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Use amp with power conditioner?

diglo

diglo

Supporting Member
May 21, 2007
2,511
1,227
SMYRNA, TN
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#1
Thinking about getting a GK MB2 500 to down size setup. Being that it will not fit in rack and want to carry less, would you use power conditioner with it.

Also what are your opinions on the MB2 500.

Thanks! DigLo
 
#4
Being that this head has a Switch Mode power supply it should naturally be fiarly tolerant of voltage issues. If you check the owners manual I suspect is has a voltage input range given for the input. Brown down and under voltage are not as big of a problem in a properly design SMPS as in tradition EI core and Torodial Transformer supplys.
 
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#5
2x4strgkramers said:
Being that this head has a Switch Mode power supply it should naturally be fiarly tolerant of voltage issues. If you check the owners manual I suspect is has a voltage input range given for the input. Brown down and under voltage are not as big of a problem in a properly design SMPS as in tradition EI core and Torodial Transformer supplys.
Click to expand...

Good points! Wonder what RAG's stance is for outboard spike protection (like lightning strikes if your area is subject to them).
 
#6
The only thing I use my power conditioner for is the switch on the front that turns everything on or off at the same time. It does that really well, I can't tell whether it actually conditions my power or not, but the one that I have does tell me what the wall voltage is to some degree of accuracy.
 
#7
there is a big differnce between power conditioning and surge protection. Power conditioning puts a SMPS ahead of the amplifier and makes stable voltage from a wide variance of line issues.

Surge protection stops overvoltage and line spiking. Huge world of difference.

I always use a good surge protector but I do not worry to much about power conditioning.

Head is 18 yrs old and going strong on whatever comes out of the wall.


B-string said:
Good points! Wonder what RAG's stance is for outboard spike protection (like lightning strikes if your area is subject to them).
Click to expand...
 
#9
2x4strgkramers said:
there is a big differnce between power conditioning and surge protection
Click to expand...

Not really. The single rack units sold as "line conditioners" simply add noise filtering to surge/spike protection. There is no control over long term under- and over-voltage. To get that requires what is often termed a "line stabilizer", where typically an auto-tap transformer switches taps according to the average line voltage coming in, to keep a constant average voltage at the output end. That requires more weight and space - and cost - though some of the glorified "line conditioners" actually cost as much as getting a more capable "stabilizer".
 
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#11
I will also contend that "Line Conditioners" are for the most part a marketing term, good spike protection is a must IME and IMHO. Line regulators are the best, but they cost more than most amp heads. I have found IME and IMHO that additional line filtering is usefull, just do your homework and don't overpay for it. We always seem to be on the same circuit as Neon lights and other noise generating devices.
Use of Switching power supplies in amps may make the need obsolete?
 
#12
B-string said:
Line regulators are the best, but they cost more than most amp heads
Click to expand...

I guess - if you only paid $170 for your head ; }

You really don't NEED a stabilizer or "conditioning" for amps - in fact the more powerful and less efficient Class AB ones are just going to be limited by it. It's effects and other rackmount processors that benefit the most.
 
#16
Here's what I'm talking about, B-string:

Invalid Link Removed - under $170.

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You can also get this category of product in rack-mountable config but you pay a big premium without gaining any performance advantage and often enough it's actually more convenient in the non-rack package - I can just put mine in a padded bag in the back of a PA rack for schleppage without it eating rack space.
 
#17
Line stabilization is used for large acts. The Stabilzation units will consist of: Input connection, which usually connects to 3 phase 480 power in the USA, then they have a huge constant voltage transformer that weighs about 1000# in the rack. Then voltage and current monitoring, large surge suppressors as the current is massive and then distrobution buss' to break down the power for individual amplifiers. These units are $50-100K. Here's an example built for STING.

Real line stabilization units do not use SWITCHED transformers, that's a total joke. They use Constant Voltage Transformers. I had found a $25,000 transformer and had the guy down to $1000, but it was 800# and 1200 miles away and decided to hold off. Probably a huge mistake. This one was single phase, 480-240-208 with 120/240 outputs and 15KVA, just what the Doctor needs for the big rig.

BOB
 
#19
I know you like the Big Iron, Bob,

But the Tripp Lite unit is no joke. It saved my rig at a generator gig way out in the wilds. That was with my V-Bass and my Class D Peavey DPC-1400X power amp running off it (efficent enough that the draw was not an issue). Almost everybody else there out of a large pool of players ended up having repair bills when the generator's regulator stuff started hickuping and then went south.

Normally it's just doing duty here at the Cabin, but sometimes something comes up where its wise to haul it along.
 

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