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Do you leave your rig switched on?

FUBB

FUBB

Feb 2, 2007
49
51
#1
After you've finished sound check before the gig, do you leave your rig switched on at the mains, or do you switch it off.
I tend to switch it on just prior to going on stage for the show because I panic it will overheat or something if left on all the time. But having seen others leave their rig switched on, it made me wonder what is best for the amp? It occured to me, you go out on stage to start the show and switch on........and maybe the fuse blows or something!!! Eeeeek.
So what do you do, and does it cause any harm to leave it all switched on for long periods?
 
#3
We sound check an hour before the gig. I turn it off then. Once we start playing for the night I leave it on standby during breaks. I've ran tube amps like this for the past 3 years gigging often for four hours at a time.
 
#11
Depends on WHEN soundcheck is!!! If it's less than an hour B4 gig then I leave my tube amps ON Standby. Leave 'em on standby during gig's breaks too. We USUALLY s/check during afternoon( 3pm ) then gig 10-1am( for example) Then I turn off until 1/2 hr B4 gig. Turn on to standby then.
S.S. amp I turn off-sometimes even between sets!
 
#12
I power them up and leave them on with the volumes turned down both amp and instrument. The amp's not going to overheat, it's not doing anything, just idling with no input or output. Tube amps go on standby but stay powered on. If you live in a cold climate and haul your gear in the back of a truck or trailer or other non-climate controlled environment a little more care is taken. Amps/speakers are unloaded and set up, instrument cases are brought in, opened up and allowed to lay there, all gear is left alone for 20-30 minutes while you have a drink and get to know the waitstaff, then powered up/tuned up etc. but not played for another 10min. or so to allow everything to acclimate. I'm not an engineer but is makes common sense to me to let everything come up to some moderate temperature before putting the snot to it. Things like speaker cones, tubes, instruments aren't exactly bulletproof. Luckily I don't live in a cold climate anymore or I'd have to show up an hour early.:D
 
#13
I see rodl types faster than I, good point about when exactly sound check is or what type of gig we're talking about here. I turn volumes down on SS rigs during breaks but leave them on, tube amps go on standby. Perhaps an actual electrical mind could chime in about advantages, disadvantages, misconceptions about this. I read here somewhere that old tube amps didn't have standby switches, and I've seen some that don't, and it doesn't really affect the amp at all, you're just starting from cold whenever you turn it off and on.
 
#15
That's one of the reasons I leave mine on although I'm not always in the board. A switch turned on and off or a cable unplugged and plugged back in can send a nasty pop/crack through the mains. Likely not good for the equipment and certainly doesn't leave anyone with a good impression, including your audience. They don't know what the hell it is but they know is sure doesn't sound good.
 
#17
will33 said:
I turn volumes down on SS rigs during breaks but leave them on, tube amps go on standby. Perhaps an actual electrical mind could chime in about advantages, disadvantages, misconceptions about this.
Click to expand...
Good idea. I leave SS gear on as I've found a lot of failures occur during switch-on, so if the rig is running and tested at soundcheck, why mess with it?
will33 said:
I read here somewhere that old tube amps didn't have standby switches, and I've seen some that don't, and it doesn't really affect the amp at all, you're just starting from cold whenever you turn it off and on.
Click to expand...
True some old tube amps don't have standby, but a lot that do have it implemented badly and so there may be no benefit from using it between switching on and off.
 
#19
brianbj46 said:
is it bad to turn your amp on while connected to board from your DI? (ie. will it make a pop, or send a signal peak or something?)
Click to expand...

Yes, from a sound provider's perspective it sure is without asking them first to mute the channel (both FOH as well as monitors if seperate).
 
#20
at Bass Emporium when they get a new head, they hook it up to a random cab and just turn the thing on and leave it on all day to see if anything will happen. i don't quite now why they do this, but if they leave these things on for at least 8 hours, then i don't see the harm in leaving your stuff on for a half hour. yeah, fuses blow, but they could do it at anytime. can't help that.
 

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