Battery powered Compressor?

RickyT

RickyT

May 29, 2015
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#1
Hello all,

I've been recruited into a country rock band and would like to start a new, much smaller board. I'm thinking just a Tuner and a Comp.

I'd like to run them both off batteries. Any compressor pedals that I can run off a 9v battery that do a decent job? I'm using a DG Super Symmetry at the moment and that's wall power only.

TIA.
 
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#4
Easy - the MXR Bass Compressor.

M87.MAIN__61433.1676394506.jpg
 
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#6
A snap adapter will work, but you need to make sure and get the right polarity.

Some snap adapters are intended to connect a pedal power supply to the snap adapter in a pedal. The snap adapter will have the same polarity as a 9V battery, so the big terminal will be negative (-) (see right image).

In order to power a center negative barrel connector with a 9V battery, the small terminal on the snap adapter must be negative (-) to mate with the big negative terminal on the battery (see left image).

upload_2023-8-19_0-57-32.png
 
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#8
The MXR M87 is a darned nice compressor and one of the few out there that can run on an internal 9v battery these days. I'm assuming that's what @RickyT is wanting to do, vs. using these various adapters and other gizmos that would allow him to use any pedal compressor on the market. Or he might be open to experiencing the compressor pedal option anxiety which is rife among bassists these days.

How about it, Ricky? Which way are you leaning?
 
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#11
RickyT said:
Hello all,

I've been recruited into a country rock band and would like to start a new, much smaller board. I'm thinking just a Tuner and a Comp.

I'd like to run them both off batteries. Any compressor pedals that I can run off a 9v battery that do a decent job? I'm using a DG Super Symmetry at the moment and that's wall power only.

TIA.
Click to expand...
Boss BC-1X runs off 9v battery or PSU and leaves the lows alone.
 
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#12
I'd also suggest the BC-1X, but man, with the price of batteries now I'd get a one-spot and not have to worry about it. But if you're set on batteries, a battery snap will work. Just make sure it's center negative. A lot of the battery snaps are center positive and designed for Arduino applications.

This should work:

https://www.amazon.com/AUGIOTH-Battery-Converter-Center-Negative/dp/B091FFHZ71/
 
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#14
Michael Vee said:
Easy - the MXR Bass Compressor.

M87.MAIN__61433.1676394506.jpg
Click to expand...

I wanted to like the MXR, I really did.... but both of them I had 2 or 3 years ago were defective out of the box - both the first one, and the replacement. Passive, active.... didn't matter. It simply would not engage or meter. I learned later that they had QC issues for quite some time. Not sure if this is now resolved. Caveat emptor. It's how I moved on to the Seymour Duncan Studio Bass Compressor, and never looked back.
 
#15
Joyo JP-05 USB Rechargeable Power Supply with 8 Outputs (9v,12v,18v)

Use what ya got! I have one of these and it’s been great, lasts for longer than a 3 hour practice before needing a charge and that’s with using every single port for all it’s worth. Plus side, you can use it plugged in as well.
The guitar player in my band and also the drummer who plays bass in another band have both bought one because of mine and they have the same experience, it works great!
 
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#16
Zooberwerx said:
Instead of dinking-around with peripherals, batteries, etc., just buy a 1-Spot w/ "octopus" and be done with it. I figure you already to have to plug-in your amp and, IIRC, there's usually a matching outlet directly below that. It's a two-fer!!

Riis
Click to expand...
I understand the desire to stick with batteries for some situations. My pedal array sounds about as simple as the OP. I only bring a tuner, a pre(Xotic RC), and a passive JDI currently. I play with backline amps 99.9% of the time. I have to be able to get on and off super fast (like "the first song is the soundcheck" kinda scenario at times). The stages are all different sizes and configurations, some are nice, some wouldn't even be called stages and are "AC outlet compromised". With my tuner and pre on battery power, I never have to crawl around looking to run AC just to power these two pedals. Easy peasy.
 
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#18
JazznFunk said:
I wanted to like the MXR, I really did.... but both of them I had 2 or 3 years ago were defective out of the box - both the first one, and the replacement. Passive, active.... didn't matter. It simply would not engage or meter. I learned later that they had QC issues for quite some time. Not sure if this is now resolved. Caveat emptor. It's how I moved on to the Seymour Duncan Studio Bass Compressor, and never looked back.
Click to expand...

Sorry you had a bad experience.That doesn't mean RickyT shouldn't consider one. Most manufacturers go through a patch or two here and there when electronics are in production for as long as the M87 has been. Mine has been solid and Dunlop customer tech support is excellent. There are many M87s out there in use.

Oh @RickyT? You out there? Check back in, this is your thread.
 
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#19
If you go with battery-driven pedals, check the current they draw (if that is the right term, I'm no native speaker). For example, I have used several of the cheap TC Smorgasbord pedals with batteries, and it makes a huge difference for battery life time if they take around 100 mA (mostly the digital ones like Sky Surfer) or just around 10 mA (like the Forcefield compressor or the Cinders overdrive).
 
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#20
Michael Vee said:
Sorry you had a bad experience.That doesn't mean RickyT shouldn't consider one. Most manufacturers go through a patch or two here and there when electronics are in production for as long as the M87 has been. Mine has been solid and Dunlop customer tech support is excellent. There are many M87s out there in use.

Oh @RickyT? You out there? Check back in, this is your thread.
Click to expand...

And yet I offer it up because 2 faulty ones in a row are enough for me to warn people about the product, when there are others which work flawlessly out of the box.
 
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