Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[grizzly joe]

i record in a large bedroom right now.  it's 12x15 with 7-8 foot ceilings, but it sounds surpisingly good. i recently had new wood floors put it and it's sounding nice, just needs some bass traps.  the only thing that makes it a bedroom is the bed in the corner, everything else is musical. this is as good as i can do for being 17 and having a desire to record as much as possible before i'm able to get into the business.

i have a 52" ceiling fan, it emits a very quiet low frequency hum, something i doubt a mic would noticably pick up, but you can hear it.  it gets hot in here, considering all the gear:  monitors, amps, macbook pro (more like cookbook pro.)  it would be a dream to have the fan on its lowest setting while recording, but i know that low frequency hum will be hidden in there somewhere, so my question is:  would it be anywhere near logical to track with the fan on, and slap a highpass filter (depending on the frequency of the fan, i do not know yet until i do some kind of test) on the tracks i recorded with the fan on?  is this stupid?  should i just turn it off, record, sweat, and get it back on asap?

thanks for your input!

[Lee Tyler]

I am far from an expert, but you will likely get a Doppler effect reflecting off those moving fan blades and the sound will be affected...sometimes in a major way. Sure way to check is to listen with and without the fan for anomalies. Also, some fan switches and potentiometers can cause hummerzzzz. Did I tell you I am staying at a Holiday Express? LOL
Best of luck!!  


LT

[jetbase]

if it means the difference between your gear continuing to run or not (or you staying conscious), then leave the fan on. but, as always, it's better to have your source right & not have to fix anything. the traditional way in this situation is to cool the room down as much as possible between takes. maybe find a cheap window airconditioner second hand to do this, the room will stay cooler for longer periods.

[Phil]

Lee Tyler wrote on Wed, 30 August 2006 17:45

I am far from an expert, but you will likely get a Doppler effect reflecting off those moving fan blades and the sound will be affected...sometimes in a major way.

I have a fan above the console in my editing room. If I leave it on while mixing, it throws the bottom into a phase-y state of mind. It's a shame we moved away from tape machines with pushbutton remotes; you could always stick a relay on the "Record" button and turn off the fan (or A/C) while tracking. That way you don't have to get out of your chair and run to the thermostat between takes.

[grizzly joe]

thank you for the advice  thank god fall is coming!

[organica]

and CLEARLY
playback of your recorded tracks will instantly tell you what to do regarding the fan situation
at least it's always been the case for me

[fj]

I had a ceiling fan in the control room my previous studio and it drove everyone crazy. Nobody was sure if they were in tune unless you were sitting in just the right spot. It's a shame because it really cuts down on the A/C bill to have air circulating.

[franman]

Lee Tyler wrote on Wed, 30 August 2006 20:45

I am far from an expert, but you will likely get a Doppler effect reflecting off those moving fan blades and the sound will be affected...sometimes in a major way. Sure way to check is to listen with and without the fan for anomalies. Also, some fan switches and potentiometers can cause hummerzzzz. Did I tell you I am staying at a Holiday Express? LOL Best of luck!!

These are both good point!! The  doppler effect from moving blades can make your vocals have that leslie effect, especially if the floor and or ceiling is hard.. and the damn electrical noise coming from fan speed controls can all over EVERYHING!! If you have any phantom buzzes or sizzling in your system, see if it's associated with the fan speed control.. Off would be the quiet settings for this problem!!

[PaulyD]

One other caution about fans: I have read that electric motors are some of the worst offenders for inducing electrical noise onto electrical circuits. If you have to use a fan that is on the same electrical circuit as your musical equipment, you would do well to consider power conditioning devices for your music gear. Of course, even without fans, it's still a great idea.

Paul