Help with Mastering Room treatments

[aswhitehead]

Hi! Before I pose the question I will introduce myself. I live in North Carolina where I have been an audio engineer for 8 years. I have been mastering for about 4 years. Most of my work is in the Southern Gospel field. One of my last mastering projects had a #1 single for July & August of 2001 in the Southern Gospel market. I have recently decided to put a mastering room in my home instead of having to drive 20 minutes to the room I am currently using. Now for my question(s)...

I have 2 room choices. A 12.5' x 12' x 8' room or a 12' x 16' x 8' room. I know that square rooms are the pits so I am seriously considering the larger room. The problem is that it is unfinished so it will be a lot more work. But, thats enough about that. Could you all help me out with treatment? I figure a cloud on the ceiling, diffusion in the back and some sort of absorption on the side walls and front wall but I don't know. I really could use some help because I know that a mastering room can be a little different from a regular control room. My speakers will probably be midfields with a 8" woofer and possibly a sub. I really want it to sound right so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Scott Whitehead

[frederic]

I have 2 room choices. A 12.5' x 12' x 8' room or a 12' x 16' x 8' room. I know that square rooms are the pits so I am seriously considering the larger room. The problem is that it is unfinished so it will be a lot more work. But, thats enough about that. Could you all help me out with treatment? I figure a cloud on the ceiling, diffusion in the back and some sort of absorption on the side walls and front wall but I don't know. I really could use some help because I know that a mastering room can be a little different from a regular control room. My speakers will probably be midfields with a 8" woofer and possibly a sub. I really want it to sound right so any help would be appreciated.

Hey Scott, welcome to the forum.

You will get a lot of variety on this, but based on my experience and preferances, I would recommend the larger room, long-wise. meaning that you, and your speakers face the long dimension of the room. This will give more "air" meaning that the refection time is longer, and easier to correct mechanically.

Most of the mastering rooms that I've seen, and really liked, had a fair mix of absorption and deflection acoustical treatments like you described - overhead cloud, diffusion on the back wall, and absorption foam on the sides.

Being that you work in such a facility, you might be able to "leech" some of the quality design from where you work, assuming you like their sound/configuration/liveness.

In a smaller room such as yours, I would consider making a checkerboard on the back wall, mixing absorption foam and diffusers, as well as bass traps in the corners.