Powering Up and Powering Down the whole studio!?

halcyo · 22nd January 2007, 07:30 AM

Ok, I have a question about 'powering up' and 'powering down' my home studio. So I got all this crazy gear on and running all at once, right? Is it ok for ALL of the gear to be plugged into a 'master power switch' to turn everything on and off at the same time? Something about this seems like it would be bad for all my wonderful gear!

I guess I was wonderiing what some of you guys did in your pro studios in terms of powering up and down all those racks of gear. I can't imagine you go around and turn everything on one unit at a time, right?

halcyo

beachhunt · 22nd January 2007, 07:54 AM

I remember a thread like this somewhat recently, and the consensus was that it's not a big deal to have a master power switch that turns it all on at once. My memory might be proved wrong later in this thread, but that's what I THINK I remember...

Just make sure that you're not plugging dozens devices into a bunch of $8 power strips, as they might not be able to handle the draw of turning it all on at once. A quality power conditioner should be okay, though. If you split it between a few 8-input conditioners instead of one big switch, all the better.

Power conditioners and most power strips will have a joule rating somewhere on them or on the package, you can add up your units' requirements and see what you need.

musicmixer04 · 22nd January 2007, 08:46 AM

hi

I use a remote control so I can turn off/on my different racks of gear! reliable, looks professional, and pretty cool.

lowswing · 22nd January 2007, 10:39 PM

some studios i worked in had a key that switch main electricty to studio on and off

Zwinter · 22nd January 2007, 11:45 PM

The only downside of turning everything on at the same time is that most gear has a huge draw for the brief second after you flip the switch. If you have a bunch of gear all requiring larger than normal draw, meaning larger than during normal operation, you could pop a breaker or fuse.

In my experience I wouldn't turn on all of the gear because the studios I work in had lots and lots of gear and consoles. Plus, it would mean that we wouldn't have to throw a 200 amp main breaker. I don't know how much gear you have so you may not really run into the situation we had.

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22nd January 2007, 07:30 AM	#1
halcyo Gear addict Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cincinnati Ohio Posts: 408	Powering Up and Powering Down the whole studio!? Ok, I have a question about 'powering up' and 'powering down' my home studio. So I got all this crazy gear on and running all at once, right? Is it ok for ALL of the gear to be plugged into a 'master power switch' to turn everything on and off at the same time? Something about this seems like it would be bad for all my wonderful gear! I guess I was wonderiing what some of you guys did in your pro studios in terms of powering up and down all those racks of gear. I can't imagine you go around and turn everything on one unit at a time, right? halcyo

22nd January 2007, 10:39 PM	#4
lowswing Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 1,169	some studios i worked in had a key that switch main electricty to studio on and off __________________ Guy Sternberg Engineer, Producer LowSwing Studios, berlin www.lowswing.de

22nd January 2007, 11:45 PM	#5
Zwinter Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Boston Posts: 632	The only downside of turning everything on at the same time is that most gear has a huge draw for the brief second after you flip the switch. If you have a bunch of gear all requiring larger than normal draw, meaning larger than during normal operation, you could pop a breaker or fuse. In my experience I wouldn't turn on all of the gear because the studios I work in had lots and lots of gear and consoles. Plus, it would mean that we wouldn't have to throw a 200 amp main breaker. I don't know how much gear you have so you may not really run into the situation we had. __________________ Zach Winterfeld Chariots of Fire, "you can't put in what God's left out" "It is slightly illegal, but who the f@*k cares at this point."

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22nd January 2007, 07:54 AM	#2
beachhunt Gear maniac Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 183	I remember a thread like this somewhat recently, and the consensus was that it's not a big deal to have a master power switch that turns it all on at once. My memory might be proved wrong later in this thread, but that's what I THINK I remember... Just make sure that you're not plugging dozens devices into a bunch of $8 power strips, as they might not be able to handle the draw of turning it all on at once. A quality power conditioner should be okay, though. If you split it between a few 8-input conditioners instead of one big switch, all the better. Power conditioners and most power strips will have a joule rating somewhere on them or on the package, you can add up your units' requirements and see what you need.

22nd January 2007, 08:46 AM	#3
musicmixer04 Gear maniac Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 151	hi I use a remote control so I can turn off/on my different racks of gear! reliable, looks professional, and pretty cool.