At the Winter NAMM Show, Primacoustic announced the Machine Room computer silencer; a $699 fan-cooled enclosure designed to quiet down computers in recording studios, broadcast facilities and post production suites.
The Machine Room features three chambers that work together to handle the task. At the bottom rear, cool air is sucked into the Machine Room through a porous foam air filter, into an air distribution chamber. This dissipates the fresh air to provide an even flow around the computer inside the main chamber.
To reduce self noise, the inner walls around the computer are treated with absorptive open cell acoustic foam. Through natural convection, warm air rises to the top where it is then sucked into the output manifold by an ultra-low noise multi-blade fan. The manifold ducts are also lined with open cell acoustic foam to reduce noise from the computer and air-flow turbulence. Air travels around several corners before exiting. The warm air is then pushed out the rear top side leaving the noise behind.
“The challenge with using computers in the same room that you are recording in is PCB fan noise and hard disc whirr,” says Primacoustic’s Jay Porter. “The Machine Room helps reduce the noise by allowing the user to contain the computer and noise inside the enclosure.”
At $699, this is beyond the range of most, but this could be a problem solver for professional recording setups.
Air flow is controlled by a variable speed fan control located on the back panel. This also features an LED power indicator to provide the user with a visual status of the exhaust system. Front panel access to the computer is made possible via a see through door with heavy Plexiglas. A rubberized foam surround helps ensure noise is contained while the input and output connector cables to the computer pass through a rear-mounted sliding door with dense compressed neoprene to surround the cables and provide an air-tight seal.
To help monitor the computer temperature, the Machine Room comes equipped with a wireless thermometer. This provides the user with up to the minute temperature readout which can be monitored anywhere in the studio. Should the temperature inside the machine room exceed normal levels, the user merely adjusts the speed of the fan to increase air flow.
In effort to maximize the mass and noise containment performance, the Machine Room is made entirely from heavy MDF — Medium Density Fiber-board. Preliminary tests show that the Machine Room will reduce noise levels by more than 20dB depending on the frequency. The Machine Room ships flat to reduce freight costs and requires about 1 hour to assemble. Estimated retail price is $699.00.
