Suggestions Please!!!

[JJones74]

O.K. After going back and forth and the wife changing her mind a few times, I'm now moving my home studio into the basement (see previous thread I submitted). LoL.. What I'm looking for are suggestions on desk and monitor placement, along with bass trap placement (or any treatment help at all).. It's a much bigger room, but it has a lower ceiling height. I've attached some cad files I transferred to PDF format for you guys to check out.. Any help would greatly be appreciated.. Thanks in advance!!!

[jwl]

Based on a quick look at the drawing, I'd set up facing the top wall, so that your mix position (where the engineer sits) is centered left-to-right, 38% of the way back from the front wall, leaving 62% of the room behind you. From there, add bass trapping to as many of the 12 room corners as you can manage, and add absorptive panels at all first-reflection points on the side walls and ceiling. Add additional bass traps on the rear wall, spaced out a bit.

For more on room setup, see these articles:
Three First Steps Toward A Good-Sounding Room
RealTraps - Acoustics Fact & Fiction
RealTraps - How To Set Up a Room
RealTraps - Creating a Reflection-Free Zone

[JJones74]

O.K. I just took a picture standing under the duct work (by the room entrance). Just to kind of give you a feel of the actual layout.. I would have took more, but I've got all my equipment and traps in the other areas.. Kinda messy right now..

[Weasel9992]

Originally Posted by JJones74

O.K. After going back and forth and the wife changing her mind a few times, I'm now moving my home studio into the basement (see previous thread I submitted). LoL.. What I'm looking for are suggestions on desk and monitor placement, along with bass trap placement (or any treatment help at all).. It's a much bigger room, but it has a lower ceiling height. I've attached some cad files I transferred to PDF format for you guys to check out.. Any help would greatly be appreciated.. Thanks in advance!!!

Wow...that's a mighty low ceiling. With a space like this, with so many odd features and things protruding from the ceiling, probably the best thing you can do is just follow jwl's advice to the letter. place yourself 38% of the way into the room, facing the plan top wall, centered between the side walls, then bass trap the bejeebus out of it. There's not much you can do about everything hanging down from the ceiling, or the fact of the low ceiling itself. You'll just have to work around it.

Nice CAD work, by the way.

Frank

[JJones74]

Originally Posted by Weasel9992

Wow...that's a mighty low ceiling. With a space like this, with so many odd features and things protruding from the ceiling, probably the best thing you can do is just follow jwl's advice to the letter. place yourself 38% of the way into the room, facing the plan top wall, centered between the side walls, then bass trap the bejeebus out of it. There's not much you can do about everything hanging down from the ceiling, or the fact of the low ceiling itself. You'll just have to work around it.

Nice CAD work, by the way.

Frank

Thanks.. I do AutoCAD work for a living (Machine Design).. LoL.. The only thing that sucks about putting my position in the "center" , facing the top wall, is that the damn duct work is al most directly above me. Wont I get a bunch of ringing and buzzing from the ducts vibrating??

[Weasel9992]

Originally Posted by JJones74

Thanks.. I do AutoCAD work for a living (Machine Design).. LoL.. The only thing that sucks about putting my position in the "center" , facing the top wall, is that the damn duct work is al most directly above me. Wont I get a bunch of ringing and buzzing from the ducts vibrating??

That's probably going to happen no matter what you do...part and parcel with the low ceiling I'm afraid. Even if you face the plan right wall as far away as you can you'll still induce mechanical noise as the various timbers vibrate.

Honestly, I'd set it up exactly the way jwl suggested. That'll make the most out of a tough space.

Frank

[JJones74]

Originally Posted by Weasel9992

That's probably going to happen no matter what you do...part and parcel with the low ceiling I'm afraid. Even if you face the plan right wall as far away as you can you'll still induce mechanical noise as the various timbers vibrate.

Honestly, I'd set it up exactly the way jwl suggested. That'll make the most out of a tough space.

Frank

O.K.
I sat a cup at the 38% position and central to the side walls and guess what? One of the vertical support beams is right there!! no room for a desk, or nuthing.. LoL.. Is there any way I could put my monitors and desk in between the posts as shown? Just curious..

[Weasel9992]

Originally Posted by JJones74

O.K.
I sat a cup at the 38% position and central to the side walls and guess what? One of the vertical support beams is right there!! no room for a desk, or nuthing.. LoL.. Is there any way I could put my monitors and desk in between the posts as shown? Just curious..

It's definitely not an ideal spot, but you have to use the space you have. If that's the only way to get a clear mix position, then just place everything there and treat the heck out of it.

Frank

[JJones74]

Originally Posted by Weasel9992

It's definitely not an ideal spot, but you have to use the space you have. If that's the only way to get a clear mix position, then just place everything there and treat the heck out of it.

Frank

Yeah, that's kinda what I thought you'd say.. At least if I do it this way, I think I should be able to get a good mix position since I'll have access to the ceiling. Also, the original way would also be a problem due to the fact that there are NO electrical outlets anywhere near that position.. LoL.. I just realized that!!! Then I'll trap the hell outta the rest of the room.. Should I only treat the ceiling in the "mix" area or should I treat more? I'll sketch out my plan of attack and post it for you to see.. Thanks for everything Frank, I appreciate it.. You to JWL..

[JJones74]

OK.. here's a preliminary sketch with the mix position being centered and at 38%.. I don't show the "clouds", but they'll be in there also.. Lemme know..

[JJones74]

Frank here are sketches.. Which one do you think would be the best option to go with?

[jwl]

I'd go with the one on the right. It puts both the posts and the door further from your ears.

Treatment plan looks good, though I'd move the 2 traps on the front wall further in so that they are directly behind the speakers.

Also, all the traps mounted parallel to the wall, should be spaced out from the wall 3-4".

[JJones74]

Originally Posted by jwl

I'd go with the one on the right. It puts both the posts and the door further from your ears.

Treatment plan looks good, though I'd move the 2 traps on the front wall further in so that they are directly behind the speakers.

Also, all the traps mounted parallel to the wall, should be spaced out from the wall 3-4".

Thanks for the pointers.. The only thing I don't like about that side is that I can't really treat the "mix" position above me. The duct work is directly above the "mix" position. And I think it'll be ringing and humming all the time. Plus there are NO outlets anywhere near there.. Another bad point about that side of the room.. Also, there is no door, it's open. I plan to use to really thick blankets or something to hang there.. Any suggetstions for materials? LoL.. As far as the 2 posts go, I was planning on wrapping them with some kind of material. Any suggestions for that one also? Thanks all..

[jwl]

For the posts, you can find round rigid fiberglass used for pipe insulation, something like this: Products -- Fiberglas Pipe Insulation

Regarding the ducts, just treat the heck out of them with absorption and it should reduce the problems you can here.