by Andy Walters
One problem that I have encountered is the difficulty in discerning noise over the sound of the computer. This is especially hard when the computer has to be on during the production of the sound. I ran into this many times with Moth to Flame. Once I made a primary tape that I thought was clean in Studio C but later found out in Studio A that it was extremely noisy (like a digital Niagara Falls). It was only after turning off the computer and playing through the score manually on the SQ2 could I check to make sure it was clean. The SQ2 can be quite a noisy instrument so great care has to be taken to make sure that the EQ settings are correct and that the record level on the DAT player is low, but the signal is still strong.
However, it is extremely hard to test rack mount synthesizers without turning on the computer. The solution that Scott and I came up with was to cover the computer with acoustical tile and then check the sound from the SQR and the two TX81Z's. This could only be done for a brief moment because the computer could overheat.
I can see that this problem is something that should be looked into for future studio design. One solution is to have the monitor and the keyboard in one room and the CPU in a different room (as in CMP). This is great if you have the space but also brings up the problem of access. It is rather inconvenient to load up your floppy or data DAT and then have to run to the next room and then back again (though there are worst things in life to have to deal with!). Possibly there could be special cabinets built that shield the noise of the CPU from the user but keep it cool as well. I don't know whether this issue as come up here or any where else, but I have run into it from time to time.