I went a bit off topic on the design forum so I wonder if anyone can give me a little bit of guidance.
I'm converting from an office space and I'm wondering whether it's going to be important to change 'standard' wiring into 'studio specific' wiring... ie - all audio stuff on a single phase.. and whether that's easy enough..
here's my initial ideas.
The area on the left is the control room. The middle room is the Live room. The area on the right is other office space. (not mine)
Paul
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Last edited by Paulkent on Fri Dec 23, 2005 12:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
How is the current wiring set up? Will you be running conduits for electrical? What kind of grounding do you have now? Do you plan to do Star Grounding? Is your electrical shared w/ your office neighbor?
When I first posted (being not very knowledgable) I didn't realise I was on Single Phase and I was sharing with the next door office.
Since then though I've talked to the electrician and he thinks that there is three phase power going to the Lift, so I may be able to take a connection and bring it through (if it wasn't even in the building then that would be more of a problem)
This would mean it's not shared with anyone else in the building (hopefully not the lift either)
I don't know if I'll do STAR grounding. I'll be getting an electrician to draw up some plans, but I'd like to be ahead of him if possible and be able to advise him properly of my needs (which I'm only now assessing)..
I understand basic studio electrical needs (not running parralel etc. .. but apart from that I'm stuffed)
Up until now I've had a small remix facility. So I haven't had a desk, I've been using the old mouse. With this major step up in the world I want to make sure I don't sit down at whatever setup I setlle on and then go 'Darn, I wish I'd had this installed"
My plan is to have 16 tracks of audio (Mic/Line) running from live to control room. Other than that I 've made a stab at what else I'll need and where the wires would need to be laid.
The electrician was going to put Dado rail in for the office supply. If I advise him on what to supply at this stage I can put what I want in.
Any advice would be greatly recieved. The budget for the project has increased significantly from 10k to 55k (I'm getting it funded believe it or not!). So I'd like to get it right!
Last I checked, "dado rail" was Brit-speak for a chair rail; are you talking about some sort of surface-mount wiremold at that height for the electrical circuits?
Also, I'd have your electrician check on what's hooked to what before deciding - if your lift is running off 3-phase, it's likely using a 3-phase motor and so will possibly put interference into ALL THREE phases of the power. How much would depend on the age of the lift, condition of the start-stop contacts, etc - worse condition, more spikes and noise when starting and stopping.
OTOH, sharing with another office can suck; especially if they have things like a frig, copier, shredder, computers with cheap power supplies (most are), etc -
I'd ask your electrician if he has access to the instruments necessary to do a power quality check on the supplies; whichever one has the least spikes/RFI is the one you should be on with your gear; lights and HVAC, etc, can go on the OTHER supply. In a pinch, a few Quench-Arcs across the supply rails close to any noise makers may also help... Steve
Soooo, when a Musician dies, do they hear the white noise at the end of the tunnel??!? Hmmmm...
First of all, this is a new build that is not yet finished. The Lift is brand spanking new. as is the office.
The lift is the only thing drawing power from the three phase supply currently. It's key operated and won't be being used as a thoroughfare, except for disabled personnel (and my clients bringing equipment up). It's not a big office. (circa 10 people max, none of which are disabled currently) so that reduces usage too.
quench-arcs - I'll do a bit of study and find out what that means, but yeah.. cool.
I'm going to go ahead with the three phase supply I think. The offices next door (normal power supply) are an internet design company and a Video design company so their going to be using mucho equipment that will be a surge nightmare.
P.S - seeing as the Lift is not yet in, and neither is the circuitry upstairs, there's no way I can do a quality check, but I can plan anything I like in order to give the best supply so anything is feasible!
Whether the lift's motor will be a soft-start or just switched by a contactor, these should lessen the amount of noise generated when connected across all the phases and to ground (6 needed for this) as close to the motor and motor drive as possible... Steve
Soooo, when a Musician dies, do they hear the white noise at the end of the tunnel??!? Hmmmm...
Sorry, almost let this one get away; don't see anything glaring in your plan. You mention a lift, but don't say if YOUR space is on the ground floor (else I'm too rummy to read it) - if you ARE on the ground floor, I'd keep all your audio signal stuff on or near the floor and run ALL the electrics up at chair rail height - ground proximity may keep RFI stuff more under control, and you ALWAYS want your power run away from sound wiring.
If you're on an above-ground floor, there may be a problem; one way to check for existing noise problems is with an old guitar pickup (single coil) - just hook it up to an amp, turn it up, and wave the thing around all the floors, walls, ceiling, and mark the loudest and quietest places with tape or the like - then run your audio wires at the quietest places if possible... Steve
Soooo, when a Musician dies, do they hear the white noise at the end of the tunnel??!? Hmmmm...
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