As you build out your home recording studio and invest in expensive equipment you may be wondering, “Is It Worth Getting A Power Conditioner?” Let’s take a look at power conditioners and learn more about what they do.
Is It Worth Getting A Power Conditioner?
If you are investing money on gear for your home recording studio then yes, a power conditioner should be part of your setup. Power conditioners remove electrical noise which lowers the noise floor and makes all your gear and equipment run quieter, (Less Noise In Your Recordings), helps eliminate ground loop, provides voltage monitoring, and stronger surge protection. If you want to protect your equipment, provide clean power so your equipment can perform at it’s best, and create the best sounding mixes then A power conditioner is worth investing in.
What Is A Power Conditioner?
Power conditioners act as a buffer between the electrical outlet and your home recording studio equipment.
Power conditioners smooth out voltage fluctuations as well as radio and electromagnetic interference that can affect system performance.
Power conditioners provide much better surge protection than power strips and are designed to filter out interference and noise introduced to the circuit.
Noise in electrical circuits is caused by household appliances, dimmable lights, dirty or unbalanced power, electromagnetic and radio frequency interference.
When this happens in your home studio or at a live gig, you’ll need a power conditioner to clean the incoming power and remove the additional noise.
Without a power conditioner, your equipment is not fully protected from power surges and interference and noise can develop in your power, which will affect performance and quality of recordings.
Do Power Conditioners Actually Work?
Yes, Power Conditioners Work.
What’s all the fuss over a power conditioner?
A power conditioner may seem like a little rack mount box sitting there doing nothing but, it’s actually keeping your gear safe by cleaning and filtering the power going to your sensitive equipment.
Power conditioners also have high power surge protection built in and will protect against spikes better than a surge protector on a power strip.
Look in any professional recording studio, pro level venue, radio and tv stations and you will find power conditioners.
Power conditioners work and if you are serious about protecting your gear and getting the best performance from your gear then you will want to invest in one.
Will A Power Conditioner Reduce Noise?
Yes, power conditioners will reduce noise that builds up in the electric signal.
Noise in the electricity coming into your home recording studio and occurring in your home studio is often caused by home appliances, ceiling fans, mobile phones, radio signal, and electromagnetic signals happening in or around your home.
A power conditioner will filter out the noises in your electricity and provide a cleaner sound for your recordings.
Most power conditioners have plenty of AC outlets that you can power all of your studio gear with.
Plug all your studio gear into a power conditioner and this will help eliminate ground loop noise, electromagnetic noise and radio frequency noise.
Do I Need A Power Conditioner For My Home Studio?
If you are investing money on equipment for your home recording studio and are serious about producing the best quality mixes, then yes you should get a power conditioner.
I have used a power conditioner over the last 25 years, and nothing has ever happened to my equipment.
Protect your equipment and invest in your sound for the best quality mixes.
Does A Power Conditioner Save Money?
A power conditioner will save you thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in one quick instant.
It just takes one lightning strike, or one power spike from the electric company to instantly fry all of your recording and sound equipment in your home recording studio.
Do yourself a favor and protect your investment with a good power conditioner.
What Are The Benefits Of A Power Conditioner?
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of owning a power conditioner.
1. Removes Electrical Noise From Dirty Power
Apart from fluctuating voltages, there’s also radio frequency interference and electro-magnetic interference which can dirty up our signal.
A power conditioner will remove noise coming into your studio from the electrical lines caused by radio and TV stations, mobile devices, motors, high-current appliances (vacuums, refrigerators) and other household items that generate noise.
Power conditioners can eliminate that noise, which is a huge advantage over power strips or surge protectors.
2. Stronger, More Effective Surge Protection
Inexpensive surge protectors tend to only be effective on smaller surges.
A power conditioner for a home studio is going to have more robust components, and an extra layer of protection against even the biggest power spikes.
This is a huge advantage, because no one wants to fry expensive pieces of gear because they were using a cheap power strip.
A power conditioner provides excellent surge protection for your home recording studio.
Protection against voltage surges through electrical lines, phone lines, coax TV inputs, and LAN connections that can result in the degradation of system performance or completely fry your gear.
A power conditioner is sort of like a surge protector on steroids.
3. Voltage Monitoring
All electricity has voltage fluctuations.
This can vary greatly depending on where you live.
One cool feature that some power conditioners have is a voltage reading so you can see how your power is coming out of the wall.
Good, clean power should read 120V/60Hz in the US or 220V/50Hz in Europe.
A power conditioner provides monitoring of voltage fluctuations and waveform distortions.
4 Removes Electrical Noise From All Your Gear (Ground Loops)
Where power strips lack, power conditioners are particularly good at removing ground loops.
An important thing that power conditioners do that surge protectors don’t is suppress the electrical hum of all your gear.
They usually target the 50-60 cycle range.
This type of interference, generated by lots of different gear all plugged into the same outlet, is reduced, if not totally eliminated, by a studio power conditioner
If you power all of your gear through the power conditioner this will greatly help reduce the noise level and ground loop noise.
This will give you better / cleaner recordings and productions.
Are Power Conditioners Also Surge Protectors?
Good power conditioners will condition electricity to remove unwanted noise, monitor voltage levels, and also include excellent surge protection.
Inexpensive surge protectors on a power strip tend to only be effective on smaller surges.
A power conditioner will have better components, and an extra layer of protection against even the biggest power spikes.
Power conditioners offer much better surge protection than inexpensive power strips.
So yes, power conditioners provide excellent surge protection and provide clean power to your recording studio equipment.
Does A Power Conditioner Eliminate Hum?
The hum noise you hear in your recording studio equipment is usually caused by electronics, dirty power, and electromagnetic interference.
The hum sound is usually around 50-60Hz and may be generated by your studio equipment, the power coming into your recording studio, or different electronic influences in or around your studio.
A power conditioner cleans the electric signal coming in from your main wall outlet and disperses clean power to all of your recording gear.
You should plug all of your recording gear into the power conditioner. This will help eliminate the hum noise you are hearing in your studio equipment.
Depending on how much equipment you have, you may need more than one power conditioner to properly power all of your gear.
Relevant Article: If you are hearing a Hum or noise in your studio monitors. Studio Monitors Multiple Inputs-The Latest Buzz!
Power Strips VS Power Conditioners
Power strips are a handy little tool and I bet everyone reading this article has one or two of them lying around.
Some of the more expensive power strips have built in surge protection to give us piece of mind but will not really protect your gear.
The surge protection built into power strips will not stop a power spike or lightning strike.
Power strips are lacking in that they will not fully protect your expensive equipment and they do not filter out electrical noise.
Power conditioners will protect your expensive equipment.
Power conditioners will clean and filter the electricity passing through them to give you the best sound and performance.
What Are Auto Voltage Regulators?
An auto voltage regulator monitors and adjusts the incoming voltage level. This guarantees each device receives a consistent supply of voltage.
Most voltage regulators also have surge protection and conditioning.
If your location’s AC power provides an irregular or inconsistent voltage rating, a voltage regulator will keep the voltage consistent, so your devices operate with reliable power.
Voltage regulators can be a bit pricey but are a good investment if you live somewhere where the voltage is always fluctuating.
Who Makes Good Power Conditioners?
There are many different power conditioners available on the market today.
Many power conditioner manufactures present their products as the best but are they really?
You also have many choices as to what your power conditioner can do.
Some have built in UPS (Uninterupted Power Supply) in case you lose power.
Some power conditioners have built in auto voltage regulators to keep the voltage at a constant level.
Some top-of-the-line power conditioners have all of the options built in like UPS, Voltage Regulator, Conditioner, and Surge Protection.
The more options you choose, the more your power conditioner will cost.
How much you want to spend will be up to you but at the very least get a good basic power conditioner with surge protection.
I have listed some great manufactures of power conditioners for you to check out.
Furman Power Conditioners
Furman power conditioners and surge protection are an industry standard and a very good power conditioner.
Furman makes good equipment designed for artist, recording studios, video studios, and live venues.
There are a lot of different models you can choose from with different options and price points.
I own a Furman power conditioner and it is a great piece of gear. I know it will protect my studio.
Furman backs up their power conditioners with a good warranty.
ART Power Conditioners
ART Power Conditioners with built in surge protection make a really good power conditioner and will protect your home recording studio.
There are a lot of different models you can choose from with different options and price points.
ART power conditioners come with a good warranty.
SurgeX Power Conditioners
SurgeX Power Conditioners with built in surge protection make a really good power conditioner and will protect your home recording studio.
There are a lot of different models you can choose from with different options and price points.
SurgeX power conditioners come with a good warranty.
Black Lion Power Conditioners
Black Lion builds a really good power conditioner. Some of the Black Lion power conditioners have more outlets available that you may find helpful.
There are a lot of different models you can choose from with different options and price points.
Black Lion power conditioners have a good warranty.
What Others Are Saying
| Direct Quote | Source |
|---|---|
| “Yes, a power conditioner is a vital piece of equipment that filters out the “dirty” power and keeps your expensive equipment safer and functioning more efficiently. It helps to ensure that your equipment lasts for as long as possible.” | https://thehometheaterdiy.com/power-conditioner-home-theater/#:~:text=Yes%2C%20a%20power%20conditioner%20is,for%20as%20long%20as%20possible. |
| “A power conditioner is meant to improve the quality of electricity that comes from an outlet. It does this by regulating the voltage, suppressing noise, and often also protects the devices from power surges.” | https://hometheateracademy.com/home-theater-power-conditioners/ |
| “Power conditioners target the 50-60Hz sine wave produced by the mains supply and boost its clarity. This frequency range is prone to noise and instability, so the power conditioner removes all of the distortions, therefore improving sound quality.” | https://stampsound.com/do-power-conditioners-improve-sound-quality/ |
| “I got one, but not for the conditioning. I bought mine solely for the switching power and the surge protector. I will buy into it disconnecting the power quicker if something bad comes down the line.” | https://www.reddit.com/r/BudgetAudiophile/comments/48yz2v/are_power_conditioners_worth_it/ |
| “A power conditioner reduces noise caused by electrical interference from the electricity supply in your studio. A power conditioner can help to reduce the “noise floor” in your audio productions, so it is something you may want to consider.” | https://homestudiomagic.com/do-i-need-a-power-conditioner/ |
| “Think of it this way, you only need one good storm and all of your stuff can get fried. Is your stuff worth more than $350? If so you are buying piece of mind. I have one and i was saved three times in one day. I live in Arlington Va. and the town was testing the power in our building, a 70 condo building. Power went out three times and tripped my Furman elite 15 pf-i all three times.” | https://www.avsforum.com/threads/power-conditioner-worth-it.2932642/ |
| “You’ll be able to tell that many power conditioners are made specifically for recording studios when you see that they come as rackmount units. And one of the things that they do for specifically for studios is cancel out noise created by all of your equipment.” | https://www.sageaudio.com/blog/studio-equipment/buy-power-conditioner-home-studio.php |
| “Power conditioners ARE imporant—however what many consider as a power conditioner really, truly isn’t a “conditioner”. Personally I would NEVER plug any of my high-tech audio equipment and computers directly into the wall or even a traditional power strip, I don’t even do that to my televisions or other high-end electronics. However a $100 box isn’t technically a “conditioner” either.” | https://gearspace.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/545244-should-i-get-power-conditioner.html |
| “It’s popping when there is no material playing. When the HDMI input is selected I can hear a hiss through the speakers – hiss with a bit of popping, like it’s picking up the phono amp on my unit somehow. I would be kicked out of my apartment long before I turned the volume up enough to cause clipping on my PSB 7 speaker set up … My original conclusion, and that of the ” techs ” at Marantz, is that there might be a problem with the analog amp of my Refurb unit somehow interfering with the DSP’s of the unit. I’ll find out definitively tomorrow when I get the Denon x 4000 up and running. I doubt I’ll encounter the same problem somehow – I just thought as an afterthought, there might be some benefit to getting one of these power conditioning devices over the surge protectors I have installed.” | https://www.hometheatershack.com/threads/is-it-worth-getting-a-power-conditioner.68721/ |
| “So we know that surge protectors defend against voltage spikes that could potentially fry our equipment. But apart from just fluctuating voltages, there’s also radio frequency interference and electro-magnetic interference which can dirty up our signal. A power conditioner is sort of like a surge protector on steroids. On the one hand, it creates a buffer between our gear and the wall outlet, making sure everything is safe from damaging spikes. And on the other, it protects from interference, and ultimately keeps our audio quality as high as it can be.” | https://producelikeapro.com/blog/power-conditioner/ |
Conclusion
So, Is It Worth Getting A Power Conditioner? My answer is Yes.
Be sure you are protecting your gear and hard-earned money with a good power conditioner.
Make sure your mixes are sounding their best with a good power conditioner and avoid the nay sayers that have no money invested in your equipment.
If you like writing, playing, recording, and producing music you are in the right place. I have a lot of great articles that are informational, educational, and some great buyers guides and reviews.
Take some time to have a look around and leave your questions and helpful comments.
Whether you are setting up a professional recording studio or just fiddling around with your Karaoke setup, electrical noise and trying to minimize or eliminate it can drive you nuts! Great write up on power conditioners as the lay person can understand what this handy little gadget is. I have lots of power strips entangled in my equipment and now I worrry about surges and lightening strikes. Power conditioners are definitely on my shopping list now! Thanks.
Warren
I think most of us overlook the power conditioner. After all, it’s no fun to spend money on an item that you can’t play, tweak, or create music with.
The big picture is what we need to look at. Protect your gear with a reasonable investment and improve the quality of your mixes.
A power conditioner is well worth the investment.
Thank you for this article about power conditioners. For some reason, I always thought power conditioners weren’t really all that necessary and too costly (especially for something deemed not necessary). After reading your article, I decided to look up the prices for the brands you mentioned. All but the SurgeX had reasonably priced power conditioners, some under $100. It turns out that some decent power conditioners are quite affordable, and now that I know the benefits it seems like a no-brainer to get one.
I’m glad you found the article helpful. Most power conditioners are affordable. You do not have to spend a fortune to properly protect your gear.
Power conditioners are a necessary piece of gear to protect your investment and get the best performance from your gear.
For anyone truly interested in quality sounds and in recording their own music or the music of others; it is very important to consider all the different support items you could buy and whether they will add the value that you require. I really appreciate you wring this article on power conditioners. A power conditioner seems like one of the first items to consider when purchasing sound equipment. If you are investing to achieve the best result, it only makes sense that you would want to protect it and ensure that it runs to the greatest efficientcy. Getting the best sound in your equipment should be the desire of every person who is investing in a sound room. This device is similar to paying for security for a bank. If you want the proper protection it will cost but it also brings incredible value in keeping everything safe including your money.