how to blow up your equipment

[Zoe Keating <cello@zoekeating.com>]

well, a couple days ago I did just about the worst thing you can do  
to your gear....I blew it up! in a stupid, jetlagged moment that I  
won't go into, I plugged my US gear into a UK socket.

POOF!! crackle. blue smoke.

I realized immediately what I'd just done and cut the power. But it  
was too late. Luckily I mostly fried the adaptors, and I'm hoping I  
can replace them when I get back to the US. Some of the gear though,  
like the Rane SM82, have the most ridiculous adaptors (a phone  
plug???) and I had to replace them with substitute UK gear.  The  
FCB1010 is dead and gone, but I got another and spent the hour before  
the show reprogramming it.

But...and this made me so happy that I couldn't care less about the  
other gear...

The Repeaters are intelligent and take US or European power. THEY ARE  
FINE!! Made me so happy that I didn't mind dropping 250 pounds on the  
rest of the gear. Hooray for my beloved Repeaters. Let me compose and  
ode to them....

Anyway, I learnt my lesson! Thought I'd pass that little story on to  
ya'll

loopily, Zoe