Specifications

CARILLON
AC-1
Quieter by Design
In an ideal world with little pressure on finances and floor space, noisy stuff like tape machines and
computers are exiled to a ‘machine room’ which is acoustically isolated from the studio mixing
area. But for many, even if the space is available, countless items come above a separate machine
room on the studio shopping list, so the computer sits in the heart of the studio physically as well as
well as functionally. The reality is that most studios operate from one room.
In this situation, comfortable, accurate monitoring is seriously compromised by a noisy computer
(how can you hear your gate thresholds properly, or long fade-outs against a background of fan and
drive noise?). Worse still, the need to record clean acoustic instruments and vocals can rule out the
use of a standard PC altogether. Particularly when you can’t run a microphone cable into the bathroom because you are recording yourself!
COMPUTER HARDWARE
873
PHOTO - VIDEO - PRO AUDIO
ORDER & INFO. [phone] • FAX: [phone] [phone]
1-800-875-6951 • www.bhphotovideo.com
Inevitably, a first impression of hardware noise is an
early topic of conversation, and nearly
everyone asks if we’ve switched it on yet! That really
says more than a thousand dB measurements.
Simply speaking, while Macs and PCs have always
been clearly audible, the Carillon AC-1 is only barely
audible - even in the quietest studio environments.
But don’t take our word for it.These graphs show
the relative noise levels for a Dell PC,a Macintosh
G4 and our Carillon Audio Computer, measured
during busy hard disk activity and while idling.
Solid State
The AC-1 enclosure design cuts hardware
noise in two ways: First, the sound insulation
properties of the thick steel and aluminum
case substantially reduce transmitted noise
from internal components. Second, the
rigidity of these heavy gauge materials
combined with the use of secure bolt
fastenings, make for a highly vibration-
damped structure. This effectively eliminates
rattles and buzzes ‘in sympathy’with fans,
drives and the music you're monitoring.
Splendid Isolation
Anyone who has ever rested an acoustic
instrument on a wooden table while playing,
knows that vibrations are transmitted and
amplified when solid objects make contact.
To combat this the AC-1 incorporates
absorbent rubber gaskets to the rear of the
19" rack ears, to reduce metal-to-metal
contact between the computer and the rack,
and so reduce vibration transmitted from
one to the other.
Big Foot
For desktop users
Carillon designed
large removable
feet, utilizing
visco-elastic
Sorbothane. This
unique material is
used to isolate
scientific instru-
ments and audio-
phile equipment from vibration. Its high
storage modulus means that an extremely
high proportion of input energy is dissipated
rather than transmitted. (Although
Sorbothane is extremely expensive, the feet
are standard.)
To d a y’s hard drives run at speeds of up to 10,000
RPM. Power hungry applications need the fastest
processors and processors will always be able to
run faster if you cool them down.
We’ve selected the real ‘church mouse’
components. Super quiet hard drives, foam lined
sound-proof enclosures, Silent Systems processor
fans and our own Carillon low noise PSU.
The power supply is typically a computers
noisiest single component. The Carillon
UltraMute PSU combines special low hum
transformers with an all new fan, featuring substantially smoother fan-motor bearings and a
reduced turbulence fan blade design.
A unique processor fan incorporates a radical 360% (radial fin heat sink). This patented design
provides far greater surface area than conventional for increased heat dissipation with a reduced
airflow requirement. In practice this means the fan can run far slower and more quietly.
However advanced the drive design, whirring
drive platters and clicking heads can be further
isolated by enclosing the drive completely in an
acoustic sleeve.Carillon’s Molex Silent Systems
foam lined sleeve reduces drive noise by over 90%
and includes two aluminum plates that conduct
heat into the surrounding air and chassis mounts,
and provide earth grounding.
Carillon fits Quantum Fireball plus hard drives as
standard.They feature Quantum's own QDT (Quiet Drive Technology) and produce at least 4dB
less noise than the average for comparably specified drives.We also offer the more expensive
Fujitsu ‘dynamic pressure bearing’drives as an option (marginally the quietest at the time of
going to press) but find that the Silent Drive enclosure is so effective that,once fitted, the
difference between the two brands is negligible.