power conditioners...a novelty?

[axeman81]

what do you think...is a power conditioner worth it's weight in gold, or is it just a novelty item?
I've just begun planning my small rack setup, and so I've been debating whether I should get one of these things or not. I've looked into different furman models, a fairly simple 10 amp one will be around $800 bucks locally incl. taxes. The 16 amp is even more expensive at about $950, that's a lot of money for a 'glorified power bar'.
I live in Norway where we have extremely stable mains voltages thanks to plenty of rain and turbine power. I appreciate the fact that any given club we're playing might have an electrical defect due to too much PA load or whatever, and that it -might- affect the rest of the equipment, but is it really worth having a thousand dollar rack unit that just sits there doing nothing?
I'm all for protecting my investments, that's why I'm even considering it at all, but I've never ever heard of anyone going "WOW that P.C. really saved my tube amp last night" etc...you catch my drift
so apart from the functionality of having a single main power switch, do you think it's a must have or just a novelty?

- Rune

[wilkinsi]

800 bucks?! fucking ripoff! Furman aren't the only ones doing power conditioners, and besides, their inlets are hardwired. Get a Samson PB10 £80 or £100 for the pro version. If you're unplugging stuff often (which you will if you gig) then get one, likewise if you get mains hum in your audio signal. They're not a novelty.

[jgcable]

for computers its a must. For guitar amps.. its a novelty unless you live in a 3rd world country with dirty power.

[markD]

i think mine is a must have. not for the "clean" power issue, but more because all the stuff in my rack and my head are all turned on with the flick of a switch. one plug one switch and some lights if i have to adjust a parameter on stage. i love mine - it saves me an ass-load of setup time.

[OnlineStageGear]

If you saw how 1/2 the clubs and bars around here are wired, you wouldn't plug in a boom box without running it through a power conditioner first.

Matt

[horns666]

I paid 45 bucks for my Gemini PL-101 w/lights brand new..when I bought my Uber/G Major. I just have those plugged into it, and its nice to flip a single switch.

Its just as quiet and nice as my trusty Furman PL-8 plus IMO!

[Spivonious]

for computers its a must. For guitar amps.. its a novelty unless you live in a 3rd world country with dirty power.

Did you mean to say surge protector, or did you really mean power conditioner?

[axeman81]

thanks for the input guys. I think I might go for the cheaper Furman model "merit" series. The Merit with lights are about $280 here.
Gemini doesn't seem to have distribution in the Nordic countries.

[horns666]

Oh that's too bad..

Here's a link I found for a new Gemini..http://djshop.com/geminipl101.html

[Firebird V]

If you saw how 1/2 the clubs and bars around here are wired, you wouldn't plug in a boom box without running it through a power conditioner first.

Matt

If you are gigging clubs/bars use a conditioner. I would get one with the pullout lights in it as I have used the lights on the front countless times.

If your house is wired right just get a power strip A: for protection and B: 1 plug and 1 switch as others have stated. Spend the cash saved elsewhere... Like at Matts Music on a new Jackson/ Charvel.

[DC_rhoads82]

i'm thinking about getting one too. Not to highjack the thread but do you guys see a big difference in say like a Furman PL-Plus (lights and voltage meter), verses the M-8D (Lights w/digital meter). I'm torn between those two but I dont know if there's really a huge difference in terms of quality? The M8-D runs for $172 here while the PL-Plus is $224....is there a big difference for the price gap?

[markD]

i use the one with lights and a digital meter. has worked fine for a few years now.

[axeman81]

hey DC_rhoads82, I've been wondering the same thing, but according to specs I've got the difference down to that the PL has the following advantage over the Merit:

# SMP provides the highest level of protection available
# LiFT significantly reduces AC line noise
# E.V.S. protects equipment from dangerous overvoltage conditions
# Zero ground contamination circuitry assures delivery of pure AC

The PL has an overall better spec than the Merit, but I've read about people using the Merit and it cleaned up radio interference/noise nicely.
Without really knowing what I'm talking about I think that if I were to upgrade from the Merit, then the power factor model (which incorporates voltage regulation not just "noise cleaner") would be a bigger/better step to take.

[SlasZ]

Power conditioners are not that expensive, power regulators are.
Furman conditioners go from € 150 up to €550, but regulators are €800 and up. They don't do anything a power conditioner does however, they only make sure you get the same continuous power all the time. Conditioners 'clean' the signal.
So if you buy a regulator you still need a conditioner and the other way around as well.
You only really need a regulator if you play in tents where the power supply is managed by a generator. Conditioners are good for clubs where the light circuitry is on the same power stage as the amps.
Since you live in Europe, consider buying a t.Racks Dinopower (available at www.thomann.de), it's a conditioner & regulator in one for about €300. Not as good as Furman ofcourse but largely sufficient for use in most European circumstances

[Inazone]

I use a Furman PL-Tuner:



Discontinued, but handy if you can find one, as it combines a tuner and power conditioner in a 1U space. I actually have two of them, and would probably get another if the price was right.