Ahhh, the age old question of the sh*tty surge protector....

The Furman that you currently have is simply that, a surge protector. Truthfully, it's not even a really good one at that. It may have a voltage indicator, but that doesn't mean that it's doing anything to that voltage.

The $300 Furman power conditioners actually "condition" the power. That is, they stabilize the voltage (the REALLY good ones will keep you at 120 constantly, the more basic ones will allow variances of up to 6 volts +/-) and they filter noise from the lines. Some are better at this than others, but the $300 Furman is worth its price.

If you have dirty power or fluctuating voltage conditions, this is the way to go. If you are fairly confident that you don't have these issues, then there's really no need for such a device.

In which case, I would recommend a good UPS. By their very nature, they maintain stability of voltage (via the big fat batteries they are loaded down with.) Some will even filter power a little. That, in truth, may be a better investment.

Just some thoughts...

J.

I have looked into getting a monster cable power conditioner. This will probably be my X-Mas upgrade.

I stay clear of anything labelled "Monster"..they are over-hyped, over-priced, and no better than anything else out there. Cucco was correct-get a good UPS from any reputable computer supply house.I personally use APC from newegg......save your $$$ for another mic!

moonbaby wrote: I stay clear of anything labelled "Monster"..they are over-hyped, over-priced, and no better than anything else out there.

I tend to disagree with this a bit.

Personally, I dig Monster Cable. I don't think their pricing is out of line (last time I checked, the 500 series of their cables were cheaper than Mogami Golds, which are considered by most to be comparable - though bear in mind, the cable construction is different.)

Here's what I find in general with Monster.

Their low end stuff is crap. Often a little over priced and relying on the Monster brand to sell it.

Their mid-level stuff is worth the $$$ and then some. This is where I find the real value stuff to live.

Their high-end stuff is a roll of the dice. For the price it commands, it puts Monster's stuff in a whole different class with folks like MIT, Kimber and others.

In general, my recommendation is to avoid buying something just because the nameplate. (I mean, look at the TLM 103. Would this be in the same class of mic as the M149 just because it has a Neumann nameplate? No. Neither its price nor its performance bear out the Neumann name.)

Just some thoughts.

Jeremy
(A proud owner of over 1000' of Monster Cable 500 series mic cables and interconnects.) 8-)

Hi Cucco,

moonbaby wrote:
I stay clear of anything labelled "Monster"..they are over-hyped, over-priced, and no better than anything else out there.

I tend to disagree with this a bit.

Personally, I dig Monster Cable. I don't think their pricing is out of line (last time I checked, the 500 series of their cables were cheaper than Mogami Golds, which are considered by most to be comparable - though bear in mind, the cable construction is different.)

try KLOTZ cable and i am shure you never will look back!! (with neutrik connex obviously!) and it's cheaper then monster at monster prices.

and by the way it's on my mind since ages, you have the absolut coolest avatar i've ever seen, oh my god i love cats!!, and this one is sooooooo...... funny :-)

Thanks for the tips from you both. As for the Monster issue, Cucco, I developed my mistrust of them in their very early days. Maybe I was being unfair. Then again, I see no reason to pop for a $50.00 cord between the Strat and the Pro. Of course, if it's between the AT4047 and the Neve.....I have been happy with my Mogami cables, but will re-evaluate the Monster for that. I have spent too many hours "stripping 'n' soldering" to go that route anymore. Unfortunately, there are parts of the world where that is the only option....it reminds me just how fortunate we in the States are....and spoiled! Happy New Year!

I vote for the UPS, first! Plug everything into it that it will support(Certainly all your computer stuff, itself). I have a large enough UPS to plug ALL my stuff into(Even a desk lamp!), but my situation is "small". AFTER the acquisition of the UPS, if "outboard" gear is used, THEN maybe a seperate "power conditioner" -- investigate "Surge-X".

Make sure the UPS will handle the "wallwarts" you have!

You DO NOT need to install the UPS "software"! If you feel you must, note that it "may" interfere with the "streaming audio" process...

My UPS provides excellent power regulation, excellent surge protection and RF protection. Some do, some don't... I credit the UPS(Maybe too much credit?) install for lowering my computer "failure/glitch rate" to near "0", all by itself... Mine is an "ordinary"(Though larger than most, at the time of purchase) Belkin, from the office supply store.

Teddy G.

so should I plug my Furman into an UPS? won't that be chaining to protectors together...(I thought that was bad)

the monster rack mounts are sexy and have a L.E.D. Just looks all nice and pretty tucked in a rack. Right now I use an APC.

Caisson wrote: so should I plug my Furman into an UPS? won't that be chaining to protectors together...(I thought that was bad)

No.
Just plug it all into the UPS.
Save the Furman for cheap gear and lava lamps.

Indeed, "chain" no protectors. Use your Furman for things that are NOT plugged into the UPS - at least not "directly" so... This can get a bit confusing(I have a total of around 30 occupied AC sockets in my little room! Only 6 of which are fully UPS protected.).

I have 3 "other" surge protectors in my studio, all of which hold lights, keyboard/synth(Though the synth IS plugged into the computer it is NOT in the UPS for it's AC power, ya' know?), printer, photo scanner, anything else I DON'T need to continue to work when the AC wall socket power goes out. Again though, the connecting/data cables of many such things, are "connected" to the computer, just not the UPS.

In my UPS I have -- Computer box/Video Monitor/powered speakers(Small powered speakers!)/audio mixer/mic preamp and a small desk lamp as well as my telephone line for my(Now "stanby) modem and my TV cable "modem" line. I can normally "complete", or at least safely pause a project(I do voiceover) within the minutes the UPS keeps everything "up". I have continued to work, at least for some seconds, AFTER a light has gone out, thinking I needed to replace a bulb, when actully the AC had gone out - fantastic!

AC regulation? On the same room circuit in my studio is a 6k btu air conditioner. It bounces on/off all the time with never the slightest flicker of the computer - tremendous!

I mentioned NOT installing the software - which is supposed to automatically, in the event of a power failure "stop" everything "running" and safely shut down the machine before the UPS battery dies - even if you are not around. I choose NOT to install this software as if I'm not around and the power goes out I doubt there will be(Or will try to live with) any serious problems allowing it to just "die"... THERE CAN BE SERIOUS PROBLEMS with ANY "random" Windows shutdown! I just don't have ANYTHING in the machine that I don't consider absolutely needed. I, personally, cannot recall a recent problem I could attribute to a "random" Windows shutdown, but have OFTEN had audio projects messed-up with software "running/updating/whatever" that shouldn't -- so I "live on the edge"... I do turn off the system if I'm "out" for a whole day or more.

Read-up on UPS - along with "normal" surge protectors - there is alot to know, all of it worthwhile...

TG

You mean that I should be plugging my lava lamps into a Furman?

moonbaby wrote: You mean that I should be plugging my lava lamps into a Furman?

Heck yeah Dude!!!

You gotta protect the important stuff!!

A couple of years ago I discovered Belkin UPS's with voltage regulation (they call it AVR). I currently have 15 hard drives spread among 4 computers that are never turned off.

Maybe it's just luck but since switching to the Belkin units from Tripplite I haven't had a single hard drive failure and the number of crashes has also dropped.

I know there are plenty of fine regulators available but the Belkins have the most bang for the buck.

My .02.

BTW you can always get between 40 and 50% off at the Belkin site by entering 12345 in the coupon box. For some items it's much cheaper than a store.

Joel

For what it's worth I have a Furman Power Factor Pro that I use mainly for my guitar amps (Marshall TSL-100, Gibson Goldtone GA-15RV). I sort of went out on a limb buying the thing, thinking the marketing for it was a bunch of snake oil. I was surprised, but I can tell you the thing actually works. There is a clear difference to the sound from my amps with this puppy plugged in. The sound is so improved for my guitar that even my wife can tell the difference!! This unit allows the guitar amp to punch a *lot* quicker and more powerfully, sometimes to the point of being brutal. Because of this, playing dynamics are uncovered that weren't there before.

I don't know if it would help recording gear since it is really designed to allow tons of current to pass quickly on demand, and I think most preamps are low voltage (30 or 40 volts?). Although now that I think of it, maybe tube mic pres could benefit from this device. All I know is that I've had it for about 9 months, and it has been a keeper since day one.