Combination Recording/Mixing Room Improvement?

Hi, I record and mix myself in one room and would like to improve the sound. My goal is to get better sounding recordings. Right now everything sounds pretty boxy and not that focused. My biggest complaints is the drum sound I'm getting, boxy with the high-end all over the place. I have an assortment of RealTraps (8 Minitraps, 6 MicroTraps), and Auralex (ca. 200 sq. ft. of 2" Wedges) products at the moment. I'm not too worried about being too loud at the moment. I haven't gotten any complaints so far. ---- If I'm sitting in the mix position the right wall has some sort of wallpaper weave over mortar. Please note the door in the corner. This door leads to the rest of the house. The left wall is wood paneling with a stucco wall on the other side. Please note the fireplace and the door in the picture. The door leads to a greenhouse that is not in use. In front of me there are two big windows and french doors surrounded by bookshelves. Behind me I have 2 windows, ca 2'x4' each, surrounded by bookshelves. There is an A/C unit in the corner that I would like to keep for the time being. The floor is floor tiling. The ceiling is popcorn textured drywall. The house is from the 1920s. I don't think there's much insulation in the walls. I prefer to treat the room myself without having to seek permits. Budget: I prefer to keep it under $1000 USD but can go more if necessary. Questions: How can I get a "better", less boxy live sound with more focus and less "muddiness"? Since I don't want to get permits, would it make sense to build walls with bookshelves filled with rigid fiberglass? Thank you kindly for any help. I posted a light version of the skp file since the normal one is 15mb. What's not seen in the skp and jpeg is 4" Auralex 10'x6' hanging a few inches from the ceiling above the drums and 2" Auralex 5'x5' over the mix position. Erland Just an idea. Ikea Kilby bookshelves stuffed with rigid fiberglass. I might put books in the back to act as diffusers.

Please help? 25'x15'x8' room with boxy sound. Don't want to get permits to construct. Can spend around $2000. I was thinking of doing something based on the "Bedroom Studio" SAE plan but feel that my room is a bit larger and that I have a bigger budget to make it a bit nicer. TIA

i'd use all the existing products you have to create proper corner trapping and break up floor-ceiling echo. don't scatter the controls around. it will help to take measurements to determine any problem frequencies which can then be treated. you can take the concepts of the bedroom studio to your larger room - front and back wall absorption, cloud overhead, broadband slat resonators and angles to keep the room lively and diffusive. you can build the items as furniture - see John's wall unit page.

Thanks for the reply Glenn. What do you mean by "don't scatter the controls around"? Is it very important to have absorbtion in the front and back? The front and back walls have big windows. The back wall has floor to ceiling bookcases so I was thinking books in different sizes in those would work and micro traps behind the speakers. Should I cover my entire ceiling in absorptive material? Are the 8 Mini Traps I have not sufficient bass traps? Thanks, Erland

sorry, it just looked like some placements were going to put the absorbers in places less likely to help.... build up your corners with the real traps. this will start to get the bass under control. since you have a nice long room, the front-back walls are less of an issue - put some heavy drapes up to open and close as needed. on the side walls and ceiling - put up cloth covered 703 type absorbers but space them out (on the walls - stagger them so they're not directly opposite each other) and on ceiling space them about 1 absorber width apart as well. this way you're keeping the live space and reducing your echos and increasing the diffusion and trapping. finally, make sure over the mix position and on each side, an absorber for first reflection. once you've got that, you can see if you need further treatments for problem frequencies.

Thanks. I'll probably start something later this month when I'll hopefully have some 703.

703 type absorbers but space them out (on the walls - stagger them so they're not directly opposite each other

I thought symmetry was key. At least that's what I've read in so many places/

the key in a control room is symmetry - for your mix position, the rest of the absorption can be staggered it so it creates a nice diffusive space for the "live room". the first reflection points need to be symmetrical because you need to control them evenly but once the sound is past you, the distribution of absorption (at least for mid and high) will be more effective staggered. for bass and corner trapping, put it together so its dense enough to do the job.

That makes sense. Thanks. -