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Looper's Delight
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Hey Margaret, I've performed safely many times in Europe AND I've blown up my gear, so I think I can tell you the worst that will happen... All you need is a "step-down" transformer box. - hardwire all your equipment into a power conditioner* or powerstrip* built into your rack (this is great for the US too, because then you only ever need one power outlet). - plug the powerstrip or powerconditioner into the converter box - determine how much power you need, 200W? 300W? and buy a step-down transformer that fits your needs. i just run loopers and a foot pedal so i use the 100W one, which is more than plenty. i have a Euro one and a UK one, but you can also just get a UK one and put Euro adaptor on the end i guess, or vice-versa. - this is the box i bring with me: VOD 100 step down transformer. http://www.voltage-converter-transformers.com/step-down-transformer.html As for the worst that can happen.... in a coffee-deprived jet-lagged moment, I accidentally plugged my rack into 240 with just an adaptor* (NOT a transformer...) and everything went "poof!". It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, yeah there was some blue smoke. I destroyed all my wall warts, but not the gear. It was the first time I've ever loved wall warts. The only piece of gear that was truly fried, was my FCB1010 pedal, because it is the only thing that uses a uni-power cable, and has no wall wart, so I toasted its innards. I just replaced all my wall warts, although one (D-Tar Soltice Preamp) was difficult because it is a pretty specific voltage/milliamp combo. I had to use a different Preamp. You're right, digital gear, like a computer, or an Electrix Repeater, you can use on either voltage, with just an adaptor. All my gear is digital now, so I don't really need transformer anymore, just an adaptor, (except the FCB1010, which has a switchable fuse, so when I go over now I just turn the fuse around and use a Euro uni-cable). notes: *power conditioner = like a rack-mounted furman thing, which is really just a glorified powerstrip *power strip = to save rack-space i have a powerstrip velcro'd into the back of my rack, everything plugs into there and i never have to unplug anything * adaptor = this just changes the prong-size to fit the electrical sockets of the country you're in. it does not step-down the power!! Did I answer your questions or just confuse you!? Zoe On Mar 1, 2008, at 9:16 AM, margaret noble wrote:
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