AES Los Angeles 2016
Sound Reinforcement Session SR2
Thursday, September 29, 10:45 am — 12:15 pm (Rm 404AB)
SR2 - AC Power & Grounding
Chair:Bill Whitlock, Whitlock Consulting - Oxnard, CA, USA
Panelists:
Kenneth Fause, Auerbach Pollock Friedlander - San Francisco, CA, USA
Bruce Olson, Olson Sound Design, LLC - Minneapolis, MN, USA; AFMG Services North America, LLC - Minneapolis, MN, USA
Abstract:
Nearly all sound reinforcement, or SR, systems must have utility AC power. To keep them safe and legal, regulatory rules such as “Code” must be strictly observed. However, these compliant power distribution systems inherently create harmlessly small voltage differences, called GVD, between physical locations in the safety ground network. This session will explain:
1. Exactly how GVD is created in premises wiring;
2. New-construction wiring techniques that can reduce GVD by several orders of magnitude; and
3. How GVD couples into signal paths, causing hum, buzz, and myriad digital network problems.
Related topics such as electrician mistakes, earth grounding, power conditioning (including “balanced power”), and choosing proper signal cables will also be discussed.