Monitoring Troubles Caused By Panning

brandondrury · Post by **brandondrury** » Mon Jun 07, 2004 5:24 am

Hello,

I hear all sorts of talk about how acoustic treatments improve the frequency response of the room.

I'm having a a different problem.

I'm having problems with levels appearing extremely different on different audio systems on instruments that are panned more than moderately. Granted frequency response could be off and that could cause some of this problem.

However, it just doesn't seam justified that I would have a clean guitar that sound sounds a little too loud in the mix on my monitors to sound almost burried when I take it out to my car.

Generally, tracks that are center panned appear to be louder on my monitors than they do on other stereo systems.

Out of ignorance, I chose to use the smaller of my two rooms for the control room. This was silly based on what I know now. At the moment, I have ZERO acoustic treatment done to either room. I have ordered a truckload of 4" 4lb Rockwool and I plan to get very busy. I'll be installing this above the drop ceiling, below the drop ceiling, in bass traps, and as broadband absorbers.

Anyway, is it normal for levels to very greatly on an unideal monitoring system?

Brandon

giles117 · Post by **giles117** » Mon Jun 07, 2004 7:26 am

Well you answered your own question with your last statement.

"I Have ZERO acoustic treatment."

Get the treatments up.

You are trying to make a judgement on your choice of a control room based on having done nothing to TREAT the rooms, whether it be angled walls or bass traps or anything.

Quit driving yourself nuts before you do what you have to do.

Sorta like a mechanic who cant get a car started ranting and raving but he forgot to put gas in the gas tank.

And to answer your last question.... try an unideal monitoring ROOM. Speakers are only as good as the room you put them in. A pair of Westlakes in a bold room will sound no better than others and you will still get a bold result. Get the room done before you pull your hair out.

Bryan Giles

brandondrury · Post by **brandondrury** » Mon Jun 07, 2004 1:33 pm

Simple enough.

It sounds like I've been tearing my hair out for over one year and most of it could have been avoided.

I read 3 or 4 books on studio acoustics last summer and after reading all of them, I decided that if you didn't have a clue what you were doing, you would possible come out with results worse than you started. I concluded that I would do nothing until I knew a little bit better what I was talking about. Now I do and have a few $$ to play with.

Thanks
Brandon Drury