The COOLEST upgrade I've made to my studio...

So I don't run a full both out of my home (apartment) anymore. I do so much work around town, that I can usually find a dedicated recording space with just a little heads up notice. I still do the odd recording at home from time to time, but the bulk of the work I do at home is editing.

I was really excited moving into our new place, as we now have central air, and my little workstation is kind of tucked away right under a vent. I'm a small guy, but I tend to overheat when sitting in the same spot for too long.

So imagine my dismay, when on my first editing job in the new place, I found myself sweating like a pig. With the AC set to 70 degrees. Mrs. Audio Guy turning blue...

Yesterday, I think I solved the problem.


I dismantled the lighting fixture above my head (low ceiling) to find two 120 watt light bulbs. It took the glass bowl about 45 minutes to cool down enough for me to un-screw it.


I popped in two CFL's, and I've drastically cut the temperature coming down on my head.

Maybe save a little power (and money) to boot!


Just a word of warning though. I don't know that I would recommend CFL's for actual booth set ups. CFL's do "hum", which could impact recordings. YMMV...


Picture courtesy of Brandeis University, which also has a handy little chart comparing the total cost of ownership between incandescent and CFL light bulbs.