the1rmdman
Member
In my theater I have a rack of 5 Crown stereo amps that have a push button to turn them on and off. Can I just plug them into a power strip and use that to turn them all on at the same time?
Powering on and off Amps
- Thread starterthe1rmdman
- Start date
Les
Well-Known Member
You probably wouldn't want to do that. I'm kind of out of my league on this one, but I suspect that button to be part of a very common system that turns your gear on one component at a time (usually at about a 1sec delay between each). This is very important and keeps you from tripping breakers from a sudden surge of power being requested by the amp rack(s).
JohnHartman
Member
Do you mean that each amp has a power switch or that there is one pushbutton that turns them all on? Which amps are they? Crown makes quite a few with a very wide range of power draw, including variations in inrush current during power on. How are the amps used? Do you run them all hard? Are they all amplifying the same signal or are some monitors and others mains or some sub and others mains?
On the positive side, most Crown amps have an integrated delay that varies from amp to amp so you can often put multiple amps on one switch and there will be some delay in when they power on. At the same time, depending upon the amps and how hard you run them, it would typically require more than a single 15A or 20A circuit to power five amps.
On the positive side, most Crown amps have an integrated delay that varies from amp to amp so you can often put multiple amps on one switch and there will be some delay in when they power on. At the same time, depending upon the amps and how hard you run them, it would typically require more than a single 15A or 20A circuit to power five amps.
Anonymous067
Active Member
Been there done that...not fun.
Opening song for a band, and as they go into the chorus for the last time. BAM. Circuit breaker on the first power strip goes, dropped everything. Band had to go acapella...we joked with the other sound guy saying "If you wanted us to be quieter you could have just told us". Still embarrassing none the less...
howlingwolf487
Active Member
Could you possibly go into more detail?
Do the amps get switched on one-by-one OR do they all power on at the same time?
If they power on sequentially (one-after-the-other), then that button ensures that each amp has enough time to draw "X" amount of amps before another begins to, therefore averting a tripped breaker.
If they all power on simultaneously, then that button is essentially an "ON" button. Keep in mind, however, that the "power strip" they are plugged into now might also have cost hundreds/thousands of dollars so as to protect them better than the MOVs found in pretty much every other sub-$300 power distribution system out there. (The price range was an estimate, so don't jump on me for being incorrect there).
Let us know more info so we can help you out.
the1rmdman
Member
The amps are all plugged into the same power strip. They get turned on by pressing the power button on each amp itself. When turned on they go thru a warm up and take a few seconds to get to full power. My question is would it be fine to just flip the switch on the power strip. I think they would still go thru the start up cycle so it would not overload the circuit but not sure.
KeepOnTruckin
Member
Knowing which amps, specific model and not just the manufacturer, would help. So would knowing what each amp powers, at least in a functional sense. There are not many situations where I would want five Crown amps run off one power strip or even one circuit.
The problem with just throwing the switch is likely to be inrush current, there is a sort of initial surge when the amp powers up and if multiple amps experience that at the same time it could trip a breaker. Many Crown amps have a slightly random delay on the power switching to help avoid this, but five of them may be pushing it.
The problem with just throwing the switch is likely to be inrush current, there is a sort of initial surge when the amp powers up and if multiple amps experience that at the same time it could trip a breaker. Many Crown amps have a slightly random delay on the power switching to help avoid this, but five of them may be pushing it.
Re: Powering on and off Amps - why hurry?
Why the big hurry? Get your setup done early if you do not have an intelligent shutdown system. I turn all volume to zero and kill each amp individually. On startup, I bring each one on after turning on PwrCond, bringing up volume to noon after the amp is on.
This is a 'power strip' and not a 'cheap power conditioner.' You need to start by investing in a cheap power conditioner ($100ish) to handle the consumption and then upgrade when you have more to play with later. My friend related a story where he saw a power strip glowing and pulsing to the beat. If you can afford 5 Crown amps, you can afford a PwrCond.
Why the big hurry? Get your setup done early if you do not have an intelligent shutdown system. I turn all volume to zero and kill each amp individually. On startup, I bring each one on after turning on PwrCond, bringing up volume to noon after the amp is on.
Re: Powering on and off Amps - why hurry?
You may also need to consider current ratings. Most residential circuits are rated 15A while many commercial circuits are 20A rated. You usually want any power distribution or conditioning devices match the circuit rating. If you put a 15A rated 'power conditioning' device on a 20A circuit, you essentially derate the current that receptacle can provide, resulting in situations that previously never tripped the circuit breaker possibly tripping the device breaker or fuse.
I'm not clear what benefit a 'cheap power conditioner' would be in this situation. Surge suppression, inrush current protection, voltage regulation (which is different than simply shutting down when the voltage exceeds some defined limits), noise filtering and sequencing are separate functions. Some products may combine multiple of these functions but many 'power conditioners' do nothing to address inrush current or sequencing, which seem to be the two most relevant factors here.
You may also need to consider current ratings. Most residential circuits are rated 15A while many commercial circuits are 20A rated. You usually want any power distribution or conditioning devices match the circuit rating. If you put a 15A rated 'power conditioning' device on a 20A circuit, you essentially derate the current that receptacle can provide, resulting in situations that previously never tripped the circuit breaker possibly tripping the device breaker or fuse.
DiscoBoxer
Active Member
I would agree with most in this post, that some more details of your equipment and application need might be helpful. I am not an electrician but have tried similar things in distant history with less than desirable results. If your looking for ease of operation than you are going to have to spend money to do it properly. Muse has made excellent points about your inrush and how a typical "low-end" power conditioner can add to your problems if used the wrong way.
I am TD at a church where most of my team consists of volunteers. In the past, I had issues with volunteers adjusting equipment in the main racks (including amps). The racks were located in a lockable closet, however, I had to provide access so that they could power them on and off. A security cover would not work as it would have blocked the amp power buttons located on the front of the amps. When I was not around, I would discover that policy was ignored and amps were modified. My solution was to add a couple sequential power distributors-Furman ASD-120. AND also provide them with further education at the console pertaining to gain structure. Adding the Furmans allowed me to have multiple amps, on different circuits, powered on and off by one remote switch in the booth. This gave me the ability to lock the rack closet to control access and simplify the process. These power distributors allow sequential power up (timing is adjustable per edison) that is also set to power down in reverse order. The units run about $800 a piece.
That is about the only reason I can think of to have a single switch control for only 5 amps. IMO, powering them all on and off individually is not that much of an inconvenence. I do not recommend hooking all five to a cheap power strip and firing them all at once, I doubt your circuit can sustain that and in most municipalities, it may be illegal for permanent fixtures.
I am TD at a church where most of my team consists of volunteers. In the past, I had issues with volunteers adjusting equipment in the main racks (including amps). The racks were located in a lockable closet, however, I had to provide access so that they could power them on and off. A security cover would not work as it would have blocked the amp power buttons located on the front of the amps. When I was not around, I would discover that policy was ignored and amps were modified. My solution was to add a couple sequential power distributors-Furman ASD-120. AND also provide them with further education at the console pertaining to gain structure. Adding the Furmans allowed me to have multiple amps, on different circuits, powered on and off by one remote switch in the booth. This gave me the ability to lock the rack closet to control access and simplify the process. These power distributors allow sequential power up (timing is adjustable per edison) that is also set to power down in reverse order. The units run about $800 a piece.
That is about the only reason I can think of to have a single switch control for only 5 amps. IMO, powering them all on and off individually is not that much of an inconvenence. I do not recommend hooking all five to a cheap power strip and firing them all at once, I doubt your circuit can sustain that and in most municipalities, it may be illegal for permanent fixtures.
I would never plug amps into a residential type power strip. The breakers in those are twenty cent thermal breakers and will heat up and trip over time.
