power supply info Australia

[oldbrowndog]

Even the contact details for an electrician local to Melbourne that I could use in the studio?

[Tim Farrant]

You need to check the switch board. If you only have one breaker feeding both power points, it will limit you to 10 amps, which is tight. Is the tape machine a 24 track? These can pull a fair amount of power.

[Led]

Hi, a Variac won't help if you don't have enough current for all your gear. Like Tim says, it may have only one circuit which is 10amps. You don't really need a studio specific sparky, just look up your local guide for one and get him to check it out. It would help him if you knew the max current draw in amps of each piece of gear, sometimes it is listed on the gear, sometimes not on the older stuff. He may be able to wire you another feed off the main board, it depends on the board.

[oldbrowndog]

OK back to this situation.
I now have a good sparky recommended by a local studio & he has asked me to calculate the power draw of all my gear.. I assume this means how many amps each unit draws.

Looking at the back of a lot of this stuff it seems figuring that out is trickier than i thought.. Sometimes good info is there, sometimes not..

Can someone explain what info i need from each unit to be able to calculate the power draw, & what the equation is?

Also regarding the issue of which direction to go with this, the sparky explained i could upgrade the old ceramic fuses with some quite expensive tripping fuses (around $140 each) which need to be replaced if they blow (sounds crazy to me..)
& to help with the issue of surge protection i could buy a high quality powerboard with inbuilt surge protection & then split out of that for all the gear..

The other option he explained was to buy a power conditioner which start at around $1500 each & go up from there.. this obviously would also give me the beauty of a continuous power level.. i think?

I really dont want to overkill things here as i simply cant afford it, though i cant afford to blow up all my gear either so a medium ground solution is needed.. the building isnt mine & could be forced to move with little notice so my preference is to do the very least to the building possible to make it safe & if necessary spend more on something i can take with me..
Still i'd prefer to keep the whole job including sparky fees to $500 or under if possible..

Can anyone in Australia recommend me a decent way to go with the aforementioned setup that is safe without going overboard..?
thanks in advance

[Richard Crowley]

You can calculate the number of amps each piece draws from the voltage (220) and the wattage (if the nameplate doesn't specify amps)

Ohms Law formula is: I = P/E Where I is current (in Amps), P is power (in Watts), and E is voltage (in Volts). I have a handy online Ohm's Law calculator here: EIRP Calculator

The nameplate ratings are typically higher than the actual power used, but that just gives you a safety margin.

Modern technology has made available handy little gadgets like the "Kill-O-Watt" which will measure exact power and many other things for you at a very modest price. Recommended...

http://www.amazon.com/P3-Internation.../dp/B000RGF29Q

[ray_subsonic]

BrownDog ..

Just as a general guide, Large or Old Consoles, Multitrack Tape Machines, Vintage Tube Gear and Power Amps will probably suck quite a few Amps. So on your List :

Neve 542 (16 channel desk)
Tascam 58 tape machine
2 x ampex 601 amplifiers
2 x Rca germanium compressor / pre's

Are the first things I'd try to get a clear reading on. The Ampere Rating is usually a .1 decimal or single digit number with a capital A following it. It's usually on the manufacturers stamp on the back (or somewhere near the power supply).

The Sebatron might also be a bit power-hungry. What brand is the 4 channel valve mic pre? If it's a TLA it will have less Suckage of Amperes ..

If you wish, PM me and I'll help you out. Where are you? Sydney? Melbs? Nurioopta?

Cheers RAy

[oldbrowndog]

thanks for the info people. will calculate the amps now..
Anyone willing to weigh in on the studio electricity side of what i could do with the room/ & or surge protected power boards.. or power conditioners.. etc etc.. most bang for buck, not going overboard whilst still being safe is what im after..

[Matt Syson]

Hi
A lot of what you ask depends on the reliability of your electrical supply. If it is 'in town' then it should be pretty constant (maybe hand a multimeter on it and look what you get every hour or two for a few days).
If you are 200 miles on the end of some 'damp string' then you will have problems.
ALL gear is made to withstand a certain voltage tolerance, usually plus or minus 10 percent so as long as your supply stays within that area, you should not experience any problems.
'Spikes' on the supply from electrical storms could be an issue if fed on overhead wires.
As noted, a VARIAC will NOT help you.
An automatic voltage regulator would help if your mains is wandering around all over the place outside tolerance but this should be investigated with the electricity supply company as a 'fault' before lashing out big money. I would not recommend a 'motor driven VARIAC' type automatic regulator as I have had experience of these destroying desk power supplies (in Damascus, 30 years ago). Local industrial users MAY influence your supply voltage or 'noise' but this would take some detective work if you are getting particular issues.
Start off by ensuring the supply in your property is correctly wired and fitted with latest regulation fuses / breakers then assess if you have any problems, chances are you won't.
Matt S

[Richard Crowley]

I reinforce what Mr. Syson said. Most common "surge protectors" are ineffective anyway and a waste of money. And they don't protect against BIG problems like nearby lightning strikes, anyway. Proper power mains wiring is the best bet and avoid getting suckered by magic power contraptions.

[oldbrowndog]

Thanks Matt, what you say makes sense. Fortunately I am in town & quite near the substation.. & there are not to many big industrial users nearby so I should be ok.
What I am taking from your information is that I should simply, in your words, ensure the building is correctly wired and fitted with latest regulation fuses / breakers.. & do not worry about surge protected power boards etc etc

Re: power conditioners.. I also read somewhere that power conditioners had the potential to be bad for audio gear because they limited the power that certain gear needed.. though i must admit i do not understand that.. It seems to me that if your gear requires 230v & you buy a power conditioner that supplies that voltage at all times then you are doing the gear a favour.

So anyway basically get modern wiring installed in the building.. Any reason to star earth?

[Matt Syson]

Hi.
Yes get the mains wired to latest regulations is the first thing.
Star earthing may be helpful so you could start reading up on how it is done and apply it when you get the studio together 'properly'.
There is a LOT of 'cr*p' available on the internet but it is not rocket science or magic but fully established and quantifyable electrical theory.
Having a row of electrical outlets very close together then 'radiate' all power leads from there should be a good start. Use proper wall sockets, not a pile of dangly extension cables / power strips.
Matt S