G5 fan noise

[papiel]

How do you guys record a mic with a computer in the room. The G5 is supposed to be relatively quiet, but when recording gentle sources the noise it makes is very audible.
Placing the G5 in another room is no option for me at he moments. What should I do?

[jdunn]

Some people buy an enclosed rack, but I've heard that some of the racks aren't that great of a solution. They too use fans, which are sometimes active. Also, it gets really hot in an enclosed case.

I have converted a closet to a machine closet. Heavy wooden doors, ventilation, etc... Works pretty well. You might try to isolate the tracking area acousticaly somehow for added noise reduction.

Speaking of music computers, my Apple laptop drive just went bad, so I'm totally disgusted with computers at the moment. I've got mixes to do, and it's looking like computers may play a lesser role in my work than I had thought.

[pounce]

move the computers out of the room.

[theblue1]

Some of the most problematic elements of fan and bearing noise are in the higher ranges -- which tend to be somewhat more directional. Therefore, you may get some relief if you can trap as much direct sound as possible with absorptive materials -- perhaps draping blankets, etc, between the computer and the mic and perhaps draping/crumpling them where sound from a fan might bounce against a wall and then to the mic. (For that purpose, you don't want a flat surface, since it will tend to keep reflected sound more coherent, whereas you're likely to get signficant phase cancellation with something like a crumpled blanket (even the little cilia-like 'hairs' help refract and 'absorb' through cancellation.) It's won't make it go away, but it may absorb a significant part of the most problematic fan noise.

Good luck.

[papiel]

Thanks guys. Since getting the computer out of the room is no option, and getting a cupboard means another fan in the scheme - I guess I'll go for some sort of absorbing solution. The problem is that I still need to get to that DVD drive sometimes, or to the power button. A blanket can make it a bit difficult

[FOURTHTUNZ]

Originally Posted by papiel

Thanks guys. Since getting the computer out of the room is no option, and getting a cupboard means another fan in the scheme - I guess I'll go for some sort of absorbing solution. The problem is that I still need to get to that DVD drive sometimes, or to the power button. A blanket can make it a bit difficult

the above ideas cover it but, with the G5 can't you control the fans by getting into the energy saver control panel and crank down the cpu which would use less fans?
I've been thinking about the same problem for my G5 which hasn't arrived yet!
You could crank the processing down for the vocal or acoustic and then crank it back up for mixing right? Peace
daniel

[theblue1]

Originally Posted by papiel

Thanks guys. Since getting the computer out of the room is no option, and getting a cupboard means another fan in the scheme - I guess I'll go for some sort of absorbing solution. The problem is that I still need to get to that DVD drive sometimes, or to the power button. A blanket can make it a bit difficult

I was thinking putting up the absorbers just when you're recording, kind of like big, floppy gobos... Before I replaced the power supply and fan in my old desktop with a thermo-controlled one, I used some blankets and other absorbers to record very quiet parts. (I now have a laptop which has totally spoiled me -- even to itself, since, when its fan kicks into high, it seems like a total invasion... (it's not bad, really, not as loud as my desktop... but I'm spoiled for sure.)

[smk]

Doesn't apple make keyboard and mouse cable extenders? You could surely move your cpu outside if these are available.

[garymusic]

You don't. What you do is buy a Tranzport and go wireless and record in another room. The Tranzport works with a lot of the recording software (Protools, Cubase, etc). Well worth the $200

-Gary

[The Bull]

The way I handled it was to convert my walkin closet to a soundbooth. Not pretty, mind you. But efficient. Another alternative would be to simply get a large cardboard box and cover the computer with it. You could use carpet pad to muffle the noise inside the box.

My 2.54¢ worth.

[papiel]

Hey The Bull,
Can you post some pic's?

Thanks

[oceantracks]

Originally Posted by papiel

How do you guys record a mic with a computer in the room. The G5 is supposed to be relatively quiet, but when recording gentle sources the noise it makes is very audible.
Placing the G5 in another room is no option for me at he moments. What should I do?

I converted my master bedroom into my home studio.

The G5 Dual 2G is pretty quiet, but not quiet enough to do recording in the same room.Bought cables, ran them across the room and put the G5 in my closet. Been great!

TH