Seeking advice for unusual L-shaped attic room shape set-up (Pictures attached).

Ytakary

New member
Hello everybody,

I am moving into a very unusually shaped room and would love some opinions on the best setup and room treatment within the resources I have.
To try and make this simple, I’ve divided my questions into 3 sections: The room (description), my plan, and my questions.

The Room:

The room is L-shaped, with a sloped ceiling down the long side. I’ve attached pictures for reference. There is an open stairwell off to the side of the room, two small windows and two terrace doors at different places in the room. I’m unsure about the insulation but it is brand new so here’s hoping.
The lowest height of the ceiling is 95cm. The room is 380cm wide and 680cm long (floor space). However, at around 300cm, there is an open stairwell, which takes the total room width to 580.
This is a rented space so I cannot make any alterations or hang anything heavy on the walls / ceiling.
I have two large mineral wool bass traps (10cm thick), and a slightly smaller mineral wool panel which is 5cm thick. I may be able to get hold of some foam and the back of the room will contain shelves full of clothes and books.
The doors will have curtains.

My plan:


I’ve read that the speakers should be firing into the bigger space, so I have planned to put my desk as far back as I can, but I’m limited by ceiling’s incline. The monitors will be approximately 180-200cm from front wall, but more or less touching ceiling. The listening position will be approximately 300-320cm from front wall (45-50% of total room floor length!). The ceiling from speaker height would rise from 140cm to approximately 230cm, and then slightly decline again towards to the very back of the room.
(Purpose—mixing, listening, occasional recording. No mastering.)

My questions:

1. Will the randomness of the room’s shape, the sloped ceiling, the open stairwell etc. make sonar accuracy impossible, or could the many reflections actually be more beneficial than a small rectangular room?

2. Should I place the two bass traps behind the speakers in the front wall corners? Although they would cover from floor to ceiling, they would actually be lower than the speakers due to the sloping ceiling. Alternatively, should I place them in the back corners where there is a lot more open space, bearing in mind that the L-shape means the corners will 508cm apart, whereas the corners in front of my speakers will only be 308cm apart. I thought I could put the thinner panel on the wall to my right for early reflections. (See my rough diagram)

3. I do have another, less desirable option, which is to use a smaller adjacent room measuring 240x306cm, with a slightly sloped ceiling. I’ve attached pictures of this too. Would anybody advise choosing this room instead?

Thanks in advance for your valuable insight! Hopefully once it’s set up I’ll be able to offer some advice to others in similar situations!
 
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Randomness and 'odd-shapedness' are going to help in the battle against standing waves. The room is rather bigger than many projjy 'studios' people have to deal with.

Not sure if the speakers should fire out of the small dimension? I would tend to go the other way then try to absorb the crap out of the pretty useless tapered space? Big ole sofa?

Odd question perhaps but, have/can you looked above the ceiling? Plasterboard you see is fairly 'transparent' to bass if one layer and of usually spaced fixings. If the void is only lightly insulated whack in at least another 100mm of GF or similar. I doubt the landlord will mind so long as you leave it there! "Invisible" bass trap.

Dave.
 
Do your monitors have rear-firing bass ports? If so, then trapping behind them is most likely needed. I'd try to set the desk up right against that wall in picture 2, with the traps behind the monitors, then do like Dave suggests and fill up that low end of the room with whatever you have.
 
Thanks for your response, Dave. Yeah, it's great space to have and I'm still surprised my wife is letting me have it instead of it being our bedroom :).

It's good to hear support for firing into the small space, as that's definitely going to give more space. I read about it being more beneficial to have the speakers facing the tapered end on some old gearslutz forums about attics, but this room is a little different due to the l-shape.

Only issue to consider if I go that route is my mixing position would then technically be in a corner of the room, rather than the middle, due to the extra 2 metres I'd have to right, and the open stairwell, which goes down to the kitchen / lounge?

As for the ceiling, I've no idea how I could get above to have a look to be honest. I couldn't see any trap door etc. Either way, I'm not sure how I could go about asking the landlord (language barrier!).
 
Thanks, Mike. Glad to get another vote in favour of using the tall wall!

My monitors don't have rear-firing bass ports. In that case, do you reckon the traps would be best down in the low end of the room? What would you do with big open stairwell corner?
 
Ok so, stuffing the roof void is out, just a thought!
Yes, setting up your monitors front of the door will be a bit odd but the room IS such an odd space that you really cannot do 'right' or 'wrong'! Just work with what you have.

The consequences of the lack of 'left/right symmetry' are really just some degradation of stereo imaging (AFAIK*). The open space of the stairwell will be an 'infinite' absorber (goes and never comes back) so some treatment of the left hand wall is indicated. Fortunately for imaging purposes this does not need to be huge.

I think in most rented premises you are allowed to fix things to walls, e.g. shelves so a few wall plugs to hang absorbers on should be ok. You undertake to fill the holes and decorated when you leave.

Bass trapping can be chunky furniture as I said. Fill any wasted spaces (behind sofa say) with GF left in plastic bags and chuck a pretty 'throw' over them.

*I am but an aged Valve Amp Jockey and so all the acoustics I know have been mopped up over the years from places like HR and a few books.

Dave.
 
Thanks for the advice. I'll give that a go and keep an eye out for some second hand cushions etc.

Just a note, which door were you saying my monitors would be in front of?
 
Thanks for the advice. I'll give that a go and keep an eye out for some second hand cushions etc.

Just a note, which door were you saying my monitors would be in front of?

The door in the last picture, left of the rail? Won't be DEAD in front or they would block the stairs!

Dave.
 
What the 'ells an "ell" Mike? Some colonial architectural term?
OP, a plan view would help this old brain?

Dave.

View attachment 102027

Dave, this is the best plan I can come up with! I think the 'ell' is the 'L-shaped'?
Anyway, I'm assuming you mean to put the speakers against the wall of the high ceiling end of the room, next to the balcony French doors?

Thanks again!
 
Ah! Gotcha!
I would put the monitors just about where the "High ceiling end" script is. As I say, you really cannot do right in that space, just the 'least wrong' you can manage but I reckon it can still be made pretty good because you have a biggish space and very little parallel wall.

Dave.
 
Cool. Looking forward to trying it out! Must be better than the shoebox I'm in now at any rate. AND, by taking that room, I will have no neighbours below / above / next to my room to annoy :).
 
L-shaped = 'ell'
Picture 2 is looking down the long part of the ell, and it branches off to the right (view in picture #5)
 
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