Studio Power ! Please don't let me screw up...

[Dogfur]

I'm currently having the electrician wire my studio ( basement ), and have some questions for y'all that are more experienced than I. 1) Light dimmers - I was told that electric ones do not generate noise like the old rheostat types and will be safe for use. They will be on their own circuit, all 6 ( 2 control room, 4 main room ). 2) 1 circuit ( 20 amp )for receptacles in both rooms. isolated from the rest of the house. Is this the way to go, or do I need a seperate circuit per room? I've never had a power draw problem, and don't foresee needing more than that. I've been told that seperate circuits increase ground noise potential -I need to know! Thanks to you all for any help, God knows I need it...

[jpmiii]

I know the old dimmers are just horrible, chopped AC sound that you would hear leaking into stuff. I don't know much about the new stuff except my buddy's studio has them and it hasn't caused any problems One 20 amp circut for both rooms should be fine just make sure both rooms use the same path back to ground (buss bar) Good Luck

[Dogfur]

Thanks - also looking for suggestions concerning lighting I may learn from here if anybody cares to share - I haven't quite decided what to use other than they will not be recessed into the ceiling ( at least in the main room )...Please help me, for I have no taste in these matters..

[Salyphus]

This may be obvious but don't use fluorescent lights whatever you do! Not only are they noisy but they are very fatiguing on the eyes, especially if you are looking at a computer monitor. That's because both the fluorescents and the monitor are flickering at a fast rate and they obviously are not in sync. It's enough to drive you mad. I've gotten into this argument in many workplaces and now I just work from home :) Amazing how many people don't notice, then complain about eye fatigue, headaches, etc. :eek:

[Paul Berolzheimer]

Try to arrange your ground lines like a tree, with everthing that might be connected to the audio system (including, of course, anything in the recording room) funneling down to a single point & each branch only connecting towards the trunk in one place (no loops)

[where02190]

Put lighting with the rest of the house, keep all audio separate. I'd recommend at least 2 20 amp circuits, one for studio electronics (on a UPS) and one for the studio, for amps, etc. There's a reason why it's called ground/earth. Hope this is helpful.

[Dogfur]

Thanks for the input folks -I'll ask the electrician about the branch thing for the ground lines. As far as two circuits go for equipment, there is already an existing circuit/receptacles servicing areas of the basement we are leaving in, so that should provide for amps, etc...

[Lee Flier]

I have halogen track lighting in my basement studio and it works great for some situations, not great for others. For "mood lighting" situations I prefer some shaded lamps with scarves over them. I'm thinking of putting in some small wall sconces around the room that are shaded so the lighting is very muted. Of course that's all "mood" stuff and not technical, but it's important. Vibe is key. I do have a separate circuit for the basement also.

[Audiobotica]

For lighting, check out the latest LED's. Miniscule power draw, bright light, tiny bulbs that last forever. You can run them anywhere and build them into task or mood lighting, your choice. Forget the off-the-shelf lamps. Too expensive. But buy your own components and get creative and you can get super creative lighting that will cost pennies to run!

[Dogfur]

Lee - vibe is what this thing has got to be about! ( with 8 ft. ceilings it better have some vibe...) Any asthetic suggestions are greatly welcomed - at this point were talkin' cinder block & drywall, so its' all fair game... Audiobotica - I'm not familiar with LED lighting on this kind of scale.( We use them for products at work, but not for actual area lighting..) Can you give me some links or examples? Thanks again All!