posted 02 October 2009 13:09            

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Hi, just checking if the Pacarana needs to lie flat, or if it okay to lean it against a wall on its side (leaving a few inches of space in front of the fans for ventilation)?

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posted 03 October 2009 09:41            

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The Paca(rana) relies, in part, on heat conduction either through the surface it is set on or through the rack via the rack ears.

We have not tested this configuration, but it is likely that the fans in the Paca(rana) will operate more often and at a higher speed when tipped against the wall. During the winter months, when the floor is cool, the floor temperature may compensate for the sub-optimal positioning.

You could try it out, but you should monitor the temperature of the Paca(rana) when it is running. Select the DSP menu on the front panel of the Paca(rana); the bottom row of numbers indicates the temperature of the case and of each processor. The case should be at or below 45 degrees and each processor should be at or below 65 degrees (Celsius),

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posted 03 October 2009 12:22            

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wow, this is super helpful, thank you! minimizing fan noise in the studio is important, so I will leave the Pacarana in the rack.

p.s. any other tips for minimizing fan noise are also appreciated -- e.g. within the rack I'm leaving a fraction of an inch below the Pacarana and a full rack space above the Pacarana, not sure if there is something further I can do to help pull heat away from the surface of the unit.

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posted 04 October 2009 10:03            

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Sounds like you are doing everything right!

About the only other thing one could do is to lower the ambient temperature around the rack or to actually blow air across the top of the Pacarana. But these steps are unnecessary as long as the temperatures on the processors and case are in range.

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posted 05 October 2009 09:10            

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back in my BBC microcomputer days, I'd cool off the over heating processor with the help of my mum's vacuum cleaner! Five minutes suction would really do the trick.

maybe the same procedure would also help with the vertical paca? ;-)

(of course, on stage that probably wouldn't be such a cool thing to do)

[This message has been edited by photonal (edited 05 October 2009).]

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posted 05 October 2009 14:33            

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gives new meaning to the phrase

"Suck it and see"

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