Newbie needs help on monitor placement....

Meanpicker · Post by **Meanpicker** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 2:40 am

Let's see how this goes....first post. This site is the best audio design resource out there. Thanks to ALL of you for getting this much great info online. Here goes...

I've got a small 14x14 basement studio that I use to track and mix in (for now) that I have added some acoustic treatment to but the space is pretty cramped once you get all the gear in there. I've messed with a couple of different layouts. My biggest "problem" is that I can not find a monitor location that I'm happy with. I know it should be centered under the small window facing the back wall (with diffusors) and the proper spacing techniques....but with my current desk I just can't seem to make it work well. I think I'm going to have to sacrifice some room and take my drums out (Ahhh! Nooo!!!!). I've whipped up a couple of quick pics to give you an idea. Let me know if you see any possible solutions. I've got it drawn in 3D in AutoCAD if anybody wants the file to play with. Thanks!!!

malfunction · Post by **malfunction** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 5:04 am

I bet the stereo imaging is pretty bad with that placement since your right speaker is so close to 2 walls.

What I would do is place an absorber in the corner and rotate your working space and monitors so that you're facing that particular corner.
That way you would have at least some symmetry in your mixing position.

I did a quick drawing of what I mean. Black is a bass trap, gray is a table and red are the speakers.

Hope that helps.

jwl · Post by **jwl** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 4:40 am

Tomi's solution isn't a bad one.

This article might help with room setup: How To Set Up A Listening Room.

Regardless of how the room is arranged, you are going to need more bass traps in the room. The square room, where 2 room modes are the same, is going to have some low frequency problems, more than most small rooms. The LENRDs you have will help in the midbass, but they don't do very much at lower frequencies.

Also, rather than evenly scattering the foam panels out, I'd use some of them concentrated at the first-reflection points to create a Reflection-Free Zone at your listening position.