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I have a Moog analog synth module (musical instrument) that takes a uses a AC plug that coverts it to 12V DC and consumes 7 watts according to the manual specs.

Would it be possible to safely create a portable battery pack for it using just standing AA rechargeable batteries in a series? I would image the battery pack I make wouldn't have a super long life between charges but I'm more concerned about messing up the electronics of my synth module. It seems like this post goes into some detail about how that might be done but I want to make sure its safe to do so first.

Would there be other batteries better to use than AA? C's for the duration? Remote Control Car battery packs?

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    \$\begingroup\$ So you need a solution that can handle a constant draw of 7W / 12V = about 600mA. There are more constraints to consider before an answer can be given. Desired lifetime? Price? Your device probably requires a regulated 12V supply, which you won't get from simply placing a few AA cells in series, as the voltage drops. I would look at a 12V regulated lithium battery pack. \$\endgroup\$ – user133493 Dec 23 '17 at 6:41
  • \$\begingroup\$ You are asking us to design a battery powered supply with a 12 volt regulator. Type of battery is optional. Too broad of an answer is needed. VTC. \$\endgroup\$ – VTNCaGNtdDVNalUy Dec 25 '17 at 1:24
  • \$\begingroup\$ The question of whether it needs to be regulated or not is something I hadn’t considered, which is why I asked the question. It has a wall wart to convert it to DC but it may be regulated internally in the device. I’ll have to research that more. Regardless the question is specifically about what type of batteries would be best. \$\endgroup\$ – Rozgonyi Dec 25 '17 at 13:56
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A traditional analog synth may be a poor choice for direct battery operation.

Voltage controlled oscillators can be sensitive to supply voltage changes, and change their tuning worse than bagpipes on a freezing cold day. You may be in for a miserable artistic experience as the battery drains.

If you can get your hands on an adjustable power supply, try that first, and see if its sound - especially its tuning - varies with supply voltage. If it doesn't drift at all, say between 11V and 13V ... go ahead.

But if it does, its existing supply is likely a regulated 12V supply, you may have to replace it with another regulated supply to avoid tuning difficulties. Which might have to be a linear (not switching) to eliminate unwanted switching noise close to audio frequencies - and that would be best fed from a higher voltage - say a 15-18V battery into a linear regulator.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Typically wall wort style supply's are not well regulated, so I can't imagine the AA solution would be worse, in some ways it may perform better under load changes. \$\endgroup\$ – MadHatter Dec 23 '17 at 16:27
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With 12V and 7W you could go for a sealed lead acid battery. They come in various sizes and AH. A main advantage is that you can buy an of-the-shelve charger.

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