Is a power conditioner really necessary with axfx?

I have been using power conditioners manufactured by Carvin Audio (https://carvinaudio.com/products/ac120s-power-conditioner) in my rack units for years. There are many other similar units manufactured by others that you can check out too.

The Carvin unit not only conditions power and acts as a surge protector but also has two rack lights that can be adjusted to illuminate the fronts of the units in the rack.

I have found these units to do a good job of taming dirty power induced audio equipment issues…even at venues with terribly dirty power.
 
Last edited:
jefsummers said:
OK, I am 100 miles from Oak Ridge, 2 miles from Eastman Chemical, 3 miles from BAE Systems munitions plant (they make RDX, C4, and binary shells). What do I need to protect my electronics? Suntan lotion?
Click to expand...
Predominantly, just like everywhere else: a locked door at night. That’s some cool stuff nearby. I sure hope their doors are locked, as well.
 
jefsummers said:
OK, I am 100 miles from Oak Ridge, 2 miles from Eastman Chemical, 3 miles from BAE Systems munitions plant (they make RDX, C4, and binary shells). What do I need to protect my electronics? Suntan lotion?
Click to expand...

I've lived in Oak Ridge for over thirty years now and never had any gear blown while using anything other than plain old surge protectors.

I don't glow in the dark or have any extra appendages either. ;)
 
ernieumass said:
I asked my friend, who is a front of house soundman for arena sized venues, and he said, "F*** yes! Every single one of our racks has a Furman in it." He told me it saved his ass may o' times.
Click to expand...
Your friend is a smart guy. People who never had the problem assume that means they won’t ever have it happen, and you can’t convince them otherwise. Never mind that there is an entire industry that specializes in protecting you from it. People who have had it happen, or have seen it destroy other people’s unprotected gear, know every new venue is another unknown and don’t go unprotected. Your call.
 
Rick said:
Your friend is a smart guy. People who never had the problem assume that means they won’t ever have it happen, and you can’t convince them otherwise. Never mind that there is an entire industry that specializes in protecting you from it. People who have had it happen, or have seen it destroy other people’s unprotected gear, know every new venue is another unknown and don’t go unprotected. Your call.
Click to expand...
Years ago I had a Monster Cable power strip, don't remember model but it was around $100-$150 dollars. I had TV and Rotel Stereo stuff all hooked up to it. My brother was helping me do some re-wiring in my old house and absent-mindedly shoved a wire into a breaker turning it into 220v. I heard a horrible squealing noise...Long story, short...Monster sacrificed itself, saved thousands and Monster even replaced for free.
For between $200-$600 you can have some piece of mind, why wouldn't you? Oil changes aren't cheap anymore...gonna risk that engine?
Why the hell is there seven pages of argument of this subject
 
Dave Merrill said:
Nice feature set.

I wonder how good its surge protection really is, and if it'd still be protective after getting hit once. Not that I know anything negative about it, it's just hard to evaluate that aspect of units like this.
Click to expand...
Yeah I dont know. I've actually never had any gear go down due to surge w or w/o a strip. I've usually had Furmans. I got this one mostly for the USB charging ports for the laptop and cell phone on gigs.
 
unix-guy said:
To be fair the thread is about "power conditioners" not "surge protectors"... Although the waters get muddy there :)
Click to expand...
Yep. Surge protectors, great, go for it. Maybe youll get lucky and it helps. A power conditioner? Those are a joke and we all know it. You need a $500 plus regulator/conditioner to even move the needle, and even then, for a computer that has built in tolerance, total waste of money.
 
Feflicker said:
Yep. Surge protectors, great, go for it. Maybe youll get lucky and it helps. A power conditioner? Those are a joke and we all know it. You need a $500 plus regulator/conditioner to even move the needle, and even then, for a computer that has built in tolerance, total waste of money.
Click to expand...
You’re misinformed. Mine cost well under $500 and saved my equipment, along with the keyboard player‘s gear who plugged into my rack while everything else on the line got smoked. Saved more than $10-grand in equipment right there, and I saw it with my own eyes. If that’s your ”total waste of money” I’ll waste it every time.
 
Rick said:
You’re misinformed. Mine cost well under $500 and saved my equipment, along with the keyboard player‘s gear who plugged into my rack while everything else on the line got smoked. Saved more than $10-grand in equipment right there, and I saw it with my own eyes. If that’s your ”total waste of money” I’ll waste it every time.
Click to expand...
Power conditioning saved your gear? Come on now. That was surge suppression. Surge protectors cost $30.
 
Self sacrificing MOV based surge protectors are cheap. They are certainly better than nothing, but their wear is cumulative. A bunch of possibly unnoticeable smaller surges can wear the components just as much as one big event, so they can eventually end up leaving you largely unprotected over time. Self resetting protection that can be relied upon over a longer period of time is going to cost you more. It's still cheap insurance if you've got thousands of dollars worth of gear plugged in.
 
Feflicker said:
Power conditioning saved your gear? Come on now. That was surge suppression. Surge protectors cost $30.
Click to expand...
My unit has both, and it saved my gear. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have cleaner power regularly powering your equipment. I can’t see why any person playing for pay would take the chance for such a small thing… I come to make music, not excuses. I also bring more than one guitar, and backup to my Fractal gear, extra strings, fuses. I guess I’m just a pathological waster. But I’ve played through every equipment issue, large or small, as well as helped other players make it through a gig. No regrets here, it’s money well spent.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom