[lanstrad]

Guys,

This is a bit off-topic from recording, but nevertheless related to recording environments

I'm juggling currently for replacing a large sofa in my studio for 2 space-saving seats, and considering a faux-suede model and a vinyl one. I'd like advices and experiences (and suggestions) about this.

However, I'm scared about any material that would generate ''static electricity'' especially when seasons favour this...

Note: this won't be my ''working seats'' but basically the relaxing ones. I have a digital mixer, computers, lots of stuff - audio interface and so on in there that can be damaged but I'm unsure how real this problem can be - aren't all these devices sort of ''grounded'' thus discharge a human can do at contact would be canalized, avoiding any issues ?

I'm reading :

'Although you can create an electric charge by pressing materials together and pulling them apart, rubbing them together works even better, except in the case of something sticky like tape.

One unfortunate result from saying that rubbing materials creates this electric charge is that most people think that friction causes the charges to build up. It is not friction that causes the spark, rather it is the adhesive forces that pull off electrons.

Dry human skin and rabbit fur have the greatest tendency to give up electrons when rubbed on something and become positively ( + ) charged. Teflon and vinyl have the greatest tendency to become negatively charged ( - ) when rubbed. If you want to create it, rubbing fur on teflon should give the best results.''

The 2 models I am currently thinking of (forget the colour...) :

The suede model:
http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/boscoman...ir-navy/745568

The vinyl model:
http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/boscoman...l-black/745454

Thanks in anticipation,
Rob

[Mike Rivers[_2_]]

On 8/5/2015 10:18 AM, lanstrad wrote:

I'm juggling currently for replacing a large sofa in my studio for 2
space-saving seats, and considering a faux-suede model and a vinyl
one. I'd like advices and experiences (and suggestions) about this.

However, I'm scared about any material that would generate ''static
electricity'' especially when seasons favour this...

Note: this won't be my ''working seats'' but basically the relaxing
ones. I have a digital mixer, computers, lots of stuff - audio
interface and so on in there that can be damaged but I'm unsure how
real this problem can be - aren't all these devices sort of
''grounded'' thus discharge a human can do at contact would be
canalized, avoiding any issues ?

Electrostatic discharge is of some concern, but most modern electronics
are designed so that if all you zap is the case, what's inside won't be
damaged. There are standard tests for that, and it may even be a part of
CE certification these days. Most warnings about static electricity are
about components, not about an enclosed device. Still, it's best to
reduce risks when you can.

Thinking about car seats, I can remember getting shocked during dry
weather nearly ever time I got out of a car with vinyl seats unless I
was careful to keep a hand on something metal as I was sliding out.
Cloth seats were much less prone to generating static electricity.

My computer chair, on the other hand, has a cloth seat and I used to
spark whenever I got up from there (never blew a computer, though) until
I got tired of it and sprayed the seat with Static Guard. A shot lasted
a week or so in a dry house, and then I'd give it another shot and it'd
be good again. It does what it does. I was looking at the can to see if
there was a manufacturer's name on it (I didn't find anything but Static
Guard) but I noticed the "best if used by" date was in 2001 and it's
still good. A lot of those dates are artificial because the Government
requires a shelf life expiration date for things that might have one in
order to issue a national stock number.

I say go for the fabric and keep a can of Static Guard on hand.


--
For a good time, visit http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com

[[email protected]]

Thinking about car seats, I can remember getting shocked during dry
weather nearly ever time I got out ...


I remember being in the audience of a live show during the winter and it was dry, and every so often there was a very audible click in the PA. After watching for a while, i realized the click occured when the performer happened to touch the mic after not touching it for a while..... static.

Mark

[JackA]

On Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at 1:14:38 PM UTC-4, wrote:

Thinking about car seats, I can remember getting shocked during dry
weather nearly ever time I got out ...


I remember being in the audience of a live show during the winter and it was dry, and every so often there was a very audible click in the PA. After watching for a while, i realized the click occured when the performer happened to touch the mic after not touching it for a while..... static.

Mark

Mark, I stayed late at work one Winter night, I used to fix VCRs. I found the problem with the one (coworker owned), fixed it, tested it and decided to take a smoke break outside before buttoning it up. I walked back in (across a carpet) touched the PC board, a static spark was heard, it wiped out the PC board, no life left!

I apologized to the girl, she said they were just going to buy a new one. Just my stupidity. Live and learn.

Jack

[Don Pearce[_3_]]

On Wed, 5 Aug 2015 07:18:52 -0700 (PDT), lanstrad
wrote:

Guys,

This is a bit off-topic from recording, but nevertheless related to recording environments

I'm juggling currently for replacing a large sofa in my studio for 2 space-saving seats, and considering a faux-suede model and a vinyl one. I'd like advices and experiences (and suggestions) about this.

However, I'm scared about any material that would generate ''static electricity'' especially when seasons favour this...

Note: this won't be my ''working seats'' but basically the relaxing ones. I have a digital mixer, computers, lots of stuff - audio interface and so on in there that can be damaged but I'm unsure how real this problem can be - aren't all these devices sort of ''grounded'' thus discharge a human can do at contact would be canalized, avoiding any issues ?

I'm reading :

'Although you can create an electric charge by pressing materials together and pulling them apart, rubbing them together works even better, except in the case of something sticky like tape.

One unfortunate result from saying that rubbing materials creates this electric charge is that most people think that friction causes the charges to build up. It is not friction that causes the spark, rather it is the adhesive forces that pull off electrons.

Dry human skin and rabbit fur have the greatest tendency to give up electrons when rubbed on something and become positively ( + ) charged. Teflon and vinyl have the greatest tendency to become negatively charged ( - ) when rubbed. If you want to create it, rubbing fur on teflon should give the best results.''

The 2 models I am currently thinking of (forget the colour...) :

The suede model:
http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/boscoman...ir-navy/745568

The vinyl model:
http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/boscoman...l-black/745454

Thanks in anticipation,
Rob

The big factor in static is not seats, but shoes. Unfortunately
trainers are pretty much totally non-conductive and will build up a
huge charge.

This is what I use around the lab.

http://www.soundthoughts.co.uk/look/static.png

d

[Scott Dorsey]

lanstrad wrote:
I'm juggling currently for replacing a large sofa in my studio for 2 space-=
saving seats, and considering a faux-suede model and a vinyl one. I'd like =
advices and experiences (and suggestions) about this.=20

However, I'm scared about any material that would generate ''static electri=
city'' especially when seasons favour this...=20

I'd worry less about static electricity than about acoustics. Big reflective
vinyl things might be a problem. Cotton covers might be better for both
acoustical and static reasons. What is the faux-suede made of?

If static is a problem, consider a humidifier. Ampex says 30-70% humidity
for tape storage, which seems good for people and static as well.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."