Recording Light

[electroacoustics]

Question: how could a live studio recording light be connected to a DAW, so that the sign lights up whenever a recording is happening?



I think there's a way of doing this if a control surface is being used.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

[Wonks]

Easier to use a standard light switch by the DAW. If the sign only comes on just when the DAW is recording, it won't stop someone entering say a second before you press the record button and screwing up the start of what might be the perfect take.

If you are in the studio and recording, then the light should really should be on all the time.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Question: how could a live studio recording light be connected to a DAW, so that the sign lights up whenever a recording is happening?

It can generally be done using MIDI commands and a MIDI mains-switcher box... but I wouldn't recommend it. Far better in my experience, as Wonks says, to switch the light on manually, in advance of hitting the DAW record button, and off when you've had enough silence. Of course, you'll need to build the discipline to manage that as part of your recording session duties, but it's quite a common practice.

[Aled Hughes]

The Punchlight systems works well if you want it to turn on and off in sync with your DAW

(P.S. check your PM. As I said, it works well but I never use mine!)

[Drew Stephenson]

I did look at this a while back but the midi-controlled stuff seemed silly expensive given the manual alternative.

[ConcertinaChap]

I use the basic punchlight and find it works very well. Basically it appears to the DAW to be a very limited control surface using MCU protocol and it's placed in the recording area so the recordees can see whether the mics are armed or I'm recording. Once it's set up you forget about it and it just works. They have much more elaborate setups if you're willing to pay the prices.

One disadvantage is that the setup utility requires Java to be on the host computer, which I regard as a security risk. However once you've done the setup you can uninstall Java as you'll never need it again.

CC

[dkassulke]

Hi! A very apt question. I just built one of these, and it controls Philips Hue with SoundFlow to do exactly what you described. It has been completely bullet proof so far, and you can trigger different lighting scenes. It is very reliable in my testing so far, and one of the advantages is that you can trigger different lighting scenes based on DAW transport being set to playback, stop, or recording. SoundFlow is a paid monthly subscription, but the amount of time it saves me over a month easily recoups the fee.

[ajay_m]

Wifi controlled mains plug and the free phone app that controls it. Simple, cheap, easy. I have a light strip on the ceiling and the two studio monitors connected through three of these, with the two that control the monitors set up to be ganged so a single button in the app turns the speakers on and off, and a second button controls the light strip. TCP Smart I think they're called; Robert Dyas sell them in the UK for a few quid each.

[electroacoustics]

Thank you guys for your clever suggestions.

A simple manual switch would work with new discipline.

ayaj_m's suggestion of a wifi controlled mains plug looks interesting.

Keep going!

[jimjazzdad]

Just noodling here; it strikes me that it should be possible to use the 48V phantom power from a mixer or a preamp (provided there is a spare or unused channel available, of course) to power a small LED beacon in the studio via XLR. I envision a small box with a switch in the control room connected to phantom power and an output via mic cable or snake to the talent area. Those more versed in DIY will doubtless chime in on the feasibility of such a setup...

[Hugh Robjohns]

You could... but the current limit is very low and there would be the potential of putting clicks on the recording when switching the light on and off through impulse noise on the phantom supply breaking through into some mics. Unlikely, but possible...

A very simple solution which I've used for decades is a small control box with a couple of lever switches to activate a red recording light or a green cue light. The switch for the red light latches on, while the green light switch is momentary. And only one light can be on at a time!

My usual practice is to latch the red on when I'm running to record, and then I flick the green when I want the performers to start.

Inside the control box are a couple of 9V batteries, red and green indicator LEDs and a current limiting resistor. An even smaller box is mounted on a mic stand in front of the conductor in the studio with two bright LEDs.

The two are connected via standard mic cables, although I use reversed XLR sexes to prevent the risk of accidentally plugging a dynamic mic in and bu**ering it up with DC! Nevertheless, the system can be connected through a multicore without causing interference if necessary (and with the appropriate gender-adapters... Personally, I use a dedicated three-channel 50m multicore that also feeds a talkback speaker and provides a private phone line connection.

If you don't need the cue (green) light option just, delete the switch, second battery and both green LEDs. This version runs the LEDs at around 15mA... but there are brighter and much more efficient LEDs around these days, so adjust the current limiting resistors accordingly.

[jimjazzdad]

Yes, yours is a very elegant solution Hugh. I wasn't thinking about switching the LED causing pops on the recording via the 48V power rail. And a 9V battery will power an LED for days - I know this because I built a couple of 'Cough Drop' boxes for dynamic mics that had LED lights in the switches.