VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

BenWils · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 1:16 am Post subject: Macbook Fan Coming On???

I was wondering from any fellow Macbook users, do you have issues with the fan on the computer coming on during your recordings? I just bought a Macbook laptop and I am using it on the road right now. However, I have been having to stop recording since the fan kicks on for some reason about a minute or two into recording. It is not overly hot in the hotel room I am in. Just wondering since it does not come on during other tasks like editing or just your everyday other uses.

Anyone else have this issue during recording?

Thanks in advance!

Ben
_________________
Ben

"To be really good at voiceover, you need to improve your footwork and hip snap."

Bruce · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:01 am Post subject:

I can't speak to the laptop, but I have a PowerMac G5 and any one or all of the 8 fans in the tower would frequently come on during recording. I had to buy a $200 powered extension cord for the monitor in order to move the CPU to a closet down the hall.

Sounds like you'll need to surround your laptop with pillows and blankets instead of your head.

Good Luck,

B
_________________
VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

Brett Mason · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:26 am Post subject:

My laptop's fan comes on intermittently as well, but since I use a vocal booth it's not an issue. Haven't had the on-da-road experience yet, so I'm not sure what I'd do. But, I am very concerned about heat because years ago I fried my laptop after extended use on a desk top. So, I take precautions. I always use a couple of plastic shims underneath the computer to raise the unit off the surface a bit and aid in air circulation. And, I have a small fan that I keep on the side that I turn on after recording and during editing, etc. The thought occurred to me that isn't there a way to turn off your computer fan, either via software or disconnecting? That way you would be assured it would not come on during recording, and could use a separate fan in between to keep the temperature down.

Just a thought.
_________________
Brett

"Dare to be Yourself" - André Gide
Merry Merchants of Voice Over!
Mendicant

JBarrett · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:48 am Post subject:

My MacBook's fan also activates during recording, but like Brett, I record in a separate space where the fan noise doesn't reach.

Here are a couple things I found that might be of use:

Fan Control 1.1
smcFanControl
_________________
Justin S. Barrett
http://www.justinsbarrett.com/

Deirdre · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:11 am Post subject:

Guys:

Keep an eye on your ACTIVITY MONITOR.
It tells you what the CPU is doing.

I keep the little monitor going in my dock:

It will tell you what the processor is working the hardest on— select %CPU as the sort column.

and View/Dock Icon/ show CPU History.
_________________
DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

davidmonteath · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 1:17 pm Post subject:

Is your MBP sitting with its base flat on a surface?, or do you have it raised?......if its flat, try putting a couple of long pencils or similar under it just to increase air flow. Or get a proper stand.

I have been fortunate that I have had no fan problems at all, but I had some shut down issues and took the machine to an Apple store where they ran some checks and reckoned that it was running very hot and need to have a new logic board and some sort of clever paste applied. It nows runs warm, but never too hot and the shut down issue have been solved by the new logic board.

Might be worth having it checked out.
_________________
www.davidmonteath.com

Sponsor of Voice APpreciation Indulgence Day 2010

Proud member of Self Appointed Voice-Over Experts Discussion Group - overenthusiastic pontification a speciality.

Deirdre · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 1:53 pm Post subject:

Ah-- it is worth noting that I chock up the back side of my 'book with a 1" x 1 "x 5" block of wood, so there's always air flow underneath.

David's advice is spot on.
_________________
DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

BenWils · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:33 pm Post subject:

Thanks everyone for your info and advice! It has helped me out. I am very appreciative and thankful to all of you.

Ben
_________________
Ben

"To be really good at voiceover, you need to improve your footwork and hip snap."

Lizden · Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 3:55 am Post subject:

hmmmmm, somthing to think about with my new Dell....

L.
_________________
Liz de Nesnera O.A.V. ~ Livin' The VO Dream!
English/French Bilingual VO w/ ISDN
HireLiz.com / liz@hireliz.com

davidmonteath · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 5:57 pm Post subject:

Just found this on an Apple discussion forum.

http://www.mac-xx.com/PRO%20cooler%202.html

Thought it might interest you.
_________________
www.davidmonteath.com

Sponsor of Voice APpreciation Indulgence Day 2010

Proud member of Self Appointed Voice-Over Experts Discussion Group - overenthusiastic pontification a speciality.

BenWils · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 8:48 pm Post subject:

Back in town now. New Macbook worked well except for the fan issues. I will check into and try all the suggestions.

David, I will check into that product. Looks interesting. I just wonder why they don't consider long periods of usage and computer heat when making the laptops these days.
_________________
Ben

"To be really good at voiceover, you need to improve your footwork and hip snap."

davidmonteath · Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:02 am Post subject:

Curiously, when I was in the apple store, I was corrected bty the genius.......apparently they are not laptops anymore......they are all notebooks.

He said that they all run so relatively hot nowadays that leg burning issues have led to the renaming. Go figure!!!!!! Shocked

_________________
www.davidmonteath.com

Sponsor of Voice APpreciation Indulgence Day 2010

Proud member of Self Appointed Voice-Over Experts Discussion Group - overenthusiastic pontification a speciality.

glittlefield · Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 6:21 am Post subject:

Ben, I'm fairly sure they're trying to figure out a way to strike a balance between cooling, performance, and weight of the laptops/notebooks. There's a whole lot of heat going on in a cramped space inside those things.
_________________
Greg Littlefield
VO-BB Member #59

davidmonteath · Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:22 am Post subject:

Just had a thought.....the heat from my MBP is much greater when I am using it while charging. I mean noticeably hotter.

If you could just run it off the battery that might stop the fan kicking in.

I used to record with a 12" Powerbook in the booth with me and its fan would kick in after about 15 minutes, to get round it I just changed the settings on my Neumann and even though I could hear it, it never appeared on the recording. have you tried using some form of software gate?
_________________
www.davidmonteath.com

Sponsor of Voice APpreciation Indulgence Day 2010

Proud member of Self Appointed Voice-Over Experts Discussion Group - overenthusiastic pontification a speciality.

BenWils · Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 2:22 pm Post subject:

Interesting. I will try that David. Thanks for the tips. I have tried a gate etc...the fan came on pretty good while recording. I am trying to remember if I had it charging as well. But, I was using the screen to read the copy from since I did not have a printer readily available in the hotel other than down many floors in the business center.

FWIW, my Mac Intel tower never kicks a fan on during recording.....it does have a light fan noise all the time because it has like 7 fans that run all the time to regulate temperature....but it is a 2.6 Ghz Quad Core Intel. It hardly breaks a sweat for much of anything....even video editing stuff.
_________________
Ben

"To be really good at voiceover, you need to improve your footwork and hip snap."