theholtsite

My current guitar setup, as of yesterday!

I keep changing things around because that’s what I do. I recently bought a FAS AM4, which is probably the best digital amp modeling tech on the planet. So of course I’m selling it and going back to my analog setup…

One benefit of this setup is that I can use my custom battery project! The board runs on a 10AH, 9.6V, LiFePO4 (lithium ferro-phosphate) battery, pictured under the charger in the back. As I’m writing this I’m testing to see how long it will run on a full charge. So far it’s been going 8 hours with no end in sight! This is largely due to the very low current draw of all the pedals – around 200mA total!

I made my own “power box” a couple years ago (the gray one). Some features:

• A voltmeter, so I can gauge remaining battery life. Determining the amount of charge is not an exact science because voltage is 1) affected under load, and 2) does not decrease in a linear fashion:

• Four center-negative jacks for pedals! None of the power outlets are isolated – it’s essentially a big daisy chain, but that doesn’t matter much with analog pedals on battery power.
• A built-in “smart charger” BMS, specific to the battery’s topology and voltage.
• Switchable 9V buck/boost converter. Not as efficient (or quiet) as running directly from the battery, but keeps the power fed to the pedals a consistent 9V instead of the battery’s large theoretical range of 7.5 – 10.6V.
• On/Off switch for pedals. Does not disconnect the battery/charger, that’s controlled with the other switch:
• The other switch engages the 9V regulator and the charger. This means you can simultaneously charge the battery and use the board! Or, while the pedals are off you can switch the charger on/off.

Needless to say, as a layman this project took me a ton of time to think about, research, test, and build. Not that complex for a pro, but for me it was all new ground. All this had to be wired into that little box, and that took all my soldering skill. The schematic I made:

Oh yes, and this is only the power part, the pedals I’m using are as follows:

• DSM & Humboldt Dumblifier: Has taken the place of my beloved Ethos Overdrive. Incredible Dumble ODS sounds in a one-pound package.
• MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe: Dark analog delay with modulation. Not the best for bright, digital, multi-tap, stereo delays, but it can kinda fake it. And the current draw is insanely low!
• MXR Phase 95: I could probably make more use of chorus, but I like this pedal.
• TC Polytune Mini

The board connects via XLR to a QSC CP8, a relatively flat-response, 21 pound, loud PA.

Not sure how long I’ll stay with this board, but I’m currently loving it!