Questions about my room.

[Chris.]

I have attached a picture below and I'm just curious as to something strange going on in my room. The room is not to scale and I don't know off the top of my head the size of it, but I will measure when I get home. I think the room may be a little bit longer than drawn.

The center imaging out of my monitors is off to where the left monitor sounds louder than the right. Not only that but if I put something center it seems to lean to the left instead of staying right in between. If I mix to balance those out and then go listen somewhere else the left side is quieter than the right to compensate, so I know it is definitely my room situation.

In the below diagram the teal colors are Minitraps and the red ones are Microtraps. The minitraps are all at the correct angles (more accurate than in the picture) except for the upper left one which has to be at an odd angle due to the book case. The Microtrap on the left is on a mic stand with probably 12 inches of space (mic legs won't let it get any closer) and the one on the right is hanging from the wall with about 3 inches of space.

I'm guessing the book case has something to do with the skewed stereo image? Also maybe the closet and how it's on the left side and not the left? I'm thinking it would probably be a good idea to put the book case straight behind my mixing position on the far wall. I hear book cases are good for diffusion or absorbtion or something like that?

http://www.ffaudio.com/img/room.bmp

 

[TexRoadkill]

The bookcase would be a good first move. You might also consider moving your mix position to the other wall that doesn't have a closet.

 

[Chris.]

The bookcase would be a good first move. You might also consider moving your mix position to the other wall that doesn't have a closet.

Then I don't have a wall on my left side (the door would be there) and it would be really hard to enter/leave the room. Plus this is eventually going to be used as a "guest room" and that wall will have a bed on it. Also there is a ton of other crap in the room (like a table with all of my gear on it) that's not in the picture. Alas.

 

[bpape]

Yeah - I think I'd put the bookshelf on the back wall (though it will do nothing for diffusion - contrary to popular belief - if anything, it will give a little absorbtion).

Also, place the Micro Traps symmetrically. One on the wall and one off the wall like that is going to make them act differently. I know there's a closet there but do a stand or whatever to get it more balanced.

I don't know if the closet is causing any of the issues or not. Hard to say without actually being there, knowing it's contents, the types of doors, etc.

Bryan

 

[Chris.]

Also, place the Micro Traps symmetrically. One on the wall and one off the wall like that is going to make them act differently. I know there's a closet there but do a stand or whatever to get it more balanced.

I asked Ethan about this before I placed them and he said if one is closer than the other then they would be fine.

I don't know if the closet is causing any of the issues or not. Hard to say without actually being there, knowing it's contents, the types of doors, etc.

The doors are hollow wood fold out doors about an inch thick. There are boxes with random closet packings in there (most of the boxes are full) and not a lot of dead space in it.

 

[Ethan Winer]

I asked Ethan about this before I placed them and he said if one is closer than the other then they would be fine.

Yeah, ideally they'd be the same, but as long as reflections are absorbed it shouldn't matter a lot where they're absorbed. If you're sure the imaging is screwy, the next step is to absorb the ceiling reflections. Those are just as important as the side wall reflections.

--Ethan

 

[ofajen]

Before you go moving stuff in your room around, have you verified that everything is properly calibrated in your electronics and speakers between the two channels? Have you swapped all the components to check for level differences that follow either a speaker, amp channel or something? Is there a volume control that may not have proper stereo level matching?

Cheers,

Otto

 

[Chris.]

Before you go moving stuff in your room around, have you verified that everything is properly calibrated in your electronics and speakers between the two channels? Have you swapped all the components to check for level differences that follow either a speaker, amp channel or something? Is there a volume control that may not have proper stereo level matching?

It has happened with two sets of monitors and when I compensate to make the center image fit and then listen in a different environment it is lopsided, so I'm guessing it's the room.

Thanks for the response Ethan. Do you think the book case could be helping with the skewed stereo image? I don't see how the ceiling not having treatment would make everything on the left louder and the center image ghost to the left more. But I also don't know as much as you.

 

[pandamonk]

It has happened with two sets of monitors and when I compensate to make the center image fit and then listen in a different environment it is lopsided, so I'm guessing it's the room.

Thanks for the response Ethan. Do you think the book case could be helping with the skewed stereo image? I don't see how the ceiling not having treatment would make everything on the left louder and the center image ghost to the left more. But I also don't know as much as you.

I really don't see how it could be the room with all that treatment, unless you have a stanted ceiling. I suggest checking all your electronics, not just the monitors.

 

[NL5]

I really don't see how it could be the room with all that treatment, unless you have a stanted ceiling. I suggest checking all your electronics, not just the monitors.

I think the fact that it's not symmetrical, and that he has parallel walls on both sets of walls and the floor/ceiling is not helping. And, as Ethan pointed out, his biggest first reflection point is completely untreated.

He should calibrate his gear though.

How do commercial cd's sound when played through the monitors?

 

[ofajen]

It has happened with two sets of monitors and when I compensate to make the center image fit and then listen in a different environment it is lopsided, so I'm guessing it's the room.

What happens when you switch the monitors left and right with the same cable connections? What happens if you switch the cables going to the monitors? If the image shifts to the right in either case, it is not (at least entirely) the room.

Cheers,

Otto

 

[pandamonk]

I think the fact that it's not symmetrical, and that he has parallel walls on both sets of walls and the floor/ceiling is not helping. And, as Ethan pointed out, his biggest first reflection point is completely untreated.

He should calibrate his gear though.

How do commercial cd's sound when played through the monitors?

It's quit near to being symmetrical, the only differences are the bookshelf, which won't do too much, the closet also, and the left panel being spaced. I think the panel being spaced out from the wall will improve the bass absorption, so what reflects a bit on the right wall is absorbed more on the left. I don't know that would make a huge amount of difference though.

 

[Ethan Winer]

He should calibrate his gear though.

Agreed 100 percent.

 

[hoops]

I agree with ofajen, pandamonk and Ethan. I would do a good check of all the electronics.

I think I'd put the bookshelf on the back wall (though it will do nothing for diffusion - contrary to popular belief - if anything, it will give a little absorbtion).

For my own education. Why wouldn't the bookshelf with items in it do nothing for diffusion?