Help With Setting Up A project Studio

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:02 pm

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if I could get some help with what seems lto be a standing wave issue.

I recently moved into an apartment with an extra rectangular bedroom that I've turned into a project studio. I am a composer so the room is used mainly for recording and mixing. I have set up everything and treated the walls and ceiling with absorption foam panels and then changed things around to try and correct any sound issues. Over all the room sounds pretty good except that I have a boomy frequency response around and above where my mixer is. I can really hear it in my voice when I talk, certain bass frequencies are jumping out and beating me up and the music isn't as tight and punchy as I know it should be.

I tried absorption on the desk and even on top of the mixer just to see if that was where the reflection was coming from but as it turned out it's not. I'm not sure if it's how I'm situated in the room or if it's too much or too little absorption, etc. I'm renting so I can't really do any major construction to the place but I know that there is a solution or two as to how I can tighten up the room. I have already spent some cash on the move and on the foam and just want to be sure about any other materials that I may need to purchase.

Below I have supplied a link to a picture of the room that I am in along with it's dimensions and a list of where I've placed the foam panels etc.

http://www.noevilmusic.com/medievilstudiosetup.gif

Thank all of you for your time and knowledge. I look forward to hearing what you all have to say.

Evil Medievil

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Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:24 pm

EvilMedieval wrote:

Over all the room sounds pretty good except that I have a boomy frequency response around and above where my mixer is. I can really hear it in my voice when I talk, certain bass frequencies are jumping out and beating me up and the music isn't as tight and punchy as I know it should be.

At this point it sounds like you need bass trapping more than anything. But you'll also benefit from placing some of the foam you have at the first reflection points on the side walls and ceiling. Start here:

www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html

According to your web page the speakers are firing the short way across the room, yes? You really should turn it around 90 degrees so they instead fire the long way down the room. That puts the rear wall behind you farther back, which in turn improves the bass response at the mix position. But you still need substantial bass trapping too.

--Ethan

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 6:48 pm

Hey Ethan Thanks.

I've been checking out your website and articles and I really appreciate your input. I have bass traps in all four corners of the room from floor to ceiling and I am going to be following the diagrams you have laid out on your website. I will definitely turn the room around so the speakers are firing the long way.

Another question I had was if it is okay to use Lenrd bass traps on the side walls where the wall meets the ceiling? I have a bunch of these traps left over and was hoping I could use them in that way. If I am able to do that, does it matter whether or not they're parallel with the traps that wiould be placed on the opposite wall?

One more, is it necessary to install a cloud if I have 9ft ceilings?

Again, thank you Ethan and I will let the forum know how it all turns out.

Chad

Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:14 pm

Lenyrds will help some if you already have 'em - if they don't do enough you may want to either get some of Ethan's traps there, or DIY some frames and thick MW or fiberglass. Parallel isn't necessary, just fill the corners.

Cloud - you betcha. 9 foot ceilings only gives you about a 10 foot path between speaker, ceiling and back to your ears - the direct path is likely around 5-6 feet, and unless the DIFFERENCE in those two is at least 20 feet your brain will "integrate" the two signals and mess up your perception of what's really there in the mix... Steve

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