Solving a bass problem with very limited space!

[markbirkett]

Dear All,

I'm hoping some kind soul out there will be able to help me. I have a room in my home with the following dimensions which has me tearing (what's left of) my hair out:

Width = 2.66m
Depth = 2.33m
Height = 2.18m
Window height = 1.02m

Yep, I know. It's darned small for the studio I'm hoping for it to become. What I need to know is this...in terms of trapping bass frequencies do you think the room is beyond saving... ? According to ROOM EQ WIZARD's room simulator, these dimensions cause pretty nasty spikes all over the place, especially around 70 Hz or so. And that prediction seems to coincide with the 'booming' problems I perceive when playing a bass guitar - especially anywhere between D flat and E flat has the room crying like a train is rumbling past. The room sits nowhere near any ideal Bolt's Ratio either.

Do you think the room is savable with SOME form of bass trapping that leaves me space to actually sit and work? I have no real problems with neighbours as far as sound leakage is concerned, but there is no other room in the house I can realistically use. Is there a form of panel / corner trapping that could solve the problems in a truly usable sense? (perhaps with very heavy flexible mass but relatively thin materials?). I have tried piling quite heavy furniture cushions in two of the corners, which helped a bit but not enough.

Gearwise, I use Genelec speakers: 2 x 1029a plus a 1091a sub woofer. I also use a rather ageing Allen & Heath GS3 and some ADATs and outboard gear. There is a sofa in there too but it's too big with all the gear. The problem is, if I take that out it gets even more boomy!

Attached is a pic of the layout and gear.

Any help gratefully received!

Thanks!

Mark Birkett, Manchester, England

P.S. If it's going to be a nasty room no matter what, then I guess I will have no choice than to build a new studio in the garden from scratch. Hell of an expense I'd like to avoid!

[rockindad]

Hey Mark,

You are really up against it with this room. It's basically a cube which equals the worst shape. If you put your room dimensions into a room mode calc you will get more of a picture of what the room is doing. You can treat the hell out if it, but I don't think your ever going to make it awesome is all.

The advice is always - get some measurements of the empty room in REW and start adding treatment. I'd suggest super chunks in all four corners are a place to start as well as panels at the first reflection points. Then keep measuring and treating as needed.

The upside is it make the room more usable, and if you do build from scratch later, all the treatment can be used in the new space.

Cheers,

Scott

[Soundman2020]

Hi there Mark. Looks like I missed your post! Sorry about that.

To answer your basic question: As others have pointed out, (and as you figured out for yourself with your own tests), you have a problematic room. The shape is the issue. The response can be improved, yes, with considerably treatment, but it won't ever be fantastic. It all depends on what you are looking for: if your plan is to be the best mastering room out there, so you can take over the Sony Music mastering porfolio... well, let's just say your chances are slim! But if you want a room where you can mix rough demos as a hobby for you and your friends, then chances are pretty good you could do that.

Bottom line: with some money and some careful design, then room can be usable, around the level of "mediocre". If that's what you are after, then go it will work out fine, as long as you realize that it won't be a world-class studio.

P.S. If it's going to be a nasty room no matter what, then I guess I will have no choice than to build a new studio in the garden from scratch. Hell of an expense I'd like to avoid!

that would be the best solution, without a doubt. However, that will take time: at least a year, maybe more. If you need a place to mix in the meantime, then that current room would work. And the treatment you build for it could very probably be re-used in the new place....



- Stuart -