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Posted by Romy the Cat on
02-16-2010
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fiogf49gjkf0d
With thinking about organist ion of my needs in new home I am was complaining about organization of my Internet needs. After evaluation of multiple ISP and options they offer I pick one that would give me the bandwidth I want. One of the long-aimed objectives is to run my site from home.
Currently the site runs off a single HP ProLiant DL380. A pair of mirrored fast drives, 8G memory, ILO access, two FTP backups by week – very smile but it is all the is needed. The 2003 sever runs SQL 2005, Framework 2.0, IIS6, my own email server, and a few other light applications. The idea is update the server to 2008 with IIS7, activate dynamic compression, put the SQL server in second ProLiant box (dynamic compression will stress the IIS7 box too much) and dump the server to my basement on outgoing 10Meg line. Currently my server sits in datacenter with direct pipe to internet. I think the 10Meg-caped line will do perfectly fine for site like mine – it does not need a lot. So, what do I post it at the site that is audio related? Well, there is a reason.
If somebody runs ProLiant servers then you know that they are insultingly loud. Even if you put them in a separate room and close doors then the noise goes through, particularly in the shity American homes. To build sound confining sarcophagus that would allow proper cooling is too complicated. So, here is what I am thinking….
The servers generate noise at more or less constant amplitude and spectra. So, why do not read the noise and inject into the space with servers a contra- noise at opposite phase? This sort of active noise cancelation system might be fully active and to read current noise or it might be manual. Here is where I wonder- are any prebuilt active noise cancelations systems/modules are above out there. Nowadays it is a very simple task and I might correct it if necessary with Behringer DCX2496 (that is good only for this task). Did anybody played with active noise cancelation system and did anyone can point out a ready to go, tested off the shelf solution? The Cat
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Posted by Paul S on
02-16-2010
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fiogf49gjkf0d Recording studios go after all sources of noise, and their equipment sources would be the first places I looked. Everything's class D and digital these days; but that's probably a good thing in this case, as long as you can isolate the effing switching noise...
Best regards,
Paul S
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Posted by jessie.dazzle on
02-16-2010
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fiogf49gjkf0d Consider treating the problem at its root.
Why not build a simple dedicated PC, running Server 2008 with a RAID array?
I recently added a RAID 10 array (8TB, striped and mirrored), to an HP workstation... The result is fast, secure and dead quiet.
jd*
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Posted by Paul S on
02-16-2010
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fiogf49gjkf0d Jessie, are you saying that the RAID system is "quiet" with respect to regular old audible noise from the unit, itself? How is it with respect to the filthy switching backwash on the AC line and EMI/RFI broadcasting?
Best regards,
Paul S
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Posted by Romy the Cat on
02-16-2010
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fiogf49gjkf0d  jessie.dazzle wrote: | Consider treating the problem at its root.
Why not build a simple dedicated PC, running Server 2008 with a RAID array?
I recently added a RAID 10 array (8TB, striped and mirrored), to an HP workstation... The result is fast, secure and dead quiet. |
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Yep, it would be a good idea to treat the problem at its root but I have 3 those ProLiant machines and I do like how the pro servers configured and operate. They are noisy like hell, mostly fans. I do not think that HD configuration add a lot of noise. Actually the more I think about that active noise cancelation system for this application the more I like. I very much would like to try something like this for THIS application.
The Cat
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Posted by jessie.dazzle on
02-17-2010
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fiogf49gjkf0d Paul S wrote :
"...Jessie, are you saying that the RAID system is "quiet" with respect to regular old audible noise from the unit, itself? How is it with respect to the filthy switching backwash on the AC line and EMI/RFI broadcasting?..."
My answers are more suited to the music server thread, so I've posted them there:
http://www.goodsoundclub.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PageIndex=5&postID=12959#12959
jd*
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Posted by Vasyachkin on
03-09-2010
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fiogf49gjkf0d | Romy the Cat wrote: | The servers generate noise at more or less constant amplitude and spectra. So, why do not read the noise and inject into the space with servers a contra- noise at opposite phase? This sort of active noise cancelation system might be fully active and to read current noise or it might be manual. Here is where I wonder- are any prebuilt active noise cancelations systems/modules are above out there. Nowadays it is a very simple task and I might correct it if necessary with Behringer DCX2496 (that is good only for this task). Did anybody played with active noise cancelation system and did anyone can point out a ready to go, tested off the shelf solution?
The Cat |
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constant would be a sinewave, or a couple sinewaves with overtones. white noise or pink noise is anything but constant - it is random. to cancel it out in 3 dimensional space would be absolutely impossible.
i have a humorous but very brutal and mean article written on this exact subject ( attacking it mostly from a philosophical, rather than engineering angle ) on my site, which i am not going to link to, due to its ultra-offensive nature. but if anybody is into self loathing or self mutilation you guys should be able to find it - the title is descriptive.
my computer also has 8 gigs of ram, server motherboard ( dual Xeon ) etc, but it is custom built. i can actually run it without any case fans because the case has enough ventilation without them. certainly you could run some 500 rpm noctua fans with it no problem ( as opposed to 3,000 rpm server fans which are about 100X times louder ).
i am using Mountainmods Ascension Extension chassis. but to be honest it's still loud as hell ( because it is made from very light weight aluminum ) and you would need to further customize it by adding weight and acoustical foam to bring the noise level down. i was suggesting this to a friend - i told him to get the same case as mine, line the panels of the case ( on the inside ) with 1/4" vinyl sheeting and then another 2" of auralex acoustical foam - but he said it was too much trouble.
watercooling is an option that would allow you to run very powerful gear quietly but it isn't a reliable option so not recommended for servers.
the only problem i can see with Mountainmods approach is maybe you wouldn't be able to find redundant power supplies in ATX form factor. But i only had a power supply fail once in 15 years and it failed due to clogging up with dust so vacuuming regularly and/or using an air filtration system would have helped. Mountainmods cases do allow for two and sometimes i think FOUR ATX power supplies to be installed simultaneously so i don't know if that helps or not.
i know i Mountainmods here before but that's because i love that case so much. i have had a case fetish for about 10 years and nothing beats Mountainmods.
generally speaking Romy my engineering philsophy is to avoid creating problems rather than fixing them. an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. this means using the most energy efficient CPUs, power supplies etc - that way you need less cooling. then use a case with best laid out airflow path ( Mountainmods ) so you can get away with 500 rpm fans. And only after all that you should worry about "catching" the noise that you did generate.
to produce tons of noise and then try to kill it is just not the right way to go. that's like buying a V12 car and then riding a bicycle to save gas.
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