What Are mA In Pedals? | Too Afraid To Ask

[@bernardobisio1833]

Ok now I finally know, ty once again for all the knowlege you give us and for saving our pedals, and for the advice of the capital letters!

[@TechLikeABoss]

You know you’re paranoid when you watch this just to reinforce your confidence what you already thought was true. Thanks Colin!

[@AnthonyMariano2112]

I work in the electrical field and I KNOW that mA means milliamps, and I know how all of this stuff works. I still watched it. Gotta know if something changed between now and my last class 2 days ago. Gotta be sure.

[@Steph-de6ne]

DO NOT overfeed your pedals. Pedal obesity is an ever growing problem in the pedalcomunity which takes inocenc pedallives way to soon, leaving us players out of tune, gainless, unhaired and in a state of deep greef. Raise awernes by buying the new and awesome 'Colins Sexy Guitars' Tshirts and remember, make your sound fatter, not your pedals.

[@Steph-de6ne]

@Johnny Tightlips lol 😂

[@Steph-de6ne]

@@Ndlanding please send me some of the salt you have been taking and also the copy of the jokedictionary you have burned.

[@ThatBaritoneGuitarGuy]

I was told not to feed my pedals after midnight, but I did it anyway....

[@ZeroMilk]

I went back and re-read this in Colin's voice once I saw "unhaired." I was not disappointed with the result

[@alexcrouse]

Electrical engineer here. Great video, accurate info. Keep it up!

[@Jijadelamadre]

How do you twitch your guitar knobs for different styles and genres?

[@notaname8140]

2:35 The Japanese word for voltage actually translates literally as "electricity pressure"

[@SlyHikari03]

The Japanese are amazing.

[@vyladence]

that's... weirdly correct

[@freeman10000]

Also the same for Chinese 電壓 (电庄, diànyā) electric pressure.

[@pauloscabeni5277]

Great video! One question: what is "impedance match"? I've seen many pedals saying they have their impedance matched for digital pedals, analog pedals and other stuff but I don't know what that means. "Too Afraid To Ask" is one of the best video series ever :D

[@hazrod13]

Well, i have to admit i learnt a lot about pedals today. I don't own any pedalsso I never thought about how they should be pluged in. I love electronics so you can do more videos about these subjects, I will gladly watch them all.

[@bpabustan]

Another winner! These technical terms explained in layman's language is an art in and of itself! Thanks a bunch as usual Colin, you continually bless us with PRACTICAL knowledge!

[@yangarif]

Great video! You're the only one who make it all crystal clear. Thank you!

[@mavhunter4053]

Oh, what an awesome feeling to find a channel that does the best to explain all the things that I don't fully understand. I really find this videos useful. Keep up the good work

[@adrianr2312]

Currently learning about all these terms in my physics class at the moment. Really cool seeing Colin explaining it in the guitar world!

[@frmcf]

Nice one Colin, I like the way you explain electronics in a way that is relevant to musicians but also correct and concise.

[@johnpacino4491]

Hey Colin! Nothing new for me here but I would really appreciate such a compact and useful video when I was starting out, instead of searching and reading multiple forums for advice. Keep the good work🤘

[@faboolean7039]

You're like my guitarist science teacher. Thanks

[@v.l.t.r]

Stupid question here: how do I know when to change my tubes? I don't want to wait until the output of the amp drops dead, but I don't want to change them 'too early' either. I've heard people saying you have to change them 'regularly', which doesn't mean anything. Please explain me this mystery!

[@pauloscabeni5277]

It is not a stupid question, it is a very good one. I am not the best person to answer that properly, but I saw that you should change them when their top turns into an opaque grey

[@hayden_h7645]

@@pauloscabeni5277 i thought that only happens when the tubes break and air enters the tube(Collin has a video on it). A loss in audio quality(I think in the high end frequencies) can usually be a prompt to change tubes as well as inconsistencies in the sound and possibly volume, ie one day it sounds like this and the next day it sounds different etc.

[@gunsandguitars6678]

V.L.T.R . the only stupid question is the one not asked... if you tap your tubes while the amp is on they should not make a lot of noise if they do they're having issues in the old days you could put them in a tube tester and find out but those days are gone? just make sure you get paired tubes and try not to go to cheap some companies tubes sound better with distortion amp gain and some some better for clear it depends on what you play ?

[@mammamiaculpa]

I've been planning ahead on my pedalboard and trying to research daisy chaining, and this has answered so many questions! Thank you!

[@peterdebad1]

Thanks for the explanation. You answered several questions in one video. Thanks Colin!

[@iambrucewenza]

I love this T.A.T.A. videos, even though I'm fairly expert in all this guitar related stuffs, I always find something new. Thanks Colin, once again 🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@classic2155]

Too Afraid to Ask What is the difference between using active pick ups and using passive pickups with a boost or preamp pedal? Many thanks for all your work!

[@dahmc59]

I am a fan of your level of knowledge AND your talent for imparting it.

[@dzhellek]

All of this electronic talk really Hertz.

[@nuberiffic]

Necessary though; it's a really current topic

[@silasfatchett7380]

@@nuberiffic With lots of potential.

[@KelticKabukiGirl]

The Truetone mA/Cable Tester and voltage converter (they just don't advertise the last part!) Is great for testing board build cables and testing all your pedals mA to know what power you need. I have started writing the mA on the back of each pedal with black or silver Sharpie for quick reference...

[@JuveriSetila]

Here is a TATA. What does "Warmth™" in audio mean? On like Quantum level? Yea, I can hear the difference, but what it really is?

[@JuveriSetila]

Also... PATREON NOTIFICATION SQUAD

[@michi9955]

It's not officially defined or something like that. Normally when people say warm sound they mean a lot of low mids/lows (round about 100-700Hz I would say) and not too much high end (like 3kHz and above). But its a very vague term overall

[@saedt]

Low Mids I think, High Mids are presence if I recall correctly.

[@JuveriSetila]

I have heard something about even and odd harmonics when it comes to for example guitar distortions and overdrives

[@machine-madedog5059]

The short, semi-technical answer is that it’s referring to a particular group of even harmonics. Certain types of circuitry has the potential to produce more than other types. Colin has the electronic physics degree, he could definitely say more. I just have an audio engineering degree. 😆

[@stevemaass3074]

To quote someone from the ‘90s, “You da man” Colin. Once again, you clearly know your stuff, and you explain it well. 👍

[@gabrieloalgo]

When I understood this concepts, I build myself a battery power supply. 8AA rechargeable batteries, an On/Off switch, a box and a Daisy Chain. Now, with my 6 pedals, I have about 6 hours of playing... More than enough for rehearsal, soundcheck, the show and the after jam in a normal night. Plus no 60Hz hum... I´ll be buying bigger batteries as a backup system soon....

[@muurimc]

This is exactly what I learned just.couple of days ago when I bought a new power supply and learned that I can share one of the sockets between pedals

[@LihinshooMusic]

Thank you so much for sharing this knowledge

[@damien6685]

The question I never thought to ask but very happy I listened to the explanation.

[@GreyManFaustus]

Teach me about phase on guitar pickups, scottish Sensei

[@henrystewart3882]

when guitar pickups are in phase, that means their sound waves are traveling at the same time. like, the peak and fall of the waves are happening at relatively the same time. when they are out of phase, they rise when the other one falls, and vice versa. thats my best explanation

[@mustyguitar]

god damn, i love you man. thank you for this. been looking for this info for tooooo long

[@belutpuaka]

Thanks for your explanation, now I know what I want to know about this. Cheers from Malaysia

[@jonathanwapner6262]

Eye opening! Can you explain the difference in function and sound of a solid state rectifier versus a tube rectifier?

[@sski]

A perfect niche subject to hit on. I've been wanting to learn a little more about the Current / Amps subject as it associates to pedal voltage ratings.

[@MichaelSnidaro]

Simple and full of useful informations, as always. Thank you!

[@michaelbarbetta6378]

this was so helpful and simply explained for ppl who have no background in this thanks! time to figure out if my powersupply is strong enough I have an mxr 100 and that has a 600mA

[@wayneq776]

If I didn't take my basic electricity class in the spring of this year I would have no idea of what you just said haha thanks Collin

[@jessejordache1869]

When I was a kid my father would take out a big bag of spare parts: wires, batteries, switches, lightbulbs, etc, and we would play and make stuff (I wish he'd known what a logic gate is and had a pc board and soldering wire in his spare parts, but that's another story). Anyway, the analogy he always used was that electricity works like a dam -- the height of the water is the voltage and the volume behind the damn is the amperage. So if you've ever combed your hair in the winter and gotten a visible electric shock, you were probably on the receiving end of thousands up to hundreds of thousands of volts -- it takes a LOT of voltage to make a current arc through dry air -- but a tiny fraction of an ampere.

[@Improbabilities]

As an electrical engineer who got interested in electronics while studying recording studio tech, I'm not sure why I watched this video. You definitely nailed the info though!

[@calyodelphi124]

I love this explainer.

[@summersendband]

Perfekt explanation. Thanks! 👍

[@swissarmyknight4306]

I wish I had had something like your videos when I was learning to play.

[@frikkiejacobs8858]

A whole youtube video on this topic without using the word "amperage". Legend

[@adrianamorphous]

Colin is a good boi with info

[@rarefactioncurve]

Thanks, Colin. I learned a lot from this upload!

[@ScienceofLoud]

This video was sponsored by Skillshare. First 500 people get 2 months FREE membership here: skl.sh/csguitars2 The only 'stupid questions' are the ones you are Too Afraid To Ask. "What does 100mA mean in a pedal?" is the question for this TATA video. Let's look at pedals and power supplies to find out. Leave your TATAs in the comment section and I'll make a video answering them. More from CSGuitars: Gain access to exclusive content at: www.patreon.com/csguitars Buy CSGuitars Merchandise: csguitars.bigcartel.com/ Website: www.csguitars.co.uk Contact: [e-mail]

[@AlexCioata]

Hi! In the scenario of one power brick with multiple isolated outs: 1. How many analog pedals can we power supply with a daisy chain, without noise interference? (Having enough mA for everyone) 2. If we daisy chain let's say an analog overdrive with a digital delay will we raise the noise floor? 3. Why can't we daisy chain digital pedals? 4. I heard that if you daisy chain an AC pedal with DC pedals it will work. Actually I did that with an old BOSS pedal without knowing that it needs DC and it worked. Why? Thank you! Great videos!!

[@beaverrow9272]

honestly ... I live for the post-credit snippets lol

[@JeraldLTP]

This video is the clearest thing ever!

[@tyschuby]

This is a really good video. I use a Voodoo labs power supply. I need to look at it again now

[@schecterseven3894]

Thank you Colin , very good information.

[@NoMorePedals]

Great explanation, thanks for the video!

[@MichaelDonlinAwesome]

Love the nerdy vids.

[@gunsandguitars6678]

when I rewired my custom pedalboard I went out of the way to make sure I had everything correct like he was stating it. all my noise went away do not know if this was part of my old problem or a coincidence? but maybe coincidence's it's just as reliable as luck ! don't forget to position your buffers Rock on☆

[@hobbyknight9962]

Great video and very informative

[@hayden_h7645]

Hi Colin, I mostly know how cathode ray tubes work, firing electrons using heated plates charged at a high voltage of opposite polarity, but I'm not sure what they actually do or are used for inside a guitar amp.

[@99EKjohn]

Guitar amps don't use cathode ray tubes, they use the more generic vacuum tubes that can function like a digital logic gate. CRT is a vacuum tube specifically made to display an image with a cathode ray gun, that are not used in amps.

[@hbomb495]

Hmmm, I suppose a question I’ve always wondered about is ohms for amps and cabs. No doubt I could probably look it up but it’d be more entertaining being explained by Colin. Thus actually engaging my limited attention span. Basically a breakdown of what ohms are, their interaction and optimal usage between amplifier and cabinet. Does mismatching effect/damage anything? So lastly, this is my Tata, tackle away good sir 😊

[@batorsiklodi944]

A possible tata: I was thinking about connecting 2 separate power supplies in the following order (to power 10+ pedals on my board) Power source > a T-Rex type fuel tank (has a more robust plug) > T-rex’s 18V DC output > my current power supply’s 18V DC input; This way it would give me a few extra 9V DC outputs, as I am running out of them and I would not need to plug both of the supplies into a separate power source, only the first one. Would this work as expected?

[@ronboff3461]

well done, Sir!

[@voag1344]

thanks a lot dude, this is like the best shit ever keep it up!

[@Brittjones]

Awesome video…I’ve always wanted to know this

[@Monolyth13]

Well explained man!

[@dochs6028]

Thank you

[@kenoakee]

How did you know I was going to mention your pronunciation of current? 😂🤘🏻🎸🔥 thanks Colin you cleared up a couple things for me. I knew using a power supply it has higher output was bad. I Was always unsure about using a power supply that has a lower output value than the device requires.

[@pattierney7150]

Thank you :)

[@adamisrael]

I love the way this man says pressure lol

[@DANWRIGHTITIS]

IT´S CURRENT . NOT..C##- Colin - you´re a Legend. that´ll keep me going for Days.

[@carlodelavera9735]

What causes the high pitch sound on some overdrives and distortion pedals, I always though it was the mA

[@joolz989]

TATA question what is the crack with Thiele / ported cabinets. What are they actually doing that is different and what are the benefits or disadvantageous?

[@JoseHenrique-xg1lp]

Can you tackle on why buffers mess up with vintage fuzz? They go all buzzy and unusable...

[@paulleedean5720]

I enjoy these tata videos. Lol

[@lucashernandez8146]

Tata is a way of saying grandparent in spanish, so "today i'm takling your TATAs" sounds really funny.

[@joeyguitar2056]

You should totally do a "Too Afraid to ask" about Pickup phase. :D

[@touchebaguette]

hey colin could you do a tata on feedback?

[@adolfcarlomanatad1558]

Very informative... thanks...

[@flavloko]

Hahaha that shirt is real awesome... or should I say... hyperreal awesome!

[@spitzy7965]

Do active pickups drain the battery if they're left plugged in?

[@jayneboatis6494]

The cable when plugged in completes the circuit. This means it only drains power when it has a cable plugged in.

[@jehadnasereddin7755]

The Tube Pilot pedal you displayed in one of the frames…I have a TATA about it: can you please explain starved plate designs? How do they work and what are the sonic differences between something like a Tube Pilot and pedals like the Blackstar HT Drive? Thanks Colin!

[@Noct_Nano]

I have a question. I have a tuner pedal that can also distribute power. It requires an 18V 1A input and has 6 9V 100mA outputs and 2 9V 500mA outputs. Would there be any problems if I powered a pedal board with this pedal or should I stay on the safe side and use a power supply?

[@overvieweffect9034]

the tata I have is on what load boxes and ir responses are?

[@koffieverslaafde627]

How do attenuators work and what can you do with them

[@soteriologist-kl7jo]

awesome vid thanks

[@ruandre5619]

Hi I have a caline power cp 202 which has 6x 9V (300mA) outputs and one 500mA output. But as soon as I connect a timefactor delay I get a fuzzy noise... It is centre positive and I have the right cable for that and it's 9V...I have an overdrive in front which is 9V 10mA....but the sound goes away as soon as plug the overdrive out... It's definitely not my patch cables.... Can you please help me?

[@olivierjsp]

@CSGuitars Hi, How to measure mA for 'each output line' power supply ? I want to know how much is worth to miliiamper each output. Manufacturers announce values, but I want to check to be certain. Thanks

[@MeesterJoey]

I love the science talk.

[@jalopp42]

Thank you for this video. Helped me a lot o7

[@Rickkertinwonderland]

Do you need a neck jig to do a fret leveling job?

[@s.e.n3264]

I use to have a Daisy chain power supply. But about 2 years ago I got big VooDoo labs power supply.

[@christopherdunn317]

I in fact have bought a few pedals recently, used some old adapters that i tested one was 13 volts and 14 volts and my pedals were fine nothing happened, and these pedals were only rated for 9 volts so i guess they could handle it but maybe higher would be taking chances .I did look into this ma thing and volts and bought the expensive voodoo mondo $390.00 crap !

[@jack9loki644]

Please explain lows,mids,and highs

[@littlebritain64]

So, power supplier voltage = matching pedals voltage, and power supplier Amperes= total sum of the pedals' one / greater?

[@El_Mapache]

One question about this: About 20 years ago, a more knowledgeable person than me said that my Digitech pedal would run (and sound) better on a Boss power supply than another brand, because Boss power supplies were 9.6V instead of 9V. Nowadays, a lot of us use power blocks and such, but they’re all usually rated for 9V. Is there any validity to the statement that Boss and old Digitech pedals would run better on 9.6V power supplies vs. 9V?

[@ScienceofLoud]

I think your friend is perhaps mistaken about the brand - Boss power supplies, to my knowledge, have always been rated as nominally 9V. I've never measured the voltage from one of the PSA supplies to verify it is actually delivering the nominal voltage, so maybe it is higher than 9V - but that could be true of ANY regulated psu quoting a 9V output. The Boss ACA supply was unregulated, so despite quoting 9V it would output a far greater voltage IF the current draw was sufficiently small, which it often was for analogue pedals. The pedals of the 80s that were designed to work with ACA had some additional internal components to knock the ACA's voltage back down to 9V. The precise voltage the pedals would be receiving in that case were dependent on current draw. However EHX do offer a 9.6V power supply AND they have their own branded carbon zinc 9V batteries which they make some interesting tonal claims about. 9.6V is an interesting number, because that's typically the voltage of a 9V battery when it is fresh out of the packet - they always deliver a little above the nominal voltage. Offering a 9.6V power supply would be like you were running your pedal from a battery that always stayed brand new. Does that make your pedal sound 'better'? Better is a subjective statement. 0.6V may be enough to make the pedal sound different, in that there will be slightly more headroom on the amplifier rails, and signals can get an extra 0.6V level increase before they start to clip in the op-amp... But considering most of these pedals are designed to purposefully clip the signal FAR below that headroom in the case of distortions, and even in overdrives the soft clipping in the op-amp's feedback kind of prevents clipping even occurring in the op-amp, it's highly questionable if a mere 0.6V is making any perceivable difference at all. Even if it was a clear difference, more headroom isn't always a benefit, particularly if you are wanting to apply a lot of distortion, so the extra voltage might even be a hinderance.

[@El_Mapache]

@@ScienceofLoud Thank you for your super thorough analysis! I appreciate your depth of knowledge and ability to explain these technical things in a very digestible manner! 👊

[@ok-tchau]

Is it ok to power a Boss HM2 with a 12v daisy chain? I know I can use: a) a single 12v PS b) a 9v on a daisy chain (with at least one more pedal) c) a 9v battery d) a Boss ACA 9v PS (which is actually 12v) I ask this because I run all my pedals from a single 12v PS (1,25 A) daisy chain.

[@plumbummusic2051]

Here's my TATA: flipped pickups, are they installed inside out or just turned 180° (if you're looking at someone playing it)? Does it affect the sound (that much)? Practical applications are appreciated :)

[@jrom428]

What's the difference between a single coil pickup and a noiseless single coil pickup and if they can make them noiseless, why doesn't that become the new standard single coil pickup with the noisy ones become a "vintage" style single coil pickup?

[@travisarlow9564]

How do MXR make the LEDs on the Bass Chorus Deluxe pulse with the rate setting?

[@derpimusmaximus8815]

I have not noticed this, now I need to go dig out my Phase 90.

[@travisarlow9564]

@@derpimusmaximus8815 I meant the bass chorus deluxe. No idea why I said that. Oops

[@dipchip5542]

The MXR phase 90 has an "LFO" circuit, or Low Frequency Oscillator. This circuit generates a voltage signal that "moves" the phase. This voltage signal powers the phase effect, but an LED and resistor can be powered by the LFO as well, and it will light and dim in exact time with the Phase.

[@dipchip5542]

Same answer though. Lol Both of those pedals have an LFO circuit.

[@thedaver8]

Hi Colin, why are some pickups slanted, and what effect does that have on the sound?

[@dionr1168]

When I first started buying pedals, I foolishly thought all of them drew 200 mA because the power supply the same brand made were 9v 200mA (for the record, these pedals were typically Boss, Ibanez, and Digitech circa 2003).

[@ThatBaritoneGuitarGuy]

This is something I wondered myself when I was looking for a power supply. Strymon gives 500mA each, but Voodoo Labs only gives 250mA each. I have no idea what that means. End the end, I decided to buy the Strymon Zuma, simply because I figured having 500mA is better than having a 250mA. More is better, right?

[@SwamP_dragons]

Thanks for the physics lesson

[@JeremyBeut]

Oh okaaaay thanks a lot !