Do i need a power conditioner when i play live?

Savrot

Savrot

Member
I didn't even know that these things existed until just moment ago. Do you need them when you play live to protect your Axe Fx?

I live in Sweden so we rarely have any thunder storms and even if we do, all buildings are protected from the surges. Power outages are also extremely rare.
 
Here in the US you'd be crazy not to have one. Clubs and small venues are notorious for having dodgy power and it's a small investment to protect such expensive gear.

I'm curious. How are the buildings protected in Sweden? Is it part of the building code there?
 
Eliju said:
Here in the US you'd be crazy not to have one. Clubs and small venues are notorious for having dodgy power and it's a small investment to protect such expensive gear.

I'm curious. How are the buildings protected in Sweden? Is it part of the building code there?
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Agreed - and not just a power conditioner - but a voltage regulator is helpful as well. I have been in a lot of crappy places with under 100 volts coming through the walls. A regulator will give you clean power and keep you at a consistent 120 volts. Maybe the power is better/cleaner in Sweden. Much of the infrastructure in the US is a bit outdated ! So I don't take any chances with my gear...
 
Well in Sweden it's illegal to do the electricy by yourself. Every wire and outlet is done and checked by a professional. I called my music store and they told me that they never ever even sold one i over twenty years. I'm suprised that it's a problem in such a developed country like the US.
 
As jimmytwotimes said, a voltage regulator is a good way to get consistent voltage. In some areas of the US weather is a major factor. Here in Texas, we get weather events can be rather severe so unprotected gear is very vulnerable to power surges.

Actually, construction here in the US is done by licensed electricians as well. Class 1 - 6 building construction all require a building permit and are inspected by a licensed building inspector before an occupancy permit is issued. When I was working (I'm retired) I did see a lot of buildings that are not properly grounded, especially in smaller buildings. To be clear, the buildings are grounded, but not properly grounded. Typically a short piece of rebar is pounded into the ground and the ground bus bar is wired to the rebar. The rebar is not anywhere near deep enough to actually ground the building. In the event of a lightening strike, electronic gear can be seriously damaged. A voltage regulator/surge protector is a small investmet to provide protection for expensive gear.
 
It depends entirely on where you play. I've played dumps where gear would malfunction if we didn't use our own online UPS. I've played live shows with portable generators that were designed to run compressors and heavy equipment, not audio electronics. I now play nicer rooms where conditioning is not needed.

Historically, I've had far more problems with the line voltage sagging than surging.
 
I'll simply add my voice to what's been said: if your gear is going to be exposed to electrical networks of unknown quality, you really should use a power conditioner that will protect against surges AND provide a stable current. It's not that expensive, compared to having to replace your gear (or even compared to the reduced lifespan your gear will have after months of bad current).
 
In Germany the situation is similar to Sweden: The installations are done by professionals and the voltage output is very consistant. Nevertheless I use a DI-fuse (this compares the two wires and if there is a significant difference, it switches off in milliseconds) to protect myself if there is someone accidently spreading beer or a softdrink over the equipment and you're standing on a wet floor afterwards...
You'll get those in Germany either to plug in between the wall outlet and the power distributor or as a part of the power distributor.
 
On a side note, never use extension cords with switches on them. I've had three malfunctions when the switch fails, one time it blew my studio monitors with it. (The switch sort of got stuck between on/off, and buzzed wildly, the resulting very nasty electricity killed the speakers.)

(Not to mention, switching the whole PA off by stepping on the switch makes you look stupid.)
 
Saki said:
I'll simply add my voice to what's been said: if your gear is going to be exposed to electrical networks of unknown quality, you really should use a power conditioner that will protect against surges AND provide a stable current. It's not that expensive, compared to having to replace your gear (or even compared to the reduced lifespan your gear will have after months of bad current).
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Yeah im starting to feel this way, since i will play a lot of shows in a lot small places, can you recommend any good ones?
 
keh said:
In Germany the situation is similar to Sweden: The installations are done by professionals and the voltage output is very consistant. Nevertheless I use a DI-fuse (this compares the two wires and if there is a significant difference, it switches off in milliseconds) to protect myself if there is someone accidently spreading beer or a softdrink over the equipment and you're standing on a wet floor afterwards...
You'll get those in Germany either to plug in between the wall outlet and the power distributor or as a part of the power distributor.
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I'm trying to google DI-fuse but i'm not getting any results, so i don't understand what it is unfortunately. Is it like one of these?

https://www.elfa.se/sv/spaenningsstabilisator-250-230-vac-block-kh250/p/15614565
 
So what do you guys find good enough to protect the Fractal floor units on gigs most of the time without going broke?
 
Any suggestions on a non-rack surge and conditioner? Something with a similar form factor to a regular power strip ideally.
 
Savrot said:
Yeah im starting to feel this way, since i will play a lot of shows in a lot small places, can you recommend any good ones?
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I haven't had opportunities to compare conditioners myself, but I currently have a Furman PL-Pro DMC E, which I'm very happy with:

- It does regulate the current.
- It isn't a "sacrificial" unit, so in case of a surge, it may survive with probably just a fuse to replace.
- It has a generous number of outlets (10 on the rear, 1 on the front) and up to 16A, which should be enough even for a current-hungry power amp and a number of other units.
- It has a neat USB connector for your phone or other device to recharge. ;)
- If you install it at the top of your rack, it has a light so that you can see what you're fiddling with in the darkness of the stage.

If you need the 120V version instead of the 240V one, just remove the E to the device's name.
 
Saki said:
I haven't had opportunities to compare conditioners myself, but I currently have a Furman PL-Pro DMC E, which I'm very happy with:

- It does regulate the current.
- It isn't a "sacrificial" unit, so in case of a surge, it may survive with probably just a fuse to replace.
- It has a generous number of outlets (10 on the rear, 1 on the front) and up to 16A, which should be enough even for a current-hungry power amp and a number of other units.
- It has a neat USB connector for your phone or other device to recharge. ;)
- If you install it at the top of your rack, it has a light so that you can see what you're fiddling with in the darkness of the stage.

If you need the 120V version instead of the 240V one, just remove the E to the device's name.
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I have the PL-Plus and it's great. They don't regulate current though. I'm not sure what you mean by that though. It does protect against surges and unsafe voltages, and will power down if the voltage is too high or too low.
 
I'm sure that other conditioners do a more thorough job at current regulation, but the PL-Pro (maybe the Plus too, I don't know) does some filtering of the incoming current, which qualifies as regulation. Since unstable/noisy current has a noticeable effect on the lifespan of a device, it's better than a simple surge protection.
 
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IMO, the only valid reasons to not use one are:
1. Don't want the weight
2. Don't have the (rack) space
3. Don't have the budget

Then there's some people that are adamant in their dislike and just feel very particular about not using one.
 
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