Computer Noise Isolation Techniques.

[Rocket_Ronny]

Been a long time lerker, now jumping in the pan.

On remote recordings using your laptop rig how do you keep the computer noise from the mikes?

Do you set up the gear in another room and work from there with talk-back mike setup?

Do you set up the same but have a monitor and keyboard you bring into the recording space and work from there?

My location recording is primarily overdubs and I like to be in the room with the musicians.

I am running a 17" Powerbook with Metric Halo and LaCi external drives. I find the Powerbook's fan too noisy while it's drive would be quiet enough.

What do you do, and what would you suggest?

Thanks for any input.

Rocket_Ronny

[tINY]

Distance.

Use a remote KVM and set the laptop in the corner. You can put it on the floor behind a couch.

Put the mics closer to the instruments.

Or get a quieter laptop.




-tINY

[pkautzsch]

Actually, I do prefer *not* to be in the same room as the musicians are. This gives me mor confidence to what I'm hearing on my headphones, and I even could use small speakers sometime.
Talkback gives you sort of authority, and your words weigh so much more when they come out of that little speaker or over headphones. You're the "voice from above"...
Plus: you can eat&drink all the time the musicians are working hard

I never tried any modifications of the cooling system like "heat-pipes" etc... A friend told me about giving the CPU less voltage and thus making it produce less warmth. Don't think this is good with any realtime stuff though. If the laptop *needs* to be in the same room I make a chamber around it out of whatever is available. But these are rare occasions.

[Rocket_Ronny]

I like to be in the same room so I can monitor visually how they are working the mikes.

On remote locations being in another room eliminates glass to look through most times.

My plan was to use a seperate monitor and keyboard and have the computer in another room. I just don't want to lug that stuff around.

Another idea would be to use a video cam on the musicians going to the laptop in another room.

I was just curious how you folks were dealing with equipment noise issues on location?

Rocket_Ronny

[Remoteness]

I'm with tINY on this one. But if you don't want to lug that stuff around get a small CCTV camera and connect it to your laptop. Like you already know, it will be a lot less to deal with. The mics and camera setup can plug into the same cable loom which you prepared in advance. An A/V I/O card with picture within picture scenario on the laptop sounds like a sweet deal.

[Rocket_Ronny]

Thanks for the reply guys.

tINY: What is an remote KVM?

Thanks,

Rocket_Ronny

[Remoteness]

It's a way to distance your Keyboard, Video and Mouse from the main computer. In your case the laptop.

[Rocket_Ronny]

Thanks Steve.

Rocket_Ronny

[David Spearritt]

I am looking forward to the new Intel Viiv PC's coming out. Very small and completely silent as no fans anywhere. Should be great for remote work and in the studio. Kiss goodbye the old, large, noisy, dust sucking, PC cases forever.
http://www.intel.com/buy/viiv.htm?iid=viiv_whereToBuy