Control Room shapes

Just wondering why some control rooms have different shapes. Most of them are using the 3 corners in front of the console with bass traps and build in speakers. In this design (John's Red Bull design in Melbin) I noticed a more straight approach, console direct to the window and the speakers direct on the side. Is this done for space constrain or has other purposes... or this one I found on the AkaDesign website...

I personnelly think there is a direct connection between the size of the console and the width/ length ratios. These large professional studio that all appear to be firing down the short wall (short wall still being longer than MY long wall :D ) Have massive 48,52,86 plus channel desks. They simply need that kind of width. If your just runnig with a DAW than is not needed.

that was my first suggestion too but much smaller studios like this one... have that 8 shape in the control room, a nice diffuser in the background, bass traps in the corners :blah: but why they have it and the other ones not... I do understand it is necessary for the acoustics and how sounds reach the engineer behind the console... but why the professional studios in my first post have then a different layout... have these studios then bad acoustics or something???

Big rooms overall sound "better" than small rooms. and with such big rooms like the one you posted above, I guess its not a big deal to fire the short wall instead. Like lil said, thats still a huge room and has to be done that way Poor guy like us just have to deal with small house rooms and to maximize acoustic performance its better to do it like you've seen we do it

If you check out the red bull setup you'd notice that the room is actually wider than it is deep - this is because of trying to fit two control rooms and a studio into a given space. as for the akadesign - you don't actually know the room shape because there could be traps behind the walls.

In both pix I see a "not-so-good" monitor plan. The pix are incomplete to say anything useful tho (as John mentioned)

Ro wrote:

In both pix I see a "not-so-good" monitor plan. The pix are incomplete to say anything useful tho (as John mentioned)

That's why I was asking... I am designing now my new studio and have to put all speakers on the right spot, angle and distance from the engineers position... with both pix I see the mixer directly to the window and the speakers very close to the engineer... the sketch image has the right setup (so far I know... hahaha)

Things change as well! lessons learnt, the digital age, $$$, more shared knowledge (internet) If there is a golden rule in a small studio it's Symmetry and Bass Trapping. Why don't you doa design and show us. BTW-Thats sideshow studio that you posted. He loves it and it generates him money. Could you ask for more :mrgreen:

Ro wrote:

In both pix I see a "not-so-good" monitor plan. The pix are incomplete to say anything useful tho (as John mentioned)

OK Ro - please show me where you have designed and built a better system for the situation I was in? These are free standing monitors - they did not have the time to soffit mount. I'd appreciate any link you may offer. Here's a studio I designed where the monitors were not soffit mounted - they had Barefoot monitors - does the name ring a bell? http://johnlsayers.com/Pages/Gorini.htm you may be asking why I appear to be chasing you down Ro, like it did with Stuart. It's because you have both appeared to use this site to express an inflated opinion of your knowledge and importance it the field of studio acoustics, design and construction. It's not a new phenomenon on this site after 9 years. ;)

I'm not following you here, John. I was merely pointing to the 2 studio pictures posted by StayNuts. In both pix, the monitors are firing their audio stream behind the listening position (so it seems), for example. But I agree that these pictures aren't "complete". I case you were thinking I was commention on your double CR desgin; I wasn't.. And if I was, it was only to say "wow, cool design". No, I don't kiss ass :) Yeah, sure Barefoot rings a bell. :) You can chase me all you wan't, heck I even deserve to. sometimes I forget to give the arguments (lazy I suppose). I'm not the guy that takes anything for granted. cheers.

Okay, the first pic Saynuts showed was one of John's designs (Red Bull). Didn't realize until I re-read the threat. In the original design there's a "good" monitor set-up. The actual pic, however, (the one showing the KRK monitors) are a sloppy set-up. If I may say so. Prolly out of John's hands, dunno. I don't mind the stand, I'm not a big soffit-fan my self. It's just the placement. That's all. They don't even aim at the mixing engineer. The second pic: Here's a different view from that same studio: Both (yes, there's atleast 2 sets) monitors are set-up to aim way behind the mixing engineer. Looks like they are also to heigh (or the engineer's on a very low seat :) ) I'd also put them a bit back, behind the console. So, there goes. Back to you John.

John Sayers wrote:

...Here's a studio I designed where the monitors were not soffit mounted - they had Barefoot monitors - does the name ring a bell? http://johnlsayers.com/Pages/Gorini.htm

That is a nice studio but not the one I mentioned in this thread, sorry... The studio on the first picture are NOT Barefoots. Why are the mixer and the speakers in one line placed direct to on the wall under the window? Don't you get with this setup that the sound indeed get fired behind the engineers position? I noticed by the way that in the drawing the speakers and mixer are different placed... Just wondering why some setups are used and what is the philosophy behind. On that way you can learn from other people... nobody knows everything!!! We all can learn from each other and that's why this forum is mentioned for, or not?

Those control rooms at the Red Bull Music Academy were never used for any critical mixing or mastering. Lots of music was tracked there and mixed at another studio later (also designed by John, with nice soffit mounted mains :D ) For all the engineering workshops it was more important for the people in the back of the room to get an idea of what's going on. The speaker setup might still not have been perfect, but pretty good for a studio that was build for a 6 week workshop....

but pretty good for a studio that was build for a 6 week workshop....

and build in 4 weeks :)