Bedroom studio suggestions

Franco Lautaro

New member
Hi! I'm planning on building a small studio in my small bedroom, which has an irregular shape. Here I post an image with its shape and dimensions so any of you can suggest ideas on where is the best place for mixing and placing acoustic treatment:
View attachment CUARTODIMENSIONES.png
My current desk position is as shown, which is a terrible place for mixing. My first idea is to place it against the closet so the monitors are placed in the middle of the two long walls, facing the window next to the door. The problem I find is the cavity where my desk is right now, which can affect the speaker reflections, and since I can't treat the windows, that would be a serious problem. Both windows have this kind of curtain:

promocion-cortinas-enrollables-screen-blackout-desde-47mil-D_NQ_NP_913860-MCO26206395444_102017-.jpg
Also, the closet has sliding wooden doors, and various cavities of different sizes filled with stuff. The other major problem that I find is that I'm not able to put bass traps in the corners, since, as the image shows, every one of them has either a window or a door next to it. Where would you suggest placing monitors and treatment? Thanks!
 
Hi Franco and welcome to ze madhouse!

First up, I am NO acoustician/studio builder, just an old valve tech that has picked up a few things. You are right, setup affront the closet but the hard doors are going to mess with things and since I doubt you will be able to stick stuff to the doors(?) you need, IMHO to be thinking about "gobos". These are panels that are used to block spill but if make say 200mm thick could be filled with rockwool with a "fret" on the front/back. These would go behind the monitors which could themselves be 1.5mtrs or so from the closet. Another similar panel goes to your left flank and should help stop reflections from the window.

Bass traps: You could put a LOT where the desk is at present! Does the closet go to the ceiling (and how high is that?)? If not, whack some trapping on there. Even if the closet does go to the ceiling I bet there is a void above the storage space? Fill that. You say the closet has "stuff" in it? If things like spare blankets, duvet, sheets in bags, these things are doing sterling service as LF absorbers. Windows generally have 1/2mtr or so above them.

You seem to be limited in what you can (allowed to?) do so maybe come back with a list of those limits? That is not a TINY room and the odd shape helps to break up the "modes". I think it can be made very useful.

Dave.
 
Thanks for the reply! I forgot to mention the room height and some other details. It's 2,73 mts high, but the closet does not go to the ceiling, leaving a 40cm space, which is currently filled with suitcases and cardboard boxes. I can place treatment on the closet doors, so that wouldn't be a problem. Other idea that I thought about was placing like a wooden panel in the cavity so that walls are parallel, but I don't know if that would work. My limitations are most of the corners where I can't place bass traps (only in my current desk position and in the space between the closet and the ceiling) and the windows, which can't be covered with treatment, so maybe I can place those gobos to catch reflections going to the windows and remove them later. I'm afraid of windows reflections hahaha
 
Thanks for the reply! I forgot to mention the room height and some other details. It's 2,73 mts high, but the closet does not go to the ceiling, leaving a 40cm space, which is currently filled with suitcases and cardboard boxes. I can place treatment on the closet doors, so that wouldn't be a problem. Other idea that I thought about was placing like a wooden panel in the cavity so that walls are parallel, but I don't know if that would work. My limitations are most of the corners where I can't place bass traps (only in my current desk position and in the space between the closet and the ceiling) and the windows, which can't be covered with treatment, so maybe I can place those gobos to catch reflections going to the windows and remove them later. I'm afraid of windows reflections hahaha

Not sure what you mean about "panels in the cavity"? If you have redundant spaces, fill 'em with rock wool or Glass Fibre. You can leave the stuff in its plastic bag. Same goes for the top of the closet, put bags of RW or GF where you can.

I think you misunderstood me about the gobos? The problem with a nearby hard surface, closet doors, window on left, is that it messes with the stereo imaging. Ideally you want each side of the listening position to be identical. A gobo will A, absorb some of the sound going TO the window and, usefully, much of the (weaker) reflection coming back. This effect, plus the benefits of "near field monitoring" should ensure a pretty good image. The gobos will only absorb at higher mid and high frequencies but these are the important ones for stereo imaging.

You might also like to visit Sound On Sound | The World's Premier Music Recording Technology Magazine and read some of their "Studio SOS" articles.

Note (fergt, only one Joe so far!) We have really so far only discussed getting the "Repro'" i.e. the monitored sound better. When it comes to recording with microphones, whole new can of bait!...Such FUN!

Dave.
 
Get some really good open back headphones for mixing, in a room that small with so many 'issues', its your only real option at this stage.
 
My 2-cents

I'd center your desk on the 4.91 m wall and use smaller close-field monitors along with Open Back Headphones as per Mike B.

Not sure of your budget but these small monitors (JBL 305P MKII) sound incredibly good for the price and a matching sub-woofer is available if needed later.
JBL 305P MkII 5" Powered Studio Monitor | Sweetwater

As far as Open Back headphones, I have and recommend these (Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro 250 Ohm).
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro 250 ohm Open-back Studio Headphones | Sweetwater
 
tracking , mixing, playback, feedback, nulls and voids...

im too lazy, I go with open back headphones as mentioned above and fuget bout it... my dynaudio monitors dont get used much these days due to moving into a closet studio...downsized...like the electronic world going from micro to nano...then pico....

i did the small bedroom though once with Ethan's layout and some fiberglass and it was a very noticeable improvement up to a point. I never got to the raise your floor and ceiling and rebuild the house stage of HR.
the basic handclap echo removal was step two as I recall , once the desk is measured out.
 

Attachments

  • EMI Mix room.png
    EMI Mix room.png
    683.1 KB · Views: 11
Back
Top