K+ power source user’s manual

You just ordered one of the products from the K+ range? Thank you for your purchase, and we’ll see in this user manual how to use your K+ correctly!

before connecting your K+

a little technical reminder

Because it’s always useful to remind the basics!

Before connecting a pedal to the power supply, always check that the voltage delivered by the power supply is the one the pedal needs.
It is also necessary to check that the pedal operates in DC (and not AC).
And finally, check the polarity symbol on the pedal to use the correct cables supplied (the one with the red sheath is ONLY for pedals with reversed polarity).

Then, always connect the pedals on the 9/12/15/18V outputs side.
Finally, the mains adapter only goes into the 24V IN connector, never anywhere else!

pedals that cannot be powered

The K+ cannot power AC pedals, or pedals that require a voltage other than 9, 12, 15 or 18V.
Positive ground pedals are not compatible either. This is a different case from reverse polarity, which requires the pedal to be galvanically isolated from the others. For all these particular pedals we advise to supply them separately with their original mains adapter.

the mistakes to avoid, at the risk of damaging your K+

We give you a non-exhaustive list of things not to do, so that you don’t lose the K+ and the guarantee! Or even worse, damage your beautiful pedals…

plug a pedal into the 24v thru

The 24V THRU connector is only designed to connect a second K+ or FX Power Source. It’s 24V, and on top of that, the polarity is reversed: anything to burn a pedal!

use the 24v link with a different power supply than the K+ or fx power source without the advice of an expert

If you already have a power supply of another manufacturer, and you want to make a connection with the 24V link, we advise you first to ask us if there are no risks for the power supplies.

supply the K+ with a power supply other than the supplied 24v adapter

The K+ has been designed to work with the supplied adapter. If you don’t have it because you broke it or just ordered an extension, we sell them individually at cost price.

insert a 1 spot or another power supply into the K+ connectors

In general, all combinations that do not correspond to a standard use: mains adapter elsewhere than in the 24V IN, 1 Spot type power supply in an output, connecting something other than an effects pedal to the power supply…

connect a cable that links 2 connectors of the K+, even when the K+ is not powered

You could make a short circuit, and even if the power supply is not powered, there are a lot of capas inside that can stay charged.

do not open the enclosure

At the risk of hurting yourself, damaging the product… There is no trimpot inside the power supply, sorry!

use a voltage doubler witch uses 2 outputs of the power supply

Some Y-type voltage doublers use 2 outputs to sum their output voltages. These adapters will not work with the K+. However, no problem with adapters that double the voltage of a single output! But beware of the current, these adapters are limited, you won’t get the 1A.

use the reverse polarity cable with standard polarity pedals

Polarity is very important, if it’s not the correct one, you could damage your pedal! The DC cable with the red sheath should only be used with a pedal with reversed polarity.

change the voltage of the variable outputs when a pedal is connected

Avoid changing the voltage when the pedals are plugged in, to avoid sending the wrong voltage to a pedal by accident and damaging it!

do not immerse the K+

K+ is not waterproof! Do not put it in water, and avoid dropping your beer on it!

be careful of protruding corners that may cut

The enclosure of the K+ is made of metal, which can cause injury if it is hit.

do not lick any part of the K+

We all know the technique of putting the tongue on a battery to see if it still works. We advise you not to do the same thing with the K+.

how to calculate the available currents

You have 1A per isolated output section. So the sum of the currents of the 4 pedals in the same section (or the pedal in a variable voltage output of the motherboard) must not exceed 1A. You can for example plug a 500mA pedal and 2 pedals of 250mA each, or a 1A pedal leaving the other 3 outputs empty. Or in general what we do, a greedy pedal and then 2 small analog pedals.

The mains adapter can deliver up to 2.5A max at 24V. This makes 60W and the K+ has an efficiency >90% which gives a total of 54W. Enough to toast your breakfast bread!
In other words, you have 6A to distribute on all the 9V outputs before the mains adapter supplied is no longer sufficient.

If you really need more (but we challenge you to do so), on the motherboard you can plug a second identical mains adapter into the second 24V IN connector, to increase the total to 12A.

And if you have a problem or a question, you can always contact us!

the possibilities of the K+ range

content

the K+ motherboard bundle

You have the K+ Motherboard power supply, a mains adapter, and 14 DC cables to power the pedals. 2 of 25cm, 6 of 35cm, 2 of 45cm, 2 of 60cm, 1 of 90cm and 1 with reversed polarity with a red sheath.

the K+ daughterboard bundle

You have the K+ Daughterboard power supply, a mains adapter, and 9 DC cables to power the pedals. 2 of 25cm, 4 of 35cm, 1 of 45cm, 1 of 60cm and 1 with reverse polarity with a red sheath.

the K+ premium bundle

You have the 2 K+ Motherboard and Daughterboard power supplies, a mains adapter, 2 sets of brackets to fix the 2 power supplies, and 28 DC cables, to power the pedals and connect the 2 power supplies with the 24V link. 4 of 25cm, 12 of 35cm, 4 of 45cm, 4 of 60cm, 2 of 90cm and 2 with reversed polarity with a red sheath.

the K+ motherboard extension

You have the K+ Motherboard power supply and 14 DC cables to power the pedals. 2 of 25cm, 6 of 35cm, 2 of 45cm, 2 of 60cm, 1 of 90cm and 1 with reversed polarity with a red sheath. You just have to use one of the DC jack cables to connect the power supply to your other K+ or FX Power Source.

the K+ daughterboard extension

You have the K+ Daughterboard power supply and 7 DC cables to power the pedals. 1 of 25cm, 3 of 35cm, 1 of 45cm, 1 of 60cm and 1 of 90cm. You just have to use one of the DC jack cables to connect the power supply to your other K+ or FX Power Source.

what it can do

The K+ can power pedals up to 1A, and at 9, 12, 15 or 18V thanks to switch-mode technology. If you’re interested in the technology, we’ve made an article about the different power supply technologies for effect pedals.

recommendations for use

The outputs for pedals are divided into isolated sections. If you notice that a pedal generates noise, try to place it in an isolated section, and to put as few pedals as possible in the same section.

It is better to use the shortest DC cables possible, and to avoid placing them along the audio jacks. It is also better to keep electrical devices, mains cables and sockets as far away as possible from the pedalboard, to avoid noise problems due to radiation.

If you have pedals before the amp and in the effects loop, it can be interesting to use 2 power supplies to eliminate ground loops.

For massive boards, the 24V link is interesting. It allows you to use 2 K+ or FX Power Source units with a single mains adapter. For example you can place 2 power supplies on each side of a large pedalboard. Or to split a large pedalboard into 2 smaller pedalboards, and to be able to power them together with only one mains adapter.

If you have 2 pedalboards with the first one before the amp and the second one in the effect loop, you will have a better isolation of ground loops by connecting 2 power supplies. Although it will work very well with only one.

Finally, to fix the K+, some pedalboard manufacturers offer mounting supports. And if it doesn’t compatible, we propose a kit of brackets, compatible with a large range of tested models. We give you an article to show you how to use them on different pedalboards.

inspiration with some K+ user boards