Harley Benton’s PowerPlant ISO-3AC SAG pedalboard power supply simulates a dying battery

Harley Benton PowerPlant ISO-3AC SAG
(Image credit: Harley Benton)

It’s not everyday we get to use the words ‘power supply’ and ‘interesting’ together, but today certainly is. Wallet-friendly gear provider, Harley Benton has announced the release of a brand new pedalboard power supply, and it aims to recreate the response of a dying battery.

Why? Well, as tonesmiths will tell you, starving an analogue guitar pedal - particularly gain-based drives, fuzzes and distortions slightly of its required voltage can result in interesting and sometimes preferable sounds. Indeed, thousands of words have been written around Eric Johnson’s use of partially-dead Duracells for this very reason.

Harley Benton PowerPlant ISO-3AC SAG

(Image credit: Harley Benton)

The Harley Benton PowerPlant ISO-3AC SAG is made of road-tough aluminium, measures 130x88x35mm [wxdxh] and weighs-in at 400 grams. 

It offers four isolated outputs, each of which are also filtered to eliminate noise and provide short-circuit protection for your pedals. The first two outputs can provide 9 volts each, but trim pots on the top of the unit allow for a reduction down to 4-volts. Similarly, the 18-volt maximum of outputs three and four can be reduced to 6 volts.

Harley Benton PowerPlant ISO-3AC SAG

(Image credit: Harley Benton)

Harley Benton PowerPlant ISO-3AC SAG

(Image credit: Harley Benton)

A fifth power output which can be used as a link to power a 12-volt pedal, or additional DC input PSUs, with LEDs indicating the status of each power output. As part of Harley Benton’s Modular series, the PowerPlant ISO-3AC SAG can connect to other HB Modular units for future pedalboard expansion. 

It comes with all the cables you need to get rigged-up out of the box, including 5x power jacks, an AC power cord and female-to-male ‘kettle’ connector. 

The Harley Benton PowerPlant ISO-3AC SAG is available now priced around £57. 

Stuart Williams
Drums

I'm a freelance member of the MusicRadar team, specialising in drum news, interviews and reviews. I formerly edited Rhythm and Total Guitar here in the UK and have been playing drums for more than 25 years (my arms are very tired). When I'm not working on the site, I can be found on my electronic kit at home, or gigging and depping in function bands and the odd original project.