Electrical and Lighting Considerations when Building or Setting up a Recording Studio

TL; DR: Fluorescent bad, dimmer questionable, lamp good. Grounded AC power: Also good 🙂 

 

All studios often begin as a chaotic tangle of wires behind a desk filled with various items. Somehow, everything gets plugged into a power strip. Eventually, you may run out of cables or trip a breaker if you overload a single circuit. Without properly grounded AC power, electricity in the studio can be hazardous, especially when dealing with older amplifiers, and dusty old wires with cracked insulation. A simple power strip or a rack-mounted Furman power supply can provide additional grounded outlets.

Typically, a few 15A circuits for musicians and a few more 15A circuits for the audio and recording equipment is enough. Often, keeping lights and audio on separate circuits is a great idea, particularly when dealing with guitars and other induction based instruments. Using as many grounded and shielded audio cables as possible, such as XLR, can help eliminate that persistent hum in an older guitar. You may want to incorporate mood lighting or spotlights to enhance the atmosphere. Fluorescent lighting is not ideal for recording due to potential Radio Frequency Interference (RFI), and inexpensive dimmers may cause buzzing or induce hum in the lights or amplifiers.

 

 

Recording Studio Lighting Temperature

Studio lighting should be on a separate circuit from the audio equipment and amplifiers. Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) are a part of everyday life, so using a Furman Power Conditioner or a Battery Backup (UPS) is advisable for sensitive recording equipment. Keeping studio lighting chill and in the vibe is important, so if harsh fluorescent lights are already in place, consider adding secondary “mood” lighting with a warmer tone. Clip-on lights with incandescent bulbs can be used for an inexpensive option, but the temperature and power consumption may be better with COB or LED lights. Color temperature for most bulbs ranges from 3000k to 2500k, with the 3000k being a brighter blue light and with 2700k being a much warmer light. Some people swear by bright 3000k task lighting which gives a bright awakening energy, where as 2700k bulbs give a warmer, sleepier vibe.

 

 

Natural Lighting, Track Lighting, LEDs, Spots vs Wide angle bulbs, Lamps, Lamps, Lamps

Some engineers rave about the positive effects of natural lighting in the studio. If a window or brighter lights can be incorporated into your studio design go for it. It is very energizing and dim lighting can make everyone sleepy after awhile. However, in a metropolitan area, you’ll usually find windows are the enemy, because one loud chopper motorcycle goes by when you’re recording the flute and you might be doing another take.

Track lighting that highlights essential areas, such as the console, keyboard, and reading spaces, is crucial for visibility. Working in the studio can be important to being able to see what your doing. A few wide-angle bulbs to illuminate the corners, along with more focused lighting on some of the controls is a popular choice. Track lighting can accommodate both LED and incandescent bulbs, and it typically offers better interference blocking than Fluorescent bulbs with no ground (3rd green neutral wire).

LEDs and COB (Chip on Board) lighting can save a lot of power and heat over halogen or regular tungsten incandescent lamps. A few little moody lamps are usually nice for a home like vibe. Try strip lighting or small modules that can be stuck underneath the edge of stuff.

LED or Fluorescent lighting can flicker in video, so a few older options for lighting is usually wise if you’re trying to do video or take decent pictures.

 

 

Dimmers (What To look for in Problems with lighting and Dimmer Interference)

Most cheap dimmers work by just chopping off a little of the top of the sine wave of the AC 110V coming out of the wall. This results in horrible square wave in the power line and can resonate other devices, resulting in gross noise in the audio signal. Metal shielding like conduit is great at blocking this interference. Fancier dimmers that feature a VARIAC, or more complex circuit can greatly reduce noise from dimmers picked up in the signal of guitars. In addition, low voltage DC lighting such as 12V DC has virtually no interference versus a fluorescent lighting ballast that has a voltage surge of around 600 volts when someone flicks on the light switch.

 

What To Do If you hear a buzzing in your guitar or bass amplifier setup

To troubleshoot the issue, try switching off any suspect motors, lighting, or other potential sources of interference. Additionally, moving the device to a different circuit may help. If the amplifier is connected to any pedals or cords, plug the guitar directly into the amplifier to see if that resolves the problem. Some low-quality stomp boxes lack proper shielding or have unreliable gain circuits. Adjusting the gain knob on either the amplifier or the guitar can help identify whether the buzzing originates from the guitar or the amplifier. Guitar cables frequently fail, and jacks can wear out and require repair. Testing with multiple cables and different guitars can often help determine whether the interfeerance is from the the issue lies with the guitar, the amplifier, or the cable. Telecasters and similar guitars with single-coil pickups are notorious for being noisy and producing a buzzing sound. In contrast, humbucker pickups have gained popularity for their hum-rejection properties, making modern guitars, such as newer Les Pauls, significantly less prone to buzzing.

As a last resort, a ground lift (also known as a 3-prong to 2-prong adapter plug) can sometimes be used to make a stubborn, buzzing amplifier function. However, this method can be potentially dangerous and people have died from electric shock when issues arose with amplifier wiring, stage wiring, or electrified microphones. From a safety standpoint it may be hazardous, so, use this “hack” for troubleshooting safety at your own risk. Always opt for grounded plugs whenever possible, and exercise caution when dealing with mains voltages.

Power Consideration  for Recording Studios

A standard 100A or 400A breaker box is typically sufficient for a large setup. It is advisable to have several 15A circuits dedicated to lighting and additional 15A circuits for the stage or performance space. A separate circuit for any heavy-duty power amplifiers or power supplies is also wise.

For a large commercial venue, a dedicated 100A circuit for lighting or a “breakout” for “distro” is sometimes used. A 5000 watt or 10,000 watt light is not unheard of in the photography or film world, so make sure any video or photography lighting rig is plugged into a circuit separate from your recording stuff! A big light-bulb can trip the breaker, and if the computer and console are on that without any backup power, you’re going to be in for a bad surprise.

It may be necessary to keep guitar pedal boards and guitar amplifiers on the same circuit, or keep the computer and mixing board on the same or separate circuits in the recording studio.

 

UPS battery backup and Other Alternative Sources Power

UPS or Uninterruptible Power supply or battery backup is essential if you are trying to get serious about your studio. Having a few minutes to SAVE what you’re working on. Peace of mind and the benefits of clean, stable, filtered, regulated, AC power makes a UPS on at least the computer a must have. Most studios are power hogs. Some engineers like to leave everything on 24/7 for long term gear stability, so Solar or Wind power could be a great way to save on electricity, with the added benefit of a large battery system that can function as a UPS.