NEW MIC, OLD PROBLEMS

So I really gave the new microphone a run through yesterday.  I was 
stymied for a while by my lack of a stable mic stand, but I finally 
monkied-up something that attaches to the desk.  Another issue that will 
not go away, though, is the noise from my Zareason box.  That machine 
has been loud since day one, and now it's really giving me the red ass 
because I have an external USB soundcard so as to AVOID machine noises.  
Thus, instead of the motherboard tossing up a hum, I get the sound of 
the fans and such.  I can't really move the machine anywhere, and I 
can't really record anywhere else.

One idea I have is to use a Debian box in the other room for the actual 
recording, but do the audio work in this one.  The cables will reach, I 
think.  I tried to get that computer to see the M-Audio soundcard last 
night, and it seemed to do so, but I can't get ALSA to see it.  I 
thought it had loaded the audio module automatically but maybe not.  
It's worth another try.  Another approach entirely, though, is to use my 
eeePC 701 2GB Surf, running Puppy Linux.  I don't have any particular 
hopes that it'll see the M-Audio either, but we'll see.  Puppy has 
surprised me before.

The advantage of recording in the other room is obvious, as I can turn 
off this machine and get a pretty silent situation.  The advantage of 
the eeePC is that it's much quieter than the Zareason, so I can leave it 
in this room when I record.  I dunno.  I guess I need to try both.  
Short of tearing apart the Zareason box and replacing parts, though, I 
don't have any way to quiet that thing, which means my audio fiction 
projects remain on hold.  And I've waited too long for this already.  
That's just not an option now.

.