I'm starting a rack and I was just looking for some sugestions on a power conditioner and a tuner or anything else I might need for it. Cost really isn't an issue. I have money.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
power conditioner and tuner
- Thread starter Mourners Lament
- Start date
Furman's seem to be the standard (at least, that's what I thought, hence me getting one of theirs). Just good insurance for your gear.
Korg has some good tuners, there's less expensive ones though.
Korg has some good tuners, there's less expensive ones though.
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
Screwing a surge protector from Costco into the back of the rack for under $10 gives as much or more protection, doesn't waste rack space, weighs less, and doesn't have bulbs that are hard to change.
billfitzmaurice
Commercial User
- Sep 15, 2004
- 16,860
- 278
- 76
- Disclosures
- Owner, Bill Fitzmaurice Loudspeaker Design
+1. A surge protected rack mounted power strip works well to keep things tidy, power 'conditioners' are a waste of $. See Lie # 8.
http://www.theaudiocritic.com/downloads/article_1.pdf
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
Nope. If I understand you correctly. There's been lots of threads on this, and tech-oriented types and actual amp designers tend to agree that not only do amplifiers themselves not even need protection (though other gear can benefit) - but that the conditioners are just a common surge protector repackaging you may or may not want to waste space on.
Ok cool. So now about a tuner and any other rack gear I may need. I'm going on a small tour and I want to be over-prepared.
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
I can't say much about rack-mount tuners since I don't use them, but for other rack-mount gear: if you don't realize you want something else in the rack, you don't NEED anything else in the rack.
bongomania
Commercial User
Yep- go over to the Effects forum and search on "tuner" and "rack" for more ideas, but generally the only thing you need in your rack is an amp, even from the standpoint of being over-prepared. I would bring a small DI box though. There is a ton of rack gear out there, much of it very cool, but don't get sucked into buying components you don't already have a use for.
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
Yeah, a dependable DI is a must. If your current rig doesn't include one that is trouble free (at least a few inbuilt ones can fail if phantom power is used, ferinstance) and sonically great, look at some of the thread on DIs.
I have a gk 1001rb-II. I'm sure there a few more letters or numbers I'm missing in that name. Also if I turn my amp up higher than 12:30 it gets a distorted, angels drowning gargle to it. I'm sure you have some idea of the sound I speak of. What could be the cause?
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
Unless you are talking a true power regulator with an autotap transformer to deal with moderate undervoltage or overvoltage conditions - and not just a rack-mount packaged surge protector that can't do anything about that, it's a waste.
The true line stabilizer/power regulator weighs a lot, costs a lot more, and doesn't necessarily have the rating to deal with a high power, large draw head or power amp if its really being pushed (nor do the cheaper disguised power strips).
The true line stabilizer/power regulator weighs a lot, costs a lot more, and doesn't necessarily have the rating to deal with a high power, large draw head or power amp if its really being pushed (nor do the cheaper disguised power strips).
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
It's either too much input gain, too much output gain, or (less likely) component damage. RTM.
bongomania
Commercial User
Try adjusting the volume control on your bass, on any pedals that might be in between. Try changing the relative settings of the input and output level controls on the amp. Set your EQ flat. Disengage any enhance, scoop, presence, etc. tone controls. If it has a compressor/limiter, switch it off. All of these things can overload, so start with a "flat" setting while adjusting your in/out gain levels.
Exactly. A power conditioner won't do a thing to help that.
I've toured, used a rack with preamp and high powered power amps. The power conditioners are a waste of money. If you want to add weight and fill up holes in your rack with things with flashy lights to impress people, you could buy a rack tuner, although a good floor pedal works just as well. Spend some serious money on a really good D.I. Some of them are very expensive and although you won't notice much of a difference in your sound on stage, the sound man, if he has ears left, may like it.
Along with owning good gear comes the responsibility on your part, of learning exactly how these things work and practice using the various components to get the most out of them.
Start by reading the owners manual for your GK and testing out how each control works. Most name brand amps have a decent owners manual that can help. You may need to look up a few words you don't understand but you'll learn something. Your GK is a very good amp. I've used GK for many years and always got a good sound and had no problems.
I have it set to a setting they actually give me in the manual. But I still can't turn it up past 12:30. I have the 810glx cab and nothing else connected. Could it be the bass? Its my friends $100 something. Mine is still at my house in another state.
Could it be the power supply too? I have it on a multi-plug adapter along with a cd player and pa system and another amp.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
I wish more gear manufacturers would add an accessory AC outlet (or three!) to the backs of their heads, amps, and pre-amps whenever there's room! I am amazed that they don't!
I bought a used Furman unit that combines their telescoping rack lights with a so-called power conditioner [accessory outlets], and a tuner - all in one rack space.
Having telescoping lamps on the front of my rack has occasionally been convenient on dark stages, but not worth buying separately: I keep a small flashlight in my gig back that works just as well.
The tuner function seems to work well enough as long as I use harmonics to tune; it has a hard time locking in on fundamental bass frequencies - bassists who sit in find the tuner very frustrating.
There's nothing special about the accessory outlets. As a matter of personal preference, I'd rather have them at the back of my rack cases where I can see them without using a flashlight and reaching in up to my elbow.
In my equipment rack's next iteration, the Furman will come out. I'll be using a tuner pedal, building AC outlets into the small wheeled box that my speaker cabinets sit on, and attaching a small flashlight to the side of my rack with Velcro.
Light weight, ease and quickness of set-up, and simplicity of operation seem to trump seldom-used options for me these days.
