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Info on power conditioners

#4
SNOTROCKET56 said:
From what ive seen, they look almost the same -
I have a best buy giftcard - so id save a ton
but i dont wanna waste my money
is
Marathon Pro - 9-Outlet Power Conditioner - MA-ML800[/url]

as good as a furman
Click to expand...
Yes, but still at least twice what you should be paying. Power doesn't need 'conditioning', that's pseudo-scientific hogwash. A surge protected power strip is all you need.
 
#5
SNOTROCKET56 said:
From what ive seen, they look almost the same -
I have a best buy giftcard - so id save a ton
but i dont wanna waste my money
is
Furman M-8Lx | Sweetwater.com

as good as a furman
Invalid Link Removed


thanks
Click to expand...

While it is true that these units are little more than glorified power strips, I use them ( power "Conditioners") in all my racks for the same convenience factor you speak of. Nevertheless, you should never spend $75 on one. Look on your local CL or on Ebay. They go for about $40 all day long. Brand name is virtually irrelevant.
 
#6
OP- They're almost the same thing... The Furman is probably a touch better, but I doubt you would ever notice. They are not however, the same as a power strip. Again, it's something you might never notice in normal gigging life, but there are a couple definite differences.

If a power strip has a surge protector in it, which they usually don't, then it's almost always a self sacrificing thing. Means if you get two surges, it only protects against the first. Way rare occurrance, but possible. Also, if you end up with dirty power, in certain circumstances, a power conditioner can filter out the dirt.


billfitzmaurice said:
Power doesn't need 'conditioning', that's pseudo-scientific hogwash.
Click to expand...

I'll go with almost never, and if it does there most likely will be other parts of the system that don't have it, so you'll here dirt anyway. The convenience is really the biggest reason I can go with here.
 
#7
well i have a best buy giftcard. So Im not worried about the money - the convienience factor is nice. Power strips are good but id prefer the rack mount. And since i wont be paying much - im probably gonna go with the cheaper one.
Just wanted to make sure the marathon was legit. Ive been playing without one and my last show i really, really could have used one.......
 
#13
Well, you don't have a gift card you can use for the Furman, so obviously money is somewhat a consideration. I would rather have that Furman then that Marathon, but I would never pay full price for one when there are probably 3 on your local CL right now for under $50.
 
#16
The Furman AR-117 actually does something, although it calls itself a Line Regulator rather than a Power Conditioner. It has a multi-tapped transformer that adapts whatever your line voltage is to a reasonably steady 117V.
 
#19
We use Furman or Middle Atlantic conditioners in our industrial A/V work. Both are excellent for protecting gear from spikes/surges and so-called 'dirty" power sources.

An invaluable $3 tool is an outlet tester. I keep one in my gig bag and check any power the band is planning on using. This saved us at an outdoor gig once that had an old power outlet. After we tested it, we decided to use power from the park's equipment shed instead. Unfortunately, the other band on the bill didn't follow suit and the guitarist blew out his amp.
 

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