50Hz and 60 Hz to a mixing console

[Christofer Bustad]

Hi! Does anyone know if it is possible to use a mixing console from
Sweden(Yamaha MG12/4) in Canada using a step-up transformer? Or would
I damage the mixing console if I feed the transformer for the mixing
console with 220V, 60Hz power?

Thank you very much for any help!
Christofer Bustad

[Justin Ulysses Morse]

Christofer Bustad <tosse.bustad@mailbox.swipnet.se> wrote:

> Hi! Does anyone know if it is possible to use a mixing console from
> Sweden(Yamaha MG12/4) in Canada using a step-up transformer? Or would
> I damage the mixing console if I feed the transformer for the mixing
> console with 220V, 60Hz power?

It's a lot more likely for a transformer designed for 60Hz to overheat
when you feed it 50Hz than to see any kind of problem feeding 60Hz to a
transformer expecting 50Hz. You should be fine. While you're at it,
check the console's documentation and see if it's internally
configurable for 110/220 operation.

ulysses

[Mike Rivers]

In article <4755768d.0309011411.6d7257f5@posting.google.com> tosse.bustad@mailbox.swipnet.se writes:

> would
> I damage the mixing console if I feed the transformer for the mixing
> console with 220V, 60Hz power?

Not likely. Power transformers have different windings for 120/220/240
volts, but generally they'll accommodate 50 or 60 Hz without problems.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers - (mrivers@d-and-d.com)

[Scott Dorsey]

Christofer Bustad <tosse.bustad@mailbox.swipnet.se> wrote:
>Hi! Does anyone know if it is possible to use a mixing console from
>Sweden(Yamaha MG12/4) in Canada using a step-up transformer? Or would
>I damage the mixing console if I feed the transformer for the mixing
>console with 220V, 60Hz power?

Can't you strap the power supplies internally for 120V use on those consoles?
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Justin Ulysses Morse]

In article <4755768d.0309020640.5f7c3683@posting.google.com>,
Christofer Bustad <tosse.bustad@mailbox.swipnet.se> wrote:

> Thanks a lot for your help! I see on the tranformer for the mixing
> console that it outputs AC. Do you think it would be alright for the
> mixing console to be fed with 19,5 V 60 Hz AC instead of 19,5 V 50 Hz?

The mixing console doesn't care what the line frequency is. Sometimes
the transformer cares, but the console itself doesn't. Technically
speaking your power supply filtering will work a bit *better* with the
higher line frequency, but it really won't matter.

Transformers have to be optimized to work within particular frequency
ranges. It's a lot of work to get an audio transformer, for example,
to have even response over the entire audio range. Power transformers
have an easier time because they're always expecting a single fixed
operating frequency. That means they can be as efficient as possible
at that one frequency, at the (non) expense of efficiency at other
frequencies. There's not a lot of difference between 50 and 60 Hz, but
there is some. Generally speaking, feeding a transformer with a LOWER
voltage than it's expecting will cause it to run hotter because there
may not be enough inductance, and the transformer primary will look
like almost a short circuit to that lower frequency. For example, I
tried to plug 110V, 60Hz wall voltage into a 400Hz (aviation) power
transformer once, and I was surprised how quickly I let the smoke out
of that one, with no real voltage ever appearing at the other end.
However, if I had done the opposite (plug 400Hz power into a 60Hz
transformer) It's possible the output voltage would change somewhat but
there wouldn't be this overheating problem. Same goes for your
situation, only less so. You will most likely see absolutely no change
whatsoever in the performance of the console, or the temperature of the
transformer.

But the question Scott and I have been trying to ask is whether the
transformer in your console has "dual primaries" which can either be
strapped in series for 220V operation, or in parallel for 110V
operation. Does it?

ulysses

[Mike Rivers]

In article <4755768d.0309020640.5f7c3683@posting.google.com> tosse.bustad@mailbox.swipnet.se writes:

> Thanks a lot for your help! I see on the tranformer for the mixing
> console that it outputs AC. Do you think it would be alright for the
> mixing console to be fed with 19,5 V 60 Hz AC instead of 19,5 V 50 Hz?

Oh, you must be talking about a wall wart. That being the case, you
probably should get the proper voltage (and frequency) wall wart.




--
I'm really Mike Rivers - (mrivers@d-and-d.com)