[Rowin Travelogue] PW-2 PEDAL POWER Edition

Welcome to the Lowin Travelogue.
The Lowin Travelogue is a column that casually reviews products released by the high cost-performance effects brand “ROWIN,” for which Sound House serves as the official import distributor.

For this first article in a series, we are taking a look at the new power supply “PW-2 PEDAL POWER,” that was released this past October. The price was so low that I had to look twice, wondering if there had been a mistake in the pricing. So, let’s take a closer look.

↑ The package. Simple, isn’t it?

↑ Inside, the unit and cables are packed tightly together.

The set contents are as follows.

• Main unit
• USB A to C cable ×1
• DC cables ×8 (there are 6 shown in the image, but the set includes 8)
• Instruction manual (English)

The contents of the manual have been translated into Japanese and are written on the Sound House product page, so there’s no need to worry even if you can’t read English. There is no power switch; once the power is connected, the LED lights up and the unit is ready to use.
That’s right—this power supply is powered via USB. Since an AC adapter to plug into a wall outlet is not included, you’ll have to buy one separately. I was able to use a smartphone charger I already had at home without any issues.
Additionally, by preparing a separate USB cable, it is possible to supply USB power from this unit. Power can also be supplied from here to the increasingly common USB rechargeable multi-effects units. This is convenient.
*Depending on the model, it may not be usable.

The size is approximately 14 cm in length, 4 cm in width, and 2.6 cm in thickness. It’s very compact and seems like a size that would be easy to mount on the underside of a pedalboard. I didn’t weigh it, but it falls into the lightweight category.
All of the included DC cables have a straight connector on one side and an L-shaped connector on the other, with a length of about 50 cm. The USB cable is about 1 m long, making it suitable even for boards of a certain size.

There are rubber feet attached to the bottom. They are affixed with something like double-sided tape, so if you want to secure it with Velcro or similar, they can be easily removed.

As for the all-important power output, all eight ports are DC 9V, center negative, 300 mA. While it doesn’t offer outputs of 500 mA or higher, or 12V or 18V, it should be able to power average effects pedals. ROWIN and PLAYTECH pedals should generally work (excluding the 12V-driven PLAYTECH / Antlia Talkbox). For reference, the USB port outputs 5V 1A.

↑ When the power is turned on, the ports light up blue.

Now that we have a power supply, it makes you want to connect some effects pedals, doesn’t it?
Let’s hook up a few of the ones on display in the Sound House showroom and try making some sound.

↑ Heading into the guitar room of the showroom, which is packed with effects pedals on display.

First, I chose four pedals from PLAYTECH, whose lineup has been steadily expanding.

We used the Taurus Distortion as the main drive, set the Leo Overdrive with low gain and high level as a boost to add punch, and shaped the sound with the Scutum Noise Gate and Ophiuchus EQ. Although a noise gate was included, there was absolutely no noise caused by the power supply, making it very comfortable to use. Another subtle but welcome point is that many PLAYTECH pedals have their power cable connection on the side of the enclosure, and the DC cables included with this unit fit perfectly. This should allow for a space-saving pedalboard setup. For reference, the guitar used was a Michael Kelly Guitars LP-style Patriot Decree.

• Leo Drive
• Taurus Distortion
• Scutum Noise Gate
• Ophiuchus EQ
• Michael Kelly Guitars / Patriot Decree Caramel Burst

Next, a collaboration between WARM AUDIO and PIGTRONIX, for which Sound House also serves as the import distributor.

With the two drive pedals at the front, WARM AUDIO / Centavo and Tube Squealer, covering crunch to overdrive, this setup lets you play with the complex delay and modulation of the PIGTRONIX / Echolution3. It’s partly because the power supply itself is small, but the Centavo looks extremely large. It’s a pedal that really satisfies the sense of ownership and feels great to have. The Echolution3 has a bit of a learning curve in terms of operation, so dialing in a specific sound requires some trial and error, but it’s a fun pedal for discovering those “sweet spot” sounds that suddenly pop out at unexpected moments. By the way, even with analog and digital effects lined up together, there was no noise at all ◎.

• Centavo
• Tube Squealer
• Echolution3

Lastly, let’s try it with a bass as well.

Since I happened to be curious about it, I tried connecting the much-talked-about PLAYTECH preamp NAVY STOMP and the ever-popular Behringer / BDI21 preamp in series. At that same time, I found a D’Addario pedal tuner and tried connecting it as well; the display is large and easy to see, making tuning very straightforward. The Ophiuchus EQ is the same one I used earlier, but it works perfectly well even when connected to a bass. This setup heavily distorts the BDI21, then uses the compressor of the NAVY STOMP and the Ophiuchus EQ to settle the sound into something usable. The bass used was a Michael Kelly Guitars JB-type, Element 4.

• DADDARIO / PW-CT-23
• Navy Stomp
• BDI21
• Ophiuchus EQ
• Michael Kelly Guitars / Element 4 Vintage ZEBRA BURST

That’s all for trying out the ROWIN / PW-2 PEDAL POWER.

For this price, it is an extremely convenient and a lower cost power supply that is compact, lightweight, low-noise, and equipped with eight 300 mA outputs. Most standard effect pedals can be driven without any issues, making it a very practical unit. Its small size and low cost also mean that having one as a sub-board power supply is certainly worthwhile.

The inability to supply 12 V or 18 V power, as well as the fact that the unit itself is powered via USB, may be drawbacks for some users. Since an adapter is not included, it cannot be used immediately when you go to purchase it alone, so this is something to keep in mind. Please check what you already have on hand, or consider purchasing one together, as CLASSIC PRO also offers a compatible option.

⇒ CLASSIC PRO / UA201 Compact USB Power Conversion Adapter

See you again in the next installment of the Rowin Travelogue.