Is glass behind monitors a HUGE problem?

[JP__]

It´s not the glass it self, the problem is: glass and absorbers are not friends. Mostly its not possible to see through absorber panels...
Glass is not more evil than every other concrete surface at all.

[Jack Goodman]

If you can, angle the glass towards the ceiling! this will help those early reflections scatter into your ceiling then floor! I had a similar issue when dealing with a movie theater. Difference however, is early reflections in a theater (or early decays) are much much more noticeable. We had reflections hitting the center front row. It was the glass infornt of the projector. tilted it and it was perf.

[OpusOfTrolls]

Standard household window glass is rather light, and can resonate. But once you get into 1/2" and above, it's much less reactive.

[boggy]

Originally Posted by Indellable

Or would glass at your first reflection point be a bigger problem?

It is not a big problem if you respect left-right symmetry.

Originally Posted by Indellable

I remember years ago having a conversation with a well respected engineer and he said "glass is a somewhat necessary evil in a studio". Nowadays, I know a lot can be done with cameras, TVs, webcams, etc. but I am still going the window route for a couple reasons, most notably I already have glass doors (2 sets) seperating my CR and mic room and frankly becuase its cheaper and is one less electrical thing that can malfunction.

IMHO, long-term, day light and sense of time of the day is a way more important in control room than communication between producer and musician through (real) window.

Originally Posted by Indellable

How bad is it to have glass behind your monitors?

Not really bad... Thomas Jouanjean (Northward Acoustics) even incorporate (soffit) monitors IN glass here:

Originally Posted by Indellable

Assuming this is unavoideable in my new set up what should I do to compensate?

You need to respect symmetry... if you have glass on the left, so build it the same on the right, even if you don't need it (you don't have anything to look through it) ... so mirror is best idea...
Glass on only one side is a big problem for brain...

Originally Posted by Indellable

Would diffsuers in back of the monitors help at all?

Diffusers are good, but cannot solve wrong symmetry....

[OpusOfTrolls]

Originally Posted by Indellable

Would diffsuers in back of the monitors help at all?

Only if done correctly. You should look up ESS (Early Sound Scattering) studio design. This uses diffusers right near the monitors. The objective is to minimize comb filter reflection from the listening position.

[Indellable]

Boggy - the addition of the new window would add a bit of symetry so I was pleased to see your post as it confirmed what I was hoping to hear.

Basically in my new mix position, I will have 6 ft of glass on the left from floor to 6'6" (sliding glass doors already there) and then a 6 foot x 3 ft window on the right side of the room. We plan to put it about the same height as the top of the sliding glass doors. This leaves about 4 feet of wall in the center so that my 6' desk will overlap about a foot on each side. The overlap will back up to glass and since my monitors are set out that far on top of the desk, they will each back up to that 1' overlap of glass on each side. I tried to upload a quick pdf of what it would look like (partially to scale).

We are thinking now of building a 2 piece diffuser that can rest behind the center while recording but put it on coasters so that I can split it and put it behind monitors while mixing. Think I should be good.

Thanks.

[boggy]

Originally Posted by Indellable

Boggy - the addition of the new window would add a bit of symetry so I was pleased to see your post as it confirmed what I was hoping to hear.
.........

I mean basically this: place an additional glass (or mirror) below your window... so you can have symmetry this way. Other treatment you can do as you like...

Originally Posted by Indellable

..............Thanks.

You're welcome!

[jwl]

Not a huge deal. Reflectivity is reflectivity whether it is glass, brick, stone, wood, or drywall. There are some subtle differences in their sounds, but the difference between these materials is generally overstated imho.

RealTraps - Does Wood Really Sound Warm?

[Glenn Kuras]

Glass (or any other hard surface) is only a problem if SBIR is a problem.
Learning SBIR | Speaker Boundary Interference Response

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by Indellable

How bad is it to have glass behind your monitors?

First, glass is not so evil compared to drywall. They both reflect. But the real issue is that your speakers fire the other way. All that comes out the rear of most box type speakers is bass. The wall behind you is far more important than the wall you face. More here:

Front Wall Absorption

--Ethan

The Acoustic Treatment Experts