This is topic server/projector noise in studwork booths in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 09-15-2014, 08:11 AM:
 
Did anyone of you ever had noise problems after installing equipment in studwork booths?

We have a professionally set up studwork booth, with acoustic rockwool between walls (double drywall inside, single outside), but there is still too much noise coming out, especially from the Doremi 2k4, which has high running fans.

We know there are a few things to be improved around the door and port glas, but how do you deal with this? This is a very small 'auditorium' showing mostly dialog movies, and the first screenings resulted in some complaints.
The NC900C ist not much of a problem, but the server is.

- Carsten
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-15-2014, 03:04 PM:
 
Line the walls with sound absorbing 'blackcore' fibreglass insulation?
 

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Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 09-15-2014, 03:17 PM:
 
The noisiest fans in the 2K4 are probably those in the PSUs. Practically all fans are controlled by logic, so they turn faster if the environment in the server requires to.

So besides increasing insulation, did you check the temperature in the booth? Maybe the fans of the server are all running at full speed all the time? Especially the inlet temperature of the server, which would be at the front. Maybe if you can bring that down, or increase the airflow, the fans will switch down to lower RPMs and will thus become far less noisy.
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 09-15-2014, 03:52 PM:
 
Sonex foam sheets on the walls helps also can you make a deflector chute to the air intake by the fans toreduce the noise

http://acousticalsolutions.com/sonex-classic
 

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-16-2014, 10:00 AM:
 
You are on the right track with double drywall inside and single outside but if you do not space apart and stagger the studs that double - single sheet rock is all for naught. The spacing apart and staggering of the wall studs is what stops the noise for the most part. Like two separate walls in one.

And yes, the Sonex will help a lot. There are also less expensive alternatives to Sonex that work as well but may not last as long.

You may also have to look at alternative cooling fans for the Doremi power supplies. GDC has very high speed fans in their power supplies which are similar but they are extremely quiet... Strong used those fans where the blades have teeth so they make a whining sound... A ten plex full of those was very annoying indeed! Makes me wonder if their fans are not similar to Strong's.

Mark
 

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Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 09-16-2014, 07:32 PM:
 
Mark, I worked in exactly that- a 10 plex with Strong consoles with those same toothed fans, for over 5 years.

I didn't find it annoying, but could see how it would be to others. I'll never forget the sound of the booth in fill filmgear outfit!
 

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Posted by Joe Elliott (Member # 4006) on 09-16-2014, 09:44 PM:
 
I worked in a theater that we had noise ingress into the auditoriums in a couple houses. We though they might have missed the insulation, until I noticed, that there were two issues, one there was a hole above the ceiling of the booth that was originally supposed to be for an A/C duct. And 2 the return air duct simply opened up into the booth. I stuffed the hole with insulation, and the A/C guy was able to put a cover over the return air duct that allowed air to pass, but bounced the sound. It was a drastic improvement in the auditorium. Check for oversights like that.
 

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Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 09-16-2014, 11:40 PM:
 
My projection booth is far, far quieter than it was when running film.
 

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Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 09-17-2014, 04:02 AM:
 
They could hear the 35mm when it was running in that same location. But it caused far less complaints.

- Carsten
 

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Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 09-17-2014, 04:40 AM:
 
The "clicking" sound of a 35mm projector also is a bit more relaxing than that of a bunch of high pitched fans.

I'm just guessing wildly here since I don't know the exact layout of this booth. Maybe you could consider another "low tech" solution? Is the server mounted in a rack where the back is facing the auditorium? Maybe you could move it so it is facing the backside of the booth? This probably won't fix all the issues, but at least the bulk of the noise won't be directly aimed at the auditorium.

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen

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You may also have to look at alternative cooling fans for the Doremi power supplies.

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