Why do I need isolated power?

Josh explains isolated power and a whole lot more about creating your first pedalboard in our "Beginner Pedalboard Tutorial" on our channel!

[sckeyeus]

What the world needs is a power supply blind comparison video! World peace will ensue.

[UncleDansVintageVinyl]

I'd like to see a demonstration showing (1) that a One Spot causes a problem and (2) that an isolated power supply cleans it up.

[fretlessed]

He hates 1 Spot like it was a bully that made fun of him in highschool and now he's getting revenge.

[jabarbors]

I realize this video is engagement farming, but my message to all budding guitar players/pedal enthusiasts: if you have multiple pedals and need a power supply, just try a high mA daisy chain like the 1spot or powerall before investing in an expensive isolated power supply. I used a daisy chain for years with all types and brands of pedals and didn't experience any problems. I felt pressured by marketing to upgrade to a more expensive supply where every output is isolated and... it sounds the same.

[ManeeVaughn]

It's simple, really. The maker of One Spot explained it. If you have regular 9V pedals (like Boss), you can daisy chain them without issues, and those that require more power, you isolate. That's what I've been doing for years. My EQD pedals have their own adapters (2 of them).

[zedcarr]

You can run all of your pedals off a single power supply, but you may have to use some 1/4 inch audio patch cables that are earthed at one end only to avoid ground loops. Ground loops cause the noise.

[kristenvespera]

It really depends on the specific combination of pedals and number I'd pedals you're using. There are many cases where something like a One Spot works perfectly fine with little to no noise. There are sometimes when certain pedals will cause noise when daisy chained with certain other pedals and then it my be necessary to run an isolated power source but in no way do you need isolated power in 100% of situations.

[codybeck]

I just run a helix now. But back when I had a normal pedalboard/amp setup, I ran it off of a daisy chain for years. I put off buying a mounted, isolated power supply for a long time before finally getting one. But I instantly noticed a huge difference. Mostly in how quiet everything was when I wasn’t playing. But something people don’t talk about as much is how much cleaner it makes everything. Also getting a longer IEC cable is nice for when the power at the venue isn’t close to where you want the board to be. It’s worth the investment imo

[cameronstolhand]

One spots work fine for Daisy chaining most petals in my experience. Petals that do need an isolated transformer usually come with one.

[stevenbatke]

If you use higher consuming digital pedals first in the chain, daisy chain power still runs pretty silently.

[myblues]

I use the One Spot all the time on 8 to 10 pedals and have never had any noise issues.

[bartvschuylenburg]

Why doesn’t every pedal already have an internal isolation circuit?

[zachary]

I would love a breakdown of power supplies. I’m at a point where I have enough pedals that investing in a power supply sounds like a good idea… but I don’t want to spend a crap ton of money just to find out I got the wrong impedance or something dumb like that

[joermnyc]

I had a 1spot for my first board, it was fine until I had an auto-wah… and then a strange swishy sound went all over everything. I sold that auto-wah, but kept the 1spot because isolated power was EXPENSIVE back then. I have the voodoo labs one with the 2 extra voltage outputs as my Jackson Audio Blossom compressor is happier running at 18V.

Also note that every one of these will have a maximum limit of millamps (mA) it can power. You’d have to have many power hungry pedals to hit that limit most of the time (the 1spot was like 2500mA), but it’s something to be aware of.

[lifeworldmusic]

If you isolate a noisy pedal, you're still running it in a chain. I imagine it may still have noise.

[rjelam]

I used isolated power supplies for years. They were called 9V batteries.

[bimscutney]

I had a One Spot and then I upgraded to an isolated power supply and I could definitely hear a difference. My pedals sounded so much more clear. Especially my fuzz. It’s a great investment.

[pierrebidondo]

I dig JHS & enjoy all your videos especially the videos on the history & origins of pedals. I get what you're saying & it makes sense. I have used two 1spots to power my pedalboard with 8-10 pedals on it for several years, playing anywhere from 2-5 gigs a week with no issues. Even when I turn them all on. none of my pedals are more than 5 years old. I plug those 1spots, (along with my amp or amp sim pedal) into a voltage regulated power conditioner. maybe that helps?🤔
I've thought about upgrading to a board mounted power supply, but they're expensive

[Neil-Aspinall]

Never had any problems daisy chaining?

[alexanderball]

Ive got one board powered with an isolated supply, and another thats daisy chained. I get no unwanted noise from the daisy chain. Im not saying there isnt something to what josh is saying, but just that its not a hard rule 🤷‍♂️