Power Conditioners - Do I need one?

[samincolour]

Could someone explain exactly what a power conditioner does? I'm putting all my stuff in a new live-in case next month and converting it all to a MIDI setup, and I've noticed practically everyone uses power conditioners in their racks so I've been looking at them but I don't really know what to buy and to be honest I'm not too sure on what they actually do.

Are cheap ones any good? Does it just protest against power surges? Cut down on power supply interference? I don't understand!

Cheers in advance!

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Power Conditioners do exactly what the name implies, they condition the power from the mains you're plugged into, into the the proper line voltage and free of spikes and drops in a constant stream. Musical instrument effects and amps work with very small electrical signals, such as the signal from the pickups in your guitar) and thus small variances in the power these devices receive can have a significant effect on tone, and the gear itself. If your gear receives "dirty power" which is a power source with things such as inconsistent voltage and poor grounding, it can A) be damaged by surges and drop outs, B) cause unwanted hum and buzzing, C) reduce the life of your gear, and D) effect the efficiency at which your amp runs, thus effecting tone.

There are tons of products labeled as "Power Conditioners", though the cheaper ones are more simplistic in function and typically just help to regulate the power instead of fully "conditioning" it. I'd recommend going "middle-of-the-road", so basically don't get the cheapest or the most expensive, but one which fits your budget in the middle. Some that I'd recommend are the ART PS4x4 Pro, Furman M8-DX, Monster Power Pro 2500, or Carvin AC120S. Those are all sub-$200 and are highly rated.

Another benefit to a proper Power Conditioner is reduced setup time, as all you have to do is plug a single power cable in.

 

[samincolour]

Ahhh I see, So it basically protects everything and cleans up tone a bit too?

Are these any good?

Samson PS10 19" Rackmount Power Conditioner | DV247

 

[SnowfaLL]

I personally feel different than Max; I think you have two options with Power conditioners.. Knowing its basically a glorified surge protector in rack form (as most of them are) and picking up a cheap one (under $100) or going all out for a big boy from the start (around $300+)

I personally, got the Furman M8, for like $30 lightly used. I will eventually get the Furman AR-1215 which has voltage regulating, but is at least $350. The weight difference between them is doubled, so one will stay in my lighter rack, while the AR will be for when I don't feel comfortable at new venues (with concerns of their power, etc)

But it is true that I love them, as long as I have a spare 1U rackspace around, as it makes setup so much easier.

I don't know if its a good idea to get the middle of the road ones though like the Furman PS's, ART PS's, Monster Power etc. If you are going to get one like that, the cheapest ART one is great for what it is (or the 2nd model if you want the meter shown) ... Carvin one is great due to the power stages for turning on gear, something I wish I had on mine (I turn on my amps/processors after the power conditioner is turned on, so I don't blow anything.. the Carvin one, can do it all in sequences for you so its cool)

 

[Sepultorture]

i have no prior experience with Samson, just Furman, but from what i've heard from Samson they are pretty good. it will do what it's advertsied to do, protect your gear from bad electricity, the filtering part is debatable though

 

[iff]

I personally feel different than Max; I think you have two options with Power conditioners.. Knowing its basically a glorified surge protector in rack form (as most of them are) and picking up a cheap one (under $100) or going all out for a big boy from the start (around $300+)

I personally, got the Furman M8, for like $30 lightly used. I will eventually get the Furman AR-1215 which has voltage regulating, but is at least $350. The weight difference between them is doubled, so one will stay in my lighter rack, while the AR will be for when I don't feel comfortable at new venues (with concerns of their power, etc)

But it is true that I love them, as long as I have a spare 1U rackspace around, as it makes setup so much easier.

I don't know if its a good idea to get the middle of the road ones though like the Furman PS's, ART PS's, Monster Power etc. If you are going to get one like that, the cheapest ART one is great for what it is (or the 2nd model if you want the meter shown) ... Carvin one is great due to the power stages for turning on gear, something I wish I had on mine (I turn on my amps/processors after the power conditioner is turned on, so I don't blow anything.. the Carvin one, can do it all in sequences for you so its cool)

Exactly how I feel about them.