Can I get away with foam behind the speakers?

[Nu-tra]

If you look behind the right speaker you can see there is an air conditioner/wall unit. I was thinking of using foam just to be able to cut around the air conditioner so i can place the foam in the right spot.

[tINY]

I wouldn't bother. The dispersion of the tweeter isn't that good. The only high frequencies (the ones that foam works well at), have to bounce off the back wall and back to the front before the front wall even reflects anything.





-tINY

[Glenn Kuras]

Yea I agree. That really is not a critical spot for treatment.

[Nu-tra]

Cool

The speaker is only 14 inches away from the wall. I can't get it farther away from the wall due to space. Still not needed to kill proximity effect or reflection? Or does that not play in this situation.

[Rick Sutton]

At 14" I'd kill it. I'll bet that the speaker sound at your mix position will tighten up if you do, at least, that has been my experience.

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by Nu-tra

Cool

The speaker is only 14 inches away from the wall. I can't get it farther away from the wall due to space. Still not needed to kill proximity effect or reflection? Or does that not play in this situation.

Well you can run into low end SBIR (What is SBIR?) but the foam is not really going to help as it is for mid and high frequencies.

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by Nu-tra

The speaker is only 14 inches away from the wall. I can't get it farther away from the wall due to space. Still not needed to kill proximity effect or reflection? Or does that not play in this situation.

This article explains why absorption behind the speakers is not particularly important:

Front Wall Absorption

--Ethan

[Rick Sutton]

Originally Posted by Ethan Winer

This article explains why absorption behind the speakers is not particularly important:

Front Wall Absorption

--Ethan

Well, that may be but I have been in studios that have had monitors placed in front of reflective wall, or window and the sound bugged the crap out of me until we put up temporary absorption over the surface. Are my ears defying the established rules of acoustical science? Or maybe I'm crazy....don't answer that, it's rhetorical!

[Nu-tra]

Thanks to everyone!

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by Rick Sutton

Well, that may be but I have been in studios that have had monitors placed in front of reflective wall, or window and the sound bugged the crap out of me until we put up temporary absorption over the surface. Are my ears defying the established rules of acoustical science? Or maybe I'm crazy....don't answer that, it's rhetorical!

It depends on the speakers and how they are placed.

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by Rick Sutton

Are my ears defying the established rules of acoustical science?

Not likely. As Glenn said "it depends."

There's nothing wrong with treating the front wall. It's as good a place as any to put general absorption. In my experience, once the rest of the room is treated correctly, the front wall becomes much less important.

--Ethan