Turning off the Axe FX by pulling plug vs flipping switch?

tacklemcclean

tacklemcclean

Member
Is it bad for the unit to have it constantly flipped to "on" and turn it on/off by pulling AC power?

Not literally pulling, but using a power cord/splitter with its own power switch.

Does it make any difference for the unit do you think? I reckon a lot of studios must have big rigs all connected to a main power switch.
 
In my opinion, No. It doesn't make a difference, however, it's a good idea to retain the ground, (switching the hot only) during and after switching, to provide a path for transient spikes. In addition, When loading new firmware, the capacitors need to discharge through the ground path before restarting the system. This ensures a total reset, clearing various registers used when loading the new firmware.
 
Pulling the Ac power is not a good idea , the residual electricity can't be evacuated via the cable and may cause problems later.
 
Dpavel, What about if it is connected to outlets but the connected outlet is switchable? So it's still grounded. Wouldn't that let out the residue?
 
I wouldn't worry about pulling the plug. It's not a bad idea to keep the unit grounded, but not because of power supply capacitors draining their charge. That happens internally.

I always switch my Axe on and off from the power distro in my rack. I haven't touched the Axe's power switch in years, except by accident. :)
 
dpavel said:
Pulling the Ac power is not a good idea , the residual electricity can't be evacuated via the cable and may cause problems later.
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So, the front panel will stay lit until you plug it back in so the residual electricity can be bled off?
 
guitarmike said:
So, the front panel will stay lit until you plug it back in so the residual electricity can be bled off?
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Nah, he's talking about the power supply, which can have enough stored energy after turn-off to keep data in the RAM for a few more seconds. That's why the firmware update needs you to wait five seconds before you power back on.

But the ground wire on the power cord isn't what drains the stored electricity. It gets drained by the circuitry inside the Axe, with no need for an external ground connection.
 
The front panel power switch simply breaks the connection between the hot lead of the rear power jack and the power supply. With the exception of the external ground connection, it is no different than unplugging the cable. Killing the power via the front panel switch or with a power strip makes no difference at all.
 
mr_fender said:
The front panel power switch simply breaks the connection between the hot lead of the rear power jack and the power supply. With the exception of the external ground connection, it is no different than unplugging the cable. Killing the power via the front panel switch or with a power strip makes no difference at all.
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This is the correct answer.
 
FractalAudio said:
This is the correct answer.
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Cliff - so there have been minimal issues identified with power loss/switching power booting [rebooting] on the AFX units? This question had me curious as I have wondered before with potential power failures.

Thanks for the answer mate now I know in case power goes out to 'worry' less about interruption or damage to the unit.
 
One think to be aware of is signal surges to your speakers and headphones when powering on and off the Axe. It can cause a really loud pop that can potentially damage speaker drivers. Always power your amp/cab or powered monitors on last and power them off first to avoid the pop. This also applies to headphones plugged into the Axe. They will pop too, so unplug them before you power off the unit. Some power strips can be programed to apply and remove power to units in a specific sequence for just this reason.
 
Not to counter the facts about what SHOULD be, but I must add is that I have first hand experience with some Furman power products doing something weird when you use their switch. I have handled more than one customer case where it was found that connected equipment didn't start properly when the master switch on the Furman power device is used. This was NOT always just an Axe-Fx but other pieces as well, inconsistently in all cases, but happening to more than one customer. I have no theory or explanation.

I therefore always recommend that people turn the Axe-Fx on and off using its own switch when connected to a Furman. If nothing else, it can't hurt.
 
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Weird. Maybe some Furmans have a slow voltage ramp up or maybe it jumps around funny before settling to 117V or whatever. Need a good o-scope for that one.
 
I find on my Furman that there is a slight delay, going by "seats of pants" opposed to actually timing it, in how the Axe boots up, vs using the front panel switch. I would guess the Furman maybe has some sort of delay to prevent a fully loaded rack all pulling power at once or something (I'm no electrical engineer)
 
I believe the model of Furman will have a bearing on this - the lower-end spike and EMI/RFI filtered units aren't too much different from a normal power strip, but the models with low/high voltage protection may need to stabilize first. It could be that the Furman is in protect mode until it determines the voltage is in the safe range.
 
Admin M@ said:
I therefore always recommend that people turn the Axe-Fx on and off using its own switch when connected to a Furman. If nothing else, it can't hurt.
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Except for the giant "POP!!" through the speakers when the Axe is turned off. Doesn't happen when the speakers are powered through the same strip and you use the power switch on the strip.
 
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