Power Conditioner

M

MotherSea

Experienced
Are there better/equally good alternatives to Furman at lower prices? Or maybe ones actually worth the extra coin? Convince me.

I'm pretty set on lights and meter.
 
I have a Furman AR-1215 that I got for cheap. The thing about this one is that it is a line conditioner and a voltage regulator. Most units can't regulate voltage, and IMO I think both conditioning and voltage regulating are important, especially with tube amps.

The unit is heavy (probably 10 pounds), but after playing a gig where the sound guy powered everything off the same single 15A circuit on the generator (we blew the circuit over 6 times that night) I vowed to have something that can either mitigate that or at least give me forewarning (LED voltage meter on front). It doesn't have lights but I don't miss having rack lights. String Xmas lights around your rack if you need illumination.

I've seen some non-racked voltage regulators in the $100 range, but you'd still need to go into a conditioner there.
 
+1 Furman AR-1215..

It actually does have a light connector. It's a BNC in the back that gives you 12V so you can add whatever type of 12V lights you'd like to your rack.. Yes, it's heavy.. Yes, it's worth it, especially if you use tube gear. It'll shut down if it gets too far out of range to regulate.
 
Is a power regulator or conditioner even necessary for the Axe-Fx? I'm thinking I've read where the unit has a very tolerant power supply section that can handle the spikes and sags you typically see out of normal wall voltages?
 
Personally, I never had one before I got the Axe, and I never had any problems. However, that said, I spent two grand on the Axe, so I figured, needed or not, an extra $99 on a power conditioner was a good investment just to be safe.
 
Maybe I misunderstood or my memory is failing, but didn't CC say that the Axe-FX has an active voltage regulator built into its power supply and that it can maintain the proper voltage over a range similar to what the Furman AC line regulators do (that would be something like 90 VAC to 130 VAC in the USA)?

If that is correct, then the Furman AC Regulator would not be necessary and you caould save money and weight.

For my tube amps, I love 'em and have used them for years. But not for the Axe.

BF3
 
I use a line conditioner (not a regulator) in my rack, for a few reasons. First, it gives me a quick, clear indication of any wiring faults with the supply outlet. This is huge for me, as I have sworn off ever being lit up again by ground faults, hot-on-neutral circuits or other issues. Second, the unit gives me power sequencing, so amps come on last, and go off first. Third, it simplifies setups, since I just have one power connection to make. Fourth, even though the Axe-Fx has a nice auto-ranging power supply that may have some line filters in it, the other gear in the rack does not. :(

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but some of the venues we play have house wiring that's got to date back to pre-war periods. Maybe even the Crimean war! :lol: There's all kinds of buzzes, hums and other noise on a lot of these power lines. A decent conditioner will keep that trash from getting into your audio signals.
 
You have to remember too that even if the Axe is protected in and of itself, that doesn't mean the rest of the gear in your rack is. It never hurts to be safe, and having pull out lights can be really helpful at times as well. :)
 
charles5150 said:
I've got this one:

http://www.thomann.de/es/samson_powerbrite_pb10_pro.htm
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That Samson definitely has a great feature list for its price range, considering that even the 'entry level' Furman costs almost twice as much. I've heard very good things about other Samson products before, but how does this one hold up compared to the more expensive ones ?

Does Furman's LIFT technology really clean up the power better than the Samson does (or any of the other competitors for that matter), or is it just another fancy name for the magazine ads ?
 
VegaBaby said:
Does Furman's LIFT technology really clean up the power better than the Samson does (or any of the other competitors for that matter), or is it just another fancy name for the magazine ads ?
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Actually, I've never had a Furman, so I can't compare. Anyway, big name players use them, so for sure there is a good reason to.

To me, the Samson gives me at a good price-quality ratio:

1) You can trust the electric setup at your home, but believe me, never trust the electric setup in the venues you are giging. You don't want your AxeFx or the rest of your expensive equipment to die on fire because of a tension overload. Even if the venue has a comprehensive insurance, some of your equipment is too much vintage to be replaced.

2) It has 8 rear connections plus one in the front, forget about searching for power strips in the floor.

3) Lights are very useful, but it has a rear usb gooseneck lamp too
 
A buddy of mine lost 4 power amps at a show this weekend. He said 1/2 way through the show the subs started fizzling then cut out. He went over to check the amps and they were all in protect and smelled like burnt electronics.. Reason: Bad power at the venue. Voltage was 104. These were Crown amps. Had there been a Furman AR-1512 in the line, it would have either kept the voltage up, or shut down to avoid blowing the amps. $600 investment would have saved $4000 in amps. This is why I have the Oh-So-Damn-Heavy AR1512 in my rack. It's not there really for the Axe-FX but for my tube poweramp. I used to have tube preamps in the rack as well (replaced by the axe-fx) and it protected them.

If there was a Furman basic "power conditioner" in the line, the amps would have blown. You get what you pay for. Even a great company like Furman can't put in awesome protection on a $125 "power conditioner" (glorified power strip).
 
Your buddy should make the venue pay for replacing the amps. When 1 blows it could be anything, but when 4 blow, that's obviously the venue's fault. They have liability insurance at places like that. He should make them replace the amps and then they can file a claim with their insurance company.
 
Robert said:
Forget a power conditioner, get a rackmount UPS (only $159)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...m_re=rackmount_battery-_-42-102-087-_-Product

For less than the price of most power conditioners, you get a power conditioner, voltage regulatar with battery backup.

I've got one of these and couldn't be happier (and it's come in handy when my band has tripped a breaker).
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I've been using a Cyberpower UPS to power my Axe-Fx, among other things, in my home studio. However, I've been researching this to a degree and it appears that amplifiers and other high current components can starve the available juice in an UPS in addition to overly draining its battery should a transfer occur. UPSs seem designed for more computer specific applications and are not optimized for audio equipment, often allowing a much looser level of voltage regulation as well (often ranging from 5%-12% from 120V).

I just placed an order for Furman P-1800 AR Voltage Regulator/Conditioner:

http://www.furmansound.com/product.php? ... d=P-1800AR

Regulates the incoming AC power to 120v with a variance of 5 volts (not percent). Also provides a very high level of power conditioning in a single 1U rack space, though kinda heavy at 15lbs. A bit pricey, but you might be able to haggle a good deal at your local music retail store.
 
The Axe-Fx is effectively a computer.
I understand being concerned about using a UPS with an amp (or any device with a high current draw), but the Axe-Fx should work perfectly with it.
 
Freds55 said:
I have several of these and have had know problems with them they have caught power issues before I have powered up equipment. The power company came out and replaced the transformer outside because of the power fluctuations we were having and this caught the problem before I powered things up. They are a little pricey

https://artproaudio.com/product/ps4x4-pro-dual-led-metered-pds/
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Just added this to one of my many Sweetwater wishlists. I currently use Furmans, and each of those is plugged into a separate floor-bound UPS units. Regarding this ART unit: with max 1800 watts and the extra features, it seems like decent value.
 
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