Is there anything wrong with this sitty-ation?

[guitarded88]

Hey all,
Fairly new here, but I've been following the forums pretty thoroughly over the past months. I'm diggin the vast amount of excellent information you guys have to offer here at this forum. It's simply awesome so thanks!

So basically, as a beginner I want to make sure I'm on the right track. I mean ya gotta trust your set-up or else who knows if the problem is you or your equipment.

http://gallery.me.com/m.belo#100006
Here's a few pictures of my current (very amature) studio and if you can direct your attention to the picture of the big ass matress wrapped around my amp, can any of you see a problem with recording like this? I've heard isolation booths can make things sound "boxy", and am concerned this set-up will have a similar effect.

All my gear is accounted for in the pics so if you notice a weak link let me know!

Thanks!

Edit:I probably should mention I have a little labs red-eye on the way, so I'm waiting for that before I begin tracking my new "demo" so I don't have to rerecord anything later.
Also, before shit hits the fan regarding the BBE Sonic Maximizer Stomp, I don't use it in recordings, and generally only turn it on while playing at lower volumes... lol

Here's my first recording (ignore the screw up on the final note... I had to stop tracking suddenly and didn't have time to fix before i starteee dpracticing with mixing):
http://public.me.com/m.belo

 

[MetalJonesy]

having it that close will cause issues, i made sum traps that i put either side of my amp to reduce reflections and has made my tone a whole load better, but i tend not to fully box the thing off!

 

[Felix Neumann]

Welcome to the forum, man Stuff looks pretty okay.

 

[Erkan]

Well you have 10 times more gear than me

About the matress, I have no idea since I never record guitars... but I would like to point out the positioning of your monitors, wow, they really look like they're in an uncomfortable place. Do you really sit with your head between those, huddled up infront of the computer?

 

[guitarded88]

having it that close will cause issues, i made sum traps that i put either side of my amp to reduce reflections and has made my tone a whole load better, but i tend not to fully box the thing off!

Hmm I thought it might... I have it to absorb a huge amount of volume seeing as I live in an apartment. I think i'll go your approach and absorb sound on either side, and that should still absorb alot of volume right?

Welcome to the forum, man Stuff looks pretty okay.

Thanks! Glad to be here.

Well you have 10 times more gear than me

About the matress, I have no idea since I never record guitars... but I would like to point out the positioning of your monitors, wow, they really look like they're in an uncomfortable place. Do you really sit with your head between those, huddled up infront of the computer?

They are quite uncomfortable... they used to be side by side but unfortunately my desk is wayy to tiny. I used to have the studio monitors (speakers) up top, but they werent optimal for listening so I moved the speakers on to the desk and one of the LCD monitors, up top. A worthy tradeoff I think

Thanks for the quick responses so far btw.

 

[Unavailable]

If you can, just turn the monitors so they aim more outwards.

 

[MetalJonesy]

your probably getting more reflections from the matress due to how its made, ive recorded stuff before with a duvet over my amp and it sounded OK, but i know the tones can be better than without it. caus i tend to track my guitars in my room i either set it up like the pic below, or with the absorber parallel to the baffle but at least 3ft away. but if its just for getting tones in, then for your circumstance it'll do until you can do something properly. Mine are sort of like bass traps with 'vented' cork board sandwiched in the middle. so the sort of thing youd use for live room isolation really, but it doesnt really 'absorb' the loudness of your amp (im waffling as im losing track of what im talking about so maybe take some points with a pinch of salt!)

 

[Metaltastic]

Oh my god, monitors directly on a desk (no MoPads) + backs close to the wall + CORNER DESK = BASS NIGHTMARE!!! Seriously, corners are the worst spots for bass buildup, I know those desks are convenient but for accurate listening you gotta have a desk on a flat wall! (and leave at least 6 inches between the backs of the monitors and the wall, ESPECIALLY with rear-porting) Also, for amp/cab mic'ing I'm a fan of having as much open space as all sides as possible (so you don't get a boxy tone or too many reflections), and that includes the floor, so I'd get like a cheap shelf unit from the Home Depot or something (~2 ft. high) to plop the amp on. And original Spider, oh the horror!

 

[Metaltastic]

Oh, and I'd suggest ditching the BBE

 

[guitarded88]

Unavailable, Thanks for the tip with the monitors, I don't know why I didn't think to do that... I guess I had it in my mind that it was supposed to form a triangle but at such a short range it's probably not optimal.

Jonesy, Your set-up is ideally what I would have if I had the money resources, I may grab some supplies if my current set up starts to give me problems. The matress is actually expensive space foam my parents baught me for University, is that poor material for reflections?

Metaltastic I didn't realize I would need a new desk, but if its necessary I may have to look into it... I was told the KRK Rokit 5's were ok without pads cause they have foam pads built into the bottom... The spider is in the process of being sold (hard to find any takers believe it or not ), and only gets used when my buddy comes for quick practice. It's amazing how god awful it sounds next to a tube amp (I used to think it was passable).

lol I knew I'd get shit for using the BBE from this forum, but it's just to liven up the sound at low volumes when practicing (I swear! )

 

[ahjteam]

I made some estimates and that top shelf is about 10cm higher than my speakers, but I don't thi that its that big of a problem than the current placement. So if you ask me, do something like this (I did this in few mins, so pardon my leet paint skillz):

- Move both monitors next to each other
- Move that printer away from there
- Put the speakers on top of the topshelf so that they form a equilateral triangle when you stand at the place where you would sit. If the shelves don't have enough space, then do some carpenter work.
- Then angle the monitors so that they point to the place where you are sitting using something like this (you can find hundreds of similiar products by different manufacturers)
- Clean your desk, its really messy


edit: when you have more room, buy a new desk and get off the corner, but that will have to do for now.

 

[Jaymz]

Did you make those baffles yourself Mark?

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah, I can't stress enough how much of the fucking devil corners are for bass buildup, as well as having the backs of the speakers less than 6" from the wall! All you should need is a simple cheap table from ikea for your desk and a pair of monitor stands to flank it! Case in point:

Though you'll probably need more surface space than that, so just get a bigger desk But also, make sure the monitors aren't too far apart; it should be an equilateral triangle between the two monitors and your head (or maybe even the monitors a bit wider, as I'm discovering), and the easy solution there is to just pull the desk out from the wall so you sit further back from the stands!

 

[Jaymz]

The problem I have is where my cab is, if I leave it up against my wall the bass buildup is huge but my room sounds really bathroomy in the middle so if I moved the cab away from the wall then it might get all blargh. Might take some pics for an example on this.

 

[MetalJonesy]

luckily i get no bass build up with where my speakers are (even though they are corners) and i know what these things sound like in loadsa environments as ive had em for 3 years and listen to all me stuff on em, but i think my room here could be an exception caus of the furniture

aye i made em meself james, made 4 frames outta 1x2 bout 110cmx68cm then sandwiched 2 together and filled em with 2 different types of insulation. then went to Boyes and found some great fabric that had a great amount of air gaps to let the sound travel thru. All in an afternoons work and for no more than £20!

 

[Metaltastic]

The above is my setup at my parents' house, btw - here's my setup at my apartment at school (though I'm realizing the monitors are a bit too close to each other, the stereo spread is MUCH better at home). And those tri-corner bass traps KICK ASS, by the way (Primacoustic Cumulus) - they weren't cheap at $110, but good luck getting DIY bass traps to integrate that cleanly!

 

[guitarded88]

I made some estimates and that top shelf is about 10cm higher than my speakers, but I don't thi that its that big of a problem than the current placement. So if you ask me, do something like this (I did this in few mins, so pardon my leet paint skillz):

That's awesome! thanks dude I think I'm going to do just that.

Yeah, I can't stress enough how much of the fucking devil corners are for bass buildup, as well as having the backs of the speakers less than 6" from the wall! All you should need is a simple cheap table from ikea for your desk and a pair of monitor stands to flank it! Case in point:

Though you'll probably need more surface space than that, so just get a bigger desk But also, make sure the monitors aren't too far apart; it should be an equilateral triangle between the two monitors and your head (or maybe even the monitors a bit wider, as I'm discovering), and the easy solution there is to just pull the desk out from the wall so you sit further back from the stands!

Thanks for shedding light on this, I think I'm going to at least grab some ISO pads and try out the set up that ahjteam suggested, then I can at least start tracking, and as I save more money I can buy a better desk for mixing, and move that sucker outta the corner.

BTW, I posted my first venture into recording with my crappy set-up on the Original post. When I rerecord and finish up the song I'll post the improvements.

 

[ahjteam]

hey, can you post measures and a picture that shows the whole room (or multiple pictures) so we have a better vision what your room looks like so we could see what you could to that space? PS: I suggest you tidy your room before you take the picture

 

[guitarded88]

Hey guys sorry to revive this ol' thread, but I've made some advances!

Grabbed me some Auralex mopads on the weekend and I'm currently sporting the setup suggested by ahjteam, and have also pulled my desk about 5" from the walls by suggestion of Marcus (thanks dudes! ) I promise I won't post pictures until my room is clean (Mind you that won't be a while)

I'll admit... I didn't expect much of an improvement but wow! So much clearer! I thought they sounded fine before... but the sound is just so much cleaner now.

Despite the improvement though... I've began to notice the effect of bass buildup... When i put my hand between into the corner (where my iMac used to be...) I can actually feel the bass resonating their... its weird. And also certain songs with certain frequencies stick out IMMENSELY out of nowhere (ie... suddenly the bass will start playing a repeated note and i can feel it big time!)

So I figure it's time for a 'lil quick and dirty acoustic treatment.

There's a guy off kijiji selling about 150 square feet or so of acoustic foam for $90. Thats probably way more than I'll ever need but its cheap and I can use it later to build an ISO box and stick a few pieces in my room strategically for diffusion.

But now I've been reading that the foam sucks for bass... which gets me thinking is it even worth the $90? My main problem is bass so maybe it's better choice to get some of that oh so famous 703 insulation stuff and build a "superchunk" corner basstrap behind my desk. Or I could get both!

I'd like to hear the opinions of you oh-so knowledgeable sneapsters

 

[beyond dead]

Oh my god, monitors directly on a desk (no MoPads) + backs close to the wall + CORNER DESK = BASS NIGHTMARE!!! !

YUP!!!!! that was my first thought. move the desk, get some mopads, and make about $200 worth a bass traps... thats the best thing for you to do right now

edit... just get 703, some 2 by 2`s and some fabric. there is a good vid on youtube that shows you how to build them, i`ll look for it for you