4 of the Best Isolated Multi-Outlet Pedal Power Supplies

I previously highlighted a wider selection of pedal power supplies in my feature ’The Importance of Clean Pedal Power’ which included all the key power supply brands - big and small in a broader category overview, while this time around I’m specifically dealing with larger pedalboards and their power requirements.

Most of you will know by now how important isolated power supply per pedal is for whisper-quiet operation. For my own pedal-chain in which there are currently 40 pedals - several with high voltage and ampere needs - I am currently running 5 different power supplies - 2 x Friedman Power Grid 10s, 1 x Strymon Zuma, 1 x Strymon Ojai and 1 x T-Rex Goliath Fuel Tank. I am very satisfied with all 5 in terms of their isolated supply, but am looking to replace the T-Rex Goliath as even though it’s power supply is clean and unadulterated - the actual unit has a slight audible hum to it which although barely discernible - annoys the heck out of me. I have decided that I will at some stage be replacing the Goliath with another Strymon Zuma.

As most pedal-fans do I of course prefer really buying any variety of pedal rather than a power-supply - so those frequently get left til last. Yet in the pursuit of ultimate tone - great power-supplies are key along with the very best patch cables - where I currently favour the EBS Premium Gold Flat Patch Cables for toy standard ones, and Warwick Rockboard’s Flat Gold versions for the extended length and more specialist versions - TRS Y Splitters etc. - which are not covered by EBS.

So my Power Supplies have been accumulated over time, and I’ve finally settled on a formation of 40 revolving pedals in my pedal-chain - which need some degree of flexibility in power supply as I chop and change different pedals in different positions - some with very different supply requirement - polarity, voltage and current. If you watch That Pedal Show - you will see each time how they really push the GigRig Generator multi-box power-supply solution - which is optimal for fixed chains. While if you chop and change as often as I do that approach becomes too fiddly.

At the time I found the T-Rex Goliath a superb proposition - it has an AC outlet too - which I don’t use at all at the moment - I feel I will likely just avoid those sorts of pedals. The vast majority of modern pedals are 9V DC Centre-Negative standard Boss style 2.1mm barrel - with the odd one at 18V, and rarer still at 12 or 15V. I actually have a few pedals at 12V - and I have a couple of Xotic Effects Voltage Doublers for turning 9V into 18V when needed.

With my current power supplies the 2 Friedman ones provide 20 outlets - 10 each at a standard 9V DC / 350mA - which are pretty much good for all - they work fine with the bigger Strymon and Eventide pedals. The Zuma has 9 outlets - 7 at 9V DC/500mA and 2 variable 9/12/18V DC with corresponding 500/375/250mA output. Next is the T-Rex Goliath which has 7 outlets, 5 at 9/12V DC and 450mA each, 1 at 12V AC and 450mA, and 1 at 18V DC and 250mA output. Finally my Ojai has 5 outlets - all at 9V DC / 500mA. As stated all these power supplies are great - but the Goliath does generate unit hum - which though still provided clean signal output. I’ve decided that the Strymon Zuma is the best replacement here - as I occasionally am running one or two guest pedals beyond the usual 40 in the chain - and it’s good to have a little N+1 redundancy for just in case. Otherwise the obvious swap is the much more versatile 7 outlet Cioks DC7.

The Cioks DC7 is the current state of the art power-supply albeit I would prefer the core unit to have a couple of more outlets. It’s the only one currently where every single outlet is wholly variable - each delivering 9/12/15/18V DC and 660/500/400/330 mA output. The DC7 is also the most slimline = being only an inch thick or 25.4mm and only 160mm long. It also has a USB outlet for good measure!

The other power-supply here not yet mentioned is the very recent German Palmer PWT12 MK2 - which though is sort of capped for output - so not as powerful as the rest here, but it does have 8 outlets at 9V and 300mA, and 4 fully variable outlets which can range from 6V-18V and anything in-between for starved battery effect and the like. It’s a handy supply for most boards, but not quite as military spec as the other here.

If you have a fairly vanilla setup then the Friedmans are ideal - having the most outlets / current combination currently - while the others here offer a much higher degree of flexibility and varied pedal compatibility - that said none of the ones in my selection of 4 delivers AC - but then I personally don’t really need it.

I looked at the equally military spec Yankee power supplies - but could not find one which offered the same combination or permutations as those I ended up with. I believe these are 4 of the best units currently for where you have extended pedalboards. Few will have as many as me - and if your pedalboard is going to be relatively fixed - then the GigRig Generator option will probably be preferable. For my needs I’ve decided that 2 Power Grids, 2 Zumas and an Ojai will be ideal for me. I might at a later stage switch the Ojai for a DC7 - as it gives me much more flexibility. But these supplies don’t really come cheap - so it’s a taxing decision for most.

Power-Supplies are featured / listed alphabetically by brand: