PSU issues with Aeros and Ojai

Aeros Loop Studio Bugs/Help
#1

I’m powering a Beatbuddy, an Aeros and a couple of other standard pedals with an Ojai.

If I turn on the Aeros w/ the BB already on, it will only actually power up one time in three or so. Sometimes I just get audible clicking or static through the Aeros, and it never powers on.

If I turn on the Aeros without the BB plugged in, it will never power up.

If I power the Aeroes with it’s own PSU, it powers up every time.

How can I fix this?

Latest firmware is installed, and the Ojai is rated for 500ma 9v, so it should work.

I really don’t want to have to buy a new PSU - I’ve already had to buy a new looper to sync with the BB, so I’m out of pocket much more than I anticipated when I decided to pick up the BB!

#2

Weird. Strymon has pretty good e-mail support. It could be that the Ojai is either malfunctioning or does not have enough power to support your pedals.

1 Like
#3

Do you have any effects on the Ojai that draw more than 500ma? If not, I agree it might be a defective Ojai.

#4

As it happens, I have a fresh Ojai because I’m putting together a bigger pedalboard than my Nano (because the Aeros is big!) so that helps to confirm the case. I pulled it out, plugged it in, problem goes away.

Thanks!

2 Likes
#5

After some back and forth with Strymon, this is their response

"It looks like this particular issue has come up specifically with the Singular Sound Aeros. The reason is that our power supplies ramp up power instead of sending the full amount all out once. There are a few pedals that don’t react well with that, hence the reason it sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t.

Some people have more success if they have the Ojai turned on already, and then plug the power cable into the pedal.

If you were to send this in for repair, it most likely wouldn’t have any issues that need repair and would be considered functioning correctly.

You are more than welcome to reach out to the Australian distributor Noise Toys Imports if you’d like"

So I wouldn’t recommend using Strymon PSUs, given they either will or won’t work, but neither reliably.

Apparently the fact that I have one Ojai that’s reliable and one that isn’t doesn’t count as a fault!

#6

Another factor (from experience with electronics rather than with these pedal power supplies, so apply salt) is that often electronics take their highest currents at switch on. Capacitors and inductors start out uncharged and need to “fill up” with energy, ultimately derived from the supply current.

So a pedal that takes, say, 300mA in normal operation would seem to be perfectly suited to a 500mA capable supply. But what if the 300mA device takes 700mA in-rush current for 50ms when it first switches on? Disaster, unless the power supply can also cope with delivering a higher peak current for a short burst.

The devil is in the detail.

1 Like