Recording - June 2011 - 36

By Brian Tarquin

If you are thinking about creating the perfect recording space, I’ve got some helpful step-by-step tips to make your space work for you. First, there is a plethora of books on the subject, as well as numerous opinions on what issues to prioritize first. The considerations are endless, from studio size to acoustical treatment (wall panels and absorbers and diffusers), spacing of glass, reinforced doors, floating walls, ceilings and floors to blah, blah, blah. But as my friends in New York say, “Not for nothin’—what about the electrical?!” No matter how much money you spend on your design, whether it be a large professional studio or a small 8' x 8' room, do not overlook the importance of setting up the receptacles and lights first and foremost before the wall goes up. Believe me—I learned this the hard way when I built my first studio. The wrong electrical setup can cause an irritating persistent hum that courses through the board and ultimately into your recordings. I ask you, what good is using a SSL, Neve, or Trident recording console when the sound quality is stifled? Ground loops are the most common problem in home studios, as
36
RECORDING JUNE 2011

well as that nasty light noise from dimmers. Having built a number of studios and grappled with this common problem of grounding noise, I decided to help a colleague build a recording studio in an empty industrial building in Nevada over the summer. This time, I took a journal and a digital camera to record the process, which I will share with you in this article.

I ask you, what good is using a SSL, Neve, or Trident recording console, when the sound quality is stifled?
Get clean electricity Ground loops are created by improperly designed or improperly installed equipment; this is a major cause of noise and interference in audio and video systems. They can also create an electric-shock hazard, which we guitarists know all too well. Have you ever played through an old Fender amp and the ground switch on the back is accidently turned off and

you touch the guitar strings and a piece of metal on the amp—ZAP! Thank you very much for that! For instance, if two pieces of audio equipment are plugged into different power outlets of different circuits, there will often be a difference in their respective ground potentials. If a signal is passed from one to the other via an audio connection with the ground wire intact, this potential difference will cause an audible buzz. You get this with certain keyboard workstations as well, so some guys use a ground lifter—that little plug that has no ground prong on one end. Handy, but potentially dangerous. Wiring it right from the beginning is far better! The best way to eliminate this problem is to use some ground-isolated receptacles (orange outlets, Figs. 1 and 2). I highly recommend that you use a licensed electrician to install them—not cheap, but your recordings depend on it. You should use only these orange receptacles for your studio equipment to avoid interfering noises. Otherwise, there’s a good chance of getting noise from that microwave or mini refrigerator in your mixes!



Recording - June 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - June 2011

Recording - June 2011
Fade In.
Contents
Talkback.
Fast Forward.
Converting An Office Room Into A Studio.
JBL MSC1 Monitor System Controller.
Room Correction—An Overview.
Telefunken Elektroakustik CU-29 Copperhead Tube Condenser Mic.
Building A Recording Studio.
Primacoustic FlexiBooth.
RealTraps MegaTraps.
Plug-In Outlet.
SXSW 2011.
Auralex MudGuard.
DAW Details.
Sound Devices USBPre 2.
It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 15: Licensing Music for Motion Pictures and Television.
Readers’ Tapes.
Advertiser Index.
Fade Out.
Recording - June 2011 - Recording - June 2011
Recording - June 2011 - Cover2
Recording - June 2011 - 1
Recording - June 2011 - Fade In.
Recording - June 2011 - 3
Recording - June 2011 - Contents
Recording - June 2011 - 5
Recording - June 2011 - Talkback.
Recording - June 2011 - 7
Recording - June 2011 - Fast Forward.
Recording - June 2011 - 9
Recording - June 2011 - 10
Recording - June 2011 - 11
Recording - June 2011 - Converting An Office Room Into A Studio.
Recording - June 2011 - 13
Recording - June 2011 - 14
Recording - June 2011 - 15
Recording - June 2011 - 16
Recording - June 2011 - 17
Recording - June 2011 - 18
Recording - June 2011 - 19
Recording - June 2011 - 20
Recording - June 2011 - 21
Recording - June 2011 - 22
Recording - June 2011 - 23
Recording - June 2011 - JBL MSC1 Monitor System Controller.
Recording - June 2011 - 25
Recording - June 2011 - 26
Recording - June 2011 - 27
Recording - June 2011 - 28
Recording - June 2011 - 29
Recording - June 2011 - Room Correction—An Overview.
Recording - June 2011 - 31
Recording - June 2011 - 32
Recording - June 2011 - 33
Recording - June 2011 - Telefunken Elektroakustik CU-29 Copperhead Tube Condenser Mic.
Recording - June 2011 - 35
Recording - June 2011 - Building A Recording Studio.
Recording - June 2011 - 37
Recording - June 2011 - 38
Recording - June 2011 - 39
Recording - June 2011 - 40
Recording - June 2011 - 41
Recording - June 2011 - 42
Recording - June 2011 - 43
Recording - June 2011 - Primacoustic FlexiBooth.
Recording - June 2011 - 45
Recording - June 2011 - RealTraps MegaTraps.
Recording - June 2011 - 47
Recording - June 2011 - Plug-In Outlet.
Recording - June 2011 - 49
Recording - June 2011 - SXSW 2011.
Recording - June 2011 - 51
Recording - June 2011 - Auralex MudGuard.
Recording - June 2011 - 53
Recording - June 2011 - 54
Recording - June 2011 - 55
Recording - June 2011 - 56
Recording - June 2011 - 57
Recording - June 2011 - DAW Details.
Recording - June 2011 - 59
Recording - June 2011 - Sound Devices USBPre 2.
Recording - June 2011 - 61
Recording - June 2011 - It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 15: Licensing Music for Motion Pictures and Television.
Recording - June 2011 - 63
Recording - June 2011 - Readers’ Tapes.
Recording - June 2011 - Advertiser Index.
Recording - June 2011 - 66
Recording - June 2011 - 67
Recording - June 2011 - 68
Recording - June 2011 - 69
Recording - June 2011 - 70
Recording - June 2011 - 71
Recording - June 2011 - Fade Out.
Recording - June 2011 - Cover3
Recording - June 2011 - Cover4
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