[jhbrandt]

That is one main problem with dead rooms. True.

I have just finished a paper on decay response in mix/master rooms.

Our auditory system's main responsibilities are to locate sounds, analyze their properties, and then recognize what they mean. For example; for locating sounds on the horizontal plane - those coming from the left or right of the head - factors such as relative sound intensity in each ear, and the difference in sound's arrival time (phase) at each ear are important cues.

Without these important spatial cues that we normally hear, (such as is heard in a normal living room or bedroom) we suffer from what is know as ear fatigue. This is because of the alien environment. We humans did not evolve in such an environment nor were we meant to work in one.

Rooms built in this manner also require as much as 10 times the amplifier power to produce the perception of immersion in the sound field while listening to music in them. The sense of immersion usually occurs from 80 to 90 decibels in a normal room on average. However, in a very dead room the amplifiers or powered monitors must be run into clipping before immersion occurs (hearing damage also occurs).

So, IMHO, if you get your decay times uniform - you will be able to get excellent results in your room - and ENJOY it too.

Cheers,
- John