On Tap whether it's in a daisy chain or not. In a daisy chain it plain doesn't work, and on it's own (same power supply) it turns the effect off not long after you switch it on.

 

It's a MIJ CE-2 from July 1981, according to Boss Area.

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That's weird - with a daisy chain (provided that the pedal is connected to other pedals both through the power and signal cables) it should light up just the same as on battery power. When powered alone from a 9vDC supply, it should just barely light up (very dimly, like the battery is dying).

 

I'm not familiar with that power supply, so I can't say. I'm not surprised the pedal turns itself off when powered alone, as it is receiving too little voltage. But there's no reason why it wouldn't power up at all when daisy chained, as long as the daisy chain provides regular center negative power. What were the other pedals in the daisy chain?

 

/Andreas

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Yep, daisychained with one of these: http://www.hartnollguitars.co.uk/products.asp?id=2218

 

My signal chain is not currently as it should be because I just sold a load of stuff and I have a load of new stuff in the post, so when I hooked it up it was like this:

 

guitar > SMM/H (using its own power supply) > Dod FX20C > CE-2 > Fish and Chips > Amp

 

the dod, boss and dano were all on the daisy chain.

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