Powering Nova delay [Archive]

godinman

11-13-2007, 12:37 PM

Hi folks this is just a heads up about the power unit supplied with the nova. It is not great and resulted in lots of noise with my rig. I now power the nova with a diago power station which is 9V DC but can give the required 300mA no noise at all studio quiet. I started a post about my problems last night because my nova was causing noise even in a bypass strip. Anyway follow the link for the thread which will explain all. By the way I am now fully in love with the NOVA what a sound.

http://thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=314018

Ross

89strat

11-13-2007, 12:58 PM

Will the nova delay power up with a One Spot adaptor?

Axe_78th

11-13-2007, 01:04 PM

I have been using a 12 volt one spot with no problem.

radcliff

11-13-2007, 01:13 PM

so people are running this off 9v?

BillyK

11-13-2007, 01:26 PM

Have you considered contacting TC and telling them that you have a bum PS?

saucyjack

11-13-2007, 02:09 PM

I tried the power pump adapter for my One spot thinking it would let me get rid of the Nova adapter.
I used it for a week or so...noticed a bit more noise and some low level cycling/humming type noises but it was bearable.
Then last night at practice my sound kept coming and going.Thought it was bad tube,replaced tube but no help.
Thought it might be the newly added power pump so fired up the Nova adapter and all was good.I'll test it out further later this week but in my rig it seems the Nova was liking the power pump.
To be fair I was running a TonePress,Strobostomp,Hotcake,OCD,Screwdriver,Red Moon,Empress Trem and then the Nova all from a single One Spot, so I suspect I was pusing it.

Andre357

11-13-2007, 02:24 PM

jamison162

11-13-2007, 02:37 PM

Also - using an adapter thats putting out 1700 vma's ( when your pedal only needs a hundred or something )....can sometimes cause long term damage as well.

The power supply doesn't put out amps, it supplies a voltage for which current can be drawn. The One Spot can supply up to 1700mA.
A pedal determines the amount of current draw and only draws the amount of current it is designed to, unless something goes bad.

Andre357

11-13-2007, 02:49 PM

The power supply doesn't put out amps, it supplies a voltage for which current can be drawn. The One Spot can supply up to 1700mA.
A pedal determines the amount of current draw and only draws the amount of current it is designed to, unless something goes bad.

mmm, makes sense. I was given the info I originally posted by a manufacturer.

Perhaps they just wanted me to buy their proprietary adapter...

89strat

11-13-2007, 08:04 PM

I have been using a 12 volt one spot with no problem.

Where do I get a 12 volt One Spot?

jamison162

11-13-2007, 08:08 PM

Just got my Nova today, gonna go play some now and compare to the DD-20. I would suggest using the provided adapter and if you can conclude it is causing excessive noise, get a replacememnt. Or just exchange the whole package.

Axe_78th

11-13-2007, 11:34 PM

One spot makes one for wireless that is 12 volts. You do have to reverse the polarity to power the Nova however.

http://www.visualsound.net/1spotforwireless.htm

godinman

11-14-2007, 02:29 AM

Thanks for the input guys. I am going to stick with using my diago power station. For a few reasons. One I am back to one power plug for my pedal board. 2. Everything is dead quiet again. 3. I spoke to my cousin who is an electronics guy who says that giving the pedal 9V as long as its getting enough amps will be fine. 4. The supplied wall wart with the nova looks really flimsy and I think they may have taken the easy option by providing a power supply that they were already using mine says tc helicon on it. It may be an issue with the British adapter and you guys over the water are not having any trouble. But last night I was in delay heaven having been in delay hell thinking that I had bought this wonderful delay which had great features but caused some terrible noise.

Cheers.

Axe_78th

11-14-2007, 06:04 AM

If the Nova works fine on 9 VDC , with current draw, why would t.c go the 12 volt route? That would have been and was a negative from the start to those looking to purchase a new delay pedal. It was a plus for the Timefactor that it could be powered by a 9 volt supply when the two were first introduced. Seems like there must be a reason for t.c. to go that route Anybody else running their Nova on 9 VDC?

godinman

11-14-2007, 06:52 AM

I wonder if it is because of the large current draw. The nova states that it needs 12Vdc with 300ma. A lot of 9vDC power supplies don't pass that amount of amps. For example the Burkey Flat liner 9V outputs give 200ma.
PP2 again 200ma Boss PSA 200ma. I don't know I am not an electronics head but that may be the problem. As far as I can make out the diago power station, one spot and power all are the only power units that will give this amount of amps. Of course the trade off is that all my pedals are daisy chained. however powering 12 pedals I have not experienced any problems so far. Heres an answer from the diago site regarding using the power station to power old boss 12V DC pedals. Perhaps its something similar with the Nova.

Q) I have an old Boss ACA style pedal that requires 12V DC, yet you say that your Powerstation (which is 9V DC) can power it?
A) Yep - just so long as you're powering at least one other normal 9V pedal in the chain, then it'll work just fine.
The old Boss ACA pedals use 9V batteries don't they? The DC input jacks on the back are hooked up to a current limiting resistor to drop the internal voltage from 12V to 9V. Hooking up a 12V ACA pedal with one or more other 9V pedals bypasses this resistor so that it will work just fine with a highly regulated 9V supply like the Diago Powerstation.
So why design pedals to run from 9V batteries or a 12V power supply? For those who are interested..........
At the time when Boss first started making pedals, unregulated power supplies were the norm. With an unregulated power supply; as the current load is increased (in this case as you try to power more and more pedals) the voltage drops. If the voltage drops your pedals can either sound crap or there may not even be enough voltage for it to work at all. So Boss designed their unregulated pedal power supply to be 12V DC, and put a current limiting resistor in the DC input of every pedal, so that different loading wouldn't have so much of an effect on the 9V needed to power the pedal. Now that we have access to well regulated supplies, it's not an issue any more.

BillyK

11-14-2007, 08:42 AM

WailinGuy

11-14-2007, 08:48 AM

The DC input jacks on the back are hooked up to a current limiting resistor to drop the internal voltage from 12V to 9V. Hooking up a 12V ACA pedal with one or more other 9V pedals bypasses this resistor so that it will work just fine with a highly regulated 9V supply like the Diago Powerstation.

How does hooking up other pedals cause this resistor to get bypassed? Isn't that resistor in series with the pedal's internal +9VDC power input? I don't understand how this could work.

jamison162

11-14-2007, 09:02 AM

Sage advice!

BTW: how do you like the Nova compared to the dd-20?

See my review thread.

godinman

11-14-2007, 09:27 AM

How does hooking up other pedals cause this resistor to get bypassed? Isn't that resistor in series with the pedal's internal +9VDC power input? I don't understand how this could work.

I don't know either I was only putting that question and answer in to explain why maybe the Nova works with my powerstation which is 9V suppling up to 3000mA. Like I said not an electronics head. I don't think the nova power supply was faulty I think it just generates noise and for whatever reason my rig was picking that up perhaps there is an issue with my rig and noise but I have never had any problems before. All I know is that is working really well now.

ducmike

11-15-2007, 05:27 AM

Does the Nova work with a power pump?

David-R

11-15-2007, 06:20 AM

Does the Nova work with a power pump?

Yes - I use a Godlyke Powerall with a power pump set to 12v. It works fine. Just be careful that you don't accidentally have the power pump on 18 or 24v because you will fry the Nova.

voxer

11-24-2007, 11:30 PM

has anyone even tried the PPII with the boss aca switch engaged to provide the nova delay 12 volts dc? sure, it's supplied with an adapter that can output 300mA, but does anyone know the pedal's actual draw yet? jim

BillyK

11-25-2007, 05:27 AM

Interested in the PP2 question as well.

Laird_Williams

11-25-2007, 05:42 AM

powering pedals with the wrong voltage can sometimes cause eventual problems ( I've had this happen to me ).

Also - using an adapter thats putting out 1700 vma's ( when your pedal only needs a hundred or something )....can sometimes cause long term damage as well.

Just a warning...........it may be fine but i would be cautious.

One: A power supply does not put out current - it can only allow current through. Current is drawn by the devices attached to a power supply - the power supply does not "push" the current. So if an attached device draws 300ma, then the power supply will only provide 300ma, even if it CAN produce 1700ma.

Two: While many older and vintage pedals are indeed very sensitive to voltage variations, many modern DC pedals have voltage regulation built in. Digital pedals REQUIRE substantial voltage regulation. As such, they can accept a wide range of voltages at the input with few-to-no ill effects.

Knowing this: I have been running a Nova Delay off a 9v tap from a PedalPower II unit for months with no problems.

A noteable exception to this is ElectroHarmonix, who puts regulation in their AC adapters and keeps it out of many of their pedals. If you have an EH pedal, use the EH power supply that goes with it.

voxer

11-25-2007, 09:41 AM

so, are you using the higher mA tap or the 100 mA tap? thanks

vinni

11-25-2007, 10:52 AM

Hi Godinman,

I have the Nova delay too and discovered the same thing.
The adapter/power seems to cause a lot of noise.

I have a Pedalpower2 (not the +-version)
Is it possible to use the PP2 as a powersupply for the Nova?
If so....how do I connect the two?

Vinni

Axe_78th

11-25-2007, 11:12 AM

Yes - I use a Godlyke Powerall with a power pump set to 12v. It works fine. Just be careful that you don't accidentally have the power pump on 18 or 24v because you will fry the Nova.

I tried a Godlyke Power Pump with my Nova. I got added noise from it. I used it with a One Spot and not a Godlyke Powerall if that makes any difference. Currently I'm using a One Spot 12 volt( their wireless adapter. had to reverse the polarity of it.) and getting good results with the Nova

voxer

11-26-2007, 01:02 PM

I tried it off the higher mA "Line6" output of my PPII and it sounded just fine. In Boss ACA 12VDC mode, it wouldn't completely boot up, so I definitely don't think the PPII can keep up on a 100mA output.

vinni

11-26-2007, 02:35 PM

Hi Voxer,

What output on the PP2 did you use?
(I don't have the + version b.t.w.....and I don't know what the differences are)

Vinni

godinman

11-26-2007, 03:45 PM

Hi Vinni sorry I don't know about the PP2 because it seemed like an expensive option when I could get a powerstation for a third of the money. You just have to be sure that your power supply can give you 300mA and then your nova will run nice and quiet. I am convinced that a lot of the noise issues with the nova are power supply related.

voxer

11-27-2007, 08:28 AM

Hi Voxer,

What output on the PP2 did you use?
(I don't have the + version b.t.w.....and I don't know what the differences are)

Vinni

I tried the Line6 output...but my PPII isn't going to fit under my pedalboard, so I will be running a boss psa off my tuner for most of my pedals and the nova off it's own ac adapter.

I'm probably going to open up the Nova when it gets here and put a meter on it to get the actual DC voltage and draw and end this speculation of internal voltage regulation and such.

BillyK

11-27-2007, 08:43 AM

I've been using the provided adapter and it works beautifully and dead quiet too. I've got an available port on my PP2, but frankly plugging the Nova in the convience outlet on the PP2 is no biggie at this point.

RickB

11-27-2007, 09:01 AM

I had emailed Voodoo Labs about powering the Nova (and my KR Mega Vibe) off of the PP2 and here is what they had to say in the event anyone finds it useful. :D

Hi, Rick!

Here are the general capabilities of the 8 Pedal Power 2 outputs:
With the DIP switch in the normal/off position, all 8 outputs supply
9VDC @ 100mA.

With the DIP switch away from normal/on -
Outputs 1 - 4 (ACA mode) supply 12.3VDC @ a little less than 100mA.
Outputs 5 & 6 (L6) - the voltage is unregulated. These outputs are meant
specifically for powering Line6 Digital Modeling effects.
Outputs 7 & 8 (SAG mode) - supply 100mA; Enables the SAG control,
allowing you to turn the voltage down from 9VDC to 4.5VDC. The knobs are
activated once the switch is on, allowing you to lower the voltage,
simulating power failure. (Turn it fully clockwise for the highest voltage.)

**

The capabilities of the Pedal Power 2 Plus outputs are the same, except
on outputs 5 and 6. When the DIP switch is set in the normal/off
position on these outputs, the Pedal Power 2 Plus offers 9VDC at just
over 250 mA of current. (This change was made so that the Pedal Power 2
Plus would be capable of powering the Boss Twin pedals.)

The second difference between the Pedal Power 2 and 2 Plus is that the
Pedal Power 2 Plus performs well when used via a voltage converter when
overseas. It's more rugged. The transformer doesn’t get hot at 50hz.

**

So, with either the Pedal Power 2 or 2 Plus you get 12VDC and a little
less than 100mA of current from outputs one through four when their DIP
switches are set away from normal. The TC Electronics Nova Delay
requires more current than that and will need to be powered via the
Courtesy AC Outlet on the back of your Pedal Power 2 or 2 Plus. However,
it is possible that the KR Musical Products Mega Vibe could be powered
with one of those front outputs. I am not certain of the current draw of
the Mega Vibe. You could try it and see if it works. As long as you
provide the pedal with the correct voltage, it will not harm your pedal
or the Pedal Power 2 Plus if it needs more current than can be provided
by the Pedal Power 2 Plus. It would just make your PP2+ hum or shut off.

Multiple devices can be powered from the Courtesy AC Outlet by use of a
power strip, so long as you don't exceed 200 watts.

I'm happy to help if you have further questions.

BillyK

11-27-2007, 09:06 AM

Nice post.
Thanks Rick.

vinni

11-27-2007, 11:30 AM

disappointing...but thanks for the reply.

Vinni

RickB

11-27-2007, 11:47 AM

disappointing...but thanks for the reply.

Vinni

Yeah, I hear ya. I was bummed too. But it sounds like people here are having success using the PP2 to power the Nova.

vinni

11-27-2007, 11:51 AM

Just with a regular output?......no switches engaged?

Vinni

VEstrada

11-28-2007, 04:38 PM

after reading this yesterday I fooled around with my nova and my PP2 and I got it to power up on the L6 channels and it sounded fine. I kept it there for about 5 minutes and it didn't turn off or anything so I might try it the next time I play and see what happens when I keep it in longer. I'll let you know.

radcliff

11-28-2007, 04:53 PM

line6 channels meaning.....5 or 6 with the switch ON?

VEstrada

11-28-2007, 04:54 PM

yeah, sorry. switched on.

radcliff

11-28-2007, 10:46 PM

yeah, sorry. switched on.

very interesting, these are supposed to be just unregulated power in the Line6 setting, either the nova is ok at 9v, or its ok at 12v and not pulling the full 300mA? .....hmm

vinni

11-29-2007, 02:22 AM

voxer

11-29-2007, 11:23 AM

I made all my presets at home off the PPII's Line 6 output, messing with it for over an hour with no problems.

hbentley

11-29-2007, 11:53 AM

hmmm...i think i'm gonna try the line6 output with my nova reverb. i'm super tired of having a pedalboard that's all together and still having to set up 3 walarts at every gig (eventide, nova reveb, and pog).

RickB

11-29-2007, 11:57 AM

Has anyone contacted TC Electronic and asked them if they had an official stance on powering the Nova's with the PP2's? As per my post above, Voodoo Lab's told me it was a no no. But people are getting it to work. I would just hate to find out down the road that it was a bad idea! :cool:

hbentley

11-29-2007, 12:35 PM

i'm sure trex would tell you it's a no no....they want you to buy the trex fuel tank (it has 12v outs)

voxer

11-29-2007, 12:35 PM

I specifically asked TC's tech support the direct question of how much (in mA's) the Nova Delay actually draws, but they just gave me the run around. I opened the pedal up to put a meter on it internally, but it's pretty much impossible to get to anything without turning the thing into a wasteland of parts...so no go there. I thought their reply was kinda lame:

Dear Jim,
Thank you for your mail
In any case, you should always use a 300mA power supply with the Konnekt. Lower than that and you are risking to under power the unit.

..:: Rune - TC support ::..

They even got the product wrong though I know I selected Nova pedals...I'm fine if they want me to power the unit with 300 mA for overhead, safety, etc. Even tell me it will void the warranty if I don't, but I'd appreciate them at least answering my question, too. In the past, I've emailed Barber, Fulltone, RMC, and Seymour Duncan and they were all happy to answer the same question about their products I own.

All in all, I'll be running off the ac adapter under my board, simply because I was able to secure it under there.

VEstrada

11-29-2007, 01:06 PM

Here's my update from earlier. I've had the Nova powered up from the PP2 (Line 5 on normal) for about 2 hours and it seems to be fine. Nothing is weird about it and it's working just the way it should.

I'm glad its working but I'm also keeping a close eye on it to make sure nothing weird happens to it. Although since it's a 9v supply I don't think it could fry the pedal cause from the limited amount that I know about this stuff it has to be more power to fry the pedal. Right? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

VEstrada

11-29-2007, 01:10 PM

Dear Jim,
Thank you for your mail
In any case, you should always use a 300mA power supply with the Konnekt. Lower than that and you are risking to under power the unit.

..:: Rune - TC support ::..

If you under power the pedal wont it just shut off or not work?

VEstrada

11-30-2007, 12:43 AM

Alright, so I left my Nova plugged in for about 12 hours today and it did fine. I played it about every hour and nothing happened. Am I alone in this or am I just lucky? All I know is I'm gonna keep riding this gravy train cause I like where it's takin' me.

radcliff

11-30-2007, 12:55 AM

So you're giving a pedal that says it wants 300mA at 12v, only 250mA at 9v?

Lemme know how it goes for another week....hmm

godinman

11-30-2007, 03:37 AM

Hi guys just an update on my progress . I have been running my NOVA on a diago power station since I started this thread. have gigged 10 times and messed in the house for hours. No problems at all. The NOVA does def not need 12 V. The power station is 9V but will give up to 3000mA. I think that is the key issue the power supply must be able to give the amps. I know that people think the PP2 is the best thing since going but seriously have a look at the diago power station. It is around 50 bucks and will power all your pedals without hum guarenteed or James will give you your money back. It is smaller than a PP2 will power more pedals and works anywhere around the word and it will save all the problems of flicking switches and running cables in tandem.

To me its a no brainer I know it means daisy chaining effects but honestly the thing is dead quiet. I have sound guys all the time commenting on how quiet my rig is even with some fairly heavy duty dirt pedals. Have a look at it. I am certain that the noise issues some people are experiencing with the NOVA is down to its power supply. The minute I switched the minute I feel in love with the pedal. Give the powerstation a go you will not be disappointed. www.diago.co.uk

hbentley

11-30-2007, 07:47 AM

i used it last night for a couple hours at a rehearsal with the line6 out on a pp2+. i had zero issues....no noise, no lag when switching settings, and i saved a new preset.

WorkingClassDan

12-02-2007, 01:38 AM

Is there a difference is the sound quality at lower power?

WorkingClassDan

12-02-2007, 01:39 AM

Oh yeah, I've just picked one up secondhand with a bulky (non-original) pwoer supply and would love to run it off an ADL Juicebox v2.

vinni

12-02-2007, 02:18 AM

Hmm....

I'm gonna connect the Nova to my PP2 today.
Just see what happens.

I don't have any gigs for the moment so now is the time.

Vinni

tripp2k

12-02-2007, 07:37 AM

Bump...would like to see this conversation continue for this electronically risk averse individual. I would love to simplify my power situation with the PP2+ investment I made. Thanks guys for taking the leap and please be sure to include in your comments:

Power supply modek (PP2 or PP2+)
Output # (1-8)
Switch setting (normal or not normal)

:BEER

voxer

12-02-2007, 01:43 PM

Mine is the PPII, with output 5 or 6 switched to "not normal", which on the PPII, gives unregulated 9VDC....btw...I saved all of my presets that way.

radcliff

12-02-2007, 07:13 PM

Laird_Williams

12-02-2007, 07:38 PM

So let me get this straight...

Everyone that is having success with this is using a PP2+ with the Line6 setting set to take the Line6 pedals, instead of set to off, which is the setting for the Boss Twin pedals.

I used a plain old 9v output from a PedalPad PowerPad II with the Nova for a month or so and it worked great.

tmuka

12-02-2007, 07:46 PM

voxer

12-02-2007, 10:07 PM

good point on the od's...since i use the provided adapter on stage, i couldn't tell ya...

godinman

12-03-2007, 02:42 AM

Hi Tmuka I haven't noticed any difference in tone at all. In fact it is better but thats because I had so much noise using the supplied wallwart. I didn't switch for conveince I switched because I was getting so much noise from the supplied power supply. But I certainly haven't heard any reduction in my tone at all.

hbentley

12-03-2007, 08:20 AM

i haven't spent a ton of time ab'ing the tonal differences, but i haven't noticed any tonal degradation yet.

VEstrada

12-03-2007, 12:16 PM

I took the leap yesterday since mine was working so well with the PP2+ (on 5 switched on) and used it live. I'm happy to say that it worked great and that there weren't any issues and the sound quality wasnt any different than with the wall wart.

I was actually worried about this before and spent about halfan hour A/B ing between the wall wart and the PP2 and there was no difference in sound at all. Well, that I noticed anyway.

Laird_Williams

12-03-2007, 02:22 PM

Ok, so i'm reading this thread, and it sounds like people are using 9v power for convenience sake? Are these the same people who go out of there way to use 12-18v power to get more articulation and headroom out of their overdrives? Does anyone notice a difference in the clean headroom or dynamics when using 9v power with the Nova Delay?

Those overdrives are analog pedals.
They may not have tube circuits, but they are analog.

The NOVA is not an analog pedal.
It is a digital pedal with a DSP chip inside.
The computer chips inside REQUIRE a fixed voltage.
Therefore, there is a ton of power regulation on the NOVA, since even with a wall wart the power stability would not be sufficient for computer chips.

Net: within limits - and certainly 9V is within those limits - it does not matter what DC voltage you give the NOVA, it will regulate the power to the level it needs internally.

Feed it 12v and it will get power level X after the power regulator.
Feed it 9v and it will STILL get power level X after the regulator.Sooner or later, a voltage will be too low to support the unit, and then it just plain won't work. Same goes for a very high voltage, which would probaly toast the power regulation circuit. And to avoid wear and tear on the power regulator, it would probably be better to go low than to go high - but beyond that...

Changing the DC voltage fed to the pedal is unlikely to change the sound on a digital pedal. Delay algorithms programmed in a DSP chip are not impacted by the voltage at the input connector. The internal amplifier circuits are D/As and A/Ds similarly discrete digital components and are unlikely to be impacted. How many computer chips do you know of that read their own voltage and mofify their behavior in response to it?

You do need to be able to feed it enough current... and 300ma at 9vDC is NOT the same load as 300ma at 12vDC, so you may want a 9v supply that can put more than this out to a pedal. My PowerPad could supply a total of 1700ma at 9vDC, and my other pedals used diddly-squat, so there was no problem.

VEstrada

12-03-2007, 04:29 PM

wow, I like that answer. Thanks for clearing some of that up.

radcliff

12-03-2007, 05:17 PM

Those overdrives are analog pedals.
They may not have tube circuits, but they are analog.

The NOVA is not an analog pedal.
It is a digital pedal with a DSP chip inside.
The computer chips inside REQUIRE a fixed voltage.
Therefore, there is a ton of power regulation on the NOVA, since even with a wall wart the power stability would not be sufficient for computer chips.

Net: within limits - and certainly 9V is within those limits - it does not matter what DC voltage you give the NOVA, it will regulate the power to the level it needs internally.

Feed it 12v and it will get power level X after the power regulator.
Feed it 9v and it will STILL get power level X after the regulator.Sooner or later, a voltage will be too low to support the unit, and then it just plain won't work. Same goes for a very high voltage, which would probaly toast the power regulation circuit. And to avoid wear and tear on the power regulator, it would probably be better to go low than to go high - but beyond that...

Changing the DC voltage fed to the pedal is unlikely to change the sound on a digital pedal. Delay algorithms programmed in a DSP chip are not impacted by the voltage at the input connector. The internal amplifier circuits are D/As and A/Ds similarly discrete digital components and are unlikely to be impacted. How many computer chips do you know of that read their own voltage and mofify their behavior in response to it?

You do need to be able to feed it enough current... and 300ma at 9vDC is NOT the same load as 300ma at 12vDC, so you may want a 9v supply that can put more than this out to a pedal. My PowerPad could supply a total of 1700ma at 9vDC, and my other pedals used diddly-squat, so there was no problem.

This is exactly where I'm already at..... this pedal is able to take what's being given to it, its just that none of us know what that "limit" is. Of course it'd be great to have some extra current if you're only going to give it 9v, but it seems like people are having success giving it just under 300mA AND at 9v.... I dunno but I'm just about ready to try it myself

vinni

12-04-2007, 03:58 AM

Hi LW,

Nice addition to this thread! :AOK

And so true....
I accidentally connected a standard Boss 9VDC powersupply to the Nova delay. It worked!

On the table there was the original Nova adapter...."what the f*ck!"
But it worked.....

Still the same noise. I connected iot to output 5 from my PP+ (with the switch set to on).....there was a little hum I did not hear before.....

Vinni

tmuka

12-04-2007, 06:31 AM

Those overdrives are analog pedals.
They may not have tube circuits, but they are analog.

The NOVA is not an analog pedal.
It is a digital pedal with a DSP chip inside.
The computer chips inside REQUIRE a fixed voltage.
Therefore, there is a ton of power regulation on the NOVA, since even with a wall wart the power stability would not be sufficient for computer chips.

Net: within limits - and certainly 9V is within those limits - it does not matter what DC voltage you give the NOVA, it will regulate the power to the level it needs internally.
Feed it 12v and it will get power level X after the power regulator.
Feed it 9v and it will STILL get power level X after the regulator.Sooner or later, a voltage will be too low to support the unit, and then it just plain won't work. Same goes for a very high voltage, which would probaly toast the power regulation circuit. And to avoid wear and tear on the power regulator, it would probably be better to go low than to go high - but beyond that...

Changing the DC voltage fed to the pedal is unlikely to change the sound on a digital pedal. Delay algorithms programmed in a DSP chip are not impacted by the voltage at the input connector. The internal amplifier circuits are D/As and A/Ds similarly discrete digital components and are unlikely to be impacted. How many computer chips do you know of that read their own voltage and mofify their behavior in response to it?

You do need to be able to feed it enough current... and 300ma at 9vDC is NOT the same load as 300ma at 12vDC, so you may want a 9v supply that can put more than this out to a pedal. My PowerPad could supply a total of 1700ma at 9vDC, and my other pedals used diddly-squat, so there was no problem.

Awesome info, your points make a lot of sense. I think you've convinced me to give it a try. Thanks for sharing!

voxer

12-04-2007, 09:14 AM

here's a TC support update:

Dear Jim,
Since the the draw isn't constant this is nearly impossible to answer. However, you cannot operate it at under 300 mA.

..:: Rune - TC support ::..

dr.tdw

12-05-2007, 06:27 AM

tmuka

12-05-2007, 07:16 AM

Well, after reading this thread, I have also starting running the Nova on the first daisy-chain position of my 9v One Spot. I was using the Power Pump 12v adapter, and went back & forth last night between the two settings. I could not hear a difference in the background noise (small in my rig) or in the tone of the delays. I'll trust the previous posters and not expect any long-term ill effects of running the Nova on 9v.

Cheers,
TDW

I tried out powering the nova from my 9v One Spot last night too, I couldn't tell a difference in any way tone or performance wise. Ironically, I found that removing my Power Pump set to 12v that was powering my Direct Drive eliminated some noise in my chain.

I'm very excited about the delay, and powering it at 9v sweetens the deal!

Axe_78th

12-05-2007, 07:32 AM

I tried out powering the nova from my 9v One Spot last night too, I couldn't tell a difference in any way tone or performance wise. Ironically, I found that removing my Power Pump set to 12v that was powering my Direct Drive eliminated some noise in my chain.

I'm very excited about the delay, and powering it at 9v sweetens the deal!

The Power Pump added noise to my rig as well. I simply can't understand why T.C. would market this pedal as requiring 12 VDC if it runs fine off 9 VDC. It's a strike against it for many potential buyers when comparing against other units on the market. I know I had to rethink my board setup being a One Spot user before I purchased mine. You would think T.C. has a good reason to go 12 VDC.

radcliff

12-05-2007, 09:21 PM

Pedal Power 2+:
Powered off the Line6 output with a regular cable but the switch ON

Worked great, no added noise, and no tone change.

Thanks guys :)

Axe_78th

12-06-2007, 10:21 AM

Ok, I ran my Nova off my 9 VDC@1700ma One Spot last night. It powered up and seemed to work just fine until I noticed an ever so slight "bump" sound every time the tempo light would flash. Switched back to my 12VDC One Spot and the "bump", "bump", "bump" went away. I'm going to say the Nova needs 12 VDC to operate at it's best.

tmuka

12-06-2007, 10:28 AM

radcliff

12-06-2007, 10:44 AM

I dont think anyone else has heard this bump

voxer

12-06-2007, 11:56 AM

what's a "bump" sound like???

Axe_78th

12-06-2007, 11:57 AM

interesting. was the nova the only thing running off of your one spot?

My SubDecay Stupid Box was on but it's current draw is very low. With 1700ma available from the One Spot the Nova should have been getting all the current it wanted.

radcliff

12-06-2007, 12:45 PM

Last night I switched back and forth between the Supply and the PP2, noticed no difference

I will look out for this bumping noise next time, it will be something I'll detect, if its there, the Timefactor had clicking noises when tapping in tempo that drove me crazy.

astigtigas

01-14-2008, 02:00 PM

so is it ok to use the PP2 for the nova? whats the verdict?

radcliff

01-14-2008, 02:30 PM

so is it ok to use the PP2 for the nova? whats the verdict?

yes, read the thread for details

astigtigas

01-23-2008, 07:36 PM

Pedal Power 2+:
Powered off the Line6 output with a regular cable but the switch ON

Worked great, no added noise, and no tone change.

Thanks guys :)

ok just to confirm....

use the 5 and 6 out put to power up nova pedals with the DIP switch, switch to on.
no issues right?

dannopelli

02-07-2008, 05:57 PM

My question exactly. I read every post and am still confused. I have a PP2+ Do I use output 5/6, switch up, with a regular black connector? Or do I use the red tipped one?

And am I correct the outs 5 and 6 are 9v 250mA? But it still pushes the Nova?

PS: I am new here over from the Anderson Forum. Looks kind of cool here.

Thanks in advance guys.

radcliff

02-07-2008, 09:30 PM

Powered off the Line6 output with a regular (black) cable, the switch ON

jhp612

02-10-2008, 12:52 AM

Can we get an update on this from you guys that are using the PP2+ with the nova delay? Is your nova still acting as good as it did on day 1?

Teahead

02-10-2008, 05:56 AM

I heard from Burkey that they have developed an AC/DC rectifier box to use on the 9v AC outlet of their Flatliner and convert that to 12v DC for the Nova.

They are going to attempt a similar thing for me to try with my Eventide Timefactor, although the 1000mA output may not be enough to get the job done. Thought Nova users might want to know about this.

radcliff

02-10-2008, 12:59 PM

My Nova has been going strong ever since, no problems at all.

My friend, however, his "DentnScratch" unit he got has been on the fritz and freezes every once in a while, but using either the regular supply or the PP2+ doesnt change this from happening.

clamdip7714

02-11-2008, 07:31 PM

Question for you folks using the 12volt One Spot adapter to power the Nova. Are you able to use the standard plug it comes with and if yes how do you go about reversing the polarity as stated in posts here?

I am going to order one to power-up being I can't seem to get a replacement from TC.

Any help would be appreciated. :)

dk_ace

02-11-2008, 07:39 PM

I've been running mine with the 9V Onespot with no problems concerning noise or headroom.

D

clamdip7714

02-11-2008, 07:43 PM

I've been running mine with the 9V Onespot with no problems concerning noise or headroom.

D

I am going with the 12V version (wireless) being some said at 9V they noticed an oscillation. Mainly I need to know if the plug needs an adapter and what they did to reverse polarity.

Getting rid of that noisy wall wart if came with will be a great step in the right direction. It's a great pedal but it is also a shame TC would ship an outstanding pedal with a crappy wall wart.

WailinGuy

02-11-2008, 08:35 PM

I am going with the 12V version (wireless) being some said at 9V they noticed an oscillation. Mainly I need to know if the plug needs an adapter and what they did to reverse polarity.

Getting rid of that noisy wall wart if came with will be a great step in the right direction. It's a great pedal but it is also a shame TC would ship an outstanding pedal with a crappy wall wart.I'm using the 12V Onespot supply with my Nova Delay. You need to also buy the reverse polarity adapter cable, in order to get positive sleeve, negative tip going into the Nova. Works fine.

I didn't have any noise problems with the original wall wart. But it seemed cheaply made, and in no time the insulation had cracked open on the wires right where they exit from the strain relief on the wall wart. So I retired it.

WailinGuy

02-11-2008, 08:39 PM

I forgot to mention... Visual Sound makes that reverse polarity cable. You shouldn't have any problem finding it if you search online stores that sell pedals and accessories.

clamdip7714

02-11-2008, 09:11 PM

great thanks :)

thezeng

03-21-2008, 01:08 AM

has anyone had any success powering the nova delay off a BBE SupaCharger?

Guitarplayerdan

04-05-2008, 01:55 PM

I want to get the one spot 12v thing... but how do it "reverse the polarity".

chasyboy

04-10-2008, 04:53 PM

I've just read the entire thread and in review, PP2 in 5 or 6, On or Off works for most people. It appears that OFF (9V) is 'safer' (please confirm) but it works either way because of the voltage regulation built into the Nova Delay.

Again, 5 or 6 (unregulated DC) On (12V) or Off (9v) is good?

Regular 9V tap (1-4) does work but not so good but does work?

BEST (and safer option) - 5 or 6 in NORMAL. - RIGHT?

Thanks everyone.

WailinGuy

04-10-2008, 08:33 PM

I want to get the one spot 12v thing... but how do it "reverse the polarity".As I said above, Visual Sound makes a reverse polarity adapter cable that you also need to buy. It's a short cable with a female power jack on one end and a male power plug on the other. The sleeve of the jack connects to the tip of the plug and the tip of the jack connects to the sleeve of the plug. You simply connect the adapter cable between the 12V OneSpot cable and the Nova's power input jack. Comprenda?

Jwoo

04-15-2008, 01:51 AM

has anyone had any success powering the nova delay off a BBE SupaCharger?

I will find out soon. I have a SupaCharger. It has a 12V option on it.

Andy J.

04-15-2008, 06:31 AM

I will find out soon. I have a SupaCharger. It has a 12V option on it.

Yeah, I've got one too, but will not try to power my Nova using it... You see, the Supa-Charger's 12V outputs put out 100mA, the Nova requires 300mA. You're putting a lot of stress on the power supply that way...

alteredsounds

04-15-2008, 07:57 AM

The Nova only requires an initial 300ma at power-up but this still leaves the problem that most psu's are rated at 100 or 200ma.

BTW, I accidently damaged my Nova's psu and was quoted by the 'authorised TC dealer / repair center' in the UK £40 for a replacement, this is for a pretty standard 12v switching psu that I was able to purchase elsewhere for £6. The only difference being that it doesnt say TC Electronics on the box.

jaeger28

04-24-2008, 10:29 PM

I use a Fueltank Classic, works perfect.

I have 7 pedals via the 9VDC outs, the Nova on the 12VDC (500mA) and a Banshee Talkbox on the 12VAC (500mA).

Perfect. Only issue it doesn't do reverse polarity at the same time for my Fulltone stuff.

Guitarplayerdan

04-24-2008, 10:49 PM

just switched from the stock adaptor to a 12v one sport with reverse polarity connector... only because my stock adaptor started to show wire. The little hiss that I was geting from this pedal is now completely silent. This pedal is awesome.

Jwoo

05-13-2008, 08:52 PM

I called BBE recently to ask about the Nova Delay. They said go ahead and try it, it won't blow it up.

Well I tried, it didn't even work. Maybe I did it wrong? But yea... those power ratings don't match. I just use the power supply provided.

Chadley

05-14-2008, 08:11 AM

I have been powering my Nova Delay with my PP2 (non plus model) from output 5 or 6 with the dip switch set to Line 6 mode for several months now with zero issues (extra noise, strange behavior, etc).

SgtThump

06-27-2008, 06:38 AM

Still no issues?

tripp2k

11-30-2008, 08:04 PM

I have read and re-read this and still confused with folks chiming in with various power supplies. I am running a PP2+, therefore I should:

1. Run it out of output 5 or 6
* 2. Set output 5 or 6 to "normal" or away from normal?
* 3. Use regular or reverse polarity?

Anyone run into ANY problems doing this since last year?

Thanks.

radcliff

11-30-2008, 08:58 PM

Switch to not normal, use regular cable

No problems, it's been a full year

VEstrada

11-30-2008, 09:27 PM

tripp2k

12-01-2008, 08:19 PM

I'm in the same boat. I have mine plugged in with my switch on the line 6 setting in 5 or 6 and it's been great. no problems at all either after a full year of use.

actually, tripp2k, i got this nova from you last year. ha, funny to run into you on this thread.

Yessir. I'm back on the wagon again as soon as it arrives. Funny, when I had the thing originally I was simply overwhelmed by it. Time to give it another go and make it work for me versus the other way around.

Chadley

12-02-2008, 08:56 AM

Still running mine from output 5 on my PP2 with the dip switch set to Line 6 mode. It's been almost a year.....I think? Two other guys I play with do the same thing. Works great.

Last Nerve

12-02-2008, 10:07 AM

I know the Nova is 12v, but any clue to the mA of the adapter?

drod2045

12-02-2008, 10:16 AM

i have a modulator and when I ran it through the PP2 with dip switch output 5/6 - it had a bunch of extra noise but it seems to be fine for everyone else

gui108

07-25-2009, 10:30 PM

Hi fellows. Very nice and helpful thread indeed.
Just joined to tell ya how i power my nova pedals, hope its useful =)

My rig is quite small, using a Fuel Tank Classic to power a CryBaby, OCD, Crunchbox, BoostnBuff, Nova Mod and a DD20 (just replaced by a Nova Delay). No problems at all powering the Nova Mod via the 12VDC output, working for about 6 months now. However, when the Nova Delay came in, I got some serious humming when hooking them both together. Got really annoyed for a bit, then i figured out i actually had them both plugged in the 9VDC section of the Fuel Tank. Moving one of them (in this case the delay) to the 12VDC output caused the hum to end.

Since the 9VDC section supplies up to 500ma, and the Nova Delay and Nova Mod both seem to work fine under 9v (as long as the current is 250ma+), there seems to be no problem powering the nova pedals with the T-Rex Fuel Tank Classic.

Bottom line is, successfully powered a Nova Mod (on 9V) AND a Nova Delay (on 12VDC) with the Fuel Tank, without any noticeable sound or power issues. I know this thread is kinda old and maybe most of you already solved this, but i hope i was able to help anyway =) Seeya!