asymetrical monitor placement

[gregory]

hello, say you have a rectangular space for a control room. what would be the specific disadvantages of having the monitor and listening positions in the corner? well not really tucked all the way in the corner, but with that diagonal orientation? And could the issues it causes be treated?

[Weasel9992]

Originally Posted by gregory

hello, say you have a rectangular space for a control room. what would be the specific disadvantages of having the monitor and listening positions in the corner? well not really tucked all the way in the corner, but with that diagonal orientation? And could the issues it causes be treated?

The disadvantage is having hard boundaries (walls) close on both sides of the monitors. It's bad enough having your monitors stuck right up against a flat front wall in many cases, but having, a.) a corner where low end pressure builds and, b.) two walls on either side of the monitors is much worse. You're basically sitting in one of the worst seats in the room for listening.

Can you treat it? Sure, at least somewhat, but why work against yourself? You'll be able to treat the listening position more easily and cheaper if you solve some of the big problems through good positioning first.

Frank

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by gregory

what would be the specific disadvantages of having the monitor and listening positions in the corner?

One big problem facing into a corner is that puts the opposing corner behind you. So that corner then focuses all the sound right back at you. This is a Bad Thing, and is the opposite of diffusion which is good in the rear. You can reduce the focusing with lots of absorption across the entire rear corner.

--Ethan

[gregory]

Originally Posted by Ethan Winer

One big problem facing into a corner is that puts the opposing corner behind you. So that corner then focuses all the sound right back at you. This is a Bad Thing, and is the opposite of diffusion which is good in the rear. You can reduce the focusing with lots of absorption across the entire rear corner.

--Ethan

thanks Frank and Ethan, actually as I have an L shaped space, I would not have a corner behind me but a long wall at 45 degrees.


>>The disadvantage is having hard boundaries (walls) close on both sides of the monitors. It's bad enough having your monitors stuck right up against a flat front wall in many cases, but having, a.) a corner where low end pressure builds and, b.) two walls on either side of the monitors is much worse. You're basically sitting in one of the worst seats in the room for listening.

I see. I won't acually be in the corner, more like set the desk up in the corner and then pull it out somewhat into the space. I suppose I can get each speaker 3-4 feet off each wall. sadly this diagonal orientation is the only setup that does not severly interfere with the traffic flow, door locations, and other non movable crap in my space. I can try it and see what happens - problem is I don't know what to expect.

[Ethan Winer]

If you don't have a corner behind you this can probably work. There are some good aspects! One is that the side walls angle enough to direct "early" reflections away from you without needing absorption. Likewise, the same happens in the rear to avoid direct reflections back toward you. You'll still need bass traps, and probably mid/high frequency absorbers too.

--Ethan

[EricF]

One thing many of us deal with is how to make the best of less-than-ideal conditions. Limitations are totally understandable in the home studio environment. The first step is educating yourself on what "ideal" is. From there, just do the best you can within your limitations. If stuck in the corner is really the ONLY place you can put your desk, then so be it. The more you can improve the rest of the space, the better off you'll be. Any improvement is still an improvement.