• Registered: 2025-02-01
  • Posts: 1

Re: 12 V Battery Power Solutions

Hi, I am new here.
I use a gel battery to feed my ADI DAC-2 instead of battery packs. It works perfectly, so just pure current, no additonal electronic parts. Now much more interesting question for you. I use a normal laptop (W11) as transport via USB to my DAC. At some point I started to experiment to use a second gel battery and a step-down transformer to creat 5V for feeding the USB connection (needed for the “handshake” between the DAC and the laptop). With the battery power on I feel much cleaner highs without losing the weight of bass, I hear less or no distortion when listening to e.g a solo clarinet. I know people tend to belive they hear a difference when experimenting. I tried it several times during the week and I always prefered to listen to the music with the second battery used. Has anybody here had the same experience or tried it before? You may say  that from technical point of view it makes no sense but I more interested if someone has already tried it and heard any difference. Thanks.

  • Muffin
  • S/Mux specialist
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2021-12-26
  • Posts: 228

Re: 12 V Battery Power Solutions

csabaxxx wrote:

Hi, I am new here.
I use a gel battery to feed my ADI DAC-2 instead of battery packs. It works perfectly, so just pure current, no additonal electronic parts. Now much more interesting question for you. I use a normal laptop (W11) as transport via USB to my DAC. At some point I started to experiment to use a second gel battery and a step-down transformer to creat 5V for feeding the USB connection (needed for the “handshake” between the DAC and the laptop). With the battery power on I feel much cleaner highs without losing the weight of bass, I hear less or no distortion when listening to e.g a solo clarinet. I know people tend to belive they hear a difference when experimenting. I tried it several times during the week and I always prefered to listen to the music with the second battery used. Has anybody here had the same experience or tried it before? You may say  that from technical point of view it makes no sense but I more interested if someone has already tried it and heard any difference. Thanks.

It's all in your mind. Btw, what is a "gel battery"?

  • Kubrak
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2023-08-03
  • Posts: 786

Re: 12 V Battery Power Solutions

csabaxxx wrote:

I use a normal laptop (W11) as transport via USB to my DAC. At some point I started to experiment to use a second gel battery and a step-down transformer to creat 5V for feeding the USB connection (needed for the “handshake” between the DAC and the laptop).

Just a small note, DC from battery cannot be transformed by transformer. First it must be made AC, then transformed and at the end again transformed to DC..... So, there is not much difference to using ordinary (correctly designed) adapter...

FF UCX II, Digiface USB, Babyface Pro FS
  • Registered: 2023-10-04
  • Posts: 14

Re: 12 V Battery Power Solutions

Hello There,

I would really appreciate some advice.  I have seen a number of posts that date back a good while in relation to powerbanks, so I not entirely sure if the recommendations are still relevant.  However, please explain to me what the requirements are for a power bank to use with the ADI 2/4 Pro SE?

As new user, I am just getting a little confused by it all!   Although, if I am understanding it correctly then am I correct in thinking the following:-

1. I cannot power it using a power bank that uses only a USB connection?

2. I need a power bank that has 12v dc connection option?

Here are a few options that I have seen based on ones mentioned in older posts  and I would like to know are these still good in 2025 or are there better options??:-

1. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 … &psc=1 (menitioned by Matthias Carstens)

2. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09 … &psc=1

3. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 … amp;psc=1. Not sure if this is also an option or not?

4.  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0C … E&th=1 - This one does not have 12v but am wondering could I use it?

Sorry, if this all seems very obvious but I am not clear exactly what I should be purchasing and so therefore any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

55 Reply by sweetmedicineofficial (edited by sweetmedicineofficial 2025-02-11 01:56:50)

  • Registered: 2025-02-10
  • Posts: 3

Re: 12 V Battery Power Solutions

Hey guys ,

do you know if i can use a

- INIU Power Bank, 100W 25000mAh
together with a
- DSD TECH MagicConn SH-CP12A USB-Typ-C-auf-DC-Netzkabel-12V

for a portable usage of the Fireface UCXII -
will there be no problems with to much high voltage etc. ?

here are the links of the 2 products :
the powerbank : https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B0DBHF … &psc=1
the cable         : https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0B9FDZX7P?ref … e&th=1

Thank You.

56 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2025-02-10 23:35:07)

  • waedi
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Swiss Zürich
  • Registered: 2020-12-08
  • Posts: 5,664

Re: 12 V Battery Power Solutions

It can be good, but I am not convinced by reading their text. They claim to be the greatest and fastest with 38 Million users...
What has the amount of users to do with technical specifications ?
And where is the most important info ?
How much is the voltage ?
They complete missed to reveal the voltage.
If you buy this, you should use a voltmeter device to measure the voltage at the plug of this cable. 9 to 18 volt DC and the inside of the plug is the +

If the voltage is ok then this power pack will be a solution for mobile recording.

https://i.ibb.co/hrN8V6t/Bildschirmfoto-2025-02-10-um-23-28-13.png

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

57 Reply by sweetmedicineofficial (edited by sweetmedicineofficial 2025-02-11 02:11:21)

  • Registered: 2025-02-10
  • Posts: 3

Re: 12 V Battery Power Solutions

The mentioned cable features an integrated PD chip that ensures a stable output voltage of 12V at up to 3A so i think it should work as it stabilizes the voltage to 12 V. i also think the powerbank  should support the USB Power Delivery (PD) standard and be able to provide 12V at a sufficient current. - but thanks for the idea of using a voltmeter. its definitely better to check it before.
Just tried the mentioned cable with a normal USB-C charger with 12V and 1.67 A - and here the Fireface UCX ii worked without any problems.

  • Registered: 2023-06-30
  • Posts: 290

Re: 12 V Battery Power Solutions

sweetmedicineofficial wrote:

The mentioned cable features an integrated PD chip that ensures a stable output voltage of 12V at up to 3A so i think it should work as it stabilizes the voltage to 12 V.

The chip in the cable only negotiates the output voltage with the USB PD power source, nothing more. It cannot stabilize anything. Moreover, when I tested such a 12 V cable with a Samsung power bank that outputs only 9 V, the voltage at the cable output barrel connector was 9 V despite the chip's setting (I was expecting it wouldn't provide power in this case at all, so you should take care not to plug this cable into a wrong power source). So it's up to the PD power source to provide required voltages and to stabilize them.

i also think the powerbank  should support the USB Power Delivery (PD) standard and be able to provide 12V at a sufficient current. - but thanks for the idea of using a voltmeter. its definitely better to check it before.

It's a bad idea to rely on what one thinks when it comes to such matters. A good idea is to carefully examine the documentation and in case of a slightest doubt to avoid using such products.

Just tried the mentioned cable with a normal USB-C charger with 12V and 1.67 A - and here the Fireface UCX ii worked without any problems.

Yes, this can work, as had been mentioned here several times and in my own experience.

Fireface UCX II + ARC USB > ADI-2 Pro FS R BE > Neumann KH 750 DSP + MA 1 > KH 120 A

59 Reply by sweetmedicineofficial (edited by sweetmedicineofficial 2025-02-11 20:07:11)

  • Registered: 2025-02-10
  • Posts: 3

Re: 12 V Battery Power Solutions

It works very good withouth any problems.
https://i.ibb.co/prk3g8qW/20250211-194523.jpg

It also works with 2 x activated 48V phantom power w/o any issues.
https://i.ibb.co/CsHwgwDC/20250211-200214.jpg

pretty nice portable solution like that - especially with DURec.

  • rexet
  • rexet
  • AD/DA expert
  • Offline
  • From: Paris
  • Registered: 2007-05-08
  • Posts: 69

Re: 12 V Battery Power Solutions

MC wrote:

He's thinking about not only changing USB-B to C, but also adding full PD support, so any PD capable output could power the device. I can't comment on that, though.

Yes, that’s exactly what I meant. It would allow the device to be powered easily with any PD-compatible power supply, eliminating the need for a dedicated cable. This would make it even more convenient to take on the road.

Current: RME UCX II
Previous: Multiface > Fireface 800 > Babyface > Babyface Pro > Babyface Pro FS

61 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 26,132

Re: 12 V Battery Power Solutions

That is reality for some time already. I use 65 Watt USB-C power bank with PD support and a 12 V trigger cable.

But one has to note that 12 V support is not mandatory in PD, and we already found chargers that do not supply that voltage (but lower, and even higher ones, as in the spec).

Fortunately most PD chargers that I know and use do support 12 V.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • rexet
  • rexet
  • AD/DA expert
  • Offline
  • From: Paris
  • Registered: 2007-05-08
  • Posts: 69

Re: 12 V Battery Power Solutions

Oh, I didn’t realize 12V support wasn’t mandatory in PD—thanks for the heads-up!

Current: RME UCX II
Previous: Multiface > Fireface 800 > Babyface > Babyface Pro > Babyface Pro FS
  • Registered: 2025-02-06
  • Posts: 10

Re: 12 V Battery Power Solutions

With the INIU 100W 25000mAh I tested UCX II, Quadmic II, Multiface I, BBF Pro FS, a wireless audio solution and the Roland FP30 digital piano. Any combination of two of those work simultaneously for at least two hours, which is great. (I also tested three, BBF on the USB-A, which is within the limits given in the manual, but the percentage went down like a stopwatch.) So in the end I got two powerbanks to be flexible enough.

The UCX II occasionally displays insufficient power when powering on and needs a powercycle to actually run well. Other than that, I noticed with both powerbanks, that after storing them too long, they need a recharge or they wouldn't turn on.