Hmm... let me see if I can shed some light in the process.
I can understand Laurent's point, and it deserves an explanation - btw, not claiming to be an expert in this area, but merely sharing what I understand.
Power and power distribution is one of the trickiest issues in modulars because so much rides on the stability of the juice you get -- ground, stable oscillators, free of artifacts and a nominal reference across a potentially large system -- this is not a trivial problem. STS has invested some brain cells in creating a power source capable of isolating ground and power and ensuring that power is decent and plentiful for your application. Other modular systems neglect power and it shows - see the early Doepfer systems for instance.
Could you do the same thing with third party/cheaper supplies? You can power the system, but it is likely that you will encounter glitches and artifacts that would be hard to track/explain.
As a percentage of the system cost STS's power supplies are in line with other systems and deliver the quality required.
I would say - if you invest in buying a Ferrari, would you fill it up with dirty gas? It costs a bit more to make it hum the right way. It is the nature of the beast. But you also get far better performance.
So for some of us that have been using the system for some years now, and who have larger systems where power issues are more likely to show than with smaller ones, investing in a clean, reliable and correctly engineered source of power is STEP ONE and fundamental to the operation of the system.
I hope it opens up some doors for you to consider what kind of system you want and if it is really within your budget considering what you want to do. I understand that it is not the same to entertain a large system than to consider one boat/module in isolation.
Cheers -- Bill
--------------------------
"A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within." -- Will Durant
I can understand Laurent's point, and it deserves an explanation - btw, not claiming to be an expert in this area, but merely sharing what I understand.
Power and power distribution is one of the trickiest issues in modulars because so much rides on the stability of the juice you get -- ground, stable oscillators, free of artifacts and a nominal reference across a potentially large system -- this is not a trivial problem. STS has invested some brain cells in creating a power source capable of isolating ground and power and ensuring that power is decent and plentiful for your application. Other modular systems neglect power and it shows - see the early Doepfer systems for instance.
Could you do the same thing with third party/cheaper supplies? You can power the system, but it is likely that you will encounter glitches and artifacts that would be hard to track/explain.
As a percentage of the system cost STS's power supplies are in line with other systems and deliver the quality required.
I would say - if you invest in buying a Ferrari, would you fill it up with dirty gas? It costs a bit more to make it hum the right way. It is the nature of the beast. But you also get far better performance.
So for some of us that have been using the system for some years now, and who have larger systems where power issues are more likely to show than with smaller ones, investing in a clean, reliable and correctly engineered source of power is STEP ONE and fundamental to the operation of the system.
I hope it opens up some doors for you to consider what kind of system you want and if it is really within your budget considering what you want to do. I understand that it is not the same to entertain a large system than to consider one boat/module in isolation.
Cheers -- Bill
--------------------------
"A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within." -- Will Durant
On Jan 16, 2012, at 1:45 PM, freq63 wrote:
> I am just asking one simple question and I read your answer: period!
> I thought a forum was made to help each other, not to tell others they are stupid and should shut up. This is the way I feel when I read this.
> I did not want to start a polemical thread (do not worry, I won't ask anything anymore here), just asking what make a Serge PSU so special. Technicaly talking.
> I would not post this kind of question if I ever thought Serge did not mean good quality too. It's just that I live in a world where $700 for a Power Supply makes me ask this kind of question. I thought experienced Serge users would be able to give me an intelligent answer to a question I do consider very legitimate.
> The only infos I found were of this kind: "It is very loud..." "How can I find a cheaper DIY solution..." etc etc. So as I would like to buy one, I prefered to check with Serge users with know-how.
> Thanx anyway. I guess your answer is just proportional to the Serge PSU price. But I'm not really surprised either.
>
>
> --- In SergeModular@yahoogroups.com, "dailleau" <laurent@...> wrote:
>>
>> Excellent power supplies are always expensive. The PS4 is an excellent power supply. So, the PS' is quite expensive. Period.
>>
>> Please keep in mind that a Serge system is definitely NOT a stompbox.
>>
>> Laurent
>>
>> --- In SergeModular@yahoogroups.com, "freq63" <freq63@> wrote:
>>>
>>> I'd be very thankful cause I've no clue how this looks like!
>>>
>>>
>>> --- In SergeModular@yahoogroups.com, richard scott <richard_scott@> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I can post you pic tmrw if nobody does it before
>>>>
>>>> R
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 15/01/2012 21:05, freq63 wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi
>>>>> Could someone please post a photo from a PSD?
>>>>> What choice do I have if I need a PS4 but do not wish to pay $600 for
>>>>> it (I still do not understand why such a price for a power supply)?
>>>>> Thanx a lot!
>>>>> freq63
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
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