Trying to make the best of the space I have

[sixer2007]

Hey everyone,

I'm hoping to get a bit advice on acoustic treatment for my room which is less than ideal, but it's what i have and it has to work for now.

So, I'm mixing in my bedroom. I have my monitors set up on the long wall (because that's the only wall that doesn't have a bedroom on the other side). I would say that there is about 5 or 6 feet on either side of my monitors to the next wall (the perpendicular ones).
The worst part is because the room is pretty small after all my furniture, the monitors had to be mounted against a wall because I couldn't have a desk in the middle of my room. The back of the monitors are around 4 inches from the wall.

So now my question. If you had this situation, and wanted to do the most basic of treatments, where would you start?

I feel that putting something behind the speakers would help right? Again, I'm stuck with this set up so I just want to improve it by any amount.
Would a picture of my set up help? If so, I can post one later this evening.

Thanks for your time!

 

[Capt Hair]

yes, a picture would help.

You generally want your mixing position to be on one of the short walls if at all possible. And centered on that wall, yes you ideally want to be off the wall a couple feet, but if you have space constraints just deal with what you have. Perhaps you could rearrange your room a little?

Basic treatment would be hitting the first reflection points. You can read up on it more in depth Here.

 

[sixer2007]

yes, a picture would help.

You generally want your mixing position to be on one of the short walls if at all possible. And centered on that wall, yes you ideally want to be off the wall a couple feet, but if you have space constraints just deal with what you have. Perhaps you could rearrange your room a little?

Basic treatment would be hitting the first reflection points. You can read up on it more in depth Here.

Alright, I'll post a picture this evening then.

The trouble with using the shortest wall is 2 fold. One of the walls has the only window, and the second short wall is the closet/entry door.

In this case though, where do the first ER happen? Behind my monitors? I wonder because the other walls seem to be too far away to make a drastic impact (but of course they do have an impact).

 

[Capt Hair]

You can put your desk in front of the window if you want, it's not a big deal. Your speakers are facing the other way. You can put a panel behind them if you'd like, not completely necessary for getting those first points. You may just be able to lay one long ways on the windowsill. Think about it this way, in most pro studios, what's square right in front of them at the mixing desk?...a window looking into the live room.

Check out that link, it explains the first reflection points and how to find them.

 

[sixer2007]

You can put your desk in front of the window if you want, it's not a big deal. Your speakers are facing the other way. You can put a panel behind them if you'd like, not completely necessary for getting those first points. You may just be able to lay one long ways on the windowsill. Think about it this way, in most pro studios, what's square right in front of them at the mixing desk?...a window looking into the live room.

Check out that link, it explains the first reflection points and how to find them.

Yeah, I've seen that page a bunch of times, and it all makes perfect sense, but I just don't think it's possible for me right now. After I post a picture I think it will be seen more.. I don't have monitor stands, so I built some little shelves for each one and they are screwed to the wall. Unless I can screw them to a window...

If i'm still on the long wall near the center of it, will a pad behind my speakers do at least some good?

 

[Capt Hair]

I mean, it really has nothing to do with your first reflection points. I personally don't understand the benefit of having a trap behind your monitors other than just further cutting down on any potential reflections. The sound comes out of your speakers has to bounce off the back wall and bounce back before it would hit the wall your facing, ideally you would have treatment behind you to cope with that. The higher frequencies that are coming out of your speakers are going mostly forward and to the sides, not behind. There will be bass frequencies pretty much radiating in every direction, but the lower frequency ranges act differently than the highs, they basically "ride" the wall to the corners as apposed to bouncing off the walls at an certain angles. Which is why bass traps are important for a room.

But I'll wait to see a picture to speak any further

Also, here's another article from Ethan about the front wall: Here.