Do i really need a power conditioner?

[virtu]

Mates, i'm in the process to built a small rig with the 50/50, triaxis, and tc gmajor.

Well, do i really need a power conditioner for a rig small like this?
Or the use/need of conditioner it's necessary for racks no matter the size?

I have the roadster and i never used a conditioner in gigs, rehearshals etc
Actually never used in my life something like this and i've had a lot of tube amps...

What are the dangers from electricity?

Thanks

 

[elvis]

I wouldn't look at a conditioner as "absolutely required". I look at it as "cheap insurance". It's a small fraction of the price of your other gear, and it will pay for itself several times over in the event of:

Overvoltage: Tube amps run at very high voltages, and components like capacitors for high voltage are hard to come by. If you get a high input voltage, you could easily fry the supply capacitors. This can also hurt solid-state gear, but usually they have internally-regulated supplies.

Voltage spikes: This can fry solid-state gear, and reboot or reprogram digital gear. Not good on the gig.

Undervoltage: Will cause anything from rebooting to permanent damage to digital gear.

Faults: Can damage gear, and potentially deadly to Humans. GFCI is a fantastic invention.

I would never run without one. A cheap "conditioner" protects against the easier fault types, but not againts long-term low or high input voltage (other than killing power to protect against damage). A "voltage regulator" will actually change anything from like 80V to 160V into 117V so that your gear will run comfortably no matter what junk comes out of the wall. These are quite pricey, though. The decision for me is price vs. consequences: is it OK to have the power shut down suddenly during a gig to save the gear, or do I need absolute on-the-spot reliability. I went with "shut down OK" because I am not making a living from playing.

 

[ando]

I use a fairly inexpensive conditioner which prevents against surges and radio interference. It won't do anything about incorrect voltages but that's a chance I'm willing to take. In Australia we generally have blackouts (power failures) or brownouts (when the voltage drops to a fraction of its correct value. I've never seen voltage coming out consistently higher than rated. You can't do much about black outs unless you have a very expensive uninterruptable power supply. If the power goes out while using your gear you should always switch it off ASAP because when it turns on again, there can be a surge.

With Brownouts you always notice because the ceiling lights will become dim. Brownouts are arguably more dangerous than blackouts or mild surges. They can really toast your circuitry. If I ever see the lights dim I switch off everything I have on immediately. If you are quick about it, the risk is minimal.

 

[jpdennis]

... You can't do much about black outs unless you have a very expensive uninterruptable power supply. If the power goes out while using your gear you should always switch it off ASAP because when it turns on again, there can be a surge.

With Brownouts you always notice because the ceiling lights will become dim. Brownouts are arguably more dangerous than blackouts or mild surges. They can really toast your circuitry. If I ever see the lights dim I switch off everything I have on immediately. If you are quick about it, the risk is minimal.

I don't know about the currency exchange or shipping in your area. I do know that I found a rack mount APC 1000 for about 250.00 USD and a Monster Power Pro 3500 for 199.00 USD.

http://excessups.com/smartups-1000-rackmount-sua1000rm2u-p-167.html

http://www.electronicsshowplace.com/monster-cable-3500-powercenter-with-clean-power-stage-surge-suppressor-external-output-connectors-p-166516.html

I just tried a new setup this weekend and not only does the Pro condition, it filters, and the noise reduction for my Mark III four cable use with the .50 Caliber using my M13 Line 6 pedals went from very noticable [I wouldn't record or produce through a PA this way] to zero-zip-nada. I am thinking that for my setup I now have $450.00 in insurance against an unreplacable rig. With the cost of new equipment ever so slightly going up I truely believe everyone on this board who has made this suggestion. I have read about this in several threads in this forum alone.

Just my 2 cents worth :roll:

Dennis

 

[virtu]

Actually i live in Europe and here i think the furman power conditioner (http://www.furmansound.com/) is the most well known.

Do you have to suggest something similar guys? i prefer 1u unit....what i have to check when i choose one? it's obvious that the watts of the conditioner must be more of the summary of the watts of my racks, right?

And from the moment that i'll use the 50/50 which is 100w and it has 3 amp fuse - summary 300w, i have to choose something more than 300w maximum output, right? (the triaxis and g-force are low watt consumers)

 

[elvis]

Most power conditioners are 15A @ 117V. I assume the European ones are the same power, so 8A or so.

The fuse size of the equipment is usually way more than it will actually draw, so you don't need to add up all the fuses and cover that amount. There should be a power spec in the amp owner's manual, or call Mesa to find out if you're not sure.

I like Furman - they seem to be well-built with nice features. I especially like the line voltage readout (you can get either a series of LEDs or a digital readout). Features I would look for:

Good filtering
Overvoltage shutoff
Brownout (Undervoltage) protection
Lots of outlets, with good spacing to allow connection of wall-transformers.
Front-panel outlet

Mine has rack lights, but I never use them.

 

[virtu]

Mates thanks for your responses. They are really helpful...
After a small searching i think that this is a nice investment:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/furman_pl_pro_e_netzfilter.htm
Thanks...

 

[dylan7620]

Until you start getting up to the Monster 2500/3500 stuff I wouldn't look at a furman. Crack those furmans open that cost you a hundred bucks vs a Monster Pro 900 and I can assure you there is a difference. Monster power supplies will fry themselves before hurting your gear, go pro900 or above and you can't go wrong. Just for the record I'm no monster fanboi, in fact quite the opposite; I will reccomend Mogami and Planet Waves cables long before Monster.

 

[RectoStudioGuy]

As a former industrial electrician I can't tell you how many times I've seen equipment fried that would not have been if it were for a power conditioner/surge suppressor. Power is like water, it can be dirty and ful of stuff you don't want (transients, noise, harmonics...not the good kind, have a choppy sine wave) or be crystal clear. A good quality conditioner is well worth the peace of mind.

 

[zachman]

I use a fairly inexpensive conditioner which prevents against surges and radio interference. It won't do anything about incorrect voltages but that's a chance I'm willing to take. In Australia we generally have blackouts (power failures) or brownouts (when the voltage drops to a fraction of its correct value. I've never seen voltage coming out consistently higher than rated. You can't do much about black outs unless you have a very expensive uninterruptable power supply. If the power goes out while using your gear you should always switch it off ASAP because when it turns on again, there can be a surge.

With Brownouts you always notice because the ceiling lights will become dim. Brownouts are arguably more dangerous than blackouts or mild surges. They can really toast your circuitry. If I ever see the lights dim I switch off everything I have on immediately. If you are quick about it, the risk is minimal.

Then a "Voltage Regulator" and a Power conditioner in one (more expensive, but not as expensive as replacing your gear), would be what you should look into.