your best noncomputer use for a computer.

See I thought computers were pretty much limited to um computing till a good friend of mine proved me wrong. He is using the power source from the computer to run the amplifiers for his band. He was always blowing out the amps because his keyboard gave to much signal. He found a way to convert the volts and amps to feed through the amp through the computer. He just plugs in the computer plug to run the amps. The amps didn't even get hot after 4 sets I guess the fan helped! This probably isn't news to most of you, but I'm curious to know how else you guys use your spare computer parts?

 

See I need to get creative so this year when we get another hurricane stampede that knocks out my power for days at a time I can run my computer with solar power or my car battery or something, jk I know I would blow up my computer if I used my car battery. Maybe I should set up a windmill in the front yard, that way the 130mph wind gusts can run my comp. Obviously that is what I missed the most. My computer valued above air conditioning and cooked food, sigh, definate geek symptom.

 

I use an old computer for a doorstop, does that count?

 

my one old computer is used as a end table by my bed....and the other one was used to see how many pieces it would smash into if dropped out of a three story window

 

And????

Details, details, how many pieces???

 

don't forget the pics!

 

Mine provides a bedside light

 

Man I know I'm gonna get flamed for this but I hate to see nice people get BS'ed to.

Hey Animatress, your friend is providing you with nonsence technobabble to impress you.There is no way a power supply from a PC is strong enough to run a profressional audio amplifier much less several of them. It's more likely he is using the sound card to attenuate the signal between the synth and the amp. Creative yes, but hardly the techno miracle he has you believing.

“He was always blowing out the amps because his keyboard gave to much signal”
I find that next to impossible to believe. Pro amps are capable of 7 volt input signals, sythesizers don’t output that strong a signal.

“He found a way to convert the volts and amps to feed through the amp through the computer.” No he didn’t. Power supplies on pro audio amplifiers provide upawards of 90 volt outputs. Power supplies for PC provide 5 and 12 volt outputs.

Attenuating a distorted input signal to an amplifier cannot be fixed my modifying the power supply voltages on the amplifiers.

 

I buy some of the story. 350 watt computer power supply has +12 volt 12 amp lead which = big bag of reserve power for audio amplifier. External power = less heat inside amp = long amp life. Keyboards blow amps? Not at line level. Depends on what's in the chain - mixer - effects - etc. - still not likely.

 

Most of those final transistors in pro amps are running upwards of 70 to 90 volts or so. a 12 volt power supply ain't gonna do it.

 

Easy to build a cheap 600 watt stereo amp using a mosfet car amp and a 12 volt power supply. I know a bass player who uses the power supply from an old Motorola car phone. Think street cheap.