Reducing Interference

I've read alot of posts/threads about Final scratch and SSL
about getting interference in nightclubs and large club systems.

(*Interference - audio dropouts/stuttering/crashing from heat or electrical problems/ the usual problems people experience. )

Can we start to make a list of all the right and wrong setups in a club environment. *obviously nothing is fool proof - but every little bit helps

Or list ways to reduce interference (people and electrical) within clubs/bars etc


For example - has anyone built a special padded box for there unit (foam casing etc)


where not to place the breakout unit e.g. near monitor speakers.....i don't know....help me out here!!!!....i haven't got SSL yet.

But i will be touring all over Eastern Europe with it, so i have to be safe than......looking stupid.


thanks 4 reading. i hope 2 enjoy your thoughts

(case idea).....it looks like a Calzone style MPC2000 roadcase. He uses the deeper half of the case to house the system. He drilled out both sides of the case and wired in 2 desktop CPU fans and mounted them over the holes. Then he just mounted the interface and the laptop's power in the foam and covered it all over in plexy glass leaving an open area for the laptop to sit in.

(ref: Forum/help where is talks about crashing in night clubs.

Any jpegs or links to pictures??? Sounds like a sensible design thou. Do most of the people who regularly gig, do this kind of thing? please share Your methods and best designs. thanks

I put a fan 3 inches away from my laptop and put the fan on high.Lol...Better safe than sorry. I haven't gotten club feedback yet. But I think that extended arm that I plan on getting from instaoffice.com will do the trick because it will raise it off the floor.

Make sure your RCA cables are not laying on or near a powerstrip or external power supply.

and if you need to have audio cables near power cables, don't run them together (parallel). make sure they cross each other at a 90 degree angle (but preferably not at all), this will induce the least amount of interference.

Would mounting the breakout box in a foam casing help, with reducing these problems?

or is it only to do with the wiring situation.

someone correct me if i'm wrong, but i think the foam is just to keep the turntables from vibrating due to large subwoofers that are often placed next to or under a dj booth.

i think your right. But if someone a bit more technical could clarify, that would be great.

Vibration - is that more of a concern to:

a/ the laptop (running the software) or
b/ the break out box

neither, the turntables/needles are what get affected by vibration.

If the club doesn't already have interference problems, adding your SSL interface near the back of the mixer should be fine, since it is no more sensitive to interference than the mixer would be...