Vary internal voltage on a Boss (AC adapter) pedal?

Frequently asked questions regarding powering your pedal.
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Cableaddict
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Joined: 13 Oct 2011, 18:10

Post by Cableaddict »

I just found my old Boss HM-2 in a dusty corner of my studio. I forgot how much I used to love it. (Yes, an aquired taste.) Like many Boss pedals, it requires a 12v AC adapter, though it runs internally on a 9v battery.

Many 9vdc OD pedals sound MUCH better with 12vdc or even 18v. Some fuzzes sound subjectively better with less voltage (old carbon batteries, whatever.) I'm dying to experiment, but I don't understand how the AC input works. I assume the pedal converts to dc internally, so how exactly would you vary the rails on this thing? Would raising / lowering the AC supply do anything, or would it have to be adjusted internally, after the DC conversion?

Suppose I just wired the internal battery wires to a jack, and use a DC psu? I assume there's some reason why this won't work, but what is it?

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