Mixing Suite in a Loft

Loft Control Room Hi everyone I’m new to the forum so bare with me. So I’m in the process of building a control room purely for mixing purposes upstairs in a loft. I would really appreciate any help/suggestions you could give me on my journey here. Internal noise escaping isn’t an issue as the loft is as they say out in the middle of nowhere. It’s in the countryside. The external noise entering isn’t so much of an issue now as you will see later on. I have attached a Google Sketch Up file I recently did. Any other dimensions not mentioned are included in the 3d image. So the mixing room I have created is 18 foot long by 16 foot wide. From the centre of the room to the apex is 10 and a half foot high. Too date I have but 4 inches of rockwool in between the roof joists and then a 52.5 mm insulated plasterboard on top of that. This I have found has combated the rain and window noise very successfully even though it is a corrugated roof. I have put a single 6 inch stud on the cable wall filled with rockwool and then a layer of standard plasterboard (12.5mm) Also incorporated into the gable wall is a 4 foot by 4 foot window Too divide the room I have incorporated a double studded wall. Again packed with rockwool and a standard layer of plasterboard on either side. The length of the entire loft is 59 and seven inches long. I have just about occupied a third of this. The area below me is used purely for storage. I have also sprayed the floor joists underneath with expanding insulation which is 5 inches in thickness If you require any more information please do not hesitate to ask. Here is a link to all the media https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5iczb6vsxl96msa/WUXVInWw2Z Thanks Ethan Campbell

Hi Ethan, and welcome to the forum. :) Did you have any actual questions? I didn't see any in your post, so this is going to be more of a thread to document your build, rather than a design thread needing help? - Stuart -

Hi Stewart Thanks for the warm welcome :D I apologize I wasn't specific enough in my first threat. I am wondering do you have any advice primarily regarding speaker placement in this kind of space and should I be on the look out for any problem areas regarding this kind of room. I just recently read the article in March's issue of Sound on Sound on how they helped Kate Ockenden adjust her monitoring position in her loft but I didn't really find I gained any extra inside into an area such as a loft. Kind regards Ethan

There's a pretty standard processes for setting up speakers, that works well for most rooms. The most important thing is to find a location where your room is symmetrical around the mix position. Set up your speakers on heavy, massive stands such that the acoustic axis is 1.2 m above the floor. In your case, they should be about 1.4 m form the side walls (putting them about 1.9m apart), and right up tight against the front wall, with a gap of 10cm, just enough to fit in a panel of 4" OC-703. Angle the speakers inwards at about 30°, then set up your chair about 1.8m from the front wall. The speakers should be aiming just a bit past your ears, with the acoustic axes intersecting about 20cm behind your head. Listen to music like that (or better still, measure with REW), and try adjusting the speakers a little bit forwards and backwards, left and right, just an inch or two, and also try sliding your chair an inch or two forwards and backwards, to see if there is a better spot. Now do the standard basic treatment on the room, modified as necessary considering the gabled ceiling, then measure with REW again to see if you need to do anything more. That's the normal approach that I would recommend. - Stuart -

That sounds great thanks. Just to clarify when you say the front wall do you mean the wall with the window ? Ill set that up and do some tests with REW and let you know how it goes Thanks for all the advice Ethan

Just to clarify when you say the front wall do you mean the wall with the window ?

Right! Sorry, I should have mentioned that. Yes, facing the room towards the window seems to be your best option. - Stuart -