Computer Recording?

[johnf]

I've been trying to record an acoustic guitar and vocals onto my computer via a microphone and a lexicon lambda audio interface and cubase.

What I'm noticing now, however, is that my computer itself makes a LOT of noise - partially from the fan, I think, but mostly the hard-drive making whirring noises. Is there any way to reduce this noise, either by altering settings on my computer, reducing the workload on the harddrive somehow, or conceal the noise with some kind of sound-reducing box I could build around it?

I'd appreciate any ideas or experiences you could share.

[Track Rat]

Aside from changing out the fans and such, put some distance and a gobo between you and the computer.

[Kevin Deschwazi]

It depends on the components in your computer. You can usually do quite a bit to reduce noise, quiet fans, acoustic padding inside the computer, noise reducing HDD caddies etc. Bear in mind you’ll be reducing noise though, you won’t be eliminating it.

www.quietpcusa.com is a good one stop shop.

You could build a box but you’d have to think about airflow and keeping the machine cool and that in itself is likely to introduce noise. Specially made boxes for this are incredibly expensive.

I toyed with all of that stuff and was very limited in what I could do because I have a Dell machine with proprietary parts which couldn’t be swapped out. I ended up moving the computer into another room and I couldn't have been happier. I moved recently and it proved more difficult in the new place so I got a stage box with a long lead (10m is enough for my small place) and I now do my actual tracking elsewhere in the house. In fact I prefer this because it's just one big thick cable which I can reel in when I'm not recording.

If those aren't options for you then you’ll just have to make the comp as quiet as possible but I think it’s preferable to get away from the comp or to get the comp away from you. Otherwise you’ll always have some noise.