Power Up...Power Down

[Akira]

Just wondering if most of you turn on and off your gear when not in use and if you obey the proper 'on/off' sequence.

Or like me do you never turn off your gear.

Have you ever lost gear due to not using it for a long time.

[ratitifb]

Have you ever lost gear due to not using it for a long time.one DBX 118 dynamic range enhancer after 10 years in storage :o:

[JBL 4645]

Just wondering if most of you turn on and off your gear when not in use and if you obey the proper 'on/off' sequence.

Or like me do you never turn off your gear.

Have you ever lost gear due to not using it for a long time.

Let me guess what you’re really asking? You want to know if we have thumping sounds when powering up certain amplifiers or audio processors.

The answer is yes.

But! If I power up and power down in the correct way then thumps will not be heard, which is what I always do.

I power up processors first and amps last.
I power down the amps first and the processors last.

It’s that simple!;) And I’ve had the home cinema turned ON for the past few days back three days! No I wasn’t running a DVD/laserdisc/bluray marathon, just had other things on my mind and I wanted to keep it all turned on, because it takes a good 20 minutes for the Alesis amps to warm up.

Also it’s what I leaned when I was projectionist, to turn on the Dolby CP65 first and the amps ON one at time.

:happyh::tree:

[Eaulive]

Look at the Furman sequencer at the center of this rack... no more thumping problems and a remote power up/down capability :D

[JBL 4645]

Look at the Furman sequencer at the center of this rack... no more thumping problems and a remote power up/down capability :D

What does that do put some delay on the auto powering up and down?
It cost less to do it manually I mean how much does it cost?

I don’t need to look at the site I sussed that there are 6 amps and A B C D F E on the Furman sequencer.

Its like I said.
I power up processors first and amps last.
I power down the amps first and the processors last.


I’m more curious what the whole rack is used for. Doesn’t look like cinema because I don’t see Dolby dts SDDS processor in that rack. So what’s it used for?
Hmm, there is an odd pattern on one of the EQ sliders. Also the dbx drive rack which can only do I think its two channels.
Looks like a few amps are in bridge mode from the look of the left hand volume control.

:happyh::tree:

[Eaulive]

You miss nothing :)

It's for a theater (not movie theater) of a resort here.
From the top of the rack that you don't see are 10 SGM dimmers for lighting, then the Furman sequencer for audio with 6 outputs of 120V 20A switched with a 3 second delay between them.
Under is a Furman voltage regulator for all the electonics in this rack and the supply to the control room equipment, then the driverack for FOH, then one simple EQ for FOH as well (the customer wanted an EQ besides the driverack, don't ask).
Under are EQ/limiters for the two channels of floor monitors.
Then one stereo amp for the 4 JBL SRX715 HF portion, one bridged for the left two SRX 715 LF portion, the next for the right, then two bridged amps for one JBL SRX728S each, and the last stereo amp for floor monitors.

The A output of the furman is for the voltage regulator and electronics, the remaining 5 are for the amplifiers, obviously there's one output with two amps, if I remember well it's the first and last.

It's kind of a basic setup for hotels around here.

BTW, these amps are the worse $hit Crown ever produced, after two weeks they started failing and Crown sent me 6 new XTi no questions asked. :applaud:



What does that do put some delay on the auto powering up and down?
It cost less to do it manually I mean how much does it cost?

I don’t need to look at the site I sussed that there are 6 amps and A B C D F E on the Furman sequencer.

Its like I said.
I power up processors first and amps last.
I power down the amps first and the processors last.


I’m more curious what the whole rack is used for. Doesn’t look like cinema because I don’t see Dolby dts SDDS processor in that rack. So what’s it used for?
Hmm, there is an odd pattern on one of the EQ sliders. Also the dbx drive rack which can only do I think its two channels.
Looks like a few amps are in bridge mode from the look of the left hand volume control.

:happyh::tree:

[Eaulive]

Some more pictures

[BMWCCA]

BTW, these amps are the worse $hit Crown ever produced, after two weeks they started failing and Crown sent me 6 new XTi no questions asked. :applaud:Do they happen to say "Made in China" on the back? ;)

We've ventured into this territory before with respect to the Crown XTis.

The Furman sequencer is a nice piece. I've used one in the big system I run for a friend's company on occasion. Furman makes a simpler 3-circuit/six-outlet conditioner/sequencer in a one-rack-space size starting under $300 with more sophisticated 6-step/channel units for under $400. I tried to check out the Carvin version but two times they sent one that was so damaged in transit I never got a chance to try it out. Poor packaging seemed to go along with the low price. The pull-out rack lights appear to be a great additional feature but were so cheap as to be nearly useless in person. On-sale now for $139 plus shipping: http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/single.php?product=AC120S&cid=61

[Mr. Widget]

Just wondering if most of you turn on and off your gear when not in use and if you obey the proper 'on/off' sequence.

Or like me do you never turn off your gear. I typically turn everything off at the end of a listening session... if I know I'll be coming back to listen later in the day, I'll usually leave it on though.

As for power up/down... my Symmetry crossover specifically states you should never turn it off, and the Audyssey Sub Equalizer I am using has no front panel power switch... it is also intended to be left powered up. Both of these devices draw fairly little power so leaving them on isn't much of a power issue... I suppose they are both meant to be left on so that people don't have to worry about power up/down sequencing.


Widget

[Eaulive]

Do they happen to say "Made in China" on the back? ;)

We've ventured into this territory before with respect to the Crown XTis.

They were (they are discontinued since 2 or three years) made in China but this was not the issue.

In the Carribean resorts we have the big problem of moisture and saline air from the sea. Everything rots in a matter of months and these amps have a terrible airflow layout. The fans are located between two heat sinks directly on top of the PC board.
The air flows through the complete unit, over the components and directly over the PC board. Also the heatsinks are live +/- 100V or more and some signal and sensing lines pass directly under them, or close to power lines.

When moisture and corrosion get in there all hell breaks loose.

The XTi line-up suffer from the same flaws but at much lesser degree, the fan is temperature controlled and works only when needed, the layout is less sensitive and the PC board is of excellent quality compared to the late XS series. However the XTi suffers from a terrible design flaw, there is no DC protection during the power-up routine wich can last up to 4 seconds. In these four seconds, a defective amp that outputs many volts DC at speaker terminals can badly damage a speaker.
It's completely stupid, the microprocessor runs the protection scheme but if $hit hits the fan in the four seconds before it's completely booted up, it goes undetected.
So far I had six D8R2431 toasted because of defective XTi 1000, a diaphragm that costs more than 100$. Not fun.
Since then I had to put capacitors on the HF lines when using XTi1000 with bi-amped speakers.

The only low end Crown amplifier that holds his own is the entry level XLS line-up. Cheap, sturdy and reliable with a useable DC protection, the only drawback is that they don't do 2Ω stereo or 4Ω bridge.

[1audiohack]

I have the same Furman ASD120 in my main system. Even with six amps and two DBX crossovers and all the video junk it makes power up/down a one preamp button affair, with a wife and kids I consider it a must.

The best thing is the key! If I don't want anyone to use it, I turn it off and take the key.

The other small systems use Adcom sequencers, easy and simple.

[hjames]

I have the same Furman ASD120 in my main system. Even with six amps and two DBX crossovers and all the video junk it makes power up/down a one preamp button affair, with a wife and kids I consider it a must.

The best thing is the key! If I don't want anyone to use it, I turn it off and take the key.

The other small systems use Adcom sequencers, easy and simple.

yeah, but for $640 it ought to brew beer for you too!

http://www.amazon.com/Furman-ASD-120-Sequenced-Distribution-Circuits/dp/B000YYYHJC/

[Eaulive]

yeah, but for $640 it ought to brew beer for you too!

http://www.amazon.com/Furman-ASD-120-Sequenced-Distribution-Circuits/dp/B000YYYHJC/

Well, really it's not something you want for your house unless you're into big power. I mean, this unit is made to distribute 14.4kW of AC power... or about twice the max power capacity of my house breaker panel, wich is NEVER fully loaded :D

You can get a 1800W Furman PS8 wich is OK for home use, at around 200 bucks.

[Fred Sanford]

What does that do put some delay on the auto powering up and down?
It cost less to do it manually I mean how much does it cost?

Its like I said.
I power up processors first and amps last.
I power down the amps first and the processors last.


I like having them, 'cause I don't like having all the gear in the same room with me. Anything that makes noise (music servers, DVRs, amps with fans) and anything I don't need to put media into (matrix switchers, surround processors, control gear, amps) migrates into racks in the basement, and is turned on & off when needed by the control system & power management. If I had to do it manually every time, it'd be a tedious chore. I also share sources between music systems/surround systems/house system, so automating that makes it easy & mistake-free.

There's even an automated emergency power-down when there's a brownout - the UPS tells the control system there's a problem, the control system signals the power management, & it brings down the components sequentially. Saves battery life on the UPSs, and saves gear from damage. The control system & alarm system can also send me a text message if I want, telling me there's a problem at the house. :applaud:

In my studio, I also employ them, but not in the exact same way- certain pieces can be used at any time (computer, tape transports), but the racks of processing never power up until/unless the main mixer is turned on...then the mixer's current draw is sensed, and things turn on in sequence, plus the power amp cooling fans turn on at low speed (until they sense a high temp, then they automatically spin faster). When the mixer goes off, things turn off in reverse, and the fans stay on until interior temps reach ~ ambient temps. Yeah, it's possible to approach manually but pretty tedious if it wasn't automated. Power amps & sub, in this instance, are manually switched so I can easily use the mixer in headphone mode.

I fortunately didn't pay anything for mine, they were garbage picked & repaired, or removed from installations that were getting upgrades.

je

[Eaulive]

When the mixer goes off, things turn off in reverse,

I have a problem with this statement... if you turn off the mixer manually, and then the rest shuts off, the sequence is wrong!

It's OK to turn on the board first, but it has to be turned off last!

[Fred Sanford]

I have a problem with this statement... if you turn off the mixer manually, and then the rest shuts off, the sequence is wrong!

It's OK to turn on the board first, but it has to be turned off last!

Agreed, but you missed the last line in that paragraph:


Power amps & sub, in this instance, are manually switched so I can easily use the mixer in headphone mode.

je

[JBL 4645]

I like having them, 'cause I don't like having all the gear in the same room with me. Anything that makes noise (music servers, DVRs, amps with fans) and anything I don't need to put media into (matrix switchers, surround processors, control gear, amps) migrates into racks in the basement, and is turned on & off when needed by the control system & power management. If I had to do it manually every time, it'd be a tedious chore. I also share sources between music systems/surround systems/house system, so automating that makes it easy & mistake-free.

There's even an automated emergency power-down when there's a brownout - the UPS tells the control system there's a problem, the control system signals the power management, & it brings down the components sequentially. Saves battery life on the UPSs, and saves gear from damage. The control system & alarm system can also send me a text message if I want, telling me there's a problem at the house. :applaud:

In my studio, I also employ them, but not in the exact same way- certain pieces can be used at any time (computer, tape transports), but the racks of processing never power up until/unless the main mixer is turned on...then the mixer's current draw is sensed, and things turn on in sequence, plus the power amp cooling fans turn on at low speed (until they sense a high temp, then they automatically spin faster). When the mixer goes off, things turn off in reverse, and the fans stay on until interior temps reach ~ ambient temps. Yeah, it's possible to approach manually but pretty tedious if it wasn't automated. Power amps & sub, in this instance, are manually switched so I can easily use the mixer in headphone mode.

I fortunately didn't pay anything for mine, they were garbage picked & repaired, or removed from installations that were getting upgrades.

je

Well I really don’t mind turning (on and off) switches I get a good workout from it.:D
Let me guess does it have delay on the unit to custom program?

Edit: was right it does come with a delay.

Is that what it costs then $600 dollars.

Wow at most under £400 pounds.
http://www.google.co.uk/products?q=Furman+sequencer+


:presents:

[Akira]

I am surprised that I am the only one who never turns off their gear.

This is standard studio practice that I have continued while at home. Call it force of habit but, over the years that I have been involved in audio, (now 40) It has proven to me to be the most stable. I have never lost a piece of gear while powered on. I have lost gear through proper powering up. Bryston's notorious lack of DC protection has taken out a whack of Turbosounds and JBL's. Other components simply fail to work over time.

It is estimated that you lose 1-2% of electrical consumption through leakage and minimal power use by maintaining this practice. But, it sure beats the loss of 6 very fine pieces of vintage components that I have lost over the years through storage and non use... it hurts to throw out a vintage Lexicon.

[hjames]

I am surprised that I am the only one who never turns off their gear.


Some of my gear gets turned off, some of it runs all the time.

The HK370 /L20T system, tied to my Mac as a local monitor/iTunes playback is nearly always on.

The Carver receiver tied to the L200+ 3ways is always on, usually set for "airtunes" - so any music I play with itunes up in the office gets echoed downstairs and with more response. Of course I can play FM or CDs on that system as well..

The 7.1 system with the TV and biamped 4341 monitors does get turned on and off each day, usually used in the evening, but that's about it.

[rontec]

Almost 30 years ago I somehow convinced my wife to turn the main volume control to zero before switching or turning on or off any equipment. The main amp was always turned off last.
(ditto for our daughter!)

Lost at least one piece of equipment in storage; Pioneer multi CD player.

[Akira]

Almost 30 years ago I somehow convinced my wife to turn the main volume control to zero before switching or turning on or off any equipment. The main amp was always turned off last.
(ditto for our daughter!)

Wow! you managed to semi train two women.:applaud:

[rontec]

Wow! you managed to semi train two women.:applaud:
LOL....semi is right. Only a few things here and there!


BTW...also had an amp. go bad in storage. Don't know why, it was working fine before putting it away for a number of years. Took it out one day and DOA!

[Fred Sanford]

I am surprised that I am the only one who never turns off their gear.

This is standard studio practice that I have continued while at home. Call it force of habit but, over the years that I have been involved in audio, (now 40) It has proven to me to be the most stable. I have never lost a piece of gear while powered on. I have lost gear through proper powering up. Bryston's notorious lack of DC protection has taken out a whack of Turbosounds and JBL's. Other components simply fail to work over time.

It is estimated that you lose 1-2% of electrical consumption through leakage and minimal power use by maintaining this practice. But, it sure beats the loss of 6 very fine pieces of vintage components that I have lost over the years through storage and non use... it hurts to throw out a vintage Lexicon.

Power to the house is just too damn inconsistent here in rural America. We have brownouts during almost any storm, where voltage drops & rises & drops & rises in rapid succession. Anything with a processor or mapping of settings (computers, DVRs, servers, surround units, DRVs, multi-effects, control system, alarm system, etc.) is on a UPS, but most of the power amps aren't. They all get turned off at the first sign of an electrical storm.

Pretty sure I've only had one power amp ever fail on me, in 25+ years, and it was a cheap fix. Although, I did have a Phase Linear power amp that damaged a few speakers that were attached to it. :( Most of the component failures I've had were on the "processor or mapping of settings" types of gear I listed above.

In a pro/commercial setting I'd spec & install better power conditioning, for sure- this is an amateur home studio.

je