Another bedroom studio thread - Mixing + Recording Vocals/Acoustic Guitars

[jossesphere]

Hi there Gearslutzer... Gearslutzian... Hi there guys! I have been noodling around for a few days with a 3D model of my room following the guidelines I've read around the web, specially this forum (what an amazing knowledge resource!! thumbsup), and wanted some feedback so that I know I'm doing well (what I'm concerned right now is the fact that I'm kinda overdoing it but you will tell me). Before you read on you must know I'm a total noob on this matter so be aware

I want to do mixing and light recording (acoustic guitar/vocals), so I have arrived to the conclusion that what I need is a RFZ in front of the screen, and I want to achieve it with DIY stuff like broadband/bass traps, space couplers... and whatever comes in handy! I'm not going the 'anechoic room' way, trying to keep some liveness in it, if there is any

This is the original room layout:

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/2307/roomin1.png
Under the table: radiator, subwoofer & computer - left to right

And this is what I'm up to right now(I'm pretty bad at this SketchUp thingy as you may notice [I cannot change the metric system ])

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/5...mfrontlat1.png

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/192/roomfrontlat2.png

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/6...frontover2.png

Room measures are 9' 8'' x 8' 9'' x 8' 1'',but with all the furniture around it's symbolic you know ...

I'm also thinking about getting rid of the carpet.


The most important aspects I'm concerned about are:
2.0 Speaker placement (Should I use stands? Would reflections on the table get worse? They are going to be front ported, not sure of the model though)
What to do with the window (Dampening I suppose is the answer...)
The hole under the table and the bed (The first one will get his trapping dose, the second one I'm not sure how deal with it, it's a double bed so there is no space below it, I suppose it will suck lots of high frequencies)

I would really need some guidance about what would be better to kick off with (improvement:cost ratio). Perhaps everything I'm thinking of is better left for years to come and expeding more money on the speakers will do for me (speaker budget is around 300/400 euros the pair), anyway I could also use the traps I make when I move so ...
I must be doing some tests within a few when I have some kind of decent mic.

By the way the materials around are:
Table and shelves are some kind of beech
Walls are made of large panels of plaster 100% flat fixed into vertical metal bars
Floor is floating dais with sth like 4'' to the real floor
Wardrobe should be pine



Any questions are welcome!

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by jossesphere

Should I use stands?

Yes, stands might help if you have room for them.

What to do with the window

Your speakers face away from the window, so just leave it as it is. More here:

Front Wall Absorption

--Ethan

[jossesphere]

Originally Posted by Ethan Winer

Yes, stands might help if you have room for them.



Your speakers face away from the window, so just leave it as it is. More here:

Front Wall Absorption

--Ethan

Hi Ethan! Thanks for the advises and great info on your site, I will be reading through it carefully!

About the stands, I was thinking of one or two concrete blocks and some foam on top&bottom. I've seen people pretty happy with this approach and the explanation behind them seems pretty logical

On the other hand leaving the window untreated is pretty weird, but I'm here to learn so...! (I've seen the glass window on the front of many control rooms...)

As you may notice on the pictures on the right side of the room (or it was the moon? ) I'm just going for the ear level, do you think that will do?

The panels on the back are all movable by the way. The wardrobe will be covered with rockwool ... or perhaps a diffusor will improve it?

So many aspects to cover ...

[Ethan Winer]

Yes, side-wall reflection absorbers need to be at ear height. But you need to cover an area, not just a single spot. So I'd treat at ear level, extending at least a foot above and below, and maybe 2 feet front and back.

--Ethan