Help! International currents???

[Peter_Stone]

Hi,
I need urgent help for my studio. I need power for all of my instruments I have just moved from the states (120V) to Belgium (230V).

This evening I tried to plug in my Roland keyboard with a cheap travel adapter/converter and I think I have blown out the ac adapter that came with the board (hope it was just that, and not the board itself...) I have about 15 similar devices in my studio so I guess I need someone to reccomend a box that can make them all work.

Maybe Jordan has one in his rack for every country they hit on tour? I have no idea...

If you can help, I'll be VERY happy (and back to making (better) music...). Starting to hate soft synths!!!

Thanks in advance,
Peter Stone

http://www.soundsichiban.com

[Spacehog]

It's not just the voltage you have to take account of... the biggest problem is current. Your US gear will draw a certain number of amps of current, it should say this on the power supply input socket or underneath the board. I suspect your tourist adapter is rated at a certain number of Watts (or often VA - Volt Amps). Now to get the rated number of watts you need to supply (and therefore the current your appliance will need at the new voltage), you multiply the voltage by the current draw.

You'll most likely need to get new AC/DC adaptors for anything that's powered by a wall-wart adaptor. US mains is 120V at 60Hz, European mains is ~220V at 50Hz, so unless the equipment is *specifically designed* to run at both voltages *and* both frequencies (these tend to be called switched mode power supplies) then it will need replacing. Even with SMPSU's, you'll need to change the fuse on the inlet of each appliance to something roughly half what it's got in at the moment, or else risk the equipment setting on fire before tripping the fuse on event of a mains spike.

You will have to go through all your studio gear, make a note of as much information as you can about the power supply it needs, and then take that into an electrical suppliers or something similar. Anything powered off a wallwart will almost certainly need a replacement adaptor. Anything on a SMPSU will probably just need a new fuse (and a new plug to connect it to the socket). Anything hard-wired or at mains voltage without a SMPSU in it will need to be plugged in via a Step-Up transformer, but you'll need to add up the total number of Watts or VA's (typically 1VA=0.9A - if anyone's *really* interested I can explain why!) and make sure you have a transformer big enough to handle all of it.

I suspect JR and other touring musicians have large variacs either built into their power conditioners, or on the chain before them, to supply the relevant voltage, current and frequency. This is a luxury few of us domestic musicians can afford!

If you need any further help, mail me at martin@martincliffe.com and I'll do what I can... I work in consumer electronics so I have a bit of knowledge and experience in the field :)

Martin

[Deceit]

I don't think the board's ac adapter was blown out. I think there must be a fuse (or maybe fusible), I don't know the english word for it...most devices have one, and it melts when there's an overpowering so power can't flow into it.
My QS 6.1 used to have one and it has saved me thrice.
Good Luck.
Deceit.

[Peter_Stone]

Thanks Martin and Deceit for your help. I have taken a few notes on what Martin mentioned and I will keep in mind the rest. Sounds like a nightmare, but I'll find out tomorrow. First I have to go back to the place that sold me the cheap travel adapter (he promised that it would work with my stuff from the states...) cost me my Roland adapter (and possibly, but hopefully not, my keyboard too, or I will be really pissed) bang bang to them if it is.

I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow...

Cheers!
Peter

http://soundsichiban.com

[Peter_Stone]

Just short of administering a personalized ass-kicking to the fool who sold me the dodgy mains tranformers which blew my Roland adapter...I got my money back.

I asked the local Roland dealer about it and he told me I'd have to order a European mains adapter for my Roland board (34euros) and find something else for my Yamaha boards (80's DX-synths) and Boss drum machines, mixers, etc...

I hope to find something else tomorrow...like a box that lets me convert 10 at once.

To be continued!
Peter

http://soundsichiban.com