Roger2611 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Hi all, I have just been looking online and am struggling to find any useful information on this! I, no doubt like many on here like to record and produce my own music, I assume like most we are recording to a computer possibly via a guitar / bass amp and maybe going into the computer via an interface / some effects and outputting to an amp so counting the sockets used potentially up to 10 sockets being used at the same time, add to that a drum machine and a keyboard that maybe be sitting on standby and we start getting into quite a large power drain off a single wall socket, how are people managing to safely power so much gear? I have a modern fuse box designed to protect both me and the wiring and thus far no matter how many sockets I have drawing power at the same time I have never had the fuse trip out so I can only assume that the current draw is not too high otherwise the sockets fuse would trip? What is a safe amount of power draw on a single socket and is there anything out there designed to give multiple power outlets without overloading the initial socket? Apologies if this is viewed as being in the wrong topic so please feel free to move it to the appropriate forum if you want to, I just put it here as I thought it would be of interest to quite a few of us. Rog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 I've always assumed the maximum load should be no more than 3,000 watts (watts = volts x amps - roughly speaking 240 x 13). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Odds-on you kettle will draw more current when it boils than your studio ever will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Each device wil have a rating written on it either in Watts or VA (they're effectively the same thing as far as you're concerned.) Add them all up. That'll give you the load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 The most you can draw will be whatever fuse you've got in the plug, maybe 13a? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 (edited) [quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1499162365' post='3329567'] Odds-on you kettle will draw more current when it boils than your studio ever will. [/quote] This. Aside from power amps most studio kit has surprisingly small power requirements (power is the best way to measure it as many units will run from wall warts; chances are they will have voltage transformers in them so reading off the current draw is of no use to you). If you really must know for sure you can dig out your user manuals if you still have them and look up power requirements on the specification pages (or you could google them of course). Add them up to find out your maximum power requirements (in the real world it will be less than this unless you have absolutely everything drawing power at once, which sounds unlikely from your description), and go from there. As a guide, 10 amps equates to 2.4 kW (give or take) and the 13 amp fuse you'll most likely have into the wall socket represents a little over 3 kW. Get yourself a decent quality multiway adaptor or two and away you go. Oh, and and RCD device at the wall wouldn't do any harm just in case. [b]Edit to add[/b]: In the interest of technical accuracy {and as stated elsewhere), UK mains voltage is indeed 230v not 240 as I initially wrote. Not that it makes much diff as you won't get remotely close enough for it to be an issue. Edited July 4, 2017 by leftybassman392 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 (edited) Each mains socket is rated at 13 amps. At UK voltage of 230 volts you can power equipment up to 230 x 13 = 2990 Watts. That is more than enough for the average home studio. Each piece of equipment should have the power requirement on the back where the mains socket is (or on the PSU where it is external). Add them all up and that is you total maximum power requirement. Unless you have some very high power amplifiers you are unlikely to even reach 1000 Watts. In fact in the days before low powered light bulbs and high powered audio amplifiers, the average home studio probably used more power to light it than all the studio devices in it put together! Also the ring main will most likely be rated at 30 Amps so if you really need more than 3kW you could simply run the rest of the studio off a second (and third) 13 Amp socket on the wall provided than you didn't exceed 6.9kW over all the sockets in the ring. Edited July 4, 2017 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 I have 6x 6-ways running off a further 6-way plugged into the wall. About half the sockets are in use.The plug never even gets slightly warm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Most bands will be pulling more than a home studio all from one cracked socket behind the gambler soaked in beer in your local tickled trout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1499169216' post='3329634'] Most bands will be pulling more than a home studio all from one cracked socket behind the gambler soaked in beer in your local tickled trout [/quote] ...and that's not taking into account the power consumption of the television on stage showing the football/boxing whilst you are playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 In winter, beware just the same of plugging a radiator into the same outlet. There's a couple of kilowatts in that one apparatus. Just sayin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyquipment Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 [quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1499162365' post='3329567'] Odds-on you kettle will draw more current when it boils than your studio ever will. [/quote] Agreed. Most modern gear doesn't actually suck that much power up at any given moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skol303 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 (edited) [quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1499162365' post='3329567'] Odds-on you kettle will draw more current when it boils than your studio ever will. [/quote] Definitely this. We have an energy Smart meter at home and it barely registers when I'm making music, but goes bananas when I make a brew. Our music room at home is a converted garage and when the electrician visited, I asked him to install a pair of 4-socket power outlets (making 8 sockets in total), which more than cover what I need. For 'hungrier' devices, such as my practice amp, I tend to use just one socket per device. For low power devices, including my computer and some outboard stuff, I have no problems running between 4-6 devices off a single socket using an extension cable. Ultimately, the fuses in your devices and the fusebox itself will soon let you know if things are overloaded But generally speaking you'd have to make a concerted effort to start blowing fuses with [i]most[/i] music gear. [i]PS: that's not a challenge![/i] Edited July 4, 2017 by Skol303 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 [quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1499173811' post='3329678']...but goes bananas when I make a brew... [/quote] I recommend Earl Grey, much better flavour than bananas (although a twist of lemon makes the cuppa perfect...). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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