Powerconditioner? Why?

In my opinion there are a few arguments for a power conditioner, it does not just regulate the incoming power to the right amount but also clears out influences from various interference sources and secures your gear from accidents in the power network. It is right that digital devices are less affected by fluctuations in voltage but for the other two it can help for sure..

It is merited if you play in places where there may be large fluctuations in voltage

Quote from philip78

Hi

I've noticed that a lot of you guys when showing your riggs seem to use a powerconditioner. Most of the time some type of Fuhrman.
My question is why? Personally I dont see why you should need one with the kemper....

Well, I err on the side of extreme caution. I am not so much concerned with "Power Conditioning", per se, as I am with bullet-proof surge protection (primarily) and real-time automatic voltage regulation (secondarily).

So, I have one of these connected directly into my wall outlet:

Zero Surge model 8R15W-I

And then one of these connected into the Zero Surge:

Furman P-1800 AR Automatic Voltage Regulator

The Zero Surge is a Series Mode surge protector, which does not rely on sacrificial MOVs that wear out over time. The thing is built like a tank.

The Furman AVR ensures constant 120V power to my KPA and other connected gear, even if incoming power fluctuates.

Extreme overkill...probably. However, between my Kemper PowerRack and my other musical and AV gear, there is a considerable investment connected to the main power at any given time.

The power conditioning and line filtering is an ancillary benefit of the aforementioned devices.

Cheers,
John

Quote from philip78

Large fluctuations in voltage? How common is that? I bet pretty rare in Europe at least.
More like an expensive and redundant mutli power supply as some might say?

I want of course to protect my gear (KPA included) but I'm not convinced you need one. Please convince me otherwise and enlighten me!

Phillip,

I never implied you "needed" an AVR. In fact, if you read my post, I am careful to explain that my set-up is most likely over-kill. Indeed, my power here in the USA is very stable. However, we do get the occasional brownouts or power outages during thunderstorms.

Like I mentioned in my post, for me, the most important component is having a robust and reliable Surge Protection system. I would recommend a PQ filter that employs Series Mode surge protection, versus the traditional, cheap sacrificial MOV-based units.

As far as the Furman AVR...well, like I said, it is just additional peace of mind, and at least for me, money well spent...considering the total cost of the equipment I have connected to it.

Cheers,
John

Quote from philip78

Large fluctuations in voltage? How common is that? I bet pretty rare in Europe at least.
More like an expensive and redundant mutli power supply as some might say?

I want of course to protect my gear (KPA included) but I'm not convinced you need one. Please convince me otherwise and enlighten me!

I wouldn't be that sure about it. At one bands rehearsal room (here in Switzerland) we have voltage fluctuations from 15 to 30V and many influences by old conventionally operated fluorescent tubes creating hum and other disturbances. If you are someplace that does not have such problems you can just use a plug that prevents f.e. from extrem spikes like lightning strike or such that are very much cheaper.

On the surface it may seem so, since Kemper draws nothing compared the wattage draw of a conventional amp.

But for me, it still all comes down to (IMO anyway) PROTECTION.
I can't tell how many times I played out where power availability was extremely sub-standard.

If that turns to be the case, I would want to know about that condition asap.

Beyond that, you can call me lazy since I still do prefer having a central "hub" to plug in all my various attachments. i.e. power amp, extension amp, wireless remote charger etc.

I still wouldn't leave home without one.