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Oh audio problems, yes you're my fault

5/12/2019

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Ya know those moments when I think I'm doing good, but really create another problem that needs to be solved.  I think I'm learning that this theatre thing is complicated, and a lot of stuff has to fall together correctly for something to be fabulous.

What am I blabbing about?  So back in the day I put together a sound system for the theatre.  I spent the right amount of money on a board, cables and speakers.  Good system, should do most anything we need.  At that time I was using Regina's lap top to run a cheap sound program Aaron Rose helped me find for 50 bucks.  Then Domtar had some old computers on sale for $40 each, so I grabbed them and wha la, a permanent sound effect system.

But $40 gets you $40 worth of computer stuff.  We'd been using the on board sound card and every now and again it has some issues.  So I finally got an external sound interface to upgrade and remove the 60 Hz hum that has been plaguing us.  Yeah no more hum, buuuut every once in a while we have these weird thumping noises and interference.  I incorrectly (I think) blamed it on the computer again.

What it ended up being (I think) is that in a 2' radius around the sound board we are an electromagnetic field nightmare!  Any cell phones, wi-fi, wireless mic, or other signal that intermittently transmits causes a pulsing in the sound.  All of our cables are shielded, but there's such a massive amount of power coursing through a 2' area, that any signal gets picked up.
The only signal I'm leaving alone is the transmitter for the light grid, cause that's a whole 'nother can of worms.  We'll see if I'm right, last night I kept the signals away and there was no interference.  Time will tell.....

Here's a neat quick primer on EM problems in audio:  https://itstillworks.com/eliminate-electromagnetic-interference-12281784.html
Maybe someday we'll go to the future and do optical sound transmission.  Probably should make sure the rent is paid first.....

Stay Techie my friends!

Brian
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    This is a blog for all the techies in the house!  Look here for thoughts, hopes, and desires of the people who live in the shadows of the current show!

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