studio just built, where to put wiring?

[usalabs]

Hi everyone.

I was recently voted by the members of the band I'm in, to be their sound engineer, the lead guitarist has just had an empty studio built (currently requires sound proofing and decor), in the space that backs onto his garage, these images are of the floor plan and photos of what it currently looks like.

The control room will be using (among other equipment) the Behringer SX244FX Eurodesk mixing board, along with the Roland VS880 digital workstation, and KRK powered monitors.

The control room and studio's power outlets are all using separately breaker-ed (meaning, each GFI has its own breaker in the breaker box in the garage) GFI's, and are situation about 4' above the floor.

The studio area will be using wall mounted TRS and XLR sockets (XLR for balanced cabinet and vocal mics, and TRS for headphones with wall hooks), the sockets will be placed at various points around the studio so that musicians can reach for headphones and get ready for recording, if any of the mics break down the mic(s) can just be unplugged from the wall mount.

My dilemma is, what is the best way to route all the mains power, and audio cables around the studio and into the control room, in such a way that if there's a problem with any of the cables, they can be easily accessed?

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

That drawing is fairly useless without dimensions.

Have you doubled up on the drywall? Are you wanting any isolation between the rooms?

As far as hiding wires, you could either run a panel from the studio to the control room or you could sub a hole, run the cables through that and then pack it with insulation. Unless you have attic access, you can pretty much forget running cables to "various locations" within the studio. Besides, I think it would make more sense to just install a panel with in/out on it from the CR to the live room.

In short...we need more info from you.

 

[usalabs]

Have you doubled up on the drywall? Are you wanting any isolation between the rooms?

The wall layout is:-

1...Drywall
2...Styrofoam
3...Liquid foam (now hardened)
4...Styrofoam
5...Drywall

That drawing is fairly useless without dimensions.

Unfortunately, I'm not a professional architect that can translate actual measurements to blue print dimensions, I can only use what I have at my disposal, I used a basic CAD program to draw out the walls and doors for the floor plan.

There is a glass window between the CR and studio using a double glass panel, with an air gap between the glass panels, and sealed with silicon.

Would it be better to use metal conduit or plastic? Theoretically, metal would shield the 60hz mains hum, but can also reflect sound waves,,,,plastic can absorb sound waves, but doesn't shield from the 60hz hum, (cause and effect), there has to be a material that can absorb sound waves, and also shield audio cables from 60hz.

 

[Sky Blue Lou]

...what is the best way to route all the mains power, and audio cables around the studio and into the control room, in such a way that if there's a problem with any of the cables, they can be easily accessed?

I don't get this question. The walls are built so you're not going to have sub panels in the normal fashion. Are you planning on having sub panels with external wiring? Just get a couple snakes and run 'em overhead. No need to dick with power - it looks like you have outlets. Use 'em with power strips.


lou

 

[Sky Blue Lou]

What it looks like is "Oh fuck - we shoulda thought of that before we did the sheetrock."


lou

 

[c7sus]

The wall layout is:-

1...Drywall
2...Styrofoam
3...Liquid foam (now hardened)
4...Styrofoam
5...Drywall


Unfortunately, I'm not a professional architect that can translate actual measurements to blue print dimensions, I can only use what I have at my disposal, I used a basic CAD program to draw out the walls and doors for the floor plan.

There is a glass window between the CR and studio using a double glass panel, with an air gap between the glass panels, and sealed with silicon.

Would it be better to use metal conduit or plastic? Theoretically, metal would shield the 60hz mains hum, but can also reflect sound waves,,,,plastic can absorb sound waves, but doesn't shield from the 60hz hum, (cause and effect), there has to be a material that can absorb sound waves, and also shield audio cables from 60hz.

PVC plastic pipe doesn't "absorb sound waves" and neither does styrofoam.

Your guitar player/builder should have done a lot more homework before launching into this project.

And "metal or plastic pipe" is gonna be the least of your worries at this point in the process.

The glass of the control room window is gonna reflect more audio than any kind of pipe.

Besides that, just keep your audio cables more than 4-inches away in parallel runs and cross power lines at 90-degree angles and you won't have 60-cycle hum issues FROM THAT ASPECT.

You may have other problems with line noise from AC/furnace fans or refridgerators or other inductive loads that cycle on and off while tracking. Kids getting water from the front of the reefer will add a nice "click" every time the solenoid on the water tap gets engaged.

You need to tell us the room dimensions to get pointed in the right direction for bass traps and other room treatments.

Hint: NO MORE STYROFOAM!

Use Owens/Corning 703 or Knauf Soundboard for traps and wall treatments or Rockwool, which is a cheaper alternative than any fiberglass product.

Put the wiring wherever it is most convenient TO USE, and again, keep audio at least 4-inches away from power in parallel runs. If I were in your shoes, I'd just punch a 3 or 4-inch conduit from the control room into the live room for audio and just use a single snake for mic sends and headphone returns. The live room doesn't seem large enough to justify anything more elaborate than that. Run your power in metal conduit, and if you can, put all the outlets ON THE SAME PHASE FROM THE PANELBOARD. Take your pick, black or red but stick with one or the other.

AND MAKE DAMNED SURE EVERYTHING IS PROPERLY GROUNDED!

 

[c7sus]

I wouldn't count on mixing in that control room either. It's way too small of a space for reliable results.

 

[miroslav]

Yeah...that's going to be one cramped control room...plus, you're straddling a corner in the back of it.

I know it's all done...but you may want to take pause and then just bite the bullet and correct it NOW rather than wait until it's all full of gear and what not.

AFA running wires...
I have a few racks and my console desk, all on wheels...and the cabling is behind that stuff. One way to keep it neat is to go to Home Depot and get some vinyl roof gutters...cut to desired lengths and then screw it to the wall behind your racks/gear and use that gutter channel for all your audio cable, keeping them off the floor.
Run your AC power along the edge of the floor, well away from the audio cables. With the gutters, the cable is neat, but it just lays there loose and easy enough to pull a cable or to add more if needed.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Unfortunately, I'm not a professional architect that can translate actual measurements to blue print dimensions, I can only use what I have at my disposal, I used a basic CAD program to draw out the walls and doors for the floor plan.

I'm not a professional architect, either. And excuse me for sounding rude, but it's not hard to do some measurements on a drawing...particularly if you're using a CAD program (even a basic one). Are you telling me that your drawing is not to scale?

 

[Van Johnson112]

I really don't see why people are suggesting bass traps and other options of sound treatment when the original question was around running wire. I do have to agree with lou, this should of been planned before sheet rock was done. But if your set on the conduit idea look into water tight flexible conduit. PVC coated flexible metal.

 

[mewsician2]

I really don't see why people are suggesting bass traps and other options of sound treatment when the original question was around running wire. I do have to agree with lou, this should of been planned before sheet rock was done. But if your set on the conduit idea look into water tight flexible conduit. PVC coated flexible metal.

Yep!
Can't beat that stuff, access is really important, it's gonna be necessary eventually, always is! :/

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

My dilemma is, what is the best way to route all the mains power, and audio cables around the studio and into the control room, in such a way that if there's a problem with any of the cables, they can be easily accessed?

Take a look at this:
Acoustic Sciences Soundproofing and Sound Conditioning

That will get you from control room to live room. And at $500, you might wanna figure out how to DIY from the illustration/pics. Not difficult.


However, it may take a modification to allow wall mounted conduits to connect to it for distribution to other XLR/other jack chassi boxes.

One other consideration is the power/ground loop area relationships. Read these threads for some important info as it implies a whole bunch. Especially at this point in your installation.


http://jhbrandt.net/GroundingWiringZeroLoopArea.pdf

BTW, jhbrandt(John) is a member here and I'm surprised he hasn't shown up yet.

Short distance to the ground, how much it is? - Gearslutz.com

ground loop (I think?) problem - Page 2 - Gearslutz.com

All that info should keep you busy for a while. Good luck.