Small and unusal shaped room

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 8:51 pm

I would like to add some acoustic treatment to this room I'm using for mixing and monitoring. It's 9'-6" x 8-0" basically with an angled entry area.
I don't think it sounds bad in there but it is a an open space with an arch door opening and a large window opening on one wall which is 3 feet up from the floor and is 6'W x 5'H. The ceiling in the room is 9 feet high..
I've attached a sketch with dimensions of the space with the objects I have currently in there now. If there are things that should be moved around to help it out that is not a problem.
My ideas were be to add auralex type shape panels on the main walls or similar types of sound treatment in the corners.
Not sure what the door opening and window type opening does to the whole sound thing I don't know...but I'm hoping the experts on here can share some technical insight.

http://picasaweb.google.com/djmshoreline/OnlineEdits#5387082567654352882

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 7:16 am

This room is dangerously close to being square and morbidly near to being a cube. Either of which you would rather your children had no lunch money for a week then to have for a sound related environment.

But, it is what it is right? You'll want to research "reflection free zone" for this area. The need for low frequency corner absorption in small rooms is a known variable. Look into that as you are in much need of it as well.

Typically, a listening environment, like a control room or home theater, wants to be symmetrical, balanced to accommodate the two ears on the human head.

This is also part of your research, which will include the window and how it is different in density, allows sound to travel in/out at a different rate then the wall does. You may simply require a "window plug".

Hopefully the experts will agree in part or wholly with my thinking here.

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 10:09 am

Well the news is not good. A room that is 7'6" X 8' X 9'6" translates to the ratio 1 x 1.06 x 1.26. If you look at the second graph on this page you will see that those ratios are off the chart. But if you do a little guessing about the pattern it looks like this is a really bad ratio. Do what you can, but I would not invest much money in treatments that could not be moved.

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:08 pm

For the sake of clarity:

9'-6" x 8-0"...The ceiling in the room is 9 feet high...

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 8:06 pm

Thanks for the comments Space and the calculator links BobRogers..those were very interesting...
I don't think there's really anything that I can do with that space, I thought about placing heavy sound curtains over the window opening and the door opening and then cloud the ceiling, (or buy a few panels).
...change those dimensions a little....but it probably will never be good enough in there other than a marginal listening space.......maybe I'll move out into the adjacent space and use the little room as a trap! Hehe..
it is what it is....

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