Why am I a sucker for marketing?

[conleycd]

I guess the obvious answer is that I am a weak minded fool who would be particularly susceptible to the Jedi mind trick.

I have always felt the need to have a Furman Power conditioner hooked up to everything I use.  So for my pedal board I picked up a http://www.furmansound.com/product.php?div=01&id=AC-215_PRO.  Mind you, I didn't pay much for it.  But really... what does it do?  Does it do anything that it claims?  I'm going with no. Stage lighting lights still makes buzzes in my amp when they are turned down.  I don't think in 20 years have I ever had a "power surge" that my equipment needed protection from...

So am I just a sucker to marketing, LEDs, and most everything encased in a ~1.75" case?

CC

 

[radiance]

... what does it do. 

Pop it open, post some pics.  I don't expect any complicated circuitry in there.

 

[sodderboy]

You are lucky to not have a surge.  I like the over-voltage protection on that box.  I WOULD like to see what a "pure ground" looks like- did they fill it with organic soil from Hunan Province?
Power protection needs are very specific.  Touring stage rigs get different attention than do "end of the grid" deep-woods studios.  You have to address needs first and match a product.
That Furman box is not bad for most things.  As for the buzz from stage lighting, if the hash is on the power I would try an Ebtech HumX on the equipment.  If it is RFI then you do not have much choice in the matter but remove from the source of radiation.  Even if you build a Farady cage for the equipment rack it gets in through you and the instrument.
Mike

 

[lassoharp]

Power surges outside of the extreme (lightning strike or storm related utility destruction) has been for me - knock on wood - non existent.  In all my years being around PA and studio gear I've never had an instance of an outlet surge disturbing or damaging equipment or knew of anyone who did. Brownouts however have been a common occurrence at my house for several years.

Selling surge protection for computers and home entertainment gear is big business - really just seems like another form of 'Paid Protection' from a marketing POV regardless of facts.

I've also never seen an instance where a hum/buzz issue was cured by any type of power conditioner.

It also did not cure a bad case of poor grounding in a venue I used to frequent.  Everyone in the band kept getting shocked -hands on strings- lips to mic .  Everything was 3-prong.  Desperate, someone ran home and got a power conditioner.  The first brave guinea pig cussed louder than he did the first time and everyone settled on cloth napkins and rubber bands.

I still believe the best protection when the weather turns rough is to unplug - sometimes really fast.

 

[s2udio]

I WOULD like to see what a "pure ground" looks like-  

I have heard they use soil from african gold mines in the paint to coat the case ;D

 

[conleycd]

When I reconstruct my board I'll pop it open for all to see.

The commentary of getting shocks from microphones are likely the result of a ground being lifted from the amps and then you become the ground of the FOH.  Actually happened to me this morning at church.  In fact of the 10 extension cords or so I am always the person that gets shocked!!! (Sabotage I think).

Lighting buzz drives me nuts!!!  Not that it happens all the time - but when it does it drives me nuts!!!  Would a 1:1 (120:120) isolation transformer on my rig fix this?

This Furman box actually induced some good buzz onto a transformer based DI that I used when it was set on top.  NOw I know that's not wise to do but... It happened.  So... it likely has a transformer in it that can nicely induce to others!

CC

 

[sodderboy]

The transformer only fixes the lighting buzz if it is ON the power rails, like I posted earlier.  The RFI buzz can only be fixed by moving the amp- sometimes just rotating it will help, other times it gets in the guitar.  You have to address the specific issue.
Mike