is using a stronger adapter bad for a mic pre?

[beatzz]

I just ran in my local music shop and got a vtb-1 mic pre......

Since it was a floor model, the dude had to give me another adapter to use (because they could not find the original one)

He told me that this adapter is "even better beacause it gives more power to the pre-amp". On the vtb-1 manual, it states that one should "Only use the supplied power adapter"


Should i be worried?

[Enzo Polotso]

if you use an adapter thats a higher voltage than what the unit needs, yes it's bad, it will fry the heck out of it.
this recently happaned to me with a keyboard, i ACCIDENTALLY (DOH) plugged an 18v adapter into a 9v keyboard. ugh. dead keyboard.

[beatzz]

Ok, the vtb-1 back panel says: 12VAC


The adapter i was given says:

Input: 120VAC
Output: 12VAC


Is this okay?

[simonv]

yeah, just make sur it has the right polarity! (+ and -)
and make sure it has around the same current. (milliamps or amps)

[Tim Farrant]

Originally Posted by simvez

yeah, just make sur it has the right polarity! (+ and -)
and make sure it has around the same current. (milliamps or amps)

Note, there is no polarity with "AC" (alternating current). If it was DC (direct current) then yes. A power adaptor with more available milliamps will work OK, but less milliamps than what is required by the device may result in overheating and failure of the power pack.

Cheers
Tim.

[thearnicasync]

Hey...while we're on the subject:

Can you use a higher current adapter (say 250mA) to power something requiring less (say 150mA device) without damaging it?

Thanks!

kelly

[simonv]

Don't listen to me, cause I dont take care of my things.

But a while back, I used my printer's adapter to power my Marshall Guv'Nor pedal, and it worked fine even though it had more than double the amounts of milliamps.

If I had an expensive piece of gear, you can be sure that I'd shop around for the exact same specs

[cold c]

Originally Posted by thearnicasync

Can you use a higher current adapter (say 250mA) to power something requiring less (say 150mA device) without damaging it?

Tim Farrant answered this in the post above yours where he wrote this:

Originally Posted by Tim Farrant

A power adaptor with more available milliamps will work OK, but less milliamps than what is required by the device may result in overheating and failure of the power pack.

[nosebleedaudio]

Using a higher current supply than is required would be a good thing. When in doubt READ and
follow the manual. I would not go higher in voltage than the specs call for, this could only give
the regulators inside the device more heat to deal with. Less current could result in over heating
the supply. To me this is main problem with wall wart type supplies, it gives the end user to many
possibilities, incorrect phase, to high of voltage ect...

[MAProTulz]

Love all that high-end technical advice you get from music stores :)

Having higher amperage (or milliamperage) available is fine, IIRC; the unit will only consume what it needs, and having reserve current supply is a good thing.

Higher than spec voltage = more heat that needs to be dissipated and depending on how much higher the voltage is, that's bad.