VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[TheVoiceOfBob]

DB,
That is true, but it helps if there is filtering involved, which the cheaper UPS's don't include. That filtering reduces the "dirty" power signal. This can be significant if you have those "power bricks", since they have very poor filtering built into them and are susceptible to dirty power. That can cause intermittent issues with equipment.

Many manufacturers in the pursuit of greater profits make a piece of equipment that they can sell in all parts of the world by putting the power source outside the equipment. That way all they need to do in another country is have a different power brick. But as I stated earlier those bricks are poor supplies. Filtering the supply voltage helps make them operate a bit better.

The power supply is the often forgotten part of the equation when making equipment, yet it is so important. Want to check how good the power supply is? Weigh it!
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Try to imagine a world where there is no such thing as hypothetical situations.

The Voice of Bob

[Edo]

[steveanthony]

[Eddie Eagle]

I use the stuff the singer from Flock of Seagulls used on his hair.

Ok, I couldn't resist.

[Rob]

Well, well, well. Just so happens that the our dear ol' Mom has just recently set this young'un on the path concerning those sounds that go bump in the night (and on the Gold Wave).
Sent me packing to Wally World where their Phillips 1440 surge protector w/ Power Conditioning has done the trick!
Thanks, Mom!

(now if I can just get the rest of her honey-do list checked off...)

[TheVoiceOfBob]

[louzucaro]

Yeah, all my computers are plugged into UPS systems, and they do a fine enough job of conditioning the power so that you don't get that kind of annoyance. I've used APC, Belkin and some other brand that I can't remember.

In some ways, they all suck unless you spend over $1k for them, in terms of how long the batteries last...and I don't mean how long they last if the power goes out, I mean how long the batteries "stay good" before you have to replace them
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Lou Zucaro
http://www.voicehero.com

"Well, yeah, there's my favorite leaf!"

[Eddie Eagle]

[flaspots]

APC BackUPS XS 1300

We live in the capital of crappy power, so it's been VERY nice to have. During hurricane season, I plug it in to the generator so I can work and the toys don't have issues.

[georgethetech]

I've been happy with products from Opti-UPS, one of the lesser known brands with great value. If you have the bread, get an On-line UPS unit to run your whole studio. Not only does it backup and protect your gear, but it continually cleans and stabilizes the incoming power when you have questionable service. Here's about the least expensive unit that can do this:
http://store.opti-ups.com/Product/Item.aspx?id=196
If you can't swing that, get a "line interactive" UPS that does voltage stabilization and has a "true sine wave" inverter.
I like this model, or one of the smaller ones pending your power needs:
http://www.opti-ups.com/ups_detail.phtml?product_id=90
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder

[Yoda117]

[Lance Blair]

Diggin up an older thread:

I just got the APC Back-UPS XS 900. According to the management software, I can do a 100 min session in a blackout.

More importantly, I knew I had dirty power, but I didn't realize how dirty it was. My sound is now much smoother and there is a touch more low end. Cool.
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Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

[davidmonteath]

Pantene Pro V all the way.
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[georgethetech]

This would be the first time I heard of a UPS unit improving your audio. It claims to have some sort of "multi-pole noise filtering", so maybe that is actually making a difference. Most affordable UPS units just pass the power right through when they are not running on batteries, known as "Line-interactive". The expensive kind generally used in mission critical file server systems uses "Online" technology, where the power coming in is continuously stabilized and converted from AC-DC (to charge the batteries) and back to AC. This in effect scrubs the power clean.

This unit is not a "True Sinewave" output design, meaning that while running on the batteries it may induce more noise into your audio chain as it outputs what is considered a "modified sinewave" form of AC power. Instead of a smooth sinewave curve, you get a jagged stepped wave or worse (just a square wave). This doesn't matter for lights a computers, but it can make a nasty buzz in your audio, depending on how different equipment along the line handles this power.

What computer are you using? If it can run your PC, display, and outboard gear for 100 minutes, that would mean your entire system is only using 50 watts or so, pretty amazing.
Manufacturer claims:

Typical Backup Time
at Half Load
17.9 minutes (270 Watts)
Typical Backup Time
at Full Load
5.4 minutes (540 Watts)
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder

[Lance Blair]

Hi George,
I knew going into this that this unit didn't do true sine wave, and I was hesitant to get it but I needed it ASAP due to local brownout issues.
I didn't expect it to affect the sound as it has, but it has...my waveforms looks remarkably more balanced and less spikey, and there's definitely more low end.

As for the battery time, I usually run just my laptop and a Speck mic preamp and a Echo AudioFire2 and an external drive. With those units, my APC software says I have 100-110 minutes (It says the load on the back-up battery is 43 watts). When I turn on my powered speakers and mixer, which are not essential for recording, it goes down to 70minutes (70 watt load on the back-u.

David,
LOL! My sound is richer, smoother, shinier, and fewer Split Endz (fave Kiwi band).
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Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!