You can do whatever you want in your studio... :wink:
Bas.

Here's the rub..

First of all, after time, the gooey tar from the smoke will get all into the equipment, leads of parts and controls..deteriating the contacts. Ever done sound repairs in a bar? The equipment is gross and you cannot get the smell out of it or clean it up properly. It is permantly "tarnished" with the tar.

Secondly, I don't think a cigaretted piece of equipment would have a good resale value. If I bring a repair piece in here from a smoking studio, it reeks the room.

3rd, your non smoking clients will hate the smell. Amplifiers with fans (and computers) will radiate that stale smoke smell all over the studio.

4th (not significantly harmful at first.. but here it is..)..

The soot adds mass to loudspeaker components, changing their parameters. Foam speaker surrounds will rot out faster.

If someone wants a nasty studio, they can have it but it certainly does not help the vibe..unless the client smokes like a locomotive, then they would not care anyway.

smoke reduces the lifespan of electronics with up to 70% :shock

that's (one of the reasons) why FOH mixers has to be replaced so often...

and as a nonsmoker you wouldn't want to work in a smoking studio..

There have been lots of studies done on smoking and electronic equipment. Most of the studies said that cigarette smoking is harmful to electronic equipment because of the tar that is built up on the surfaces of the equipment. If you ever take apart your computer you will always notice that there is a lot of dust inside the computer (this is true even if it is in a clean environment) now if you add tar to the mixture the dust will be harder to clean off the circuit cards and heat sinks because it will be mixed with the tar. This can lead to the blanket effect where the tar and dust act like a blanket and the heat from the components cannot escape any your equipment runs hotter. As any electronics engineer knows HEAT is the biggest destroyer of circuit components,

Best advice DON'T SMOKE IN THE STUDIO AND DON'T LET YOUR CLIENTS SMOKE IN THE STUDIO.

ok, thanks for the info

rasputin7095 wrote: I heard smoke is bad for speakers/equipment. Why is that? What if I smoke 6 feet away from the speakers, is it still a problem?

That is kind of a silly question dont you think? Ever go into a smokers house? The walls are yellow (nicotine stains) and that would adhere to your gear too. It dont matter if you are 50 feet away, a room is a box and no matter where you stand the smoke will still engulf the entire room and yes even if you open a window.

I sometimes do some upgrades for some people on their computers, software/hardware, and aside from using compressed air to clean the dust out from inside the computer I also clean the outside of the case. I like to give your PC back looking better than it did. I had this one PC from a smokers house and you dont know the rags were a browish yellow color after cleaning. And yes that yellow hue was in the case too near the electronics but I cant clean that so it has to stay like that unless I have an electronic cleanser (which I dont). That tar and grime can also act as insulation and can possible cause heat problems. Especially if the tar build up is on any heat syncs. It can also burn fans out quicker since it can weigh the fan down causing them to work harder. And tar is somewhat sticky so if it gets into parts that work on friction it can hinder their movablity/performance. And trust me the smoke finds its way into these things, especially since your case fan sucks it in.

There is a very good reason why people specify a "smoke free studio" when they sell their used gear.

Does this help?

I have parties in my studio a few times per month, and I never smoke on a regular basis. Do you think it's ok if my guests smoke with the window open about 3 meters away from my equipment, or should I just make a complete "no smoking ever" rule?

So far I had about 3 nights of smoking/partying in the studio, did this already mess up my equipment?

Alternative viewpoint:

Whats all that expensive gear actually for? Recording great sounding music, right? If a fat reefer helps the band play better, I say let them light up!

;)

I used to fix equipment, including VCRs 10-20 years ago, when I needed the extra income to support my "studio habit." ;-)

I often surprised people by asking them "so, how's your cat? (or Dog, cigar hobby, coin collection, etc.) You could find this out easily by looking at what migrated into the electronics. Even without a fan, all that heat draws everything in the air into the unit: Cat hairs, dog hairs, cigar and cigarette tar, and occasionally a penny, crayon or hairpin. (Ok, that's usually the toddlers pushing stuff into the front openings! Hahaha...)

As for studio parties that involve smoking....gee, I can't imagine this EVER being a good idea. Aren't you also worried about drinks being spilled into your console, microphones "Walking" away, and equipment getting trashed in general?

I realize space may be a premium at your facility, and it may be the only room you have, but seriously....there's got to be a better way to impress your clients. (Well, the ones that you SHOULD be impressing - the ones who have the $$$ to book you and your room).

Personally, I'd keep the studio & control room as the "Holy of Holies" and book the party in your front reception room, or hire a caterer offsite if it means that much. If all you're doing is creating a space for wanna-be's to hang out and smoke a cig or a joint, I'm not sure what else I can say about it....

I guess it depends on what's more important to you: your studio's health or impressing those that still think smoking is cool.

rasputin7095 wrote: I have parties in my studio a few times per month, and I never smoke on a regular basis. Do you think it's ok if my guests smoke with the window open about 3 meters away from my equipment, or should I just make a complete "no smoking ever" rule?

I think you should let them all smoke and fuck opening the window at all. Allow them to place drinks carelessly on and around the equipment. Leave mic stands with mics on them in the center of the room so some drunk imbecile can knock it over. Hell even have people piss and shit all over the place while your at it. I think you have the right idea about proper regard for your facility, and you must have quite a few bucks to not even consider how party goers act like assholes in other peoples residencies. But it is your spot and you can do whatever it is you like.

So far I had about 3 nights of smoking/partying in the studio, did this already mess up my equipment?

Despite the fact on that everyone basically told you NOT to do these things (including myself) and you still come up with ridiculous questions. So I will give you a ridiculous answer and say "If you got em smoke em, Who cares?"

You know whats gonna be funny? When the next morning you see a nice burn hole in your woofer from someones cigarette.

haha, I get the point. I live in the middle of Manhattan, so my apartment basically is my studio, used mainly for mixing.

It's kind of a bummer for me that I can't smoke in there, cause my friends and I really like getting together and having conversations while smoking/listening to music...

Oh well... I guess we can always climb out onto the fire escape and smoke there... :(