Audio Power Distribution Box for Amplifier Racks
Amplifier racks and the FOH position are usually fed from the same supply as the rest of the show, which is where noise and nuisance tripping come from. A dedicated audio distribution box keeps those circuits together on one phase set, with its own protection and a technical earth terminal for the rack.
Outlets are 16A or 32A CEE and powerCON TRUE1, arranged so each rack has one feed and one isolator. The box can be rack mounted (2U to 6U) or supplied in a small flight case, depending on where it lives on the tour.
Where These Units Are Used
The same layout is used across live sound: a festival stage with a generator feed, a conference room where the audio rack sits in a service corridor, a broadcast or film set with a mobile control room, and a fixed venue where the amplifier room is fed from the main switchboard.
Because the circuit schedule is drawn before production, a spare unit can be built to the same layout, which matters when a rack fails on the road and a replacement has to be flown in.
Typical Audio Distro Specifications
| Parameter | Options |
|---|---|
| Application | Amplifier racks, FOH, monitor world, broadcast |
| Incoming | Single or three-phase 230V / 400V, 32A to 125A |
| Outgoing | 6 to 12 ways, 16A or 32A |
| Connectors | CEE 16A / 32A, powerCON TRUE1, Schuko |
| Protection | Type C or D MCB, 30 mA RCBO per socket way |
| Earth | Technical earth terminal, star earth bar |
| Surge Protection | Type 2 SPD on incoming, optional Type 1 |
| Metering | Per-phase V/A meter, optional power sequencing |
| Build | 2U to 6U rack unit or flight case |
| Standards | Assemblies to IEC 61439-1 / -2, IP to IEC 60529 |
How Each Audio Distro Is Built and Tested
- Assemblies follow IEC 61439-1 and IEC 61439-2, with breaker and cable coordination checked against the supply available on site.
- Socket outlets and couplers are IEC 60309 devices, so a replacement cable is available from any rental house.
- For event work the unit can be configured to BS 7909:2023 practice, with 30 mA RCD protection on socket circuits and time-delayed upstream devices for discrimination.
- Routine tests on every box: protective earth continuity, insulation resistance, RCD trip time, polarity, and a functional check of each way.
- An engraved circuit schedule and single-line diagram ship with the unit, so the same box can be inspected and re-tested by a local electrician.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why put audio on a separate distro instead of the lighting board?
Lighting dimmers and LED drivers inject harmonic current and switching noise into the supply. A separate audio distro on its own protected ways keeps amplifier feeds away from those loads, and gives the audio crew an isolator they control.
Which breaker curve should amplifier circuits use?
Amplifiers with large transformers draw a high inrush. Type C or D MCBs tolerate that inrush without nuisance tripping, provided the earth loop impedance still allows disconnection within the required time at the far end of the circuit.
Can the box be supplied with power sequencing?
Yes. Where racks must come up in a set order, we can fit a sequencer so amplifier groups energise one after another instead of all at once.
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