I have noticed a huge difference in my system performance when I plug into an outlet that gives me a constant 120 volts plus vs one that shows 115-117 on my furman, mostly my subs peak much earlier Yamaha DXS15
Voltage
- Thread starter tunes4046
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I mean I know power affecting equipment is a real thing, and have noticed it from time to time at higher volumes... but the difference is more noticeable when the starting voltage is a lot lower. It also depends on how many amps you're watts you're putting on a single circuit. If you have a lower starting voltage, you draw more amperage as opposed to if those same items have a higher starting voltage. Either way, the setups you guys see me do have between 2-4 circuits to make sure everything is nicely distributed so that even with low power I am still safe. Even my tops are separated from my subs to make sure I never draw too much amperage. If you're putting your entire system on one circuit with subs and/or lighting, you're probably getting very close to the limit, and even more so if you have less than 120v starting.
Many places I play I only get the option of one outlet, most have adequate power however there are a couple that when you plug in you get 115-117 volts
There’s always more circuits... u just gotta find them. I bring 600ft of extensions so one way or another power is found lol. I’d rather have everything split and be safe, then put everything on one and risk popping breakers
That depends on your rig. A full rig with my old yorkies would fluctuate between 5-10amps. My current rig with Alto subs pops 3-6amps. I strongly recommend that all of us should carry a Kill A Watt meter with them at all times. I also carry a 30-amp power regulator, for the rare occasion that I hit a place with low voltage.
Correct, anything 25ft or longer is on a 12gauge cable... but likewise id rather have 4 circuits at 112volts than 1 at 120v. Keep in mind my productions are significantly different than most. Even a setup of 2 heads, 2 tops and 1 sub, requires 2 circuits.
Most power supplies today are tolerant of voltages from 80-130v, so low voltage shouldn't be an issue unless you have old school Class AB style amps with large transformers.
Even with my older Yorkville Unity system with its 3 PLX2 amps, I rarely drew over 8-9 amps total, so I have never had an issue with a single circuit for audio. Today's amps sip even less current, so unless you have a boatload of old style halogen PARs, it' unlikely you'd need much more than a single circuit unless you are doing a prom or have high-draw items like hazers and foggers and maybe multiple 200+w scanners/movers.
Even with my older Yorkville Unity system with its 3 PLX2 amps, I rarely drew over 8-9 amps total, so I have never had an issue with a single circuit for audio. Today's amps sip even less current, so unless you have a boatload of old style halogen PARs, it' unlikely you'd need much more than a single circuit unless you are doing a prom or have high-draw items like hazers and foggers and maybe multiple 200+w scanners/movers.
Yup that’s why the moving heads are the killers for me. 350w each... add tvs at another couple of hundred watts each, plus multiple laptops, accessories, etc... then you’ll easily need multiple circuits.
You can't get any more power out of a wall socket than what it supplies. 120 volts on a 20 Amp circuit is 2400 watts of power. P=V x I. If you try to draw more than that, on a continuous basis, the circuit breaker in the main panel will trip. The best any of these magic black boxes can do is trade voltage for current - none of them create additional power
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Tonight is a good example of wall voltage affecting volume. I've been runnin 115-118 all night long. 2 K10 tops, 1 sub, 1 acrobat, 2 computers. Fairly small event but I've been pushing to get sound. Haven't been peaking (yet) but it's a definite difference you can feel. When I setup I was reading 120 but wishing I'd put the regulator into the power source.
If anything else is on that circuit, then you'll see dips. Most equipment should be able to handle 110-130 swings.
+1
There are power line conditioners -
really just a power strip in a box, and then there are power line conditioners -
....but don't be fooled by all that extra stuff, it's still really just chokes and capacitors removing some line noise.
To get really meaningful 120 Volt 20 Amp regulation, you need at minimum something like the $2K Furman SPR-20i - it will maintain the 120V output for you, but as the input voltage drops, it starts to trade current for voltage at the output, down to as low as 12 amps output - your subs won't be happy. There is no free lunch - you cannot produce or create more power than what comes out of the wall socket.
Most of the equipment DJ's use today already have regulated power supplies, and most Class D amps have high frequency switching power supplies - neither of these will be "hearably" effected by a 5V drop (as Steve said). Big, heavy, Class A/B amps usually have unregulated output stages, but even then, IMHO a 5 volt drop will not cause a "hearable" difference.
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