EBS RUNSTEN Multi DC Isolated Pedal Power Supply

We welcome friends of Bass Gear Magazine EBS Sweden back to our pages once again with a superb utility device that will win you over, whether you are powering vintage, digital or even high-current consumption top-tier processor pedals.

Electric Bass Systems

EBS, as we have previously discussed, are based in Bromma, Sweden and were founded in 1988 by Bo Engberg and Mats Kristofferson. Their first foray into the bass world was the exquisite EBS-1 rack mount preamplifier, soon followed by expanding their product ranges into amplification, cabinets and effects pedals as we know it today.

The first pedal, the Octabass appeared in 1992, and today, EBS proudly advertises no less than 14 top-tier effects pedals, including the new Black Haze 2 blended distortion (review coming!) and signature products by artists such as Billy Sheehan and Stanley Clarke. We’ve reviewed the Unichorus and Dynaverb in these very pages (as well as a wide range of EBS amplification for you to enjoy!), so do make sure you check out those reviews, like and share in all the usual ways; we appreciate it.

It seems logical to me that a company well versed in quality effect pedal design, who are well aware of the needs of touring musicians and the “rigours of the road,” should then offer a universal power supply capable of meeting these demands.

EBS Runsten

For your delectation, in Bass Gear Magazine, we provide a detailed look at the EBS Runsten Multi DC Isolated Power Supply. Runsten in its compact all-metal shell offers outputs of 9 and 12V, with ten ultra-low noise, galvanically isolated DC outputs offering 900mA at 9V or 800mA at 12V.

Hooking up Runsten to your pedals is an absolute doddle, though there are some electronic factors to take into consideration, such as knowing what the power requirements of your devices are, how much current they draw and their polarity (as well as ensuring that your pedals work correctly before connecting them to the Runsten).

Lesson time: A quick pedal and power 101

In the context of effects pedals, voltage refers to the electrical potential supplied to the pedals (typically 9V, 12V, or 18V), while current (measured in milliamps, mA) determines how much power is available to run them. A pedal requires a specific voltage, and supplying too much can damage it, but it will only draw the current it needs, even if the power supply can deliver much more.

Many modern pedalboard power supplies feature multiple isolated outputs, offering different voltage and current options to accommodate a variety of pedals. This allows musicians to power standard 9V pedals alongside higher-voltage units while ensuring each pedal receives the correct voltage and enough current for stable operation, preventing noise, power starvation, or performance issues.

Ok, let’s proceed…

Up Close

Runsten is a smart, low-profile and lightweight device. Physically, at 25mm thick and just 175mm long, the 310 gram unit’s size is only limited by the amount of room all of the physical plugs need to fit neatly in, but under 70mm wide the rectangular case is quite the feat of engineering, designed to slot into small under-pedal board spaces.

The two-piece, all-metal exterior features all the 2.1mm DC output sockets along one long edge. One short edge has room for the input for the included mains power adaptor. It’s good to see a mains adaptor with an IEC socket so that you can select a longer mains lead should you wish and, said adaptor comes furnished with a healthily sized output cable fitted with an EIAJ-5 plug (so that you don’t accidentally attempt to plug its 24V output into a pedal!) The included power adaptor is similar to that of a laptop-style brick and in this case delivers 24V at 2.5A to ensure enough headroom for Runsten’s ability to deliver power to each of its own outputs.

Next to the input socket are a set of 8 dip switches in an inset cutaway. There’s no chance of these being accidentally knocked, offering peace of mind when mounted on your pedal board. Each switch selects output voltage of 9V or 12V for each of the configurable 1-8 outputs. As mentioned earlier, each output delivers up to 900 mA per output for at 9V or 800mA at 12V. To put that into perspective, EBS’ own Octave, Drive, Envelope Filter and Chorus pedals together draw only 152mA. You’d have no issue running all of those (and more!) just off of one single DC output.

All outputs are clearly labelled and the two marked 9 and 10 are fixed at 9V 900mA. All outputs by default are fixed centre-negative, but polarity along with a number of other options are available using supplied adaptor cables. More on this shortly.

On the opposite short edge, oh EBS have thought of everything! Two generously rated USB-A sockets provide 2A at the standard 5V. With many of us using iPads, video cameras, mixers and other devices when performing, being able to leave those extra USB wall-warts at home is a boon. Oh, and don’t forget, those multicoloured stick-on LED lights are often powered by USB too, you know, if you like to light up your floor space too. Ha ha! You won’t worry about forgetting to charge your phone now, either; just make sure your singer doesn’t borrow your charging cable! 

Get Wired

Included in the box with Runsten, aside from the power adaptor, are a set of bundled cables. As you’d expect there are cables for hooking up your pedals directly and, there are six 48cm, each with a straight plug end and a right-angled plug end. One thing to note here is that the cables included are all of the “flat” variety, and thus installing in your pedal board offers a tidy and space saving configuration, along with a modern look.

Also in the included cable bundle, a Centre Negative to Centre Positive adapter, a Parallel Adapter Y-cable (current doubler) and a Serial Adapter Y-cable (voltage doubler). But if they aren’t enough to get you hooked up, the EBS web-store has you covered: flat power cables come in 18cm, 28cm, 38cm and 48cm varieties and three different splitters. One output to two pedals, one output to four and one output to six. You’ll be able to run six pedals off of one single physical output in the case of the latter (as long as you adhere to the previously mentioned ratings) but fear not, EBS Runsten’s outputs are all short circuit protected as well as isolated.

Here to Serve

To save you searching for the right cable, I thought I’d assist:

Quoting EBS, to go from 2.1 to 2.5 mm, use the DC1-48 90/0 2.5 adaptor.

To change from centre position to centre negative polarity, use the DC1-48 90/0 RP or the short DC-RPA adaptor (female to male).

To increase the current, use the DC1-48 90/0 PAR cable and connect the two black contacts that are close together to two outputs on the Runsten, and the total current will be the sum of the two connected outputs to deliver up to 1800 mA. (If you need to connect more than two outputs in parallel, you can use a DC-4/90F split cable with a DC1-48 90/0 cable, and use up to 4 outputs in parallel, and power units requiring 3A or more).

To increase the voltage, use the DC1-48 90/0 SER cable and connect the red contacts to two outputs on the Runsten, the total voltage will be the sum of the two connected outputs to deliver up to 24V DC. *Note that in both cases the outputs should be set to the same voltage.

EBS go on to mention, “All outputs are short circuit protected and fully galvanically isolated.” So any brief cabling mishaps should go without issue.

A Good Run For Its Money…

In use, even in my “noisy” studio, under the lights and running computers, Runsten performed admirably in a number of set ups; drive pedals and digital effects remained as well behaved as expected without undue artefacts of noise leaking through.

I do like the inclusion of status indicators, though if you have an under-board mounted Runsten, you’re unlikely to look for those status LEDs unless you are running into problems… which is kinda why they are there – to let you know everything is running correctly. A small but useful inclusion is an LED indicator on the mains adapter, itself, too. I like that having these indicators along the power chain will help with fast diagnosis as to why nothing is working… you know, like forgetting to flick the switch on the wall, rather than assuming it’s a problem on the board as there are no indicator lights on anywhere… Not that it’s happened to me… um… a few times in the past!

I approve of the robust build quality, the versatile voltage configurations, and comprehensive connectivity and have nothing particularly negative to offer for reasons to not go for Runsten. So, who is the EBS Runsten for? Well, let’s not shy away from the elephant in the room. EBS make premium products that are designed for the road. In-depth R&D, high performance components and rigorous testing comes at a cost. Runsten isn’t the most expensive power supply on the market, but it is certainly one of the most feature rich. It will suit the professional touring musician to the home studio enthusiast who need an effective and flexible solution. However, even for more modest shows, I ran out of things I could think of to plug into Runsten in “Bass Corner,” aside from my usual pedals! Fan, hair curlers, mini chocolate fountain, tea warmer… (Ok, not those…)