Desk in the center or against a wall??

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cezar11

New member
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here is my space.. yes.. it's large and high.. I took the pics up against the back wall and as you can see, the right side is completely open and has 16 foot tall ceilings. Right now, my desk and monitors are in the middle of the space, but i've noticed a lack of bass ( maybe I have the opposite problem that many of you have... )

1. how would you treat this space if at all?

2. should my monitors and desk be up against ( or a few feet out from ) a wall to get some bass bounce back?
 
I recommend staying away from walls. I would also recommend using something other than Behringer PA speakers, or any PA speakers unless they are configured properly (real subs and a crossover to start). PA speakers have higher priorities than accurate full spectrum sound at moderate output levels.
 
oh LOL.. those are PA speakers for when the band practices... it's dark but you just make out the Alesis MkII's on the stands in front the Behringers :)
 
Without testing your room, you will have a hard time figuring that one out. I am assuming this is a dual use room. Rehearsal and recording? I could definitely see some possible issues with the right side being open, and no treatment for first reflections on the wall to your seated left. I am no expert though, and not sure I can give you much more that run REW and see what your room is doing.
 
Those papers on the stairs are a slipping hazard. :mad:

:p



I agree with testing the room. There are free room tester hootchers you can download to help you see what's needed and where.
I dunno what they're called but the more pooter savvy people around here will know.
:)
 
cezar11 said:
oh LOL.. those are PA speakers for when the band practices... it's dark but you just make out the Alesis MkII's on the stands in front the Behringers :)
Click to expand...

Oh, that's better. I still say stay away from walls if you can. And I agree with Jimmy about the near wall on the left. You could treat it but it will always be asymmetrical sounding.

Think in terms of inverse square law. Doubling distance quarters power. Quarter power = -6dB. Compare the shortest reflection paths to the direct path from your speakers to your ears. The bigger the ratio reflected:direct the better.
 
Post a pic of the side of the room behind you in the photo. Generally, it is said that around a third of the rooms longest dimension, is considered best location for your monitors, though the openness of the one side throws a bit of a wrench in here. Is there a wall on both sides, from your pic taking position? That might be best for symmetry.
 
Just a guess, and I hope others will correct me if wrong (which I probably am!) but wouldn't turning the back of the desk to face the wall on the current left be a a good option? It seems that that would leave quite a bit of space behind the mix chair (Is there another room sorta under and beyond the stairs?) so there wouldn't be as many rear wall reflections? And then treat the new left wall (currently behind the mix chair)...?
 
Maybe not, if the wall behind his current position is as close as it seems. A room layout or more pics would help here.
 
studio.jpg
Here is a quick drawing of the room... you can see the 2 other walls ( one behind me in the picture and one to my left...)
 
Narf!! lol.

It is awesome that you have these high ceilings for drum recording, but from my knowledge, it is going to be tough to find optimal listening position for mixing. That being said, there is no reason you cant make it work.

My little brain says for you to setup about a foot or more from the wall to the left of the drawing. As far out as you can, and still see your monitors in a mirror from your listening position, on the left side wall. Place an absorber there, and on the opposite side.

Do those monitors have ports in the rear? Typically not great for being close to a wall, though it may help with your initial comments about lack of low end. Once again though, it is going to be testing of the room acoustics, that will be the only way to find out exactly why you have nulls and peaks going on in that room. Controlling it, or at least getting in the most likely 'good' spot, should be your objective now. Though again, this is just my experience, I am no expert. I have learned a bunch from trial and error. This situation would lead me to call a pro.

Or, record in a different room. :)
 
do you mean set up so I'm facing the left hand wall and put absorbers at the reflection point on the wall behind the monitors? or put my back against the wall?
 
cezar11 said:
.. I took the pics up against the back wall and as you can see, the right side is completely open and has 16 foot tall ceilings. Right now, my desk and monitors are in the middle of the space, but i've noticed a lack of bass ...
Click to expand...
So if you rotated the desk ccw and faced into that left wall how close to being center' of the (now) L/R walls would you be?
Seems like you might be juggling your existing L/R reflection symmetry, with being overall closer and facing a wall, or just go with what fits'/practical (no real opinion there.

Re the lack of bass.. You can get reinforcement with the speakers close to a wall- Maybe that's a plus and a way to go if they're lacking? (I don't know so I defer..

Rather first if you haven't yet, put on a few music tracks with a good selection of bass notes and check it out from different spots in the room. Second on the measuring too as then you get to actually document the variations, from different listening spots, or speaker locations.
..But at reasonable levels and expectations (small woofs, big room :) You should find large variations as you move around. But we're going for most even. (If the goal was 'most bass', go stand in the corner :D
But hazard to guess that room- size and open nature, might actually have less of the rectangle/smaller box' problems a lot of home recordist face.
Decay times might be interesting on the other hand..
 
cezar11 said:
do you mean set up so I'm facing the left hand wall and put absorbers at the reflection point on the wall behind the monitors? or put my back against the wall?
Click to expand...

You'd be facing left, toward the window on the left wall. The curtains should help. Put some treatment on that end of the room and you'll have something like a dead end/live end setup.
 
I will say that the drums sound AMAZING in this space.... I did turn the desk counter clockwise and i'm basically facing the middle of that left wall now... bass did improve a lot as did the stereo image ( I use Steely Dan's AJA CD as a reference CD, IMHO one of the most sonically perfect recordings ever..). This arrangement also has the added benefit of giving me much more room in the middle of the room for rehearsal.

I don't mix with the volume loud at all so i'm hoping it will be okay. I looked at downloading REW but finding a SPL meter with a line out has proven to be more difficult than I would have thought. I do have home built gobo's in the corners ( a panel that's 6' x 4' x 4", hinged in the middle with acoustic fiberglass insulation in the middle, wrapped in burlap ) should cut down on some bouncing around.
 
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