a couple free things that helped me!

[cat-eggs]

i never realized how crappy my sound was until i improved it. i don't know if this will be of any help to anybody here because i really don't know what the hell i'm doing, but i just drastically improved my monitoring for free, so maybe some people who are as lazy as me will find this useful

i took 8 of these rubber hose rings and put them under the corners of my monitors, which elevated them about 3/4" above the table surface. then i made these sandwiched foam things that are about 11" x 14" and i put them at angles behind my monitors. they're just 2 pieces of cardboard with that usually 'tarded eggshell foam between

anyway, it all resulted in a wider stereo field and a waaaaaay better bass image. why? i have NO idea. but there you go

peace,
horace chuggles

[dobro]

What do you mean by 'eggshell foam'? And how thick was it?

It seems to me like the lower frequencies would just walk through that stuff, so I'm interested to hear how it helped the bass sound.

[cat-eggs]

hi, dobro. i'm trying to put my finger on what's different in the bass department.... before i could mostly feel the bass, and now i can hear the actual flavor of the bass... taste the bass, if you prefer. much more fun to listen to

it's just 3" thick mattress foam that i've also heardd is not good for baffling purposes... surrounded loosely by masking tape and sandwiched between 2 sheets of corrugated cardboard and angled upwards. recently somebody wrote that virtually any vibrating material will convert bass wevas into heat energy, and that's supposed to kill some reflections. or something. whether the speaker elevation is to commend is unclear because i haven't tested the sandwiches-of-vibration without it. frankly, i couldn;t care less. i've been listening to cds all night and i'm pumped

love ya,
stu bennedict

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

I would think that it is NOT how good it sounds in YOUR room that matters, but how well a recording translates to another system and room. If it sounds the same, then your monitors and geometry are a good reference. If it doesn't sound good on another system, then whats the point.

fitZ

[cat-eggs]

hi, rick! the point is this: i like it better now. i can actually hear the tone of the bass, and it doesn't overpower my little ears anymore

if i have to relearn the translation curve, so be it. it's worth having a more pleasant and (to me) neutral sounding listening area

faithfully yours,
shelby tate

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Hello Shelby, sorry bout my gruff reply. Old fart syndrome strikes again I do understand what you were saying and I'd rather have mine sound good too.
I was only trying to state that sounding good in ones room does not always mean it will translate well. So take what I said with a grain of salt, as I am no recording expert by any means. Just trying to help, and thanks for the tip.

fitZ

[Michael Jones]

If you have your monitors sitting on a table or desk top, then the lower frequencies will resonate through the desk, making you "feel" the bass. Getting them up off the desk most likely had more to do with the improved sound than the egg crate baffles behind them.
I've heard setting your monitors on mouse pads helps too.

[lpdeluxe]

Auralex Mo-Pads are $30US everywhere. For the price they're must-haves, and much better than mouse pads. (And where do your mice live now?)

[cellardweller]

I've been using rigid foam insulation under my monitors.

The vibration of the table underneath was greatly reduced.