Hi David,

Some basic considerations:

(1)  HVAC - you need to look at the vent types to minimize noise, yet
     retain comfort.

(2)  Power - you need sufficiently isolated (separate) power circuits
     for:

     (a)  low-level signal sources (tape and disc, preamps, ADC/DAC)
     (b)  high-power sources (amps and subs)
     (c)  noise inducing equipment (lighting and computers)

(3)  Computers - if you can remote the computers, great.  If you 
     can't, try to select or custom build computers that are silent 
     or nearly so.  Dual monitors make a big difference in the
     DAW flow.

(4)  Acoustics - bring in a knowledgeable acoustician.  The better
     you can hear problems, the better you can solve them.  They'll 
     be able to flatten out the response of the room at the chosen
     listening position, and determine proper speaker placement 
     and room treatment.  Some of it will be trial-and-error 
     depending on the shape and materials of your room.  Symmetry 
     is important in both the room and the placement of the equipment.

(5)  Cable access - make sure your cables and connections are easy
     to get to, whether via the wall, floors or backs of racks.

(6)  Cable management - label every cable and connection clearly.
     A P-Touch labeler can be your best friend, especially when
     you have a problem and you need to start debugging your
     audio lab to find the source of noise or a failed connection.

(7)  Cable layout - try to separate power and audio signal 
     cables as much as possible in order to minimize induced
     noise.

(8)  Signal management - as a purist, I personally use direct 
     connections between all my equipment.  This puts a lot of
     burden on cable access and cable management.  You can 
     consider analog and digital signal routers for their 
     convenience, but they need to be of the highest quality
     so as not to intrude on the signal.  Low-level signals
     like phono preamps should never run through a switch or
     router.

(9)  Cable quality - don't go cheap on cables, but no need
     for super expensive audiophile cables either.  For all
     my line level signals, I find Mogami cable and Neutrik
     connectors to be extremely cost effective.  I have some
     custom cable builders that I can recommend.  Custom 
     cables will help with cable managment and layout. 

(10) Balanced connections - if you need to run longer cables,
     try to keep these balanced.  There will be a less signal
     degradation and noise.  In my lab, only the cassette 
     sources are unbalanced, for example.  Everything else is 
     otherwise balanced.  This is not to say that unbalanced
     connections are bad, but you just need to be more aware
     of potential noise sources when designing with them, and
     take this into account.  It may appear that I'm obsessed
     with cables and connections.  I'm not really, but the
     adage about chains and weak links is a truism in audio
     signal paths.

(11) Equipment layout - shorter cables are better than longer
     cables.  This can influence your equipment layout.

(12) Lighting - task lights around sources (tape, disc, 
     cylinder) are very helpful.

(13) Storage for tools and supplies - whether its styli,
     leader and splicing tape, splicing blocks, cleaning
     solutions, adapters, demagnetizers, scales and gages...
     You need a place for all of this if you want to keep 
     the lab organized.

(14) Task space - you'll need to keep your media and projects
     organized as you're processing them.  Horizontal space
     is a crucial resource not to be overlooked.  Think about
     how you process your media and the flow, and be sure that
     your lab layout supports that flow.  Everything down
     to the trash matter.

(15) Cleaning - if you can separate the media prep process 
     from the playback/transfer process that can be helpful
     from a noise and contamination point of view.  Especially
     if these tasks are performed by different people.  But
     if the same person performs media prep and the processing,
     then efficiency may be the over-riding factor.

(16) Maintenance - equipment will fail, new equipment and 
     media formats may be introduced.  Be sure the audio lab
     infrastructure (cable/signal management, equipment 
     layout) supports that flexibility and growth.

Ergonomics will influence the utility and efficiency of your
audio lab.  I would focus equally on the technical aspects
of producing great audio as well as the human side of working
in the space.  When I design a space for myself or others,
I carefully visualize every task I plan to perform and attempt
to anticipate how the space will work.  It's a lab with people
working in it, and you cannot forget that.

Eric Jacobs

The Audio Archive, Inc.
tel: 408.221.2128
fax: 408.549.9867
mailto:[log in to unmask]
http://www.TheAudioArchive.com 
Disc and Tape Audio Transfer Services and Preservation Consulting


-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of David Seubert
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2011 10:23 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ARSCLIST] audio lab design requirements


We are embarking on a new building project at UCSB that will have a new 
lab for audiovisual digitization. Does anybody know of any guidelines 
for the construction of audio preservation labs, or has anybody compiled 
a list of necessary/desirable features for such facilities? Even if 
there is no such list, feel free to throw your suggestions my way and 
I'll compile a list and share it with the group.

David Seubert
UCSB