how the ratios work

so I read that you can swap dimensions. therefore, if I use this ratio: 1:1.2:1.55, I only have enough space for a seven foot wall in width so that will be the first figure. Then my ceiling will be the 1.2 which gives me an 8'5'' ceiling and lastly, a 10'10'' wall in length. Now, I don't want parallel walls so I won't have two, 7' width walls or two, 10'10'' in length walls. what are the rules about doing your other two or three walls? also what if you're off by a couple inches like if I made the 10'10'' wall, 11'?

Room ratio's are designed for listening rooms/control rooms. But you can of course use the calculation for any room. it's kinda of an average ratio. Are you splaying the wall or the traps? If your splaying the walls then do 3 or 4 calculations along the wall length and hope that there aren't any multiples of nodes. If your splaying the traps then base it on the rectanglar room. lil

lilith_envy wrote:

it's kinda of an average ratio.

so it doesn't have to be exact?

lilith_envy wrote:

Are you splaying the wall or the traps? If your splaying the walls then do 3 or 4 calculations along the wall length and hope that there aren't any multiples of nodes. If your splaying the traps then base it on the rectanglar room. lil

I'm not sure what all this means. what is splaying traps vs. splaying walls?

I think I have a gpretty good understanding of how to apply these ratio's to a CR positioned along a side wall. But how would you apply them to a CR placed in a corner? In other words, where do you measure from?

lilith_envy wrote:

Room ratio's are designed for listening rooms/control rooms. But you can of course use the calculation for any room.

I can use them for any room but does it have any benefit?

The benefit is a more even response across the frequency spectrum from the room. It isn't magic, but it is better than just laying out walls and framing it up. That said, ratios, based on what I have read, seem like they work better in bigger rooms. Small isolation booths and small rooms in general are going to have sound frequency issues no matter what you do. But it is always recommended to apply some type of rectangular room sizing to anything you construct. This will at least eliminate some of the problems associated with square rooms, cubed rooms and dimensions that are divisable by each other. So that is the benefit of determining good room dimensions from the very start of any studio build or isolation booth. edit: Any room, in general, will benefit. If you build a home and apply ratios to your rooms, even that will be a positive to you.

It isn't magic, but it is better than just laying out walls and framing it up. That said, ratios, based on what I have read, seem like they work better in bigger rooms.

Here is exactly what Rod's book says about the ratios, this can be found on page 28. "In order to design rooms in which these types of problems can be minimized, a series of known good ratios have been established over the years specifically for small room designs." It also says that the larger the room, (greater than 5,000 cu.ft.) the less important these ratios are because "there is generally enough travel distance so that the sound has a chance to decay to the point that constructive/destructive actions in the room are beginning to minimize." My understanding of these ratios is that they should be followed exactly because any deviation from them is going to affect the room modes. So my question from before was, "How do you apply these ratios to a corner control room?" In other words where do you measure from to get your L and W of the room?

someone please correct me if i'm wrong but from everything that i've read here and in rod's book, i'm pretty sure that it doesn't matter which direction the listening position is set up... don't read too far into the "length" and "width" just as long as the room itself is to the correct dimensions. the ratio is there as a good guide of dimensions that will have the least amount of room modes. even following the ratio to a t in a smaller room you're still going to have modes that will need to be addressed.

tguage, from what I have read here you want the speakers firing toward the longer part of the room.

drthump70 wrote:

"In order to design rooms in which these types of problems can be minimized, a series of known good ratios have been established over the years specifically for small room designs."

I am certain my caution in expectation is justified for a small(less than 1500 sq.ft)room. The smaller the room the more the immediate issues show up. Bass build up, flutter, direct and indirect reflection, is this not correct? These room ratios are based on rectangular areas. In order to match them correctly, your invited to construct a rectangular area. Deviations from this require math way out of my range or care level. The best I could say would be to superimpose your ratio'ed rectangular room over the corner type structure you are trying to develop. Other than that, it's trigonometry to me!

drthump, you are correct. that is what is highly recommended here on this site. i have gathered that it is recommended because if you fire your speaker down the length then you have more space behind you for absorbtion and the likes to kill quick/early reflections. i have worked in many pro studios which this is not the case though. i assume it is so highly recommended here because we're not pros in the realm of acoustics. back to the original post though, the direction of your speakers doesn't matter, the ratios are there to minimize room modes.

so is that tracking room I posted above going to sound like crap or will it sound OK, with those dimensions? if it will sound like crap what should I do, as far as making it larger, to fix it. I don't have much more space to work with.

What exactly would you be recoreding in that room? Vocals, guitars, drums? all of the above?

Tracking room?? As in a live room? The shape of live rooms "don't really matter" As long as you treat the room once it is built- 1) Test the empty shell and treat acordingly. 2) Speak to other studios that do similar music styles to you: Diffusion, absorption, gobos........ 3) The greatest thing you can do for your live room is double the area you have..triple it! Space Space Space http://www.wickstudios.com.au Have a look at the live room