FM9 Power Protection

mr_fender said:
Online UPS systems are the bees knees when it comes to power consistency, protection and isolation, but they are very expensive.

As for regular offline UPS systems, unless you've got a desktop computer or server plugged in that you need to keep powered up for a few minutes so you can properly shut it down, your money is better spent on a good power conditioner instead. Regular UPS systems often don't inherently offer any better filtering or protection against surges, especially with inexpensive ones. Their primary focus is on providing continuous power for a few minutes in the event mains power drops completely. Laptops are already battery powered and are largely immune to AC power issues. Audio gear doesn't need battery backup at all, so that money is better spent on a higher quality power conditioner which won't need regular battery replacement either.
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It's an extreme solution, but it's there if you need it. They've come down a lot in price since I used one. You can get one for under $400. Definitely more expensive, but worth it if you're forced to work with extremely dirty power. We used to play in bars where the power was so full of garbage that only a double conversion was reliable. The infrastructure in older parts of New Orleans is beyond belief. I wish I had taken pictures of the service panels in some of the places we played. It's like living in Hooterville.
 
PatrickWD said:
Maybe power surges is more common in some countries or areas? I have never used any kind of surge protection on any of my gear in my 25 years of playing music and gigging. Never had any issues apart from some small amount of noise in some venues. Never had any electrical appliances being damaged by power issues at home either.
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Although I do agree with the posters stating it is a safety thing for your equipment, I have never had an issue in the 25 years I've played either. I only play in Florida from Tampa on down to Fort Myers. Last FM9 set up I had I literally used a Kobalt power strip from lowes.....even had USB plug for Ipad power.
 
mr_fender said:
Online UPS systems are the bees knees when it comes to power consistency, protection and isolation, but they are very expensive.

As for regular offline UPS systems, unless you've got a desktop computer or server plugged in that you need to keep powered up for a few minutes so you can properly shut it down, your money is better spent on a good power conditioner instead. Regular UPS systems often don't inherently offer any better filtering or protection against surges, especially with inexpensive ones. Their primary focus is on providing continuous power for a few minutes in the event mains power drops completely. Laptops are already battery powered and are largely immune to AC power issues. Audio gear doesn't need battery backup at all, so that money is better spent on a higher quality power conditioner which won't need regular battery replacement either.
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I have no ideas if my APC 1500 S Pro is an online system but I do use it for my PC and monitor and FM9. What I just read seems like it IS an online system. I was just curious since 99% of my playing is home, dare I say in my HOME STUDIO :) . I live in a place built in 1972 but have had my fractal stuff starting in 2009 and never had an issue.
I have no problem buying one if it makes sense. I do know the grounds in my house are not ideal.
 
Stratman68 said:
I have no ideas if my APC 1500 S Pro is an online system but I do use it for my PC and monitor and FM9. What I just read seems like it IS an online system. I was just curious since 99% of my playing is home, dare I say in my HOME STUDIO :) . I live in a place built in 1972 but have had my fractal stuff starting in 2009 and never had an issue.
I have no problem buying one if it makes sense. I do know the grounds in my house are not ideal.
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APC 1500 S Pro is not an online UPS. Add about $1000 to get an online UPS. Its specs say very little about its surge protection capabilities, which means it's likely just MOV based. Probably fine for home use if you don't have dirty power or a lot of stormy weather in your area. Any surge protection is certainly better than nothing.
 
mr_fender said:
APC 1500 S Pro is not an online UPS. Add about $1000 to get an online UPS. Its specs say very little about its surge protection capabilities, which means it's likely just MOV based. Probably fine for home use if you don't have dirty power or a lot of stormy weather in your area. Any surge protection is certainly better than nothing.
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OK Thnks.
I don't suppose you can (or would) plug a AC-215A into the battery backup side of the APC 1500 Pro S? Reason I ask is, at home, it would be nice to really protect my DAW and my FM9 or FM3 Turbo. As you stated, the back up is really for the DAW.
 
Depends on the current draw you need. While it's sometimes frowned upon, you can chain surge protectors as long as you don't overload any device in the chain with the total current draw. AC-215A is rated for 10 amps. APC 1500 Pro S looks like it's max input is 12 amps. If you put the AC-215A first, the total draw is limited to 10 amps. If you put the APC 1500 Pro S first, the total draw is limited to 12 amps and up to 10 of that can come from the AC-215A. Most audio preamps are pretty low power devices. The Axe III, FM9, and FM3 are all rated at less than 40 watts of power consumption. At 120 volts, that's about 0.33 amps of current. High output power amps can pull quite a bit of current when cranked, so keep that in mind if you've got a 1000+ watt power amp or FRFR plugged in.
 
mr_fender said:
Depends on the current draw you need. While it's sometimes frowned upon, you can chain surge protectors as long as you don't overload any device in the chain with the total current draw. AC-215A is rated for 10 amps. APC 1500 Pro S looks like it's max input is 12 amps. If you put the AC-215A first, the total draw is limited to 10 amps. If you put the APC 1500 Pro S first, the total draw is limited to 12 amps and up to 10 of that can come from the AC-215A. Most audio preamps are pretty low power devices. The Axe III, FM9, and FM3 are all rated at less than 40 watts of power consumption. At 120 volts, that's about 0.33 amps of current. High output power amps can pull quite a bit of current when cranked, so keep that in mind if you've got a 1000+ watt power amp or FRFR plugged in.
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OK. So I'll just do the fractal without backup and leave DAW and monitor on the backup. So is the ac-215A a good choice for home?
Thanks
 
Thank you, good to know! 1 less piece of gear.
I suspect the muting transistor in that keyboard was blown from phantom power, it pops when powered off.
Since using the FM9, I started running the keys into it and used a di box to connect FM9 to FOH.
 
A thing to consider is that while most power "conditioners" do have some filtering and surge protection, they really don't do much. If you actually want protection from the sorts of things that will damage your gear that you will actually experience in real-world gigging (brownouts, overvoltage, surges that are not enough to trip a conditioner protection circuit), then you want a power regulator like a UPS or voltage regulator. These are WAY more expensive because they actually isolate the power out from the power in.

I do use a basic Furman power strip, but mostly because it's convenient, and I like to think it has a little magic dust in it. I don't expect it to actually protect my gear though.

The switching power supply built into the FM9 actually will protect against most of the "bad" power you'll see in the real world.
 
elvis said:
A thing to consider is that while most power "conditioners" do have some filtering and surge protection, they really don't do much. If you actually want protection from the sorts of things that will damage your gear that you will actually experience in real-world gigging (brownouts, overvoltage, surges that are not enough to trip a conditioner protection circuit), then you want a power regulator like a UPS or voltage regulator. These are WAY more expensive because they actually isolate the power out from the power in.

I do use a basic Furman power strip, but mostly because it's convenient, and I like to think it has a little magic dust in it. I don't expect it to actually protect my gear though.

The switching power supply built into the FM9 actually will protect against most of the "bad" power you'll see in the real world.
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All my electronic equipment that I care about is on UPS for this reason. I have many CyberPower UPSs throughout including those that my Fractals are connected to.
 
elvis said:
A thing to consider is that while most power "conditioners" do have some filtering and surge protection, they really don't do much. If you actually want protection from the sorts of things that will damage your gear that you will actually experience in real-world gigging (brownouts, overvoltage, surges that are not enough to trip a conditioner protection circuit), then you want a power regulator like a UPS or voltage regulator. These are WAY more expensive because they actually isolate the power out from the power in.

I do use a basic Furman power strip, but mostly because it's convenient, and I like to think it has a little magic dust in it. I don't expect it to actually protect my gear though.

The switching power supply built into the FM9 actually will protect against most of the "bad" power you'll see in the real world.
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If nothing else the switch mode power supply is almost certainly more sophisticated than those cheap furman units.
 
guitarjim said:
I'm transitioning from an Axe-FX II to the FM9. As I had a rack anyway, I had a Furman power conditioner in it, but moving to the FM9, I'd like to ditch the rack completely if possible as having less to carry around was a big part of downsizing the rig. How important is it to have surge suppression and/or conditioning in front of the FM9?
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I would always recommend a non-sacrificial type of Surge Protector. They are more expensive, but they are worth it.

They are to be connected directly to power outlet. Then, connect your expensive electronic gear to the device.

I use these:

Zero Surge 2-Outlet, 15A or 20A
Zero Surge 8-Outlet, 15A or 20A
 
bleujazz3 said:
DWtG3Y4.jpg


Sorry for the green light in the first image. The Furman AC215A sits central to the board. A separate 3' 3-prong/AC cable was cut, scavenged and reattached so as to to allow the 3-prong to connect to the FM9 while shrink-wrap insulation and electrical tape sealed the cut ends.

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The wire cage clamp is where the TA Micro Mains IEC connects to the Furman. The electrical taped 3-prong cable connects to the Furman, the passes through a TA large access port. Only wiring surgery was completed in order to connect to the FM9. The remaining Furman AC jack connects to the cherry-picked 9VDC rewired adapter. It's vital to know what length CTN barrel to invest in prior to doing any wiring. Took a little trial and error, but it tested OK with a multimeter continuity test before connecting.

OQMWY6G.jpg


You'll note that the Temple Audio board is a Duo 24 with just enough space towards the left margin for a Peterson Mini Strobo-Stomp tuner, and a tap switch that works either as momentary or latching.

The other end connects with the F>AC to the male AC cable on the near side of the Furman. The wiring surgery was needed to allow a wide enough port for the cable to pass through. The power switch to the Furman remains consistently on, and a Temple Audio Micro Mains Module turns power on/off flawlessly.

The remaining F>AC powers a 2-prong cherry-picked 9VDC adapter. Cherry-picked, in that the angle of the 2-prongs needed to be parallel to the board, and also that some surgery also needed be done to reduce the length of remaining wire extension. Peterson Mini Strobo Stomps are notorious for working exclusively with certain units, simply because the CTN barrels were either too short or too long for the Mini Strobo-Stomp. My only suggestion is to buy two separate adapters and brush up on your wiring soldering and continuity skills.

The reason I don't suggest buying Strobo-Stomp adapters is because their 2-prongs won't remain situated parallel regards the Furman. This glitch is a feature intrinsic solely to the Strobo-Stomp. One might find better results with alternate tuners. The reason I went to so much trouble with the Strobo-Stomp Mini was because Peterson is considered almost industry standard these days, and a lot of love and labor went into building my Duo 24. If you desire a quick and easy solution, this isn't it. Spend some time with your FM9 board build; I sincerely think with good planning and adequate time, you'll be happy with the results.
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I'm really liking this configuration! Looks great! :cool:
 
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