Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Jump to content

do you leave your Helix power on?


kevliao
 Share

Recommended Posts

Mine stays cool when I leave it on from 7:15am until 12:30pm for the rehearsal and two services.

I also leave it on for 5 hours for the typical rock band gig and have no heat problems.  Other than that, it's

powered off always after I'm done playing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Similar to the discussion for computers...do you leave your unit on?  It does get a bit off after a while.  The power supply is built in, not a separate power block.  Any thoughts?

Just curious - why would you want to leave it on overnight or for hours/days at a time when you know you wont't be using it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just curious - why would you want to leave it on overnight or for hours/days at a time when you know you wont't be using it?

Leave it all on, kilowatts be damned!!!

 

I also like to have the heat and A/C duke it out in the summer, just for sh*ts 'n' giggles...and I'm considering hiring someone to stand in the bathroom to constantly flush the toilet. ;)

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks to all your responses, even the snarky ones :P   Good points raised about the life of the LCD.  I know that most electronic devices have a rated on/off lifespan.  I do use it everyday, but really just a few hours at a time, but yeah, it does get hot.  There are some folks who feel with PC components/circuitry, constant on/off shortens its lifespan.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The best reason to turn stuff off when not in use, is to avoid getting fried if the power spikes. I lost 2 pieces of gear like that once, a rack-mount tuner and a MIDI foot controller (despite the use of surge protectors). Outdoor gig on one of those "stage on wheels" a lot of towns drag around for street fairs and such...Left everything on, thunderstorm knocked out the power, both units were DOA when the lights came back on.

+1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...

From Paul McGowan, founder of psaudio.com....

 

If you switch off the power to your equipment day in and day out it won’t last as long as simply leaving it powered on. Why? Because the inrush current to charge your power supply up takes its toll over time – while steady state power has no such problem. Your electronics take a small thrashing every time you plug and unplug them from the power.

 

I think the myth that products wear out started with tubes and mechanical devices like turntables, CD transport mechanisms, hard drives etc. (because it’s true in their case). But a purely electronic piece like a power amp or preamp are better left powered on at all times – with but few exceptions.

 

So, keep the lights on with your equipment – it helps everything live longer and sound better.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ahem .....

 

psaudio makes HiFi amplifiers and other stereo equipment.  Yes, they can draw a lot of current and there is an inrush upon power-up.

 

Helix has no amplifiers, no disk drive storage, no internal moving parts.  Turn it off whenever you want to.  The wear item is the rocker power switch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is one of those useless debates that will never be resolved because various "experts" produce mutually exclusive "truths". Some will tell you that constantly leaving things on is the worst thing in the world for electronics because of the constant heat of being on all the time,  or you'll get the contrary warning that "on again/ off again" puts more stress on various components... frankly, I don't think anybody actually knows one way or the other.

 

Either way, the closest thing there is to "truth" on the matter is that it is very likely that long before you ruin your gear in either of the aforementioned ways (if that's even possible), you're gonna get tired of it and buy something else anyway, so who cares? Think about all the gear you've moved on from over the years... I've forgotten half of it at this point, and I can recall exactly one catastrophic electrical failure...a Marshall head that (literally) smoked itself to death at sound check one time. There's real stuff to worry about out there...this doesn't even make the first cut.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

My semi-educated guess (emphasis on "guess") is that Helix uses a regulated power supply for its internal circuitry, so it's not going to be affected much one way or another by what happens between the wall and the power supply. On the other hand, as mentioned by CraigGT, power supplies take the brunt of startup stress. However, power supplies are a relatively easy fix, whereas components that have a limited life span (like LCDs) are much harder to repair. I turn all my gear off when not in use anyway, because the gear itself has enough of an environmental impact...I don't want to make things worse. The only time I've had anything fry on startup was an ADAT power supply, which Alesis confirmed had not been built to spec by their supplier in the first production run.

 

Also remember that if something doesn't draw a lot of current, there's not going to be a huge inrush when you turn it on. Helix Floor is rated at 60 Watts max, which doesn't seem all that scary.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

During the first lockdown in 2020, had to work at home like anyone else,  and I used the helix floor as a soundcard 10 hours per day (because performed much better with protools than the other interface I had at home at the time.

 

All that said, I always turn it off when unused.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is this belief that turning things on/off needlessly is bad for equipment.  At work, my workstation is always on, and has been on for 5 years.  At home, my laptop is also always on, unless I go on vacation.  I think that modern cars that save gas and don't idle at red lights are stupid.  Turning the engine off at every red light and then starting is horrible for the motor. 

 

Just be reasonable with it and don't overthink it.  Need to practice? -- turn it on.  Take a coffee break -- leave it on.  Finished practicing -- turn it off.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/9/2021 at 3:49 PM, wjoyce said:

If for no other reason, do it for the planet.

You're more likely to get an alien invasion before switching off the Helix having any effect on the planet. It might have an effect on your electric bill lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...