Noise in edit suites

[stephen]

As a freelance editor and owner of a SOHO edit suite noise from edit gear - computers & tape machines - is an on going issue.

What sort of noise conditions have other editors had to work in? What sort of solutions have you come across?

Obviously there is the 'equipment room' which is a good solution. However, I have found that more and more edit suites I work in are based in either a small business or home environment - and thus the gear is right in the room with you.

I am looking for an affordable acoustic enclosure for my own suite to solve noise & heat issues. Any suggestions?

If there is a good product out available in Australia I might be able to convince other SOHO edit suite owners to install 'em too. And that would be good for all of us.

[Crinoid]

I am looking for an affordable acoustic enclosure for my own suite to solve noise & heat issues. Any suggestions?

Any solid enclosure will do to cut down the noise. Heavy plywood or MDF box is fine. The denser the better. You need a removable back of course. Rockwool and other insulating stuff inside is not necessary and ineffective.

Then you MUST get air in and out.

To get the air IN you must cut HOLES in your box - which also lets out noise! So you need to cover the holes with another piece of heavy plywood as a baffle.

Then you have to EXTRACT the HOT air to the OUTSIDE.

To do this you'll need to fit a powered fan somewhere near the top of the box, and a flexible 4"-6" hose of some description that leads to an outside window.

Complicated, huh?

Maybe easier to put your machines in the broom closet and run long video cables etc. You can run VGA about 6 metres quite easily with a decent VGA cable. Video and sound will run 50 meters no problem. USB will run about 3-5 metres but then you need to get a USB hub.

Put your computers and drives in one room. Connect the two LONG VGA cables, LONG USB cable and LONG sound monitoring cables and run then into the NEXT room.

You'll then have two VGA monitors, a keyboard and mouse and some speakers. And all the noise will be in the other room.

[ThaboNel]

I have the same problem, I am thinking of springing the bucs for a 2nd hand equipment rack with glass front door and closed back, I have already baught a 2nd hand 1u extraction fan unit. What do you think?
Thabo

[Matthew]

A rack is fine but expensive.

The extraction fan unit must be connected to the OUTSIDE.

Think about where the PC fans are pulling and pushing the air from.

We had an Avid DV machine with enormous fans - trouble was, they were connected arse about and one was pushing while the other was pulling air.
Twice the noise and no cooling. So check.

Let me guess ThaboNel - you have a Mac G4?