Thanks for the info, I appreciate your response. As far as your audio discussion goes, I know exactly where you are coming from. I know of, and have heard of, numerous DJ disasters and I'm quite familiar with their ideas of how to run an audio/lighting system. That said, you should know that we are really not the typical DJ service, we are a very high end service with very high end equipment. As far as sound goes, we run all Turbosound systems (tops and subs) coupled with all Mackie 1400i power amps and Mackie d.4 mixers from Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro computers. Moreover, I am very knowledgeable when it comes to audio principles and how to run a system properly.
As such, we are probably one of the few DJs that actually understand the power requirements of amps and lighting. It's unbelievable that so many DJs (and a self-proclaimed audio technicians) don't understand that you can't run two or three power amps off of one 20A circuit that's connected by a 100 foot green extension cord, I mean you wouldn't believe the things I've seen over the years. We specifically explain to customers (and venues) that we require 2-3 circuits just for our standard DJ system. I mean really, you should only be running one 1400 watt power amp on an individual circuit if possible to provide adequate power for peak power consumption periods, and I fully understand that. Of course, sometimes it's hard to find the power you need at some small venue, but nearly every time we break off our power amps (one for subs, one for tops) on to two separate circuits and try to run our AccuSpots and LED color changers on another (if possible). Also, the light controller and other accessories we run are always connected to the same source as our amp for our tops, which draws MUCH less power than our sub amp of course. Since our Turbos are pretty incredibly loud, we typically only need to run that amp about 40% of the way out in order to get the performance we need for any venue (otherwise everyone would be deaf by the end of the night).
I think the way that I've really come to understand power requirements more than most people is after owning a set of Intellabeam 700HX fixtures (700 watt discharge) as well as some HES Cyberlights (1400 watt discharge) which require some MASSIVE power. I mean the Intellabeams wont even fire properly if they don't have a dedicated 15-20 amp circuit. And, the Cyberlights are a whole different story. Unfortunately I had to eventually get rid of our incredible Cyberlights since finding 208-220V at venues just isn't as easy as one might think.
As far as your comment on running your amps in to clipping and overdriving the mixer, I know what you're talking about there too. However, the Mackie amps are specifically designed (and recommended per the manual which I've read many times) to be run at full levels, which is what we do for our subs. As far as our d.4 mixers go, I'm aware of the need for plenty of headroom and I never push full in to the red (or white on those mixers). It's ridiculous that people think you should run a mixer that way and expect to get any quality sound at all.
Now, back to the light controller. So, when I ran it this weekend one of my systems was running on a 220V breakout providing four separate 110V 20A power sources. So, I can't say that power consumption was an issue there. At the other venue I'm not 100% sure the power arrangement since I wasn't at that job, but he experienced the same issues so I've got to think the problem is related. I took in all three of my controllers last night to do a MIDI dump and transfer between the controllers so all the programs would be identical between them, and every one seemed to work fine so hopefully there wasn't any damage to any of the circuitry.
So what's the deal with the manual stating 9-12V at 300mA, is that a different manual than the revision that's out now? I've read that it was a 9V 500mA adapter, I didn't see anything about the 12V option. Also, are you sure about your comment on the mA output of the power adapter? I understand that it provides more power, but amperage is definitely not the same as voltage. I understand that running a higher/lower voltage can damage a unit as can under-powering it by providing less amps than required, but providing a higher amperage should not cause a problem for a device should it? I mean think about it, all residential A/C wiring is 110V (with some tolerance) but few devices utilize the full 15-20 amps that the circuit provides, they use the amount of amps that particular device requires. The same goes for D/C sources, your car may produce 100 amps at 12V, but your car charger only uses what it needs from the 12V source. Maybe my logic is incorrect there (which is why I'm asking), but let me know what you think on the issue. Also, do you think there is a problem using a 1500mA adapter, I've been using one on my 3rd system for a couple years now and never had a problem, but at the same time the device really shouldn't require more than 500mA (or 300mA according to your source).