Help request for loft mixing area

[curtisc]

First let me say that I understand some of the issues presented by mixing in a loft with an open space behind. I'm very short on other options at the moment. I typically mix in cans using waves nx, but I would like to treat this area in order to use it for checking my work and, more importantly, listening to playback with artists during tracking sessions.

My plan is to put
- 4" 703 panels in both windows,
- 4" 703 panel behind the monitors attached to the door, horizontally placed
- 4" 703 panel over the corner above the door
-2" 703 panels, one on each slanted wall to the left and right.
- Safe n Sound superchunks along the floor on the left and right (below the slanted walls)
- 4" 4'x2' 703 clouds.. maybe 2 or 3 of these

Questions:

- Is this a waste of time, energy and 703? or will it be passable for a project studio?
- How is my plan? Should I add more than one panel to each of the side walls?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Waka]

Hi Curtis,

Interesting space you have there.

To give accurate advice we would need some measurements.

Can you provide a sketch (paper or Sketchup) of the space you're in, including heights of the ceiling/slants.
Also mark on there the distance between your monitors, angles and mix position.

You can use 703 for your panels, yes. If you make them in frames you can reuse them else where if you decide to move the studio later on. There's no waste.

I would forget about the 2" 703 and stick to 4" in all locations. This can be placed directly against the walls, or can stand off 2" or so to improve the absorption at lower frequencies.

I would expect you would get good results by hanging a cloud across the whole ceiling between the slants. If this was a hard backed cloud, angled down at the front, you could redirect any energy towards the rear of the room.

A few questions:
Do you have a measurement microphone? - If so, some REW measurements will be the most useful to see what you're playing with.

Do you need to improve isolation at all? Ie. noise proofing the space, to prevent sound entering your mics from outside and prevent you annoying the neighbours.

Can you hang treatments behind the mix position on the wall? - Here's where a plan of the space would come in handy.

Dan

[Paulus87]

One advantage you have is the lack of wall at the rear (or, by the looks of it the rear wall is very far away) this is ideal. You would usually need deep bass and broadband trapping behind you, since that is the wall the speakers are opposite and you are situated in between. You won't have to worry too much about reflections coming off of that surface.

A really rough plan of action that I would take is a thick cloud (~4"), some thick bass traps with your monitors mounted inside them (~2-3') and some thick first reflection panels (~6"). That should get your room to a pretty decent standard for mixing.

Paul

[DanDan]

Nice. From the pics I see a 'Limp Bag' i.e. light visible boundaries ready to vibrate and absorb bass. Meanwhile the varnished wood will reflect HF. Probably quite a bright acoustic.
Is that how it sounds to you at the moment? Asap get 3 Way speakers with decent LF. Waves NX will make your eyelashes fall out. Try Canopener Studio
Cloud Cloud Cloud. and little else needed I suspect.