My Quasi-Recording/Mix Room Build

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Oh, here's what the enclosure looks like at the moment. All ready for the computers.

YAHHHHOOOOOOEEEE!!! Might even have em runnin tonight!

Here is a test fit of the computer case on drawer guides.

Ok, sorry for hijacking. Just thought you might be interested in how "I" do things...on the cheap.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

That's awesome, fitz. Wish I had your patience and skill!

I'm back up and running on the system. The ONE HDD I have left that isn't bad is the one that is running my OS right now.

I'm going to call NewEgg tomorrow and demand a return shipping label for this dead HDD. I tried printing a label online and it was going to charge me for shipping. That's total bullshit. And I'm going to tell them that.

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

That's total bullshit. And I'm going to tell them that.

Join the Newegg forum and give em shit there...that get's their attention. I posted my astonishment about DOA shit being shipped on one of the forums. I told em they ought to be REAMING the manufacturers for sending THEM DOA crap. Talk about squirming. Then the typical bullshit response.

Even the Manufacturer replys on the customer reviews are a joke. Even when the customer sends a board back to Gigabyte...they get the same board back!!!

Check the first review CONS!! Same ole shit.

Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard


Typical corporate bullshit response too.

Manufacturer Response:

Thank you for your comments. Honest and constructive opinions are always welcome. We apologize for your difficulty with your Gigabyte product. Please contact us at newegg-support@gigabyte-usa.com with the case number XXX in the subject line. We will provide personalized service and analysis to help solve your issue as soon as possible.

If the matter is urgent, please send us your contact number, and we will contact you ASAP.

Gigabyte VIP Support Team

yea, riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight! NOT!!

 

[Jeff_D]

Newegg has great prices and IME has always been REALLY helpful on the rare occasion I need to return something. On average, I probably build 3 or 4 computers a year for myself, family and friends, all from newegg parts. i always check the reviews, and and biggest thing I'm looking for is doa or compatibility complaints. If I see a bunch, I look else where. I might dissmiss one or two complaints on an item with otherwise good feedback as a fluke or user error. In the last 9 years, I've probably had to return 3 parts; not bad really. t

The last thing I had to return was a busted DVD burner a couple months ago- it was literally a $20 part... same thing; I went to the website to make an RMA and get a shipping label and it was gonna charge me. So, I cancelled out of that and just called em up. Told them my problem and asked if they were supposed to cover the return shipping costs (otherwise, I probably would have just pitched the drive and cut my losses). With no hesitation, he sent me a shipping label for free.

It definitely sucks to wait around for shipping back and forth. But Newegg has always been excellent at making things right.

 

[Bryan316]

Major derailment, but had to ask.

Does anyone here believe that foam shockmount ATA rack cases are actually any good at shockmounting? As opposed to rubber isolator mounts with minimal physical contact between the case and the internal frame? Which allow the contents to actually move and flex to the vibrations?

Cuz I see these rubber-band-supported hard drives and think, "Silly foam-mounted products, they're so silly."

The suspension mounted idea for these hard drives is quite creative. Will be shopping for Stretch Magic this evening! It's so crazy to think in the last two weeks, how many things I've learned from this thread alone, never mind the rest of this whole forum!!!


So while your PC builds are frustrating you as of late..... someone out here in Intarwebland is appreciative of your labors and heartaches.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

I went to the website to make an RMA and get a shipping label and it was gonna charge me. So, I cancelled out of that and just called em up. Told them my problem and asked if they were supposed to cover the return shipping costs (otherwise, I probably would have just pitched the drive and cut my losses). With no hesitation, he sent me a shipping label for free.

That has been my experience as well. I just got off the phone with them and they sent me a shipping label and I did an advance replacement, no questions asked. I was prepared to complain about how I had spent X number of dollars with them and I don't think I should have to pay return shipping on a defective item. I didn't even have to peep anything about that. I just said, "I need a return shipping label for my defective hard drive." and his response was "No problem. I just submitted that for you." And then I said, "I also need an advance replacement on that." And again, his reply was, "No problem. I'm setting that up right now."

So all in all, pretty happy with NewEgg. I just wish there was more QA from their providers.

Major derailment, but had to ask.

Does anyone here believe that foam shockmount ATA rack cases are actually any good at shockmounting? As opposed to rubber isolator mounts with minimal physical contact between the case and the internal frame? Which allow the contents to actually move and flex to the vibrations?

Cuz I see these rubber-band-supported hard drives and think, "Silly foam-mounted products, they're so silly."

The suspension mounted idea for these hard drives is quite creative. Will be shopping for Stretch Magic this evening! It's so crazy to think in the last two weeks, how many things I've learned from this thread alone, never mind the rest of this whole forum!!!


So while your PC builds are frustrating you as of late..... someone out here in Intarwebland is appreciative of your labors and heartaches.

How dare you ask a legitimate question in my thread!

I'm gonna step aside and let fitZ pop in here and answer that one, but my opinion is that foam is not going to be as good as a rubber isolation mount. I think you'd have to test them, though. I'm sure someone already has. I believe that the rubber is going to have more flex and be more forgiving. The foam, on the other hand, is going to transfer some of that shock to the gear. It's by design, in my opinion. It surrounds the gear/rack so you're going to have more contact surface area. With a suspended mount, that's not the case. The energy will be dispersed evenly and only the parts where the mounts come in contact will receive that energy. Thereby, I believe, absorbing less of it. That's my very amateur take.

But we're talking shock here, right? When you flip that and the gear (hard drive) is the one causing the "shock" (or vibration in this case), then the energy is spread from the gear itself. I still think a rubber isolation mount system is better than foam in this case. For one, foam doesn't allow for good airflow. Second, that energy is still going to travel (and dissipate) through the foam. With a rubber mount, I believe you would have less audible sound produced from the vibration because the contact point from the rubber mounting is less and also allows the hard drive to move a little more. Not necessarily shake violently...that's where decent mounts come in...but properly absorb so that energy doesn't get transferred elsewhere...it dissipates via the rubber.

 

[Bryan316]

My opinions exactly.

I've seen live-in road cases where they put their 412 cabinet or their amp head and rack into an ATA case, but use foam all around it. Sure, it may protect your gear from a sledge hammer smashing the flat open sides of that case, and all that foam would help defend it from arrows or sword slashes or fire breathing dragons.

But if a case falls on its corner, isn't foam more or less trapping it from moving/flexing/shifting to absorb that impact?

I saw how Mesa Boogie does their suspension-mount rack cases, big heavy wood frame with rubber isolators, and thought how that behaved exactly like some of the electromagnetic vibratory feeders I used to work with at my last job. Freedom of movement, interior shakes and bounces with clearance all around. But these style cases were still so damn heavy. Then I found how SKB does their newest shock mounted US Roto rack cases:

...and thought, "This is the ONLY way gear should be mounted!"

But the idea of individually isolating each hard drive from each other? Now THAT is attention to detail. Heh heh heh.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Well...I'm starting to peice together all my gear and put it in the racks. I'm having some indecisivness on where stuff should go. I want to minimize the number of cords going from rack to rack but I can't very well shove everything in one rack.

So...what's the feasible thing to do? Pre's all to one side? I guess that would make sense...meh, I don't know.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

After some thinking, I got my gear in the racks. In conclusion...I need more gear.

So...I'm very seriously considering re-doing my speaker stands. I just don't think they'll have enough mass at all. I'm certainly going to try them because I made them and I figure why not give them a shot. But they're pretty...well, light. They just don't have ANY mass!!!

I don't like the cinder block idea. It's just not for me. That would create mass for sure but I just don't know how to make something like that look good...after all, it IS a cinder block.

So...what about something like this? Except for the bottom, I would choose some sandwiched up wood. Maybe even with some ceramic tile or even a bit of wood flooring glued on it. Hhhmmm... Not sure what they have there...marble?

 

[Bryan316]

Three ideas. First, use the cinder blocks as the foundation, then wrap them with padded vinyl. Dark brown or black, with the felt glued to the back side. I guess its upholstery grade stuff. Then base and cap made from butcher block with nice chamfered edges all the way around, stained nice and dark.

Or.... cinder block foundation, and use masonry adhesive and some cosmetic stone facing. Cover the cinder blocks with it, then get two base stones and two cap stones. Marble, granite, something that looks good to your tastes. Some of those tile stores have scraps or waste chunks that are too small for anything, but good enough to turn into some good looking squares.

Finally.... go to a lumber yard and ask for cedar 6x6 posts as your stands. Single solid chunks of wood, nice and heavy. IF you find a good lumber yard, see if they have hardwood posts that large.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Three ideas. First, use the cinder blocks as the foundation, then wrap them with padded vinyl. Dark brown or black, with the felt glued to the back side. I guess its upholstery grade stuff. Then base and cap made from butcher block with nice chamfered edges all the way around, stained nice and dark.

Or.... cinder block foundation, and use masonry adhesive and some cosmetic stone facing. Cover the cinder blocks with it, then get two base stones and two cap stones. Marble, granite, something that looks good to your tastes. Some of those tile stores have scraps or waste chunks that are too small for anything, but good enough to turn into some good looking squares.

Finally.... go to a lumber yard and ask for cedar 6x6 posts as your stands. Single solid chunks of wood, nice and heavy. IF you find a good lumber yard, see if they have hardwood posts that large.

Funny you mention the wrapping thing. I was just thinking this morning that I might be able to use the cinder block idea if I wrapped them. But, what if they got bumped and tipped over? No bueno.

I like your cedar post idea. Could probably get some cedar planks as well for a base and top. Screw those in and wah-la...speaker stand. That should have plenty of mass, right?

 

[Bryan316]

Bueno! Bueno!

Masonry drill bit, long threaded rod, fender washers, nylon locknuts. Drill vertically through the cinder blocks, run the threaded rod through, bolt them blocks together! Hell... bolt the blocks to your base plate and cap plate as well. Masonry grade construction adhesive between everything as well, so the blocks or plates don't vibrate internally either.


Fourth idea.

Contact a fabrication shop, ask for 4" square tubing with 3/8" wall thickness or greater, and 3/4" plate steel for top and bottom, and weld up SOLID STEEL COLUMNS. And then, fill the square tube with concrete mix.

Nothing more solid.

If I lived close enough to you, I'd go back in my company's shop and make em for you myself!

 

[joewax]

nice studio. looks like theres potential

 

[Re-tox_stl]

Myriad, what's the word?! I'm dyin over here, I need SOMETHING! lol

Drew

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Myriad, what's the word?! I'm dyin over here, I need SOMETHING! lol

Drew

My bad. I've been at a standstill, really. I had to order a couple of patchbays so I'm waiting on those. I also have been doing a huge amount of yard work lately. We're talking digging, laying stone, spreading tons (literally...tons) of river rock, planting, building a firepit...ugh. I've hauled off more dirt than I care to think about and shoveled more rock out of the back of a pickup than I care to repeat in an entire lifetime. All in the last week or two. To top it off, my entire week at work has been 12 to 14 hour days.

Progress looms, though! All I've had time to do in the mix room lately is start racking gear. But I'm going to be pulling it back out again, anyway, because of the patchbays I'm putting in.

I'm going to pick up that 6x6 cedar post at some point next week. I've been procrastinating on it for some reason...not sure why. Hopefully I can maneuver that thing by myself so I can cut it. Maybe I could get them to cut it in half for me...hhmmm....

 

[Bryan316]

6 inch posts will be challenging even with a 12" miter saw. You'll have to flip it and do two cuts to make it all the way through. If you can, either rent a large enough saw for 4 hours to quickly do the job, or order it from a proper lumber yard and have them chop/mill it for you.

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

I'm going to pick up that 6x6 cedar post

What is it for Myriad? I hope it's not for monitor stands.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

What is it for Myriad? I hope it's not for monitor stands.

It is...and I haven't bought it yet. So...why not?

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

So...why not?

Mass. I don't consider Cedar as massive enough. I'm talking concrete blocks filled with sand maybe, or the steel tubing filled with buckshot or concrete. Preferably buckshot as it dampens the tube. But expensive as hell. You want enough mass so resonance isn't introduced to the stand, which takes energy away from your monitors at low frequencies. I'm certainly no expert but I've read enough threads by experts who explain it far better than I can. Not only that, you want to decouple the monitors from the stand too. 703 works well. If it were me, I'd probably just mortar some concrete blocks together and clad them in 1/2" or 3/4" veneered ply...mitered of course. Seems the cheapest way to go. But my monitors are soffit mounted so I didn't have to deal with it. The decoupling is by virtue of Solymer pads.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Mass. I don't consider Cedar as massive enough. I'm talking concrete blocks filled with sand maybe, or the steel tubing filled with buckshot or concrete. Preferably buckshot as it dampens the tube. But expensive as hell. You want enough mass so resonance isn't introduced to the stand, which takes energy away from your monitors at low frequencies. I'm certainly no expert but I've read enough threads by experts who explain it far better than I can. Not only that, you want to decouple the monitors from the stand too. 703 works well. If it were me, I'd probably just mortar some concrete blocks together and clad them in 1/2" or 3/4" veneered ply...mitered of course. Seems the cheapest way to go. But my monitors are soffit mounted so I didn't have to deal with it. The decoupling is by virtue of Solymer pads.

fitZ, have you seen what I have now? Cedar is BY FAR more massive than my sorry excuse for monitor stands. I thought they were a good idea at the time, but they do not have ANY mass. I can pick them up and throw them around like a football! Motaring concrete blocks together and then cladding them seems like it'd be WAY beyond my skillset or patience level at this point...

EDIT: Here are my current stands. You can see that they are oh so massive...(sarcasm)