Room treatment and monitoring advice needed

AuraCore · 7th February 2007, 09:33 PM

Hi all,

Need some advice on room treatment and monitors for my (amateur) home studio please. Currently, I use headphones (AKG 701) and Tannoy Reveals for mixing. The room is completely square (see attached pic), has a carpet floor and concrete walls / ceiling, no treatment at all. I'm not happy with the situation since my mixes don't translate very well.

So, here are my questions:

1. Based on the info / pic, can you recommend what type of room treatment I should look for? Since I use the room as my home office as well (which means I spend a lot of time in this room), I'd prefer some "good looking" treatment rather than just some ugly foam.

2. Any monitor recommendations? Preferably active and within a budget of approx. $700 (

I know, I know ... this post should maybe be moved to the "low end" forum)

Any other info I should provide to get some solid advice, please let me know.

Thanks

crna59 · 7th February 2007, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuraCore

Hi all,
The room is completely square

YIKES!!

LOTS OF BASS TRAPPING IN THE CORNERS!!

Regards,
Bruce

AuraCore · 7th February 2007, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crna59

YIKES!!

LOTS OF BASS TRAPPING IN THE CORNERS!!

Regards,
Bruce

LOL, yeah I know. Nothing I can do about that right now though (the square layout I mean)

Drumsound · 7th February 2007, 09:44 PM

Deal with bass traps and some reflection issues before buying monitors. If you get the room reacting right you might fine your Tannoys are just fine.

Glenn Kuras · 7th February 2007, 09:51 PM

Well first up that room being a squ and concrete on walls and ceiling have to the worst case you can come up with. What ever product you do go with you are going to need A LOT OF IT!!!!!! Think more on the turns or 10 to 15 bass traps (good ones) and panels for the reflections (the ceiling would have to be a MUST).

You may want to change your set up to not be in the corner. You would want to sit 38% of your room length.

Hope that helps,

Glenn

AuraCore · 7th February 2007, 10:28 PM

OK, so my room sucks

. How about the Auralex SonoSuede room treatment system for starters (4 16"x48 corner traps, 8 16"x48 wall panels)? And what would you recommend for the ceiling?

Thanks

Glenn Kuras · 7th February 2007, 10:43 PM

I think that stuff would be fine for the side walls, but you need bass traps in the corners. For the ceiling you need a 2" panel (not foam) spaced 2" off the ceiling.. In fact with what you have you might want to go with a 4" panel spaced 4" off the ceiling.. In a room like that you will never have enough bass control, the 4" on the ceiling will help there a little.

Glenn

tINY · 8th February 2007, 01:26 AM

You need to add a lot of absorbtion and will probably need resonant traps to deal with the square.

the corner, actually, is a good solution in a room like this. But you still need to put floor to ceiling traps in all the corners and probably want to put up a soffit around the ceiling to hide more absorbtion in (and you can make this look good).

In the middle of the ceiling, you'll probably want some QRD reflection.

The good thing about acoustic treatment is that you can cover it in fabric and it looks good.

-tINY

Dusty Chalk · 8th February 2007, 05:28 AM

+1 on the bass traps in the corners

I recently have been doing a lot of corner listening, and highly appreciate it, so I'd recommend leaving that alone -- you're perfectly fine with your layout.

If your mixes aren't translating well, you may want to try other things: listen to a familiar recording whose mix you're fond of (and of a similar nature, of course -- don't listen to DSOTM if you're doing a hip-hop record, for example [in that case, listen to Fear of a Black Planet]). For reference, between takes.

AuraCore · 8th February 2007, 06:34 AM

Thanks for your posts, appreciated. Looks like I have a new project. I'll post my results when I'm done.

Ethan Winer · 8th February 2007, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuraCore

Need some advice on room treatment and monitors

You already got some good replies, and I'll this link to my Acoustics FAQ:

http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html

Also, you might experiment with the placement of your mix position. Facing a corner is not always terrible, but the corner behind has a huge focusing effect which is not good. Focusing is the opposite of diffusion which is good. So if you're up for some experimenting, set up your speakers centered left and right in the room as is more usual, and sit so your head is about 3-1/2 feet from the front wall you're facing.

--Ethan

bassman · 8th February 2007, 11:03 PM

Here it is simple and relatively cheap. Forget pre made stuff, you'll go broke trying to fix that room. Get a whole pille of rockwool and FILL the ceiling as far down as is comfortable for you. How tall is the room? If you have several feet you can loose in the ceiling, that's the best chance of taming some bass effectively.

I would just cover all the walls in 4" panels of rockwool. You could maybe leave the last four feet to the floor without treatment to allow your gear to go back to the walls for space.

Anyhow, you can cover the rockwool with any sort of fabric of choosing to make it look nice..... (ask the lady friend if possible)

The material should cost around the same you have budgeted for you new speaks depending on fabric choice. Could very well solve the issue without new speaks.

Good luck.

-ashley

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7th February 2007, 09:33 PM	#1
AuraCore Gear nut Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Zurich, Switzerland Posts: 75	Room treatment and monitoring advice needed Hi all, Need some advice on room treatment and monitors for my (amateur) home studio please. Currently, I use headphones (AKG 701) and Tannoy Reveals for mixing. The room is completely square (see attached pic), has a carpet floor and concrete walls / ceiling, no treatment at all. I'm not happy with the situation since my mixes don't translate very well. So, here are my questions: 1. Based on the info / pic, can you recommend what type of room treatment I should look for? Since I use the room as my home office as well (which means I spend a lot of time in this room), I'd prefer some "good looking" treatment rather than just some ugly foam. 2. Any monitor recommendations? Preferably active and within a budget of approx. $700 ( I know, I know ... this post should maybe be moved to the "low end" forum) Any other info I should provide to get some solid advice, please let me know. Thanks

7th February 2007, 09:44 PM	#4
Drumsound Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Bloomington Il Posts: 3,597	Deal with bass traps and some reflection issues before buying monitors. If you get the room reacting right you might fine your Tannoys are just fine. __________________ Tony Oxide Lounge Recording See the Oxide Lounge! WWJMD? Come see me on the Tape Op boards! "If I have to flip flop more than three times in an A/B test to figure out what the difference is, I lose interest in that difference.'--Tchad Blake

7th February 2007, 09:51 PM	#5
Glenn Kuras Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 3,878	Well first up that room being a squ and concrete on walls and ceiling have to the worst case you can come up with. What ever product you do go with you are going to need A LOT OF IT!!!!!! Think more on the turns or 10 to 15 bass traps (good ones) and panels for the reflections (the ceiling would have to be a MUST). You may want to change your set up to not be in the corner. You would want to sit 38% of your room length. Hope that helps, Glenn __________________ Glenn Kuras - GIK Acoustics www.GIKAcoustics.com Need help with your room? click here

7th February 2007, 10:43 PM	#7
Glenn Kuras Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 3,878	I think that stuff would be fine for the side walls, but you need bass traps in the corners. For the ceiling you need a 2" panel (not foam) spaced 2" off the ceiling.. In fact with what you have you might want to go with a 4" panel spaced 4" off the ceiling.. In a room like that you will never have enough bass control, the 4" on the ceiling will help there a little. Glenn __________________ Glenn Kuras - GIK Acoustics www.GIKAcoustics.com Need help with your room? click here

7th February 2007, 10:28 PM	#6
AuraCore Gear nut Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Zurich, Switzerland Posts: 75	OK, so my room sucks . How about the Auralex SonoSuede room treatment system for starters (4 16"x48 corner traps, 8 16"x48 wall panels)? And what would you recommend for the ceiling? Thanks

8th February 2007, 01:26 AM	#8
tINY Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 6,057	You need to add a lot of absorbtion and will probably need resonant traps to deal with the square. the corner, actually, is a good solution in a room like this. But you still need to put floor to ceiling traps in all the corners and probably want to put up a soffit around the ceiling to hide more absorbtion in (and you can make this look good). In the middle of the ceiling, you'll probably want some QRD reflection. The good thing about acoustic treatment is that you can cover it in fabric and it looks good. -tINY

8th February 2007, 05:28 AM	#9
Dusty Chalk Gear Head Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: DC area Posts: 45	+1 on the bass traps in the corners I recently have been doing a lot of corner listening, and highly appreciate it, so I'd recommend leaving that alone -- you're perfectly fine with your layout. If your mixes aren't translating well, you may want to try other things: listen to a familiar recording whose mix you're fond of (and of a similar nature, of course -- don't listen to DSOTM if you're doing a hip-hop record, for example [in that case, listen to Fear of a Black Planet]). For reference, between takes.

8th February 2007, 06:34 AM	#10
AuraCore Gear nut Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Zurich, Switzerland Posts: 75	Thanks for your posts, appreciated. Looks like I have a new project. I'll post my results when I'm done.

8th February 2007, 11:03 PM	#12
bassman Gear nut Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Newport, KY Posts: 97	Here it is simple and relatively cheap. Forget pre made stuff, you'll go broke trying to fix that room. Get a whole pille of rockwool and FILL the ceiling as far down as is comfortable for you. How tall is the room? If you have several feet you can loose in the ceiling, that's the best chance of taming some bass effectively. I would just cover all the walls in 4" panels of rockwool. You could maybe leave the last four feet to the floor without treatment to allow your gear to go back to the walls for space. Anyhow, you can cover the rockwool with any sort of fabric of choosing to make it look nice..... (ask the lady friend if possible) The material should cost around the same you have budgeted for you new speaks depending on fabric choice. Could very well solve the issue without new speaks. Good luck. -ashley

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