. . . a term coined by Greg Mackie to describe the AC adapters that supply power to modules, keyboards, computers, etc.
I think I will never buy anything else that requires one.
Unfortunately, that probably won't be possible, but if everything else is relatively even, my money will go towards a built-in power supply.
Wall Warts add weight, clutter, set-up time and expense (especially if you lose one).
DonM

The only reason behind Wall Warts is the difference between power supplied by various nations of the world. While in the U.S., Canada and Mexico 120 Volts A/C is the norm, this is not the case in the rest of the world. Therefore, manufacturers make the keyboards, vocal processors, etc all exactly the same. The only difference is the type of wall wart supplied with that equipment. It just makes good exconomic sense. I have not checked this out personally, but a tech friend at a local music shop said he discovered this on some of his technical bulletins.

Cheers,

Gary

The Tyros does NOT have a Wall Wart Don. Neither does it have a Wal Mart... But we sure have plenty of them out West. I would say 15 years ago nobody out here heard of Wal Mart. Now there building so many of them where I live that people are starting to revolt and are trying to stop them from being built. So much for progress, huh. Uhh, how did I get off on that subject? Oh yes; Don, the Tyros does NOT have a Wall Wart.

Best regards,
Mike

The Tyros does not have a Wall Wart because it's a multi-voltage keyboard (it can work from 110 to 240 volts without needing a transformer).
(BTW, the same applies to other Yamaha keyboards, like the 9000 pro.)

I'd rather have a few wall warts than internal power supplies that are hard to change and EXPENSIVE to replace. I use an outlet strip with surge protection that accomodates up to 6 large adapters.............It looks a lot neater than a bunch of adapters plugged into the wall.

Gary, the reason you invoke for the use of Wall Warts doesn't seem to exist any longer. Most of the recent electronic equipment come with a multi-voltage transformer, which can then be used with 120/220 A/C (there isn't even an external switch). I believe that presently the only excuse is the final size of the equipment (doesn't apply to a keyboard but can be an important factor in a small preamp or small mixer).

However I have found an advantage using keyboards that need wall warts I sometimes play in churches (weddings) in very small portuguese villages. Either there are no plugs at all or they are very far away for the place where I play (usually in the chorus). So I just use a battery directly:

I have played my Tyros in that type of conditions, but it's a bit more complicated. I plug my battery to a DC-AC converter (12 DC to 220 AC) and then feed the Tyros. Works great and saves me the nighmare of finding a place to plug the keyboard!

-- José.

Neat idea Jose',

How long will the battery pack last when there's about 1,500 watts of equipment plugged in to the system? It would be great for some of the outdoor jobs where there nearest power is 500 feet or 150 meters away.

Thanks,

Gary

There are other reasons for wall warts: external power supplies make it easier to meet FCC emissions standards. I'm of the fewer pieces the better school, so prefer an internal adapter. Of course, since the stuff is converted to DC anyway, a DC input would make sense if it were standardized. But everyone uses a proprietary adapter with its own voltage and polarity. I know you can get multi-voltage/polarity adapters from Radio Shack, but they still don't work on everything. My Karma uses an external power supply with a five-pin connector.

A manufacture a few years back, purposely used a wall wart instead of an internal power supply to keep their keyboard under a certain weight. This gave them the ability to claim the lightest Hammer Action slab keyboard, bragging rights. Since then, key actions themselves have gotten lighter and the need to lighten the weight by removing the transformer isn't as necessary.

Gary,

A solution for your needs is probably too expensive to be seriously taken in consideration... A rechargeable battery like the one in the picture has its limits. I can check carefully the specifications and tell you numbers, but it's appropriate to help in an emergency when a car battery is dead. I never tested the limits, but it's more that enough for a keyboard with built in amplifier and speakers (I've tried it with both my DGX 300 and Tyros + the Yamaha speaker kit for 4/5 hours and didn't run out of battery; the sound was enough for a small church). Another thing to consider is that the DC-AC converter can't deal with more then 200/300 Watt. It's indicated for laptops and all kinds of low consumption electrical equipment but not really for the needs you mention - for your reference its price was around 120 Euro.

-- José.