When it comes down to it, the equipment you backup is a very personal choice; however it’s worth remembering that a few hundred dollars for UPS protection is rather inconsequential compared to the cost of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and truly priceless data.
Let’s suppose for a moment that you’re sold UPS on protection. It’s advisable to routinely test your UPS, ideally twice a year, but every 18 months at a minimum.
While the unit may work great one day, a year down the road the road the battery might not hold a charge like it did when it was new.
If the performance isn’t up to par, replace the battery as soon as possible because you don’t want to be caught off guard.
Also, as a side note, it’s worth remembering that even if you’ve taken the steps to protect your studio equipment with a UPS, it is not a replacement for a power conditioner or sequencer.
It’s easy to say you can never be too careful, but in this case it’s true.
So, is an Uninterruptible Power Supply worth the cost? Well, that’s something that has to weighed by each individual when making the consideration to purchase.
For me, the savings is not only in protecting my equipment and data, but also in the brief ability to finish work when power fails. No matter your justification, if you’re considering power protection, a UPS is a tremendous asset.
Have an opinion on power protection? Found a favorite UPS and just want to share? Please let me know in the comments!
The Technologist, a.k.a. Kyle P. Snyder, is an audio engineer with innumerable credits in the public and private sector, writing about audio engineering, recording technology and a multitude of other topics. Find out more about Kyle at his website and blog http://kpsnyder.com.