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interested in power conditioners. any suggestions?

P

paidtheprice

May 24, 2010
12
1
#1
ever since i let my friend borrow my svt and a tube got shorted due to some dodgy power situation, and since i potentially play lots of suspect places anyway, i;ve been seriously considering a power conditioner...


these are the 2 i'm looking at on amazon, and someone mentioned it won't be worth my while unless i am spending around $200.

i have a decent surge protector, but ya know punk shows in ****** basements...

Amazon.com: APC LE1200 Line-R 1200VA Automatic Voltage Regulator: Electronics [www.amazon.com] »

Amazon.com: Furman M-8Lx Standard Level Power Conditioning, 15 Amp, 9 Outlets with Wall Wart Spacing, Pullout Lights: Electronics [www.amazon.com] »
 
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
#5
paidtheprice said:
ever since i let my friend borrow my svt and a tube got shorted due to some dodgy power situation, and since i potentially play lots of suspect places anyway, i;ve been seriously considering a power conditioner...


these are the 2 i'm looking at on amazon, and someone mentioned it won't be worth my while unless i am spending around $200.

i have a decent surge protector, but ya know punk shows in ****** basements...

Amazon.com: APC LE1200 Line-R 1200VA Automatic Voltage Regulator: Electronics [www.amazon.com] »

Amazon.com: Furman M-8Lx Standard Level Power Conditioning, 15 Amp, 9 Outlets with Wall Wart Spacing, Pullout Lights: Electronics [www.amazon.com] »
Click to expand...

A lot of guys rag on power conditioners, but I personally like them. I like having one in the top space of my rack so I can plug all of my gear into it and just have one plug go to the wall. I'm using the M-8LX and although it does the job for what I want, the front pull out lights aren't very bright. They do light up my entire 6 space rack, but aren't as bright as you would expect and I don't see myself using them very much in the future.
 
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
#7
dukeisdog said:
A lot of guys rag on power conditioners, but I personally like them. I like having one in the top space of my rack so I can plug all of my gear into it and just have one plug go to the wall. I'm using the M-8LX and although it does the job for what I want, the front pull out lights aren't very bright. They do light up my entire 6 space rack, but aren't as bright as you would expect and I don't see myself using them very much in the future.
Click to expand...

See below

lomo said:
Buy the cheapest power strip available. That is all.
Click to expand...

+1
 
#8
MrDOS said:
IMO, most of the ones under $100 only provide you with multiple outlets, and provide no real protection.
Click to expand...

They provide as much protection as a standard surge protector. More fact than opinion.

dukeisdog said:
A lot of guys rag on power conditioners, but I personally like them. I like having one in the top space of my rack so I can plug all of my gear into it and just have one plug go to the wall. I'm using the M-8LX and although it does the job for what I want, the front pull out lights aren't very bright. They do light up my entire 6 space rack, but aren't as bright as you would expect and I don't see myself using them very much in the future.
Click to expand...

That is their only real upside. Other than flashy lights and the rack mount capabilities, it serves the same exact purpose as a significantly less expensive surge protector.
 
#10
MrDOS said:
IMO, most of the ones under $100 only provide you with multiple outlets, and provide no real protection.
Click to expand...

They provide just as much protection as a $500 unit. :rolleyes:
OP, ask your amp/gear manufacturers if you need anything more than a basic surge protected power strip. They will say no, and that's the only advice you should heed.
 
#11
Living in an old apartment with shady wiring as I do, I have an older Furman I got from ebay that I used because the small straight-ahead tube guitar amp i was using for recording at the time sounded noticeably cleaner through the Furman.

Of course everybody else in this thread will now say that I imagined this etc :)
 
#13
Why all the hate on power conditioners?

I used to run an electronics store warehouse and we had a device, I cannot remember the name for the life of me, which you could hook up to a power source and hear the line noise. Wall power is really noisy, causes a worse TV image, so I would say it can cause a worse sound quality. Once you run a good surge protector/power conditioner most of the line noise is eliminated, even a high quality monster power bar will usually have the required things.

If you go this route, demand a better price, you would plotz a brick if you saw the markup in monster gear.

That said, I run my amp into line power. If recording I would put one in the rig but it is just not worth my time in the real world. I do have a surge protector though, just in case.
 
#14
thanks for the responses. i'm not sure if a surge protector was in use when it blew, but i know someone else's amp blew in the same way at the same venue. i think one of their wall outlets is bad, the last time i played there i steered clear of it and i was fine...

but i guess i was just wondering what people on here thought...

here's what i'm currently using:
[This invalid link has been removed]

i never realized it cost that much, as much as the APC thing i posted above? (not that the price means anything)
 
#18
surge protectors

1) one more thing to remember to bring
2) one more thing you have to stick somewhere
3) VERY easy to accidentally step on the on/off button
4) no indication of line strength
5) requires additional meter/device to test line strength

pros: does the same BASIC thing, much cheaper, no tears when it gets stolen or broken

Rack unit power conditioner (strip w lights)

1) it's already in the rack
2) it won't get stepped on
3) see immediately what your signal strength is
4) more lights means you are more professional, just ask the ladies. ladies love the long bulbs

cons: costs more. weighs more. needs a rack. overrated.
 
#19
lomo said:
Buy the cheapest power strip available. That is all.
Click to expand...

I'm with you, but a couple of notes. It should have a MOV, they're cheap. It's even hard to buy a power strip without one these days.

Second, Metal versus plastic. When the MOV protects things it can get hot - hot enough to burn. Extreme case:
surge208%5B1%5D_496x280.jpg


Metal power strips are less likely to burn, and don't really cost that much more.

Cheapest Metal Power Strip with a MOV. :)
 
#20
DiabolusInMusic said:
Wall power is really noisy, causes a worse TV image, so I would say it can cause a worse sound quality.
Click to expand...
Here's the thing, and most people don't understand it: Simply put, amps run on DC. The AC from the wall is ground up and mashed into DC before use, by a rectifier. To cleanse the resulting DC of any noise/harmonics that may remain, as well as the ripple(noise) from the rectifier, large filter capacitors are used to 'smooth out' the freshly brewed DC before it is handed over to the transistors for use. So, if noise from the AC line makes it through the amp, the amp is defective.
 

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