Controlling random noise in a studio is a constant challenge if you don’t have a heavy duty floating walled recording space. Even if your space is treated acoustically and your tracks end up clean and noise free, sometimes there is a lot that ends up on the cutting room floor to achieve that result.

While it may sound a bit odd, I have two recording spaces. One inside a small closet in the main house is primarily for my ISDN projects. The other – the spot where I do most of my work – is out in the back yard in a separate structure. There is a small recording space and another larger area for the rest of the work we need to do when we are not recording.

I’ll tell the story of the two spaces sometime, but right now a growing noise issue is on my mind.

The bulk of my work is short form spots, short marketing pieces, IVR prompts and eLearning projects with lots of individual files. I have been able to work around the “noise” that passes by in the alley behind my studio – not completely frustration free, but successfully.

Lately though, the noise has been increasing. New neighbors? Different work schedules? Am I recording at a different time of the day? Don’t know, but I have noticed more cars passing – which takes just a second or two, but it does interrupt a take.

And now, on those occasions when I am recording a longer form project – when I want to record as many paragraphs as possible in one take – the noise from the alley is starting to be a bit more obtrusive. Recording an audiobook in this studio would require much more work and perhaps not as spontaneous a storytelling result.

The solution is probably relatively simple and not very expensive. Add a PC to the inside studio so that I can record. This would also be a value added service to my ISDN work.

 I don’t want to be in the main house all the time – I need a place to “go” when I go to work in the morning. I know myself well enough to know that the 25 foot walk from the back door to my outside office is enough to help me focus on my job.

The walk also reminds me to water the garden.