asymmetrical listening position/ room treatment

[jensfury]

Hi everyone,
after years of reading the forum i'm finally ready to step my game up and improve my music making experience.

So far I only produced on headphones but want to buy some monitors pretty soon.

I live in a flat with 2 friends and my room is fairly square shaped with a small'ish window bulge thing.

My desk is set up like pictured, at the moment.

Problems are i have little to no space for big bass traps in order to solve some of the standard acoustic issues as the room to live in would get quite small (whole room is around 21m²). Added to that i'm not sure for how long i will live there so fixed installations are not an option.

i figured the best place to set up the monitors/desk would be close to the upper wall, right? Then it is still problematic to shift my furniture around without the room looking like shit and being not cosy at all anymore.

Will it be much of a problem if i leave the desk where it is, with the left wall being way closer to the monitors than the right one?

What are your thoughts on the room and the room set up? Where would you move the desk? How would you cope with the problem of having very little living space if i had to put bass traps in every single corner? After all it's my living and bedroom.

Your input for my decision making is very much appreciated.

thanks
stefan

[Starlight]

What picture? From your years of reading you may have noticed that it is recommended that you start off with you and your monitors centrally placed (widthwise).

The first thing I am used to reading as a reply is to ask what the room's problems are; what your calculations and measurements tell us about the room's acoustic behaviour.

Traps do not need to be fixed installations. Traps can be tied to hooks in the ceiling or wall and wall and corner traps can be free-standing.

You ask, "How would you cope with the problem of having very little living space?" My answer would relate to whether I am living in a one room studio flat or have other rooms to live in and how important to me my music is. Your answer will relate to your situation and choices.

[jensfury]

thanks for your reply, i love sarcasm .

You are right, although I'm aware that having the monitors centrally placed is the way to go but in my case it's not that easily done as the room is where i live. I only have this room and i'd like to find the best possible solution without sacrificing too much 'living' space as my job is stressing me enough.

I'd prefer a cost effective and space saving solution for this 'bedroom', with the mixing desk not being the center of it all. I need a compromise, if possible.

Another thing is, that the ceilings are very high (about 3,5m) so i guess this is making the sound issues worse.

For the measurements, i did not have time and/or equipment to do this yet, sorry.

thanks for your and any further input.

[Starlight]

Just a thought - just one of many possibilities - with traps at the first reflection points (ceiling not shown) apart from the sides, where I don't know whether it would be possible (from an acoustics perspective) to have traps on stands nearer the desk, otherwise the one on the left would be in front of the window.

[ritelec]

Starlight. How did you do that? Did you redraw the pic or use what was supplied?

[ritelec]

Do you have measurements (physical) of the room and furniture?

Just a thought, the wall on the right may be a possibility.

(not to step on your toes Starlight)

[DanDan]

stefan, I would not worry about symmetry too much. Those side walls look to be quite a distance so the reflections won't be very strong.
The best way to find out what is actually happening, as opposed to guessing, is to measure. Room Eq Wizard or FuzzMeasure.
Absorbent panels on stands/legs are very useful and will remain so wherever you move to next.
DD

[Starlight]

Rich, I used Stefan's original picture. I have Photoshop but any graphics program would do. I find it easier to show what I have in mind. As the saying goes: a picture paints a thousand words.

And you are not stepping on my toes, no sir; I have only been studying acoustics for 6 months so count myself among the learners here.

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by Starlight

Just a thought - just one of many possibilities - with traps at the first reflection points (ceiling not shown) apart from the sides, where I don't know whether it would be possible (from an acoustics perspective) to have traps on stands nearer the desk, otherwise the one on the left would be in front of the window.

That looks to be the way to go in this room. As DD pointed out it may be early reflections may not be a large of a problem for you, but doing what you show will help.

[ritelec]

Originally Posted by Starlight

Rich, I used Stefan's original picture. I have Photoshop but any graphics program would do.

I see. I just gave it a test, but to no avail. I picked up Photoshop,Indesign,Dreamweaver etc... Adobe package last year. Just been using the indesign part for cards, letterhead etc....
maybe I should sit down to figure it out.

Thanks,
-rich

[jensfury]

Thanks a lot for all the help so far. Very much appreciated.

I think the top wall would be the ideal way to go, as well. With an absorber panel on the wall, ceiling and 2 on stands.

What kind of absorbers would these be? I would build myself some of these diy rockwool/glass fibre units hoping to tame the bass as much as possible, as the room is very high and reflects a lot. Or are these only useful for bass traps in corners?

How high should the standing ones be?

On another note. As DanDan and Mr. Kuras suggested, the reflections might not be too severe when i leave the desk where it is.

How and where could i place room treatment for better listening, theoretically? Maybe a standing one as a 'wall' to the door? on the wall in front, on the ceiling and to the closer wall, too?

Will get some measures as soon as possible!

thanks again

[DanDan]

stefan what have you been reading for years?
Your questions are the same as everyone else starting out,
so people have answered very clearly and well.

GIK
RealTraps
johnlsayers.com
studiotips.com

DD

[jensfury]

thanks.

well, basically i read all the subforums except this

The whole acoustics thing is new to me but i will read into it.

[DanDan]

Those websites will introduce you very nicely.
After that books are best.
And here's a free one for ya book.

I recommend you buy the Master Handbook of Acoustics by Everest.

If you become even more interested in time.
Newell's Recording Studio Design is the Bible.

DD

[avare]

Originally Posted by DanDan

Those websites will introduce you very nicely.
After that books are best.
And here's a free one for ya book.

I recommend you buy the Master Handbook of Acoustics by Everest.

If you become even more interested in time.
Newell's Recording Studio Design is the Bible.

+1 to the recommeded reading list.

Andre

[jensfury]

thanks a lot for the help and the links. read through the free book already, should get me started.

cheers!

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by jensfury

Thanks a lot for all the help so far. Very much appreciated.

I think the top wall would be the ideal way to go, as well. With an absorber panel on the wall, ceiling and 2 on stands.

What kind of absorbers would these be? I would build myself some of these diy rockwool/glass fibre units hoping to tame the bass as much as possible, as the room is very high and reflects a lot. Or are these only useful for bass traps in corners?

How high should the standing ones be?

On another note. As DanDan and Mr. Kuras suggested, the reflections might not be too severe when i leave the desk where it is.

How and where could i place room treatment for better listening, theoretically? Maybe a standing one as a 'wall' to the door? on the wall in front, on the ceiling and to the closer wall, too?

Will get some measures as soon as possible!

thanks again

Basically for bass trapping you want to straddle as many corners as possible and make them 4" or thicker. Here is a few things you can read to get you up to speed.
Acoustic Primer. GIK Acoustics. Acoustic Panels and Bass Traps.
GIK Acoustics: Room Setup
How Bass Traps Work. Acoustic Panels and Bass Traps.