I guess I'm the one who has to use the search feature on Google and Youtube. Besides the obvious video I've already posted.
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How to setup a power conditioner to bass head?
- Thread starter diogometalhead
- Start date
Stick a fuse on a power strip and the power strip will do the same thing the Furman did. That ain't brain surgery there
Absolutely. There has never, ever been an amplifier damaged from a spike in voltage, whether through problems with a venue's wiring, or a lightning strike surge, or anything like that, ever. Never happens. The factory protection built into quality amps like Ampeg are bulletproof, voltage-proof, perfect systems that work 100% of the time and need no other forms of protection (and I didn't see an SVT 4Pro shut down [fried] while plugged into the touring band's power strip less than three weeks ago, either).
But if they do, a Chinese $6 power strip will do everything a Furman will do. It's all just marketing hype. Ignore it and just trust your amp or that power strip. If you rrrrreally want to go all out, but the $13 U.S. made power strip at Home Depot.
Everyone else is right, and I'm absolutely wrong. PLEASE ignore my logic on this topic, and don't dare believe the hype from the companies who are just out to get you by offering you the equipment that they make for your rack! It's all a conspiracy against the power-strip makers!
And with this backwards logic to appease the way of thinking that those people who have questioned my statements from earlier (oh Jimmy, Jimmy, I though I knew ye....), I will bow out of this thread. I've gotten a headache from banging my head into enough walls this week.
Flame away (pardon the pun, and don't watch the video above).
That video did not show a rapid power spike. A rapid spike like a lightning strike would trip a power strip.
Sorry Josh. Andy is an amp designer for Mesa and Genz Benz and a heavy duty educated engineering dude...if you're in a position to question those qualifications, be my guest, but I'm certainly not. Also, I'm not against the use of rack mounted power conditioners by any means. I just don't see anything the expensive ones can do better than the $50 ones except provide more outlets and a couple front lights.
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Guys, quick! What's the number for 911? I plugged the cab into the power conditioner and I got a loud low buzz for about 5 seconds and now I'm not getting any sound. If I purple 17 Uranus, can I platypus quickly tennis racket?
I had a lightening strike surge at my house a couple years ago. I had three surge protector/power strips in the house at the time. A $15 cheapie for my PC, a Monster (TM) for my home entertainment stuff, and a Furman 4-plug strip for my bass gear.
All three did their jobs. The Monster and the Furman survived unscathed, just reset and back to business as usual. The $15 cheapie that protected the PC did its job too, but it gave its life in the process...fried. I have no idea if it could have started a fire, but the cheapie had black soot on its unused receptacles, and it filled the room with a burning smell. Kinda freaked me for an instant, as the thought of a fire smoldering inside a wall flashed through my mind.
The Monster and Furman are obviously more robust units, so maybe that's where some of the extra cost goes?
All three did their jobs. The Monster and the Furman survived unscathed, just reset and back to business as usual. The $15 cheapie that protected the PC did its job too, but it gave its life in the process...fried. I have no idea if it could have started a fire, but the cheapie had black soot on its unused receptacles, and it filled the room with a burning smell. Kinda freaked me for an instant, as the thought of a fire smoldering inside a wall flashed through my mind.
The Monster and Furman are obviously more robust units, so maybe that's where some of the extra cost goes?
They may look more robust on the exterior--a heavier metal case--but inside they all have just a few MOV's costing less than a dollar in parts. Maybe a ferrite bead too--still under a dollar in parts.
No way!
I burned and fried my svt3 due a lightning discharge.
After that I bought a local power conditioner and my problems over, even in bad weather conditions.
Simple like that and I'm more quiet with my svt4.
I recomend and the prices are not so bad.
Luckily OP...there are no ways you can plug your cab into your power conditioner without building some custom cable. Pretty sure you would figure it out quickly before electrifying your cab.
I like my power conditioner, even though it is basically just a rack-mounted power strip. It has lights, too! Really, what I like about it is that I can pretty much plug my whole rig in with one outlet from the wall. Streamlines setup a lot. Did the same with my pedalboard when I mounted a small power strip in it. I can have my entire rig ready in under a minute if I need to, and all the cabling is nice and neat. That being said, I didn't pay a lot for mine, because I found that they were pretty much just a cheap power strip unless I wanted to pay A LOT. And I didn't.
Be sure my friend about the Amperes thing between power conditioner and your head are matching.
Always more capacity in the PC than in the head.
Always more capacity in the PC than in the head.
If you get a strong enough lightning strike, a run of the mill power conditioner will not protect anything.
- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,059
- 5
- 221,057
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
Wow, I see that folks really believe the marketing drivel being pimped to the masses.
There are SOME units that are more effective as a conditioner (though there is no definition of what a conditioner is) but MOST are nothing more than receptacles and 3 MOVs. The circuit breaker is not a feature, but is required for listing of non-industrial type products.
There are SOME units that are more effective as a conditioner (though there is no definition of what a conditioner is) but MOST are nothing more than receptacles and 3 MOVs. The circuit breaker is not a feature, but is required for listing of non-industrial type products.
+1. Real power conditioners were invented to provide protection for computers, made necessary because during the early years of the PC boom computers had cheap power supplies that needed protection. Amps never needed protecting, their internal power supplies do all the protecting and 'conditioning' that's required. Power conditioning doesn't mean what it used to either. Now anything with a 50 cent MOV and 15 cent capacitor inside is called a power conditioner.
Y'all are missing the point of power conditioner. They aren't just protecting against spikes, they are making all the electrons move coherently, thus minimizing the disturbance of the The Force. Of course, all this is wasted if you don't connect you amp using a $500 oxygen-free uber-alloy power cable.
Don't listen to these fuddy duddies!
You don't even need an amp anymore.
Change your cabling over to hi fidelity hi power electric plugs and then connect both your cab and bass with your new super dooper conditioner.
All your troubles will go away.
I promise!
BTW you were smart to ask first - your cautious nature is admirable - always remember: SAFETY FAST!
OH.. and there are premade cords for this purpose in case you are afraid of soldering em up yourself.
You don't even need an amp anymore.
Change your cabling over to hi fidelity hi power electric plugs and then connect both your cab and bass with your new super dooper conditioner.
All your troubles will go away.
I promise!
BTW you were smart to ask first - your cautious nature is admirable - always remember: SAFETY FAST!
OH.. and there are premade cords for this purpose in case you are afraid of soldering em up yourself.
If you want Real 'power conditioning' Results, these cables are the way to go....
Power Conditioning Cords
Power Conditioning Cords
Just a note may, or may not be of interest, the "surge suppression" circuitry in your "power conditioner" is only good for one decent spike, if it's rated for 10,000 Joules, then 2 spikes of 5,000 joules, or anything adding up to the 10,000....and it's done!, the thing is it will still work as a power strip, and you'll never know the surge suppression is used up. One of the deceptive ploys in electronics marketing. There are a few companies that make surge suppressors that do not get "used up" on every surge, most of those are upward of $300, (for a small 2 plug unit, not a rack unit), just so you know.....6 months of gigs, you have no protection left in your surge suppressor, even the majority of the rather pricey rack units.
