silent G4mp ????

[andkar]

My digi001 works fine,
My G4 computer works fine, :)

Now my "problem" is that the fan and mayby also the hardrive in the computer buzzes like hell ( specially in late evenings !!? )

There are obvious solutions to this problem.
1. Put the computer in another room
2. be a handy man and build a big sound isolation box for the computer with ventilation.

I am not totally satified with those solutions (not saying they are not good just little unpractical for my small apartment setup), i've seen adverts for "silent" Pc fans, is there any for mac ??, or som kind of commercial silencer for the mac ?

[bassmac]

I knew I wasn’t the only one! My G4/500 DP has a “occasional” buzz (more like a chain saw) which is actually the plastic panels on the front and side of the case rattling. The grey plastic is really quit loose and flimsy so it wouldn’t take much to make it rattle. I’ve tried running the system with the case open to find what’s causing it, but it won’t buzz until the case is fully closed. My second drive is a Seagate which is screwed down tight. So far I’ve tightened up all the screws on the case, and (this is real technical) wedged a couple of guitar picks between the front and side panels, this has worked well so far but I’d still like to find out what’s causing it - it gives me a minor heart attack when that damn buzz kicks in.

bassmac

[crowdog]

I'm checking into this too ... I've gone to the site for isomac and isobox, but I'm not spending ~ $1000 for it!

So what I did was copy the dimensions for their box and contacted a cabinetmaker/woodworker to have one built. The only thing that remains is to develop a baffle system for the back to allow for air flow, but stop the sound from coming out of the back, including grommets for the the cabling to run through. I plan on covering the inside w/ 2" Aurelex, and adding a glass panel to the front door.

I still need to do some research concerning the thermal limits of the MAC G4 to make it doesn't cook in the box .... so if anyone has any ideas or sites where I can find this info it would be much appreciated and I'll keep you posted as to how this turns out. I think the Isomac has a thermostat which kicks on the fan, plus a filter for the air intake.

BTW - the cabinetmaker said it only should cost about $250

Tony

[DPM]

Hey,
My brother and I both added a couple of these fans to our PowerTower Pro250's. They are really quiet and work great at keeping them cool. http://www.pcpowercooling.com/produc...rfan/index.htm
Don't know if this site has anything for G4's or not though. Worth a try.

Most Humble,
Dave

[This message has been edited by DPM (edited November 16, 2000).]

[nuke]

I went down to Office Max and got one of the $99 particle wood CPU "carts" that has a fully enclosed space for a tower with a door. Put stick-on weather strip around the door to seal in the noise.

Then I cut holes in the cardboard back of the cabinet for cables and an air-outlet that lines up with the CPU fan. Behind the cabinet is a big peice of aurlex foam. Keep making the air hole bigger until their's circulation to keep the unit cool inside.

Works fine, and with a G4, there's not too much heat build up inside. Usually though, i leave the door open unless I'm tracking or listening carefully to a mix.

[stink]

Would it be BAD to DISCONNECT the fan alltogether?

[bassmac]

I think we’re talking about two different things here. I’m sure many of you would like to silent the fan hum, but I’m talking about a chain saw like buzzing that randomly kicks in for no apparent reason. Does anyone else have this problem - or know what it could be???

bassmac

[bassmac]

Well I upgraded from guitar picks wedged into the side panels. I took an old mouse pad and cut some half inch wide strips and used them as weatherstripping. Not only is the buzzing gone but the fan is much quieter as well. On the left side panel, take out the two top screws and one front lower screw, insert weatherstrips - leave a little sticking out (1/4’) and replace screws - not to tight, you want a little room between the panel and the fan. Huge difference!

------------------
bassmac

[haze]

I just wanted to add an alternative when trying to get noise free recording.

I bought the maxwall from Auralex. Sweetwater sells a package of 4 for about $320. It also comes on tripod mic stands.

I basically made a small iso booth in the corner of the studio. The walls are 4" thick so they do a great job at isolating. You can also add more pieces whenever you like. They are extremely portable, so if you decide to record in a hallway or another room your good to go. It works great. Just my 2 pennies.

haze
www.johnhaze.com

[Chris Coleman]

I have a large desk that must weigh at least 200 lbs. that I got for $25 from Salvation Army. It has 2 drawers on either side, the bottom two being larger, file-type drawers. I just took out the right drawer, cut off the face, put hinges on the bottom, magnets on the top (to keep it closed) and BOOM, I've got a great little iso cabinet for my G3. I cut a couple 2 inch holes in the back of the desk to run cables (one for power cables, another for information cables), which also act as vents. In normal use, I just leave the cabinet open, but for tracking I shut it and I can barely tell there's anything in there. Not bad for $25.