is there a difference between the Boss power supply and an Ibanez power supply?

The wart should have the polarity and power ratings on it, as should the pedal.

Boss is usually 9v, negative center pin. I've used the One Spot with good results, and you can power up to 8 pedals on it too.

DM-3 wants 12v from the wall wart, like all the older Boss pedals. I don't know what the Ibanez unit puts out, but it's likely only 9v. You'll starve the Boss pedal and not get the punchiest sound, but it 'will' work to a lesser degree, as long as the Ibanez power is center negative, as mentioned.

If you are the least bit handy with a soldering iron, you can perform a really quick mod that'll make your DM-3 work properly with a 9v wall wart. Basically, there is a resistor in there that is taking the 12v and knocking it down to 9. Remove that resistor and replace it with a jumper wire and you're gold.

Ah, I didn't realize the DM-3 was a 12v. I'm still learning pedals.

Seems silly to put a resistor in there instead of just wiring it to 9v from the get go. Stranger things have been done...

Thanks for the clarification Brian.

The circuit was made to run off 9v - takes a 9v battery, but I'm thinking, for whatever reason, Boss already had 12v wall warts, so they decided to make that work? I'm not a Boss historian, but I'm under the impression that all Boss wall warts back in the day were 12 ACA. Maybe Tavo will chime in and give us a history lesson on Boss power

You can also run it off a OneSpot daisy chain, with another 9v pedal in the chain. Tricks it somehow I've heard. If you're using a BBE Supa charger or Voodoo Labs power plus, you can use the 12v setting, which I believe exists for this very reason. But really, the mod takes all of 5 minutes of soldering time and solves everything.

Yep...the Ibanez power suppl is 9v. The Boss DM-3 12v. The Ibanez wall warte did zilch....DM-3 wouldn't power up. I'm gonna go find a battery to make sure thing is working. I just received it off ebay.

Thanks ya'll

UPDATE: It works and is absolutely tits up

Dusty the 9v power supply should work even if the pedal voltage is somewhat starved, if it isnt functioning at all with a standard 9v (-) 2.1mm cannon plug power supply then the resistor has burned. Jumper that sucker and you'll be fine using a standard 9v... and like its mentioned above these older boss pedals used a 12v supply and NEED that to result in max headroom for the slapback. The DM-3 should sound warm and dynamic in its initial slapback and then smear in graduated degradation with little to no ring (if the pedal's clock and bias trimmers have been fiddled with you'll hear the ping-ring when you max the time and depth knobs, this has to be corrected)

btw.. as requested

BOSS 12v power supply ACA unregulated power adapter

*ACA Adapter

The ACA is an unregulated 9V or 12V adapter. For a long time both the ACA and the regulated PSA adapter was available but in the later part of the 90s the ACA adapter was discontinued as all Boss pedals then was designed to run with the PSA adapter.

When a power supply is unregulated, it means that the voltage level will drop as the load is increased. The ACA adapter may give out a full 12 volt when it is powering one or two pedals but if it is hooked up to a long row of pedals the voltage will drop. The ACA adapter is capable of supplying as much current as 250mA but problems keeping the voltage up may occur before the load reaches that level.

The early compact pedals was designed to run on either a 9V DC battery or 12V DC adapter. Because of this the ACA adapter was a 12V adapter. The voltage was reduced to 9V internally by using a 470 Ohm resistor and 1S2473 diode between the minus input on the power jack and ground. The resistor diode pair was later removed and at the same time the ACA adpater was redesigned to output 9V instead.

Powering ACA pedals with a PSA power supply Powering the older pedals designed for 12V DC input with either a newer ACA or PSA adapter will not work very well. The voltage drop over the resistor and diode will prevent the pedal from getting enough power and its LED will usually only glow faintly. The solution is to use a daisy chain and plug in another pedal designed for the newer ACA or PSA adapter. The lead between the two pedals will short the resistor diode pair and the pedal will receive full power.*

..and a repost on the mod (circled) since new internet control has shut down my favorite boss owners site for "infringement"

note: this is my photo of my pedals on a circuit that is no longer in production and therefore owned by me for research and may not be reproduced without my written permission -tavo vega (how do you like them apples)

right click and open this in a new window for a full size picture since this website now turns every photo into a postage stamp lately

Tavo...I hooked a battery up to it and it sounded great. Went and took a nap. Came back hooked the pedal back up with the 9v battery and used the pedal for a bit shut off the pedal....turned pedal on zipp, nada, zilch. Pulled the battery out and tested it....tip of tongue ...it has juice. I'm kinda concerned this thing may have issues.

battery's dont last very long on a delay but any delay pedal that is almost 30yrs old is gonna needs a bit of loving restoration unless it was sitting in a box, even then the caps start drying out in them.

do the mod!! its the only way!

depending on your wall supply, it will work as Tavo sez

in my upstairs studio, a new power supply works the pedal fine, but the light is barely visible - so light that unless the room is pretty dark you don't even think the light is on

I have a couple old Boss power supplies, bought on Ebay relatively cheap

I contacted the cat I bought it from. he thinks the switch may be dirty or broke. Says he has a few switches and will replace the switch.. I don't know.....

the switch is a 12 dollar part. the existing one can be cleaned with Deoxit (electrical contact cleaner) as long as its still functioning. Most need cleaning and this simple remedy is less than a new switch..

Do the mod! Do the mod! Do the mod!

"The solution is to use a daisy chain and plug in another pedal designed for the newer ACA or PSA adapter. The lead between the two pedals will short the resistor diode pair and the pedal will receive full power."

Hey Tavo, if I'm reading it right, all I have to do is plug my SD1 to TR2 to DM3?