Power conditioner and regulator?

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lukedlblukedlb Frets: 488
I have long wondered whether using a power regulator could help my amps perform better. I am convinced that the power in my building is not a constant 220 (in Italy) and I wondered if this impacted upon amp performance. Moreover, would a power conditioner help the power too and protect my amps against spikes in power?
any thoughts?
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Comments

  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    It most likely wont be a constant 230V (not 220) it will vary over the course of the day by up to +/- 10% that's quite normal and you would never hear the difference and it wont harm your amp.  
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  • GadgetGadget Frets: 895
    A conditioner will provide basic protection against some noise and interference as well as extreme voltage.

    Best bet though, is to use a TRUE ONLINE DUAL CONVERSION UPS device, like the Liebert / Emerson GXT range. These separate the direct donnection between the mains supply and your equipment to provide a safe, clean, regulated supply. As advised to me by Pete Cornish.
    I think, therefore.... I... ummmm........
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    Gadget said:
    A conditioner will provide basic protection against some noise and interference as well as extreme voltage.

    Best bet though, is to use a TRUE ONLINE DUAL CONVERSION UPS device, like the Liebert / Emerson GXT range. These separate the direct donnection between the mains supply and your equipment to provide a safe, clean, regulated supply. As advised to me by Pete Cornish.
    A bit overkill for most of us
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  • GadgetGadget Frets: 895
    John_A said:
    Gadget said:
    A conditioner will provide basic protection against some noise and interference as well as extreme voltage.

    Best bet though, is to use a TRUE ONLINE DUAL CONVERSION UPS device, like the Liebert / Emerson GXT range. These separate the direct donnection between the mains supply and your equipment to provide a safe, clean, regulated supply. As advised to me by Pete Cornish.
    A bit overkill for most of us
    They can be had second hand for £100-£200, which compares favourably with Furman conditioners and the like. They will also power your whole setup.
    I think, therefore.... I... ummmm........
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    Not just the cost, it's the bulk/weight of them.  
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  • GadgetGadget Frets: 895
    John_A said:
    Not just the cost, it's the bulk/weight of them.  
    You didn't say you wanted portable ;)
    I think, therefore.... I... ummmm........
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    Gadget said:
    John_A said:
    Not just the cost, it's the bulk/weight of them.  
    You didn't say you wanted portable ;)
    I'll stick with my Ebay generator connected up with jump leads :)
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  • fftcfftc Frets: 559
    Gadget said:
    A conditioner will provide basic protection against some noise and interference as well as extreme voltage.

    Best bet though, is to use a TRUE ONLINE DUAL CONVERSION UPS device, like the Liebert / Emerson GXT range. These separate the direct donnection between the mains supply and your equipment to provide a safe, clean, regulated supply. As advised to me by Pete Cornish.
    I saw a rig rundown with (I think) Brian May's tech and he mentioned some kind of power supply/conditioner. Says the amps are pretty bombproof with its help.

    Is that the kind of thing he would be using? I tried to research them but it all got a bit over my head pretty quickly!

    And where could I pick one up for £1-200?
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  • GadgetGadget Frets: 895
    fftc said:
    Gadget said:
    A conditioner will provide basic protection against some noise and interference as well as extreme voltage.

    Best bet though, is to use a TRUE ONLINE DUAL CONVERSION UPS device, like the Liebert / Emerson GXT range. These separate the direct donnection between the mains supply and your equipment to provide a safe, clean, regulated supply. As advised to me by Pete Cornish.
    I saw a rig rundown with (I think) Brian May's tech and he mentioned some kind of power supply/conditioner. Says the amps are pretty bombproof with its help.

    Is that the kind of thing he would be using? I tried to research them but it all got a bit over my head pretty quickly!

    And where could I pick one up for £1-200?
    A lot of the pros seem to be using Kikusui now, but they are very expensive.

    Part of Brian May's rig was done by Mike Hill and I see he supplies Kikusui, so?... https://mikehillservices.com/latest-rig-builds-25-w.asp

    Theft is your only option on that gear for less than £200 ;)

    I think, therefore.... I... ummmm........
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  • GadgetGadget Frets: 895
    I think, therefore.... I... ummmm........
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    Anywhere in Italy will almost certainly be 220V - 230V is a Euro-fudge. The voltages have never really been changed, and won't be unless substation transformers need to be replaced.

    Either way, running a 230V amp at 220V will not do any harm - in fact it will run cooler, and although it will produce slightly less power, you probably won't be able to tell. You *may* need to bias an amp which is set right on the limit of crossover distortion a bit hotter, but most aren't - in fact most are set too hot, so this will help.

    You would most likely start to notice if the voltage fluctuated by more than about 10%, but that's quite unlikely.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • fftcfftc Frets: 559
    Gadget said:

    Theft is your only option on that gear for less than £200 ;)



    Anyone know where Coldplay store their touring rig?
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  • prlgmnrprlgmnr Frets: 3964
    Gadget said:
    John_A said:
    Gadget said:
    A conditioner will provide basic protection against some noise and interference as well as extreme voltage.

    Best bet though, is to use a TRUE ONLINE DUAL CONVERSION UPS device, like the Liebert / Emerson GXT range. These separate the direct donnection between the mains supply and your equipment to provide a safe, clean, regulated supply. As advised to me by Pete Cornish.
    A bit overkill for most of us
    They can be had second hand for £100-£200, which compares favourably with Furman conditioners and the like. They will also power your whole setup.
    This sounded really promising and then I went on Ebay and they're like £50,000
    2reaction image LOL 1reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • lukedlblukedlb Frets: 488
    My question about power derived from seeing a concert with problems with a hammond not getting the proper power. Trem, who make hammond gear, offered a power stabiliser. On another occasion a not so confident amp/pedal tech suggested problems with my power supply might be causing the fuse in my amp to cut. Added to this, I can visibly see the effect of fluctuating electricity during the day on my lounge lighting.
    Anyway, best to protect our gear, right?
    A home solution?
    A pub solution?
    A wembley solution?


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  • GadgetGadget Frets: 895
    prlgmnr said:
    Gadget said:
    John_A said:
    Gadget said:
    A conditioner will provide basic protection against some noise and interference as well as extreme voltage.

    Best bet though, is to use a TRUE ONLINE DUAL CONVERSION UPS device, like the Liebert / Emerson GXT range. These separate the direct donnection between the mains supply and your equipment to provide a safe, clean, regulated supply. As advised to me by Pete Cornish.
    A bit overkill for most of us
    They can be had second hand for £100-£200, which compares favourably with Furman conditioners and the like. They will also power your whole setup.
    This sounded really promising and then I went on Ebay and they're like £50,000
    This is an example - £135 - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Liebert-GXT3-UPS-1000VA-Uninterrupted-Power-Supplies-Adjustable-Rack-Mount-Kit/312397737027?epid=17027382238&hash=item48bc5b2c43:g:RHwAAOSwMflcRudq:rk:71:pf:0

    I think, therefore.... I... ummmm........
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • GadgetGadget Frets: 895
    lukedlb said:
    My question about power derived from seeing a concert with problems with a hammond not getting the proper power. Trem, who make hammond gear, offered a power stabiliser. On another occasion a not so confident amp/pedal tech suggested problems with my power supply might be causing the fuse in my amp to cut. Added to this, I can visibly see the effect of fluctuating electricity during the day on my lounge lighting.
    Anyway, best to protect our gear, right?
    A home solution?
    A pub solution?
    A wembley solution?


    A ~£100 Furman, Samson, or similar conditioner will be fine for protection.

    If you want regulation, alas they don't come small nor as cheap. Furman do some AR rack units (I have an AR-2330), but yes, much more expensive than a conditioner. This is where the aforementioned UPS devices can prove very cost effective, if you don't mind the size / weight.

    I think, therefore.... I... ummmm........
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  • prlgmnrprlgmnr Frets: 3964
    I've got pretty dodgy power in my "studio" on the farm so I've always been curious about getting some sort of regulator, but I have no idea how to work out what my actual requirements are or even how you go about getting everything set up and plugged in to one of these thingies.
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  • normula1normula1 Frets: 639
    Just watch out with the power consumption of the UPS types. I used to run my computer system at home which is on 24*7 on them until I realised my electricity bill was stupendously high. 

    Hopefully more modern ones won't suffer as much, but just someghing to be aware of.
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  • GadgetGadget Frets: 895
    prlgmnr said:
    I've got pretty dodgy power in my "studio" on the farm so I've always been curious about getting some sort of regulator, but I have no idea how to work out what my actual requirements are or even how you go about getting everything set up and plugged in to one of these thingies.
    The Furman type regulators are pretty simple things. They just plug-in to your mains socket (make sure you get one suitable for UK voltage input, obviously), set the switch to the voltage output you require, then connect your equipment to its outputs (some regulators have standard 3-pin output sockets, others use kettle leads). Then whenever the input voltage rises or falls beyond a certain percentage of your required output, the regulator automatically switches itself to provide it.

    UPS types work in a similar fashion, but some can be a little more complex if they come with network control cards, where some of the more detailed settings are accessed by connecting to a computer.
    I think, therefore.... I... ummmm........
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