Help Arranging Studio And Placing Panels

Hey all, Finally settled into a single family home and am set up for drum tracking. I just cleared everything out and put some free carpet I got down in the room and wanted to run my layout by everyone to see if I'm making the best use of the space. I've already done a couple tracks which you can hear here, but that was before the carpet and a slight rearrangement I'm planning: https://soundcloud.com/backupband-net/indie-rock-1-composed-recorded?in=backupband-net/sets/home-studio-tracks Here's a diagram of the empty space, it's awkwardly shaped in an unfinished basement and it's tough to figure where to fit everything. The drums ideally need to stay where they are as they are furthest away from any windows and it's the most isolated area of the basement, which is good for recording as well as not disturbing the neighbors, but it makes finding the desk spot difficult: The desk was originally placed along the left wall across from the 6' wall in the pic below, but that made it tough to place any room mics and left the desk hanging halfway out past the 6' wall (the basement room continues to the right at least another 30'). Here's a look at where the drums go (drummer's back against the far wall): A look at the "vocal booth" to the right of the drums (actually just a small square space that I move panels into when tracking vocals): A look back at the rest of the space from outside the "vocal booth": A look at the wall I'm planning on putting the desk up to (about 2' off): And finally a look back at the rest of the basement (a total mess from clearing the studio space out for carpet): So I realize there are a lot of problems here- having so much space behind the mixing position isn't ideal. It's also not symmetrical at the mixing position as the left wall is MUCH closer than the right wall. There's also the matter of the water main being in front of the desk- makes me nervous having my gear by that. I'm thinking of getting a panel or two on rollers to put at the right first reflection point, and maybe a really heavy duty curtain to hang along the red beam in the final pic about 10' behind the desk. Also need to install a cloud panel or two above both the desk and the drums, or maybe stuff insulation between the joists. I have 7 homemade 4" thick bass trap panels right now, I'm planning on putting 2 in the corners in front of the desk, 2 in the corners behind the drum kit, one at the desk's left first reflection point, maybe hanging one at the right first reflection point, or maybe a couple more around the drums. Am I making the best use of this space? Would there be a better spot for the desk? Should I use my panels any differently? Sorry for the loooooong winded post and thanks for taking the time to look at everything. :D

I'm thinking of making some sort of a makeshift wall with a panel on it to the right of where I want the desk to go, in order to create more symmetry at the listening position. It'd go between the desk and drum area in the diagram. Is that something that's a good or bad idea?

anybody?

Bummer :(

Hi there NBarnes, and welcome to the forum!

and put some free carpet I got down in the room

Oops! :shock: Then you are just in time to get it out again, before you advance so far that you can't! Carpet is really lousy for studios: it does the exact opposite of what you need in a studio: it provides a lot of high frequency absorption (you don't need any), a fair amount of mid frequency absorption (you only need a little), and it provides no low frequency absorption at all (you need lots). There's a reason why you never see large areas of carpet on professional studio floors.... :) So get rid of that carpet, and do your floor as something hard, solid, rigid and reflective, such as concrete, ceramic tiles, or laminate flooring. Those are the best surfaces.

Here's a diagram of the empty space, it's awkwardly shaped in an unfinished basement and it's tough to figure where to fit everything.

You don't have a lot of options there at all! To be honest, I would close off the "vocal booth" space, then use the area marked "drums" for the desk. That's about the only place that makes any sense at all.

It's also not symmetrical at the mixing position as the left wall is MUCH closer than the right wall.

That's a major, big-time problem. Symmetry is absolutely critical. If you don't have symmetry, then you don't have stereo image, sound stage, clarity, etc., and your mixes will not translate.

I'm thinking of making some sort of a makeshift wall

You keep talking about "makeshift" and "movable" and "on rollers", and suchlike: is there any reason why you cannot build a proper studio down there? - Stuart -