My first power supply: Cioks 4 or Walrus Aetos or something else?

[elxsound]

I was hoping someone might have some advice on this... I'm in need of settling on a power supply as its currently problematic with individual power sources for each pedal.

I've been drawn to Cioks 4 just for the flexibility of power via a switch, plus that it can be powered by a USB-C power block which will make it portable... But I don't think portability is much of a concern right (with all things considered).

What's most important to me is a small form factor and flexibility for powering devices.

I've seen videos of Cioks being used to power the Volcas and this is something that would also interest me... But can something like Walrus' Aetos do the same thing?

Anything else I should be looking at to compare?

https://cioks.com/products/cioks-4/
https://www.walrusaudio.com/collections ... wer-supply

[elxsound]

Well, never mind... I went ahead and bought the Cioks 4.

The Aetos is pretty much the same size as another pedal.

[miloszz]

Good call, would have recommended the Cioks - I've got the DC7 and it's very useful for powering things that have more variation in power needs than my Voodoo Labs supply can provide (ie Eventide Space + Strymon Iridium + etc.).

[elxsound]

Thanks miloszz! I'll be picking up the DC7 next and this of course pairs with it nicely. I just wanted the option for powering via USB-C power block first especially since I'm inadvertently building out a pedal board.

My Cioks 4 arrived today and now I just have to hunt down the flex cables I want, but the the small form factor is perfect.

[cptgone]

In case anyone else comes here looking for suggestions, Thomann's HB Powerplant Iso Pro range is unbeatable AFAIK (feel free to correct me; sorry I didn't notice this thread earlier).
- "Isolated, filtered and short-circuit protected outputs"
- high amperage
- low price
- compact, sturdy; 1 LED per output; the power plug is available separately...

I own 22, over half of those are b-stock, never had any problems (OK 1 of the b-stock units has a single malfunctioning LED, I could have sent it back but didn't mind).
They very rarely pop up second hand, I guess most people are happy with 'em.

Never found a brand that matches these specs. Some Chinese units look similar but don't have the amperage. I'm guessing these were made to meet Thomann's requirements.

[cptgone]

I've seen videos of Cioks being used to power the Volcas and this is something that would also interest me...

I use a 5-way power splitter cable for Korg Volca by MyVolts adapter.
The Cioks may be quieter, I dunno - but keep in mind that such power supply cables are short (my Volca's sit in a Jaspers rack, out of reach of my Harley Benton PSUs).

[elxsound]

I've seen videos of Cioks being used to power the Volcas and this is something that would also interest me...

I use a 5-way power splitter cable for Korg Volca by MyVolts adapter.
The Cioks may be quieter, I dunno - but keep in mind that such power supply cables are short (my Volca's sit in a Jaspers rack, out of reach of my Harley Benton PSUs).

Thank you for this!

I'm giving up on buying the Korg Volca specific adapters from Cioks. They're not available to purchase/or ship to the US at a decent price once shipping has been included and now that I have a better idea of how I want things laid out, you're absolutely right... the cord length (even with the extension adapters) won't provide the flexibility I want.

I'm going to buy the 5-way splitter from MyVolts once my pedal/cable/power supply buying has been tamed down.

[elxsound]

On the topic....

This has been an interesting experience and some of this could be contributed to the current state of the pandemic, but it has not been a smooth experience even though I do like what I've purchased. I'm only sharing just in case it helps anyone else with what to expect (despite what is advertised).

So now, I'm in possession of both the Cioks 4 and a Eventide PowerMax (by Cioks), which is pretty much like the DC7 except ports 1-3 are fixed at 660mA, while 4-7 can be configured to support 9/12/15 or 18.

The Cioks 4 was supposed to be the Power Supply version instead of the Expander version but apparently no shops in the US carry it. If they do... It's probably mis-labeled like mine was. The power cable for it costs $39.99 and in my case the seller had only refunded me $10 for the error. Considering the plan was always to buy the DC7 or PowerMax, I just got the PowerMax instead.

Now... On Eventide's site, it lists the types of "Flex cable" adapters included, but its not accurate. Its supposed to come with one that supports the 3.5mm power adapters used some older pedals like the older ProCo Rat I'm trying to include in the pedal chain. The cables are fairly inexpensive, so I've ordered what was missing and also sent a message to Eventide to clarify what's listed on the product page vs what the include manual shows to is supposed to come with.

The one nice thing I'm going to enjoy though... I've got the power supply hooked up to a smart plug, so now it's just a matter of telling Alexa to power on/off as needed.

[revvy]

The specifics in this thread are a bit too much for my tiny brain.

But, if we're on the subject of 'my first power supply', I got a 1 Spot Pro CS6 couple of months back and it's served me well so far, came with a ton of cables.

https://truetone.com/cs6/

[cptgone]

An update to my rave review of the Harley Benton ISO-2 Pro:
I've had a look at the reviews at Thomann.
4.8/5 from 723 reviews.
Reading all bad ones (that are actual reviews, not just ratings), I find:
- a few people complain about the power cable being flimsy and going broke after a short while
- one person's unit went broke in 4 months
- one guy posts a interesting review (my bold):

great power supply except for tube overdrives
Thomas J. 345, 30.04.2019
True to the motto more pedals equals more power, the Powerplant ISO-2 Pro is supposed to replace my previously used Powerplant Junior under a Pedaltrain Junior.
The power supply looks great, its dimensions and weight are great for mounting under a pedal board, and it has a low noise floor.
For me, the interference from the switched-mode power supply in the guitar signal is less when the distortion is at jacks A and B.
The noise is about the same with the ISO-2 Pro and Junior (Junior had about 1 dB less).
In the vicinity of a tube overdrive, the ISO-2 Pro unfortunately does not cut a good figure and causes slight interference like a cell phone next to a stereo system. In comparison, the Powerplant Junior is significantly better shielded and does not have the same effect.

[cptgone]

The specifics in this thread are a bit too much for my tiny brain.

AFAIK the specs that matter are simple:
- individual outputs > daisy chain
- individually isolated outputs may prevent noise problems
- short-circuit protection may limit damage to 1 pedal, if liquid is spilled over that pedal
- amperage may be important, depending on your pedals. Some require a lot: I own one pedal that needs 350mA (a Big Muff needs about 25mA).

Of course more comes into play, like higher voltages than 9V (if you need that), whether a unit fits under your pedalboard, quality of the internal shielding... and I don't have any vintage stuff, that may come with specific demands too, I dunno.

[vurt]

The specifics in this thread are a bit too much for my tiny brain.

But, if we're on the subject of 'my first power supply', I got a 1 Spot Pro CS6 couple of months back and it's served me well so far, came with a ton of cables.

https://truetone.com/cs6/

ive got the cs12, great unit. noiseless and no power issues, the extra voltages come in handy for some pedals too
including a battery out for old fuzz

[revvy]

cptgone and vurt

Thanks!

Up to now I just plug and go and my 3 pedals work fine, I need to have a bit of a read about different power requirements but seems my CS6 is pretty likely to have things covered. It's well-specc'd and well regarded, and when I finally get a pedal board (Nano+ most likely) it's slim enough to fit underneath.

I have discovered boutique made-in-more-expensive-places pedals, luckily my bass only needs 2 more pedals. Maybe 3...

For those treble guitars where more pedals is always more, I'd be in fear of my financial life.

[elxsound]

An update to my rave review of the Harley Benton ISO-2 Pro:
I've had a look at the reviews at Thomann.
4.8/5 from 723 reviews.
Reading all bad ones (that are actual reviews, not just ratings), I find:
- a few people complain about the power cable being flimsy and going broke after a short while
- one person's unit went broke in 4 months
- one guy posts a interesting review (my bold):

great power supply except for tube overdrives
Thomas J. 345, 30.04.2019
True to the motto more pedals equals more power, the Powerplant ISO-2 Pro is supposed to replace my previously used Powerplant Junior under a Pedaltrain Junior.
The power supply looks great, its dimensions and weight are great for mounting under a pedal board, and it has a low noise floor.
For me, the interference from the switched-mode power supply in the guitar signal is less when the distortion is at jacks A and B.
The noise is about the same with the ISO-2 Pro and Junior (Junior had about 1 dB less).
In the vicinity of a tube overdrive, the ISO-2 Pro unfortunately does not cut a good figure and causes slight interference like a cell phone next to a stereo system. In comparison, the Powerplant Junior is significantly better shielded and does not have the same effect.

So far I've encountered 2 cables with shorts for the Cioks power supplies.

Proprietary cables with shorts are a headache.

When I was reading reviews on power supplies I don't think there was one that didn't have a review with that same complaint (except I didn't see it for my units, but I guess I should add a review to change that).

[elxsound]

cptgone and vurt

Thanks!

Up to now I just plug and go and my 3 pedals work fine, I need to have a bit of a read about different power requirements but seems my CS6 is pretty likely to have things covered. It's well-specc'd and well regarded, and when I finally get a pedal board (Nano+ most likely) it's slim enough to fit underneath.

I have discovered boutique made-in-more-expensive-places pedals, luckily my bass only needs 2 more pedals. Maybe 3...

For those treble guitars where more pedals is always more, I'd be in fear of my financial life.

I'm fearful now!

I was looking for a synth rig, but ended up getting ones that are more fitting with guitars... So, now I'm practicing more everyday.

Either I'm going to have a solid flexible board, or else I'll just be fittingly scared of the next purchase.

I should add that it doesn't help that my musical taste for playing guitar is brutally different than my tastes among the electronic genres.