50Hz vs 60 Hz main voltage

[simonsez]

Hi all,

Can an 220v/50Hz audio equipment  plug into 120v/60Hz (Canada voltage 120v  step up to 250v) without problem?
The unit works fine, but I have weird level insertion loss issue , it's 2db below the direct/bypass signal on both channel.
2db is too much,  and I can figure out what might cause it
it's a sontec style eq, any idea?


Best,
Simon

 

[Khron]

Without seeing the circuitry, noone can say anything (for sure).

 

[ruffrecords]

In the majority of cases it should be fine. You do need to make sure the step up transformer is sufficiently rated but other than that it should be OK. The only areas that used to give problems were tape recorders that used synchronous motors whose speed depended on the mains frequency.

Cheers

Ian

 

[RuudNL]

I don't think there is a relation between the mains voltage and the insertion loss!

 

[JohnRoberts]

Hi all,

Can an 220v/50Hz audio equipment  plug into 120v/60Hz (Canada voltage 120v  step up to 250v) without problem?
The unit works fine, but I have weird level insertion loss issue , it's 2db below the direct/bypass signal on both channel.
2db is too much,  and I can figure out what might cause it
it's a sontec style eq, any idea?


Best,
Simon

In magnetic circuits like power transformers mains frequency controls how many opportunities exist to pass current (at the tips of waveforms). 60Hz power has 120 opportunites per second, while 50Hz power only 100 opportunities. The iron and copper must support passing either 1/120th or 1/100th of the average current with every push. In practice this means a 50Hz transformer will need to be 20% larger/heavier than 60Hz.

This is the long way of saying that you can use a 50Hz transformer at 60Hz as long as you get the voltages sorted. Going in the other direction is not so easy as a 60Hz transformer could be too wimpy to work comfortably at 50Hz.

JR

 

[Khron]

This.

I don't think there is a relation between the mains voltage and the insertion loss!

 

[simonsez]

Thank you, then I know it's not the main power problem now, but still  cannot figure out why it  happening  in both channel,

why 2 db?  :

I'm really sure that  it don't have those kind of problem when I tested before ship to Canada.

schematic is close to Igor sontec  (input/summing circuit)

 

[simonsez]

The studio in Canada have the original Sontec MES-432, I found that  the output male XLR connection of the original sontec pin 1&2 tied together to ground, but in my sontec built pin 3&1 tied to ground.

Can this cause a problem when they chain together? supposed that the original sontec is in the first chain, then  the second sontec only get the negative input signal? because the pin 1 on the first sontec out is  connected to ground.

I can see that the 2nd gear only get signal on input pin 3

Best,
Simon

 

[simonsez]

This is the original sontec output XLR connection

 

[JohnRoberts]

The studio in Canada have the original Sontec MES-432, I found that  the output male XLR connection of the original sontec pin 1&2 tied together to ground, but in my sontec built pin 3&1 tied to ground.

Can this cause a problem when they chain together? supposed that the original sontec is in the first chain, then  the second sontec only get the negative input signal? because the pin 1 on the first sontec out is  connected to ground.

I can see that the 2nd gear only get signal on input pin 3

Best,
Simon

XLR pin 1 is always safety ground.
XLR pin 2 is now audio + but wasn't always. Back last century some manufacturers used pin 3 as audio +
XLR pin 3 is now audio - but wasn't always.

As long as you feed a differential input this can only cause a polarity inversion, mixing with single ended wiring can cause issues if you guess wrong about which pin is active (no output) or ignore one of two active lines (-6dB).

Good luck.

JR