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Power conditioners

Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 9:53 pm
by Rockboy
Do you need a power conditioner and if so, a couple of recommendations would be nice.

RR

Re: Power conditioners

Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 10:42 pm
by Radian
Not really.

If the power of the venue is junk enough to hear it through your rig, balanced isolation transformers can sometimes fix the issue.
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Re: Power conditioners

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 6:19 am
by LelandCrooks
Big money for the real deal.

Re: Power conditioners

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 7:47 am
by Bill Fitzmaurice
The only 'conditioner' that really works is a 110-0-110 to 55-0-55 volt transformer, providing balanced A/C, connected to a 220 outlet. Very large, heavy and expensive, so it's very much a permanent install item for studios.
Everything else is basically snake-oil.

Re: Power conditioners

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 9:13 am
by Dave Non-Zero
I've always wondered if one or more of those huge capacitors that you get for car audio would help smooth out ragged mains power?

Re: Power conditioners

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 12:02 pm
by Bill Fitzmaurice
Dave Non-Zero wrote:I've always wondered if one or more of those huge capacitors that you get for car audio would help smooth out ragged mains power?
Only if you have DC mains in your neck of the woods.

Re: Power conditioners

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 12:28 pm
by Dave Non-Zero
Haha yeah ok then maybe not. Good point. :) Think Tesla showed Edison that wasn't a good idea. :)

Re: Power conditioners

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 2:18 am
by NCcrashman
Tesla showed Edison everything...lol..hehe
-crash

Re: Power conditioners

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 8:37 am
by Bill Fitzmaurice
NCcrashman wrote:Tesla showed Edison everything...lol..hehe
-crash
But Edison showed Tesla the door. :loler:

Re: Power conditioners

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 10:33 pm
by Rockboy
So save the extra $$$
and don't buy something like

Re: Power conditioners

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 1:40 am
by gdougherty
The nicer Furmans are good to have if for nothing other than the built-in voltmeter. I have one in my amp rack so I can see what I'm getting from the wall or generators.

Re: Power conditioners

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 6:54 am
by Bill Fitzmaurice
Rockboy wrote:So save the extra $$$
and don't buy something like
Don't spend more than $50 is the rule.
A voltmeter is a feel-good feature IMO. If the voltage is off what are you going to do about it? Walk out on the gig?

Re: Power conditioners

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:03 am
by guitarkeys.com
Well then you break out you Analysis Plus Oval series IEC power cable... it will solve all your problems...

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newbay/ ... startid=62

Jamie

Re: Power conditioners

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:47 am
by gdougherty
Bill Fitzmaurice wrote:
Rockboy wrote:So save the extra $$$
and don't buy something like
Don't spend more than $50 is the rule.
A voltmeter is a feel-good feature IMO. If the voltage is off what are you going to do about it? Walk out on the gig?
Not plug anything into the Generator that's supplying >130V and tell the event organizers that it's unnacceptable because I've killed power conditioners in those scenarios or adjust the generator's output voltage if that's a possibility. A multi-meter would work as well, but then I have to carry one separately. If it's built into at least one of my conditioners I can plug that in and check. It's the first thing I do when dealing with an unknown generator.

Re: Power conditioners

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:45 pm
by Monomer
Bill Fitzmaurice wrote:
Rockboy wrote:So save the extra $$$
and don't buy something like
Don't spend more than $50 is the rule.
A voltmeter is a feel-good feature IMO. If the voltage is off what are you going to do about it? Walk out on the gig?
I've experienced voltage drops down to 92vac


Mind you, this was in the Leland building in Detroit. I should have walked off the gig as it was a non-paying show and the low voltage killed my BBE DS48 (promptly replaced by BBE a week later)

The furman did nothing to save anything plugged in. It is nothing more then a surge strip thats rackmountable.