To flush mount or not to flush mount

[maxgraham]

i have some mackie 824's going into a small 8'x11'x8" space, i had planned just to sit them on the desk with me but is there a benefit to flush mounting them up in front of me? i see a lot of posts about how to flush mount them but not really why it's a benefit

any help would be appreciated thank you

[John Sayers]

In the early days before anechoic chambers to test a speaker they would go to an open field and bury the speaker flush with the surface, then they'd hang a mike over it and make measurements.

A speaker box radiates 360 degrees in the low frequencies but when it's mounted flush to the surface only the front projections get to you. Otherwise you would get all the rear sound reflecting off the walls and coming to you later and interfering with the original sound. (that's eliminated in an anechoic chamber where speakers are tested today).

Soffit mounting - or more correctly Flush Mounting, does the same thing. You achieve a truer and cleaner low end response.

[Dirt]

i can see that mounting them would make sense for a clearer image of lower frequencies, but how does that translate to most people's listening environments at home? the only times i see flush mounted speakers are sides or rears in home theater. or is it to reduce problems from acoustics in certain mix/control rooms?

[maxgraham]

Well lets upgrade this discussion to this, here's my sketchup 3d model and a jpeg for people who don't use sketch up.
I make house music, i have nobody below me and brick walls on both sides, i don't get complaints from anyone except the older couple upstairs, i can hear their Tv so i basically we can both hear each other. My idea is a room within a room, six inch between walls etc. I'm still in the idea phase but i have most of the info and a contractor who knows his shit as he's also a rock musician.

My goal is to be able to make music at a decent, not crazy, volume after 5pm when they come home. I don't have a sub, just two mackie monitors, and i'm guessing if i want to optimize my space and have bass traps on the front wall then flush mounting them might be the best way.

Beyond just the flush mount any thoughts on the shape and design? does this need to be in another forum?

thank you in advance

max

Here's the sketch up 3d file (it's massive for some reason) - http://snipr.com/uyzh4-uy9

[maxgraham]

John thank you, sounds like in this tight a space i would be better off flush mounting, both to avoid rear bounce back and to save space

[maxgraham]

tomorrow i will include a proper floor plan with exact dimensions. but you'll see all that if you download the skb

[maxgraham]

I have started a new post in studio design

thanks