MXR Iso-Brick review

A pedalboard festooned with various wall-wart power adaptors for individual pedals isn't practical; the smart option is an all-in-one pedalboard power supply to power all the pedals that runs from a single mains outlet.

There are several factors to be taken into account when choosing one, not least that it can supply the correct voltages and current requirements for your pedals - especially if you have high-current ones.

Obviously, the more outlets it has, the better, but then there's the size... Yet MXR may have it sussed with the Iso-Brick, which offers 10 fully isolated outputs in a compact housing.

In Use

MXR has got around the size issue by powering the Iso Brick from its own 18-volt wall-wart rather than going the robust mains lead/toroidal transformer route of Voodoo Lab and Cioks, which some might prefer, but it's still quiet and ground loop-free.

You get two each of nine-volt outlets at 100mA, 300mA and 450mA plus two 18-volt outlets at 250mA. On top of that there are two more outlets at 250mA, which each have a knob to vary the voltage between six volts and 15 volts - great if you want to simulate a weak battery in a fuzz box or power a 12-volt pedal, for example.