How safe is it to run an amp without a power condtioner

[randallmartinez]

I'm trading off my svt-cl for a svt4pro, and honestly, i'm just wanting to know how big of a rack to get and have it not be to big to throw up on my amp or look god aweful. The svt is 3 spaces, i wanted to do a 2space drawer for my cables, a tuner would put us at six. I think i wanna go six, but i kinda want to do both a power conditioner and a tuner and have no stomp boxes. I know that billy sheehan just runs a power strip in the back of his rack. Good idea or no? I been running the svt-cl without any protection since i had her, and she's been through breakers tripping and what not. What should i do, head, drawer, tuner, in a six space with a strip in the back??

[BassmanPaul]

I found the 2 space drawer unit a great idea but of little use in practice. The drawer weighed more than my power amp. I have two sitting in my garage.

Power bars are pretty much the same whether rack mountable or not. Some contain line filters, a lot do not. My preference is to have a rack mountable unit in my racks. Others will violently disagree. I always leave a ventilated 1U panel above all my amps for air circulation.

Paul

[randallmartinez]

Originally Posted by BassmanPaul

I found the 2 space drawer unit a great idea but of little use in practice. The drawer weighed more than my power amp. I have two sitting in my garage.

Power bars are pretty much the same whether rack mountable or not. Some contain line filters, a lot do not. My preference is to have a rack mountable unit in my racks. Others will violently disagree. I always leave a ventilated 1U panel above all my amps for air circulation.

Paul

I was watching them youtube videos on ampegtv with dino and they had there 4pro just in a 3space. Doesn't it vent out the back? i know that heat rises and all.

[BartmanPDX]

Don't bother with a rack mount power conditioner. Get the lightest rack you can get with proper ventilation, and then get one of these:

Furman surge strip

15 ft. heavy duty cord, 6 outlets, metal housing, EMI/RF filtering, surge suppression, all for under $30. It does everything one of those fancy rackmount models does and it won't make your rack weigh more.

[will33]

Concensus is they're pretty much just a glorified power strip/lights for the rack. Whatever that's worth to you. A power strip with a 15amp reset and a decent joule rating will protect it the same, it just won't neatly mount in the rack and light it up.

[RickenBoogie]

+1 to that Furman Power strip. It's everything you need, and nothing more. $27.

[mongo2]

I've never used a power conditioner of any type in 40 years of gigging, so I guess it's OK.

[will33]

I haven't in 25 and have also never had a problem with it.

[Sartori]

I've never used a power conditioner. Just a power strip, normally.

[JimmyM]

Ya, typical amp power conditioners are filtered power supplies in pretty rackmount boxes with lights and stuff. If you want a rackmount, just buy the cheapest one Furman makes and it'll be fine, otherwise you're better off with a power strip.

[billfitzmaurice]

If the manufacturer of your gear recommends using a power conditioner... sell it and buy something else. No well engineered gear needs 'conditioning'. Whatever protection and filtering is required is already built in.

[John Bigboote]

Originally Posted by BartmanPDX

Don't bother with a rack mount power conditioner. Get the lightest rack you can get with proper ventilation, and then get one of these:

Furman surge strip

... and then, fer crissake, toss that rack-mount tuner and get a Turbo Tuner instead. True bypass, tiny, weighs next to nothing, fast, accurate, and doubles as a mute.

The money you just saved on the power supply and tuner just bought you the 3-space rack you need. Or don't.

You're welcome,

-jb

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by mongo2

I've never used a power conditioner of any type in 40 years of gigging, so I guess it's OK.

30+ for me with no amp problems...



- georgestrings

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by John Bigboote

... and then, fer crissake, toss that rack-mount tuner and get a Turbo Tuner instead. True bypass, tiny, weighs next to nothing, fast, accurate, and doubles as a mute.

The money you just saved on the power supply and tuner just bought you the 3-space rack you need. Or don't.

You're welcome,

-jb

I don't agree with this - I use a Korg DTR-2000 racked tuner, and it's very convenient... They weigh next to nothing, and I don't have any cables to run for a tuner, nor anything on the floor... I also have a Strobostomp, and have owned a TU-2, so I'm no stranger to pedal tuners... No doubt that the Turbo Tuner is a great device, but for *some*, rack mount tuners make perfect sense...



- georgestrings

[levis76]

If you have never used a conditioner, why start now? As for tuners, as long as it isn't in your signal chain you're good. Four times now I have had to explain to my guitard player that the crappy stompbox tuner he has in his signal chain needs to be removed or hooked up to a tuner out. Everytime the battery dies it kills his signal.

[bmc]

Gigging for 37 years without a power conditioner.

[Goingdownslow]

Never used one in my 40 years, or seen anyone with one.
Never even seen them on sale in the stores.
I have only ever read about them on these forums.

[Lync]

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

If the manufacturer of your gear recommends using a power conditioner... sell it and buy something else. No well engineered gear needs 'conditioning'. Whatever protection and filtering is required is already built in.

As much as we all love to beat up Bose, they said the same thing regarding their L1.

[thumpbass1]

I've never used a power conditioner, and I too have been playing for close to 40 years. The closest I've been to them is from being in a few bands where power conditioners where part of the p.a. rack. I never was interested in getting one for my own amp rig needs. I'm fine with a decent quality surge protection/power strip.

[Red Planet]

It is not necessary to use a conditioner to safely operate your amp.

It also is not a bad idea to have surge suppression and emi filtering while operating your amp.