Power Conditioner help

O

Opendome

Member
Hey everyone!

So I ordered a Samson PB 15 Pro that I just received today which was broken (brand new) so I have an opportunity to either exchange it for a new one or get a refund and get something else. The fact that it arrived broken kind of makes me nervous about getting another Samson. I was wondering if you guys think I should get another PB 15 Pro or get something like a Furman M-8DX? Basically it would power an Axe FX Mk II and a Matrix Gt800FX.

Thanks!!!
 
I've used a variety of different Furman units over the past 15 years or so, and have never once had an issue. Every piece of gear my band plugs in goes through a Furman. I realize that it's not necessary at every place we play, but they help to show the current fluctuation and give the guys piece of mind.
 
Depends on what you mean by filters. Nearly all of them will provide some level of filtering against noise and interference. Cheaper units are basically just surge protectors with passive filtering. Middle of the road units give voltage and/or current monitoring/metering and will automatically shutdown if it exceeds a certain range. If you want actual voltage regulation look for models with AR in the product name. Those will cost a lot more.

You'll usually see the distinction of it being called a voltage or power regulator, not just a voltage or power conditioner.
 
Something like a Furman M-8DX or PL-PLUS C is a decent mid priced unit.

Largely depends on how stable the power is in your area and whether or not you'll be gigging with it. If gigging multiple venues with questionable power, lean towards a more expensive unit for better protection. If you're using it primarily in a home or studio with fairly stable power, you may not need all the bells and whistles and can save a few bucks.
 
Thanks! The power here is usually pretty good but we get a lot of storms during the winter which often messes with/knocks out power. I will be gigging with it so would the PL-Plus C be my best bet?
 
Opendome said:
Hey everyone!

So I ordered a Samson PB 15 Pro that I just received today which was broken (brand new) so I have an opportunity to either exchange it for a new one or get a refund and get something else. The fact that it arrived broken kind of makes me nervous about getting another Samson. I was wondering if you guys think I should get another PB 15 Pro or get something like a Furman M-8DX? Basically it would power an Axe FX Mk II and a Matrix Gt800FX.

Thanks!!!
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As has been mentioned already, most of those "surge/noise suppressor/regulator" units are nothing more than glorified outlet strips. To get something that will actually regulate voltage would be much larger, heavier and cost substantially more.

Thing is, all you really need is an outlet strip. The input side of the power supplies on most gear these days - especially anything computer-based - is already heavily filtered, probably much more so than what's in most of those rack-mountable power strips. Plus, they're feeding switching power supplies with heavily regulated outputs, which pretty much puts a solid wall between the incoming power and your delicate electronics. If a surge makes it though all that, well, maybe you should have installed lightning rods <grin>

What you want with the fancy outlet strips is some features. Easily accessible switches, input voltage readouts, perhaps some pull-out lighting (should be LED-based)

What I use (Carvin AC120S) is slightly fancier, in that it has sequential power-up/power/down...
AC120S-sequential_1024x1024.jpg
I like that because it forces the power amp on last/off first sequence that keeps you from pumping spikes into your speaker crossovers and either blowing those or your tweeters. Variable LED lamps, variable time delay, individual switches if you wanna control things yourself... it's a nice unit. Mine's several years old now, so it seems robust enough.
 
Yep, the Axe II already has power filtering and regulation built into it's power supply. If you are running real tube gear where the power supply is transformer based, mains voltage fluctuations will be reflected directly in the audio output. That's not necessarily the case with digital units like the Axe II, even though input and output circuits are still analog. The Axe II is designed to accept anything from 100 volts to 240 volts AC and function normally.
 
Opendome said:
Awesome thanks! So the PL-Plus C would be my best bet?
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I have one and it’s fine. Better than a power strip (which use diodes that crap out with a spike and over time.) The Furman PL+, IIRC has more durable circuitry (specs availble from retailers like Sweetwater.)
 
Furman Power Regulator. You'll never look back. Ever. You can't mess with voltage when using digital equipment. This unit is a lifeline.
 
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