Electric supply for music recording

Oct 04, 2010 27 Replies

Only got experience of such things in large broadcasting complexes where it was the rule to have a dedicated tech supply with its own earth. In older BBC ones, this was a regulated supply for each individual studio too. Using a large servo operated auto transformer.

But all likely over the top for a domestic type installation. However, a dedicated radial with its own RCD straight from the CU would do no harm. If only for isolation purposes at the end of the day - easier to switch off than each and every bit of gear.

IME even decent domestic & low end studio equipment has no difficulty getting silent as long as its used the right way. The key things have been:

- use decent well screened wire for af leads, no junk

- use 1/4" jack plugs, or rca phonos are usable, if not as reliable

- if you're using historic equipment you may need to silence causes of clicks & pops with an RC snubber on such switches.

NT

I'm thinking if I get powered speakers which plug directly into the mains then the leads to the speakers will be at line level and so radiate far less than if they took the power to the speakers, but I may be wrong! [g]

Yes, seems to me that won't cure anything at all...

Enjoy your unsuccessful attempts

NT

Why not? Surely more power taking the signals to the loudspeakers will mean more chance of picking it up in the microphone wires? [g]

In article , george [dicegeorge] scribeth thus

No sorry, the amount of power radiated by speaker leads is sod all compared with anything else .. apart from a mobile phone on the go..

You need to keep the signals on the microphone leads contained and protected by decent shielded cable and balanced operation..

I've never known in 30 odd years of Pro broadcast and audio shielding speaker wires;!...

Never had a problem with crosstalk between speaker and mic lines - even with 100 volt line speakers. Or ordinary mains cables, come to that. Lighting dimmers - as used in TV studios for the production lighting - are the real killer. However, I only use balanced mics.

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