John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Hi Folks:

I am an electrical contractor who has a customer who is building a media room. There will be video and audio recording of people talking only, not singing and music. The customer believes that no measures have to be taken to assure a clean finished product. I on the other hand believe that all measures need to be taken. Does anyone on this forum care to advise me on the best way to handle this problem?

Thank you,
Jim

Tell us what measures you have taken to ensure (I assume) a clean audio and video signal, and we may be able to respond.
Your question is a little open ended.

But....
Star grounding
seperating lighting from signal power at the panel
keeping signal cable runs away from power, cross only at 90 degree angles
Balanced cable runs (separate earth) LV
...........
Hmmm

lilith_envy wrote:Tell us what measures you have taken to ensure (I assume) a clean audio and video signal, and we may be able to respond.
Your question is a little open ended.

But....
Star grounding
seperating lighting from signal power at the panel
keeping signal cable runs away from power, cross only at 90 degree angles
Balanced cable runs (separate earth) LV
...........
Hmmm

So far I have not done anything. I do not want to design that which I know little about. I design regular electrical systems, not studios.

Thanks,
Jim

These are the papers that I often reference on questions like yours.

"The TRUTH" from ExactPower of Middle Atlantic Products
http://www.exactpower.com/elite/wpapers.aspx

or a different version of the same paper

"Power White Paper" from Middle Atlantic.com
http://www.middleatlantic.com/power.htm

The Bill Whitlock of Jensen Transformers Seminar paper
http://www.jensen-transformers.com/an/g ... eminar.pdf

The Jim Brown of Audio Systems Group white paper
"Power and Grounding for Audio and Audio/Video Systems"
http://www.audiosystemsgroup.com/SurgeXPowerGround.pdf

Speedskater wrote:These are the papers that I often reference on questions like yours.

"The TRUTH" from ExactPower of Middle Atlantic Products
http://www.exactpower.com/elite/wpapers.aspx

or a different version of the same paper

"Power White Paper" from Middle Atlantic.com
http://www.middleatlantic.com/power.htm

The Bill Whitlock of Jensen Transformers Seminar paper
http://www.jensen-transformers.com/an/g ... eminar.pdf

The Jim Brown of Audio Systems Group white paper
"Power and Grounding for Audio and Audio/Video Systems"
http://www.audiosystemsgroup.com/SurgeXPowerGround.pdf

Thanks for the advice Speedskater.

I have been studying this issue for a couple of weeks now. My problem is that the customer does not believe he needs to address clean power issues because he is not recording music. Would you recommend that he address theses issues or do you think he will be ok wiring the room normally?

He may not need any thing now but if we look to the future, EMC (EMI/RFI) issues are going to get worse, much worse. With PLT coming on-line with little regulation (using the power line for data communication) and more powerful WiFi. It won't take much to do it right now rather than later.

Speedskater wrote:He may not need any thing now but if we look to the future, EMC (EMI/RFI) issues are going to get worse, much worse. With PLT coming on-line with little regulation (using the power line for data communication) and more powerful WiFi. It won't take much to do it right now rather than later.

Great advice, unfortunately he will not heed my recommendations and hire a professional designer. This means that if a problem crops up now or in the future, even though I will have in writing that the room is not designed for clean power I will get blamed for the noisy signal.

Thanks,
Jim