Power grid effect on RTR--Equi=Tech with Ampex ATR-102

Mike Lavigne · Nov 24, 2010

for the last 2 years i've used my Studer A-820 instead of my Ampex ATR-102. Jeff Gillman of Precision Motor Works did a full refurb on this ATR-102, but since it's set up for NAB EQ and almost all my tapes are IEC it has just sat there. it requires more skill than i have to properly adjust it for IEC EQ. i can have Jeff Gilman set up a separate set of sound cards for IEC so i can switch them but i've not yet decided to spend that money.

Saturday i decided to warm it up and play it; i do have a few NAB 15ips tapes and i want Ki to install a head switch so i can listen to it thru the King Cello. so i listened to my NAB Kind of Blue. really quite good (very lively and dynamic) but i could tell it was a bit rough compared to the Studer thru the King Cello.

i had been trying it plugged into the dirty power outlet. i then tried it thru the Equi=Tech powered Oyaide power outlet. it was like night and day. huge difference in refinement, noise floor, and detail. like a whole different tape deck. it was much more like the Studer thru the King Cello.

what does this tell us? i'm not exactly sure but it seemed like something that might be helpful to know. next i'm going to try my stock Technics RS-1500 with both dirty and Equi=tech power and see what that does. i also need to switch back and forth with the Studer; which has been plugged into the Equi=tech along with the King Cello.

i only have one Equi=tech outlet in the vicinity of the RTR decks, so i've purchased an Oyaide R-1 MTB-6 power strip to give me more outlets in that area. they are all analog and there are no high power amps so it should work well.

tony ky ma · Nov 24, 2010

same thing happen to change a good power cord to RTR, at the golden time of those decks didn't pay attention to the power cord or clean power supply,
tony ma

Mike Lavigne · Nov 24, 2010

tony ky ma said:
same thing happen to change a good power cord to RTR, at the golden time of those decks didn't pay attention to the power cord or clean power supply,
tony ma

right now the ATR-102 has a 'captured' power cord which is hard wired. i may have one of Gary Koh's power cords, Absolute Fidelity, hard wired in it's place. i'm using one of those on the Studer and it did help. my experience is that the Equi=tech made a considerably larger difference in the performance than the power cord; but both help.

Ki Choi · Nov 24, 2010

Great to hear that you are actually playing the ATR-102 after all these months of resting...
Now we need to settle on a tape type (or it can store mulitple tape types...???) and have the ATR-102 calibrated for record levels, any record EQ (I will need to check the manual...if you will send it to me), and set bias so that you can record music with it!

It should be a nice sounding tapes when you record on the ATR-102.

MylesBAstor · Nov 24, 2010

Mike Lavigne said:
for the last 2 years i've used my Studer A-820 instead of my Ampex ATR-102. Jeff Gillman of Precision Motor Works did a full refurb on this ATR-102, but since it's set up for NAB EQ and almost all my tapes are IEC it has just sat there. it requires more skill than i have to properly adjust it for IEC EQ. i can have Jeff Gilman set up a separate set of sound cards for IEC so i can switch them but i've not yet decided to spend that money.

Saturday i decided to warm it up and play it; i do have a few NAB 15ips tapes and i want Ki to install a head switch so i can listen to it thru the King Cello. so i listened to my NAB Kind of Blue. really quite good (very lively and dynamic) but i could tell it was a bit rough compared to the Studer thru the King Cello.

i had been trying it plugged into the dirty power outlet. i then tried it thru the Equi=Tech powered Oyaide power outlet. it was like night and day. huge difference in refinement, noise floor, and detail. like a whole different tape deck. it was much more like the Studer thru the King Cello.

what does this tell us? i'm not exactly sure but it seemed like something that might be helpful to know. next i'm going to try my stock Technics RS-1500 with both dirty and Equi=tech power and see what that does. i also need to switch back and forth with the Studer; which has been plugged into the Equi=tech along with the King Cello.

i only have one Equi=tech outlet in the vicinity of the RTR decks, so i've purchased an Oyaide R-1 MTB-6 power strip to give me more outlets in that area. they are all analog and there are no high power amps so it should work well.

Found the same with power cords here. In fact, found a big difference one time before realizing had used a audiodharma treated AC cord in one session and an untreated power cord in the other. Kind of blind test there

microstrip · Nov 24, 2010

Mike Lavigne said:
i had been trying it plugged into the dirty power outlet. i then tried it thru the Equi=Tech powered Oyaide power outlet. it was like night and day.

Mike,
Does your Equi-Tech have a different grounding point than the "dirty power"?

Mike Lavigne · Nov 24, 2010

microstrip said:
Mike,
Does your Equi-Tech have a different grounding point than the "dirty power"?

yes. i have a double grounding rod directly connected from the equi=tech panel into the ground right outside the wall of the barn.

the 'dirty power' is grounded thru the 'other' barn panel into my main panels in the main house.

i'm no techie so i might not be explaining it correctly; this is just my perception of things. i do know for certain about the ground for the 'audio room' panel.

Mike Lavigne · Nov 24, 2010

Ki Choi said:
Great to hear that you are actually playing the ATR-102 after all these months of resting...
Now we need to settle on a tape type (or it can store mulitple tape types...???) and have the ATR-102 calibrated for record levels, any record EQ (I will need to check the manual...if you will send it to me), and set bias so that you can record music with it!

It should be a nice sounding tapes when you record on the ATR-102.

Ki,

i know i need to find that ATR service manual and get it to you. i will make sure to do it tonight.

Mike

RogerD · Nov 24, 2010

I have a friend that owns a recording studio. We were talking the other day about power quality and the effects it had on his equipment. He was never a big believer until a tech started replacing outlets,wiring,and breakers in his panel. It made such a difference in lowering the noise floor, he is now installing a 4000 watt battery powered system. I'm not ready to take that leap although he thought the cost was reasonable.

tony ky ma · Nov 24, 2010

my experience is that the Equi=tech made a considerably larger difference in the performance than the power cord; but both help.[/QUOTE said:
try to use a huge isolated transformer (surplus parts from computer room bigger is better) to compare to your Equi=tech if you can find one, I am sure you will be surprised.
tony ma

Mike Lavigne · Nov 24, 2010

tony ky ma said:
try to use a huge isolated transformer (surplus parts from computer room bigger is better) to compare to your Equi=tech if you can find one, I am sure you will be surprised.
tony ma

maybe you have my Equi=tech confused with the small stand alone boxes that Equi=tech makes.

the Equi=tech i use is a 'huge isolated transformer'. below is my Equi=tech 10WQ wall panel sitting on the floor of my garage prior to installation. the transformer itself alone weighs 190 pounds and the whole panel weighs 375 pounds.

RogerD · Nov 24, 2010

Hello Mike,

Wow, that is one big toridial transformer. I read somewhere that a toridial type is the best for that application. Very nice set up.

Roger

Bruce B · Nov 24, 2010

Mike Lavigne said:
yes. i have a double grounding rod directly connected from the equi=tech panel into the ground right outside the wall of the barn.

the 'dirty power' is grounded thru the 'other' barn panel into my main panels in the main house.

i'm no techie so i might not be explaining it correctly; this is just my perception of things. i do know for certain about the ground for the 'audio room' panel.

Yeah... it's the same here with our Equi=tech. I can immediately tell when someone has plugged equipment into the wrong outlet!

tony ky ma · Nov 24, 2010

Mike Lavigne said:
maybe you have my Equi=tech confused with the small stand alone boxes that Equi=tech makes.

the Equi=tech i use is a 'huge isolated transformer'. below is my Equi=tech 10WQ wall panel sitting on the floor of my garage prior to installation. the transformer itself alone weighs 190 pounds and the whole panel weighs 375 pounds.

that is right huge transformer can hold more energy than a power cord so that is the reason for better result. should use to all the amp in your system
tony ma

Mike Lavigne · Nov 24, 2010

tony ky ma said:
Mike Lavigne said:

maybe you have my Equi=tech confused with the small stand alone boxes that Equi=tech makes.

the Equi=tech i use is a 'huge isolated transformer'. below is my Equi=tech 10WQ wall panel sitting on the floor of my garage prior to installation. the transformer itself alone weighs 190 pounds and the whole panel weighs 375 pounds.

Click to expand...

that is right huge transformer can hold more energy than a power cord so that is the reason for better result. should use to all the amp in your system
tony ma

the 10Kva Equi=tech isolation transformer does power everything in my system; including all amplifiiers. all my lights and HVAC and ancilary gear is on another completely different circuit and panel.

cmarin · Sep 14, 2014

Need for separate power conditioner

Mike Lavigne said:
the 10Kva Equi=tech isolation transformer does power everything in my system; including all amplifiiers. all my lights and HVAC and ancilary gear is on another completely different circuit and panel.

Mike,

Have ordered an electrical panel similar to your Equi=Tech. It is a 12.5 kVa "All-in-one" panel made by Torus. Has the installation of the Equi=Tech allowed you to completely eliminate stand-alone power conditioner boxes in your system? And do you have surge protection included in your Equi=Tech?

Thanks.

stellavox · Sep 19, 2014

Balanced Power

An important point to mention here is that the Equitech, in addition to being an isolation transformer, supplies "BALANCED" Power to it's secondary/outlets. This means that the 120V secondary is center tapped, with the center tap is connected to the neutral/green/chassis connection on a 3-pronged power cable / plug. Both sides of the 115VAC are therefore "above ground". I don't know why, but the balanced nature of the arrangement seems to be as important as the "isolation" (low-pass noise filtering) provided by the transformer. In theory, the "balance" benefit could come from Common Mode (Electrical) Noise Rejection afforded the power transformer in each device plugged into the isolation transformer - kind of why balanced wiring / inputs were developed for microphones long ago.

I have used smaller (300-1000 VA) isolation transformers - sold as surplus "medical grade" units on Ebay and the like for not much money; rewired to provide a balanced 120VAC output, and their most obvious sonic benefit is to enhance the imaging in at least two transport/tape preamp systems I have tried them on. I now have a 1KVA unit powering the "front ends" of my system and a 300VA unit for the tape stuff in the other room.

Charles

The Equitech units I am familiar with have a HUGE diameter toroid (10 to 12") with a small cross-section, so it will fit in a rack-unit-sized case maybe only 4" (or so) high. The surplus units use a "more conventional" toroid - not as big around, but taller.

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Power grid effect on RTR--Equi=Tech with Ampex ATR-102

Mike Lavigne

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tony ky ma

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Mike Lavigne

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Ki Choi

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microstrip

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Mike Lavigne

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tony ky ma

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Mike Lavigne

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tony ky ma

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