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How do you protect your studio?

I think you are simply better off with a ups battery backup unit than the Furman, which I own and think it’s not as good as a good UPS unit.

The paranoid in me has my furmans BEFORE my UPS. My UPS flicks on for a second or two once a month as my power from the utility co. seems to like to 'flip a switch' on/off every once in a while. That UPS has saved my bacon - for sure. When the power doesn't immediately come back on - I get about 15 mins of power for everything - giving me time to turn it all off.
 
When using a UPS try to not use Furman and surge protectors before or after the UPS so the UPS can work properly. Many UPS units include power conditioning functions.
There is no reason whatsoever to leave a UPS unprotected. As a rule the UPS will cost considerably more than the device that is protecting it.
 
When using a UPS try to not use Furman and surge protectors before or after the UPS so the UPS can work properly. Many UPS units include power conditioning functions.

I've heard conflicting arguments about this (from electrical engineers, no less!). I just had to "pick one" and currently run the UPS after a Furman power conditioner. I live in an area with a lot of lightning strikes, and so far, so good. Now to find some wood to knock on...
 
Is this the Furman you're referring to?


And what UPS do you recommend?

Thanks
I've been using the CyberPower ones ordered from Amazon or picked up at Fry's. They aren't fancy. UPS's do "wear out" (meaning the batteries no long stay charged). Depending on the model, you can get new batteries, or you get a new unit.
 
You are not supposed to connect a surge protector before or after a UPS unit, ask any of those manufacturers and they will tell you that. Plus, a UPS can be a surge protector, a power conditioner and a battery backup unit all in one. A good UPS unit is about $200, an iMac 🖥 and external hard drives could be $6,000, a Mac Pro, hard drives and monitors can be even more expensive so I have no clue what you are talking about. Getting a UPS is to protect expensive equipment not cheap stuff.
Depends on the UPS I suppose - when I think UPS I think of fairly large devices that can cost north (well north) of $1k. If I had a $200 UPS I probably would sacrifice it to the first surge that arrived. If I own a $1000 UPS I am going to protect it.

The reason some UPS manufacturers recommend no surge protection is because most surge suppressors are not very good. But if you are willing to shell out for a series mode device it will not cause any problems. Anyone that tells you otherwise is either misinformed or selling snake oil. But, it is a business choice - don't spend $500 to protect a $200 UPS.

And yes, a proper UPS can absorb surges, to a point, and it can regulate voltage, and it can reduce noise. That's called a battery I think???
 
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