Any suggestions on treating my new mixing room?

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Ok, I'm moving together with my girlfriend this weekend, and since we have a two-bedroom flat now, the smaller one will serve as my audio playground and a guest bedroom whenever needed. That's all great, but the nasty thing is, the room is almost a square. Here's pretty much how it looks (the proportions might be a bit off, but they should be quite close):

That's pretty much the only way I can set up my listening position, since the sofa is needed for a guest bed and the closets need at least some form of access. The red rectangles are my DIY acoustic panels, and unfortunately I can't build any more at least at the moment.

What do you think about their positioning? With the amount of panels that's the best I could think of, but I'm naturally very grateful for any suggestions!

Thanks!

 

[Ermz]

Looks pretty good, though those two panels you have behind your monitors would likely have more benefit placed at first reflection points at the rear of the room.

Ideally you'd want to rotate the mix position 90 degrees to the right so you can get even surfaces on both sides, but obviously that would cause issue with your ability to enter and exit the room.

Beyond that I can't think of much more. My main inclination is MORE PANELS, and especially MORE BASS TRAPPING. That would involve straddling as many corners in the room as possible, since in a small room like that, you really need all the absorption you can get.

 

[grywolf627]

Looks pretty good, though those two panels you have behind your monitors would likely have more benefit placed at first reflection points at the rear of the room...

You read my mind. I'd take care of those first reflection points on the rear wall before treating the wall behind the monitors. (Just my opinion) Other than that, I think that's the best you can do until you can make some more panels.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Thanks for the quick replies, guys!

Yeah, I think you're right about the panels behind the monitors. Guess the wife-to-be just has to cope with the idea that she has to take down one panel whenever she needs her clothes, but that's the price of living with a wannabe AE

And true, I definitely need more panels. I just can't get to making some right now, but I'll hopefully live in that flat for at least three years, so I'll get them done sooner or later. I just needed to figure out how the place the ones I already have for the time being.

EDIT: I actually suggested my girlfriend that I'd take the doors off the closets, fill them with rockwool and cover them with fabric, but she looked like she was gonna kick me in the nuts. Meh, women.

 

[Mad-Max]

I would suggest U to buy an acoustic Measurement mic as the cheap Beringer ECM 8000 and download a Free Acoustic Measurement software as RoomEQ...
then make some Measurements in the listening position... then watch the results...U could discover that changing the traps, the fornitures or the monitors position could result in a better acoustic response... U have to try... Move than Measure... it's better or is it worst?
Only in this way U Could achieve the best compromise...and just discover WHERE are the problems in a Room...every room has problems,usually the smaller is the room, the bigger are the problems...the same applies to close lenghts in the 3 room dimensions... cos they will resonate around the same freqs generating big boosts or deep phase cancellation issues...
Hope this helped!
MaX

 

[Ermz]

Also, would you mind giving me a heads up on whether you experience some significant bass nulls in that environment? My room dimensions are similar (albeit marginally greater) and I get some very odd bass response at the 38% position.

 

[SocialNumb]

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Mad-Max:
Thanks for the tips! I've been meaning to get a Behringer measurement mic since they really don't cost that much, but I've never remembered it the moment I'm ordering stuff I think I'll ask the school I'm going to in Jan if they can borrow me one for a quick test.

Moonlapse:
Sure! I'll post my first impressions as soon as I get my stuff in and everything set up. I think I'll be having some problems with the bass frequencies, too, since I have to be listening almost in the center of the square-shaped room. I'd really like to put super chunk bass traps in every corner of the room, but unfortunately that's impossible 'cause of the bastard closets. I think I'll just buy a huge wardrobe for our bedroom so I can empty the ones in my mixing room and treat it as I like

SocialNumb:
Actually those closets might be a bit small for growing weed. The ones near the door would suit better, but then it would be harder to implement the ventilation system... No, wait, I'm not actually considering this.

 

[Ermz]

Sweet, thanks. I hope for your sake you don't run into the same issues as me. The null's existence is something I really can't quantify.

Make sure if doing measurements to use them as the last part of your search, to sort of 'finalize' your endeavor. It comes down to listening and hearing for yourself how you prefer the room to sound in whichever spot. You're not going to get a transparent room with those dimensions, no matter how much you treat it - it just isn't physically possible. It's just a matter of positioning yourself in a place that minimizes the room effect on your monitoring, and treating the right places (or with my approach, treat everything, and then treat the treatment, and treat that treatment until you run out of space to walk).

If you can do the superchunks somehow, go for it. Do them in every corner you have free. Doesn't necessarily have to be the wall to wall corners. It can be the floor to wall corners too. Treat everything you possibly can with bass trapping.

 

[SocialNumb]

Darn your right. Far to small a space. O well, just an idea.

 

[Metaltastic]

How has no one pointed out the two untreated corners on either side of your desk? THOSE I would think would be the best place to put those two absorbers you currently have behind your monitors, just get some Auralex foam for the early reflection points behind your head (you only need to absorb the mid- to high-frequencies to get rid of flutter echo and stuff)

 

[Audiosprite]

check out jarkko's new room. it's hot.

 

[::XeS::]

Necro is here!!

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Heh, this is actually the third room I'm in since this thread started And thanks Audiosprite!