Moog Music Forum

Hello all. Having recently spent a couple hundred bucks for a Brickwall surge protector and re-purposing a large UPS in an effort to best protect a really expensive large TV for Moms, I got to wondering what folks around here were using to protect their pricey noise makers.

So far so good with my gear (Kawai K5000S, Korg M3-73, Kern IP-777's, Speck Xtramix) with a typical crap surge protector and decent UPS, but I'll want to do something more when the Taurus pedals come in. I just don't know that the $500 Brickwall rackmount is necessarily, uh, necessary- though it does seem like the last word for these things.

So what say you Moogheads? Are you practicing safe synthesis, or just praying to your God that the bad electrical juju stays on the other side of the grid?

I use a Furman power conditioner for all my gear. They don't cost a terrible amount. I think I paid about $200 for a PL-Plus.

Though if there is lightning in the area and I'm able to, I always unplug all my gear and computer. I've set it up so that it's only two main outlets so it's very easy to plug and unplug everything. I have known people to lose everything electronic due to lightning, so I'm not taking any chances with my synths.

I use an old Square D surge protector for my 'Foogers, and a Belkin 8 outlet power strip with built in surge protection for my Little Phatty, amp, stereo, phone charger, and Mac Book charger. Cost me forty dollars, and works great! For the home entertainment system, my dad has an APC/Monster Cable power conditioner/surge protector pair. I couldn't justify an APC for my synth, but may get one or two for when I build my studio.

In my opinion, most surge protectors are a waste of money.

If your power fluctuates, most protectors won't help.
(there are some on the market that can, however.)

Lightning strikes are almost digital in nature: they either get you or they don't.
No surge protector will help if your gear or power line is struck by lightning.
We're talking millions of volts at high current.
It can arc right over a protector.
The air itself is ionized and conductive.
Lightning hits your studio? most of your IC's will be toast anyways.

Many people don't realize that most instruments today feature the same protection that surge protector offer, built-in.
Almost all switcher and many linear supplies have the same protection on-board.

Imho, 95% of all protector sales are to make the buyer feel safe, but offer little or no protection for higher voltages, lower voltage or lightning.
At best they can help quiet things up from high current switching (air conditioners, motors, etc) using the same power.
Some can also help filter out RFI interference on the AC line from a close-by transmitter.

There are some models (Furman, Juice Goose, etc) that actively monitor the power and adjust it correctly for low and high voltage situations.
But they won't help much with lightning either.

Our power here is terrible and there's many lightning strikes around.
But the only protection I have is good grounding and UPS's on the computers.
I have a a line conditioner on my laser engraver, but it's more to keep ITS high freq noise from going back on the AC.

I agree about what you say regarding surge protectors, Kevin. I have them because I don't like most powerstrips, as they take up too much space. A good surge protector (mine are higher-end) will offer SOME protection against minute issues, as stated. No noisy 'Foogers for me! My power is pretty stable here, at any rate. I helped do the electrical work on the house, and upgraded a bunch of stuff when I did so. Including the earth ground. BTW, not much lightning around here. Not enough to strike fear in me, anyway.