-Nemo- Studio in progress [France]

Hi everyone, i'm Richard, actually 25yo, listening and playing metal music (guitar & bass), living in France (sorry if my english is not very good). I have a 22m2 room in the basement of my house where i'm making a home studio for recording (guitar, bass and vox) and mixing. I use Vsti for drums and other instruments (strings, winds.... etc). -Here is the actual state of the room: -Here a sketchup test with many possibilities with furnitures I already own: Save as I have not decided yet wich configuration i will make, if you got advice, i'm interested :D Thanks for reading ;)

Hi "nemo", and welcome to the forum! :)

Here a sketchup test with many possibilities

"G" is your best option, but there are still some problems with it. The reasons for selecting this one are mainly because of room symmetry (which is very important), and also to have the speakers aiming down the longest axis of the room, instead of across the short axis, as some of your options show.. However, all of your options show the speakers resting on the desk, which is a big mistake. The speakers should be placed in stands behind the desk, and the stands need to be very massive (heavy). You also show the speakers angled inwards at about 40°, which places your mix position (the place where your head will be when mixing) at about 25% of the room depth. That's a really bad position, and also the angle is too high. It would be better to have your mix position at about 38% of the room depth (about 2m from the front wall) and angle the speakers more like 30°, then move them a bit further apart until they are both facing exactly at your ears. That should get your layout correct. Then you can start planning the acoustic treatment for that room. - Stuart -

Ok, thanks for the precisions! The speakers was placed totally randomly :oops: The fact of placing the mix position at 38% makes me loose some space... but it is nearly what i drawn in the A, B and C (the sweet spot was about 2m of the front wall in this place) So I made a new version in Sketchup: -Empty the room -Polish the floor -Trace a center (L/R) line of 1,98cm for the 38% area (L x 38 * 100 = 5.22 x 38 * 100 = 1.9836) -Trace angle at 30° from center (60° between the 2 speakers) -Insert Speakers on stand angled at 30°, tweeters at ears's height (approximatively, i do not own the speakers yet) about 20cm distant from the front wall -Insert desk respectively to the sweet spot Did I must choose the emplacement of all furnitures and gear (amps) before thinking of the acoustics treatements? I planed on maximum DIY as possible with wood/rockwool panels, and make some moveable panels use for amp recording; DIY basstrap. The ceilling is actually empty, simple plasterboard, and he is not very height (2.16m), I will post a pics of how it's made under the plasterboard. How must I process? Early Reflection first? Bass trap?

So I made a new version in Sketchup:

That looks much better. There is only one problem that I see with that: the point where the axes of the two speakers intercept. It is your EARS that should be at the 38% location, not the intersection. Since your ears are on the outside of your head, you need to move the speakers about 20cm further apart so that the intersection is behind your head. Also, don't go crazy about that "38%" thing: it is not a rule, just a theoretical good starting point. Once you have the system set up, then move around until you find the best position. It probably won't be at 38%. Many engineers find that it is better to be a bit closer to the front wall. Others prefer to be a bit further back.

Did I must choose the emplacement of all furnitures and gear (amps) before thinking of the acoustics treatements?

Not necessary. Just the speakers, chair and desk. With those in the corret place, you can then position the basic treatment correctly, and when that is in place then you can think about where to put any other equipment that you might need.

How must I process? Early Reflection first? Bass trap?

Both! :) Put large bass traps in both front corners and both rear corners of the room, as much as possible: The best type is the "sperchunk" design. Search this forum for that word, and you'll find out how to make those. Very simple, and very effective. Then put two large panels of absorption at your first reflection points on the side walls, another two between the speakers and the front wall, one on the ceiling directly above the desk at the first reflection point up there, and finally cover the entire back wall with absorption, at least 10cm thick (15cn is better). That's the basic idea for treating a room like yours. - Stuart -

Thanks! :D Some news, new desk: -It's originally a table (180x90cm) and i obtain a tray of the same color/size for free :yahoo: who will made a perfect upper tablet. -The speakers are just here for studying construction. -The tablet is 20cm upper the main, but it's too height for the screen; so i made lot of test, and I think i will do like i draw in the new .skp file (see below), just the width of the tablet to think about. New sketchup model: Save as Without knowing the name, the "superchunk" type bass trap was I planned to build :D In the .skp file I just draw the bass trap and panels approximately, i have no material to build them yet. So it was just for placement and looking. I'm embarrassed with the back wall because of the water eater and somes tubing, i will treat them later. And the ceiling in the end. First I must choose the room wallpaper and the width of the tablet; and start searching material (rockwool, etc... ) :D See you soon! EDIT: Is the glass and wood wool good, or only the rock wool? (for bass trap and panels) EDIT2: I read that glass wool, in density 30 at 45 kg/m3 are good for bass trap. And material with higter density for panels (early reflection and others), right?

EDIT: Is the glass and wood wool good, or only the rock wool? (for bass trap and panels)

Both are fine. Both will work.

EDIT2: I read that glass wool, in density 30 at 45 kg/m3 are good for bass trap. And material with higter density for panels (early reflection and others), right?

If you use fiberglass then it should be around 30 kg/m3, and if you use mineral wool then it should be around 50 kg/m3. - Stuart -

Did it's really a bad thing to have not full bass trap? like this:

Did it's really a bad thing to have not full bass trap? like this:

That would be fine. You can leave a gap in the middle if you want, as long as it is not too big. The most important thing is that they go all the way up to the ceiling, and all the way down to the floor. - Stuart -

Hi everyone, there's some time i did'nt add news. First, i changed my decision about the placement of the desk in the room, due to conveniant issues. I added a cabinet and a little sofa (i think i will replace the sofa later, but for the moment it's free to keep that one) Here the actual room: The basstraps are actually in fabric (photos soon) And i think i'll got a new keyboard next week, so i will have desk modification to do I begin thinking of the skyline diffusor. I need to learn some things about their placement and fabric See ya

First, i changed my decision about the placement of the desk in the room, due to conveniant issues.

Unfortunately, that's a REALLY bad idea. Your room is no longer symmetrical like that, so your mixes will not translate well. It is critical to have good symmetry around the mix position: the left half of the room must be a mirror-image of the right half.

I added a cabinet and a little sofa

The cabinet is OK, but NOT in that position! For the same reason as above, symmetry. Also, that's a very large flat surface on the sie of that cabinet: it will reflect sound back to your ears, and distort the stereo image. If you must have that cabinet, then put it in the center of the back wall.

I begin thinking of the skyline diffusor. I need to learn some things about their placement

The only correct placement for a skyline diffuser in a small room like that, is "not inside the room"! :) That room is way too small to be able to use numeric-sequence diffusers. You need at least 3 meters between the diffuser and the ears of anyone doing critical listening. - Stuart -