Remote on off switch for pc

[Nightworker]

Hey Guys, the new computers that I bought are too noisy, so I need to move them to a machine room. On my desk (where my mix controller is set) I have space to place a few switch that could be used to turn on and off equipment that I will be in the machine room.

My question is here is how can I built a physical on off switch that would run from my machine room to my desk so I can turn on and off the computers individually or at the same time?

Thanks for the help guys.

[albee1952]

Here's one way that might work. Buy a remote power sequencer from the likes of Furman(you push a button at your desk and the power unit turns on AC in 3 steps on 3 outlets). You can set most any PC(in BIOS) to boot when AC is turned on. You would still shut them down with the usual commands, then hit the button to turn off all the power on the Furman. My PC is setup this way so I hit 1 switch and it powers up most of my setup. I keep the speakers on their own power switch so I can cycle them separately.

[Nightworker]

that's a good idea. you'd need the sequencer at your desk though, so that means to pass the ac power chord from the desk to the computer? Or is there an other way to set it that the sequencer remains at the computers and you have a remote for it?

Checking those I see a lot of web access etc, but that means you need a computer to be powered on so you can reboot the others, which beats what I want to do.

See my machine room is roughly 30 feet away from the desk. I need something at the desk so I don't have to always go to the computers to power them on (or off) or reboot them.

[albee1952]

The power sequencers I have seen uses a low voltage(small gauge wire) to trigger the ON/OFF cycle with a simple pair of buttons, usually mounted on a single space rack blank(you gotta run cables for mouse.keyboard/monitor anyway). You are not tied to powering your desk hardware from the sequencer. That could be on its own power strip or UPS, powered from the control room power(which could be on the same circuit, or not)..

[John_Toolbox]

Assuming PC power buttons are momentary normally open switches, you could also splice in a 2 conductor cable and wire a pushbutton switch in parallel with the actual power button on the machine, then mount that switch on your desk or on a rack panel or something.

[musicman691]

Allow me to ask a question of the op: how do you turn off the other equipment in your machine room? I doubt you just have the computer in there. I would just get up and walk the 30 feet or so to turn the equipment off. The other option is to have an electrician wire in an AC switch to sit on your console to turn on and off the equipment. AC mains is not something an amateur should fool around with.

[Nightworker]

Until now, none of my equipment made enough noise to warrant being moved in it. So most of my things (pre's, comp, eq's) are at my reach. But the new comps gives me no choices.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Nightworker

Until now, none of my equipment made enough noise to warrant being moved in it. So most of my things (pre's, comp, eq's) are at my reach. But the new comps gives me no choices.

So just get up and go to the machine room and shut things down (or start them up). Are the computers the only things you're putting in there?

[Nightworker]

Originally Posted by musicman691

So just get up and go to the machine room and shut things down (or start them up). Are the computers the only things you're putting in there?

Probably at this time, but the Machine room is in an other room completely. I'd actually have to go through the office to get to it.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Nightworker

Probably at this time, but the Machine room is in an other room completely. I'd actually have to go through the office to get to it.

And how is that a problem? You have to leave the studio sometime.