Room shape importance

bluesfordan

Member
I might have had a bit of an epiphany tonight regarding my music room. I used to play in my bedroom until my brother moved out then I took over his former office. It's roughly 10' by 10' and less than 8 foot ceiling. Except for the corner where the accordion style door is a 45 degree angle the three other corners are right angles.

My old bedroom doesn't have any walls the same length 8 walls 9 corners two windows and a dormer roof along the longest wall. It's been years and many miles and hours of learning about sound since I've last played in here but I used to enjoy it.

It unfortunately has wall to wall carpeting (over hardwood, the horror). I'm pretty sure that I'd be excising that carpeting out if I'm seriously considering making this my music room.

there's a section against the back wall, with a window centered in it. This is the one section of the room with three walls no dormer. Do I want to set up the amps and guitar thrones in this end, or at the other end with a dormer ceiling?

I'd be increasing my available space by almost 150 square feet. On one hand the irregular shape seems a plus but I don't know about the dormer ceiling.
 
I am confused by the nambers there Blue?
You say you have GAINED 150 sq ft but the sq root of 150 is 12.24 so where does 10x10' come in? Can you post a plan? In fact drawing up a dimensioned plan is really something you should do anyway to get a good perspective of the space.

Irregular wall lengths and a "step" in the ceiling all bode well for the killing of standing waves. Carpet? Leave it, you can put down boards to brighten things up to taste.

Does not need to be a "puter posh" plan. I just draw stuff up on graph paper and scan it. Before I had a scanner just smudged it with me Fuji.

And...re boards on carpet: Stick Velcro patches on the boards, one "per corner" then them boards ain't goin NO effin' where!

Dave.
 
One important thing is for mixing - symmetry in your listening position. Often this can be accomplished by use of good acoustic trapping.
 
I got out my measuring tape. I overestimated how much bigger the room is but it still comes out to 200.2 square feet slightly more than double the current space. I made a crude drawing and took a picture of it

gnEtXQ2.jpg
 
IMHO you will want your monitoring position about five feet out from the longer end, monitors firing down the longs axis.

If you don't have heavy drapes on that window, get some or make a 5'x5' ish absorbent mobo. What's in the closet? If nothing stuff it with rockwool/GF or, if you have a noisy desktop, park that in it.

Lots to read up on about traps and "mirror points" but I would say that is not a bad space at all. Wish I had it!

Dave.
 
recording and mixing guitar tracks mostly. maybe an acoustic jam every now and then. no full band or drums or anything like that.

Probably start with comfort and ergonomics then go from there.You want it to be inviting.
Seating,desk,shelving,somewhere to put a beer down etc....
Practice amps can go in the closet.

G
 
recording and mixing guitar tracks mostly. maybe an acoustic jam every now and then. no full band or drums or anything like that.

Yeah, I would go with comfort as well as making sure you can mix in that room. That is a tough thing to get just right.

Sasquatch asked a very important question. And room treatment will be addressed by what you actually need.

In this situation I would agree with both of his posts.

Make it comfortable and if it sounds like shit, then add some acoustic treatment.

If you are not recording or mixing bands commercially then you can get away with a bunch less. But by that I mean it depends on your particular level of what is good for you.

Every room for whatever purpose will need some acoustic treatment. Your budget and desire to get great sound is up to you.

Most important is to achieve what you need. There is where the line needs to be drawn.
 
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