sloped ceilings

[Chris Tondreau]

Okay, so I've moved my studio into a nice big room in my house that used to be the family room. (he-he.... he shoots, he scores!!! )

I'm just curious, in general (not specific to MY room - at least not yet) what the effect of a sloped ceiling is. The room has a ceiling that slopes up from either side, and results in the center of the room being about a foot and a half higher than the two walls. This "peak" runs the length of the room, rougly drawing a straight line from my monitors, past my listening chair, and towards the back of the room. Unfortunately, the room is not laid out such that my "studio area" can be centered along the "peak." My left-most monitor is almost directly beneath it, and the right monitor is about a foot and a half in from the side wall.

Have I lucked out yet again, or will this be something I'm likely going to have to manage with diffusion, etc. of sorts?

Chris

[Michael Jones]

Hmmm... A sloped ceiling in a live room or iso booth would be great because it eliminates the the parallel floor/ceiling.

However, in a control room, you strive for symetery.

If you look at the attached picture, see how the "apex" of the ceiling is off center from the control room. (CR)
Not too very, many, much good. No siree! Bad, bad CR ceiling, bad!

So, I'll construct a "flat ceiling" across the top of the CR and I wont have that asymetrical geometry to deal with. (Actually, it would be IDEAL if the ceiling could slope uniformly from front to back.) Then that area above the CR, but below the first ceiling will get treated with hangers for absorbtion.

Why is this asymetry a bad thing in a CR? There are others here that can answer that better than I, but it has to do with an interruption of the stereo monitoring field.

[John Sayers]

Chris - what happens if you turn all your gear 90 degrees Left or right so the ceiling is lowest in front of you and gets higher as it comes towards you??

cheers
john

[Chris Tondreau]

It would be possible, but a tight fit. Mind you, it's a pretty tight fit now, so that would simply be a step sideways.

I opted, originally, for the current setup, as it gives me a more square area in which to set other stuff up - a square being the maximum area within the smallest length and width. Setting up the equipment along the one wall, say between the window and woodstove, would have a window and a door not all that far behind me. Now, I have the advantage of two large book-cases. I also thought that having more distance to the rear wall would be better too.

The ceilings slope along the length of the room, from between the woodstove and the two bookcases, over-top (and in the same direction) as the keyboard, and ending just beside the door on the opposite wall.

I am willing to change it all around if it will be for the better. I'm wondering what the trade-offs would be, if any. With either setup, would I be highly advised of any particular types of sound diffusion or whatever?

(Oh, yeah.... we also currently have "stroller parking" for two strollers between the china cabinet and the one door, so I'd have to have room for those too )

Chris

[Chris Tondreau]

Here is the room without anything in it. The dimensions of the room are approx 183 x 224. (15'3" x 18'8")

[John Sayers]

Try laying your gear out like this maybe

cheers
john

[Chris Tondreau]

Cool.... thanks for taking the time to cut up my drawing! There are some things there that won't work, but I get the idea, and with a small amount of tinkering, I can make it work.

What I'm wondering, though, is what I have to gain by changing everything around. Won't the window and door reflect everything back at me? Would I not be better to have the length of the room working for me, and having the book-cases at the far end to deflect everything away even at that? Or, is my non-symmetrical layout and the sloped ceiling a bigger issue than those things?

Thanks!

Chris

[John Sayers]

well you room is basically square and I assume that there is either brick or tile around the woodstove??

If you deaden the right wall (maybe move the bookcases there) and treat around the doors so that what is behind you when sitting at your desk is dead.

cheers
john

[Chris Tondreau]

Hey John;

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. The woodstove area has brick on the floor, and there is a metal heat sheild (pretty reflective, I bet ) that goes along each wall, extending outward pretty much to the end of the bricks. (as shown on the diagram by the semi-circle) It is almost shoulder-high.

FWIW, the rest of the wall material in the room is barn-board on the two walls at either end of the "long" dimension of the room, with the other two walls being barn-board on the bottom half and stucco on the top half. The ceiling is stucco, and the floor is carpeted, except for the area marked out between the two doors, which is hard-wood pergo flooring stuff. I think (and hoping that you'll correct me if I'm wrong) is that the barn-board will be more absorptive (or at least not quite as reflective) as, say, drywall, and that the stucco (rather roughly textured) will cause the sound to not be reflected straight back as much as a smooth wall.

What could I do to "treat around the door?" (It needs to be an entrance/exit) What would I be gaining from moving all this stuff around?

Thanks again!

Chris

[John Sayers]

By moving the gear you will place yourself more central within the room and evenly spaced from any side reflections. By treating the wall behind you (i.e. covering with some 703, doors and all ) youwill stop the rear reflections from returning back to you.

cheers
john

[KingstonRock]

having a wood stove in the studio is pretty sick