Studio Infrastructure

Design

When you're building or expanding a studio, detailed design of your infrastructure will ensure that at the end of the project, the studio is ergonomic, flexible, sonically true and comprehensively documented. Effort expended in analysis and planning in the early stages will repay itself many times over.

We can work with you to select equipment, design wiring and patchbays, source equipment, contractors and materials and manage the project to successful completion. Areas we can cover include:

• Equipment

We keep up to date with current technologies and recording trends and are able to guide you in selecting the best gear for your needs. We're also happy to source equipment for you at competitive prices.

• Wiring

Organising cabling systems requires careful planning and that is what we undertake to do. This includes workflow analysis and usability walkthroughs to ensure the cabling, patchbays, stageboxes and conduits are appropriate for current needs and future growth. The entire studio cabling requirements are considered together - analogue, digital, midi, network, power and computer (eg. kvm, firewire, FC, SCSI) to ensure compatibility and minimum cable interference (physical and electrical).

A parts list is then produced from the analysis, supplied, fitted and thoroughly tested. All cables and patchbays are clearly labelled, and a wiring diagram/connection matrix are supplied (hardcopy and soft copy for future maintenance) to complete the documentation.

• Network Communications

In a networked studio, we can also design and procure your network infrastructure in terms of hubs, switches and routers to achieve optimal network performance. We can also incorporate network wide internet facilities (eg. browsing and email) securely via ISDN, dialup or ADSL.

• Digital Storage

Digital recording requires lots of space, and studios are finding that a digital storage strategy is now a necessity. We can advise on and supply standalone storage solutions (eg. hot swappable firewire) and sophisticated network storage solutions such as file servers, RAID arrays and fibre channel SAN (Storage Area Networks). A storage strategy must also include backup mechanisms, and we can advise on these also.

Contact us about your requirements and budget and let us put together a proposal for you.

Troubleshooting

Today's studios invest heavily in technology, and keeping things working together can often be a difficult task. Equipment that is unreliable or not configured optimally can distract from the core function of recording. Large studios keep personnel on staff to manage their equipment investment and prevent costs related to downtime and failure.

From streamlining and debugging computer configurations to a thorough analysis and service of your complete system, Soft Audio can help you achieve a high level of productivity. We'll fix all your studio technology problems so you can concentrate on your business. Areas in which we can provide assistance include:

• Computer and operating system streamlining and problem solving

We have experience in optimising and fortifying audio platforms running under Windows, MacOS and Unix with applications such as Protools, Gigasampler and a range of native systems. With careful and comprehensive tuning we can minimise computer crashes and increase performance.

• Digital interconnectivity

Where more than just two digital devices are present, getting them all to clock together requires careful planning. If it isn't right, noise, clicks and pops can ruin the integrity that digital offers. We can check and interconnect all your digital devices so that they are clocked reliably and configured to match your workflow.

• Synchronisation

Often the most troublesome issue in a studio, we can make all your time aware equipment talk to each other. This includes the integration of SMPTE, MTC (midi time code), ADAT sync and video devices, so that they can function cohesively.

• Analogue Noise

Ground loops, earthing problems, RFI interference are some of the problems that can plague your analogue runs. We can isolate and repair these types of problems.

Contact us if you're having studio problems, for preventative measures or even for an out of hours emergency.