9v or 18v??

check with manufacturer/maker

if not, go with 9v and nothing else. The ability to use 18v is a plus point for some pedals, if the manufacturer/maker never mentioned it, most prolly its not meant to be. If its possible with 18v, the manufacturer/maker would have mentioned it as part of the good point of the product when selling it.
 
thanks pathein...

do u know of any other advantages of 18v other than having more headroom?

please correct me if i'm wrong also.
 
I'm been powering my Sahasrara with 18v for about a year? Sounds great. Not that 9v doesn't. But i just prefer it on 18v... Hope nothing happens.
 
I wouldn't try the rocktron silverdragon with a higher voltage than specified.

The tube should have a 6.3v heater, increasing the voltage may reduce in shorter tube life.
 
Open your pedal..see what is the IC used, check the datasheet and see what is the highest max voltage...check T-cap, E-Cap for voltage limit.
 
do u know of any other advantages of 18v other than having more headroom?

not too sure either, other than the headroom thingy with some drive pedal or those emg with 18v.

heh, as usual, while i think theres point in using 18v, but how big the difference it made to a piece of music in general, on the whole, thats another thing
 
Disadvantages?

Well, in general, based on my experiences, which may not be technically correct, but since my heart/soul/mind/feel/touch says otherwise, the MAIN change in headroom does not necessarily mean its better.

Higher headroom means less distortion.
Which can work if you run super hot pickups into say... an MXR phase 90.
Running at 9v, the phase 90 is a dirt box with phasing on it. Really. Quite musical I think. Running at 12v (the phase 90 can't do 18v I think), the higher headroom = a cleaner, proper phaser.
But then, running low output pickups with the phase 90 which does not over push it, having 12v kinda makes the phase 90 too "clean" and it loses that dirty sweet phasing it is known for.
Get the drift?

Also, there are usually changes in the 'size' of the sound. Usually tends to sound BIGGER, more open, like things are more spaced out.

Finally, you might encounter higher noise. I know that a CE-2 and Phase 90, at 12v, the ticking/swooshing gets louder. On pedals that are made for higher voltages, shouldn't be an issue.


And 9v/18v for emgs... that's another can of worms.
 
I'm been powering my Sahasrara with 18v for about a year? Sounds great. Not that 9v doesn't. But i just prefer it on 18v... Hope nothing happens.

Sahasrara is cool with regulated 18VDC, so no worries, if anything you know who to call. Any higher and you're on you're own! :mrgreen:
 
hmmm, not entirely connected, but somehow a small part with voltage thingy

somewhere last year, when i was more active in breadboarding and perf boarding stuff, the last circuit which i was doing, is somesort of a drum synth, the circuit was meant with 4.5v but along the way, i decided to remove the voltage regulator and pump in 9v instead. The most obvious difference was the increased range of sound from the thing.

Not sure how it compares to usual guitar effect, but for the drum synth, having 9v does seem useful, since the triggered sound from it have a wider spectrum compared to just using 4.5v
 
Open your pedal..see what is the IC used, check the datasheet and see what is the highest max voltage...check T-cap, E-Cap for voltage limit.

Use fifafu's advise above for a general check especially for IC.

Cos if you wanna go in depth, sometimes we can use lower voltage specced devices when used in sections of the circuit that has low voltage. That one must probe and see design already.

18VDC supplied to the power supply input of the pedal doesn't mean that its 18VDC throughout the whole circuit.
 
Not sure how it compares to usual guitar effect, but for the drum synth, having 9v does seem useful, since the triggered sound from it have a wider spectrum compared to just using 4.5v

Do you recall the sound changes and stuff still?

Was there any change in the "push"? Like, did you like have more punch to the sound?

I'm assuming you played it at louder volumes thru a speaker?
 
not quite exactly remembering much of the sound. If to really put in words

if the range of sound with 4.5v is between 1 to 5, with 9v, it sorta extend 1 to 8 somehow.

another thing also because the drum synth somehow different sounding and working from a guitar effect with input, so i cant really make a good comparison with it.

loud and speaker, yup, thru a bass amp and tolerance folks at home putting up with nonsense coming out from the room, then
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