Windows windows

[ste20man]

Hi.

Can I ask for some advice?

If I have a room wall that is 12' wide with a central 5' wide by 4' high window and I place my monitors just at the edge of each window angled in to my position, what kind of problems will the window itself give me?

Will low frequencies simply pass through?

Will higher frequencies bounce back?

I am at the point of treating my room with bass traps and superchunks in the corners.

I just need to know if that fundamentally being positioned staring at a window is a horrible idea.

To be honest I don't have much of an option but it would be nice to know the accepted knowledge. I have looked around several forums but can't seem to find something definite on windows in this situation.

If you guys could help me out I'd really appreciate it, Ste.

 

[Capt Hair]

Advice? No...

well windows do a decent job of absorbing "some" low end, it's the reflectiveness that's the problem.

It's not a bad idea to have your set-up, you have to work with what your given. I think I'd get some heavy curtains maybe some movie theatre curtains (why do you think theaters use them? They're sound treated!) if you can find some cheap enough or just some heavy curtains/drapes. That way you can close them when your using them and pull them back when your done.

If you don't feel like spending a money, I'd just hang a comforter in front of the window to cut down on any weird reflections and kill some of the high end.

here's a site with a bunch of used drapery and curtains for sale: here

 

[miroslav]

Most big studios have exactly that...a window between the monitors, though yeah, most big studios also have all kinds of proper acoustic treatment around the window and the whole room.

My monitors are the same way...straddling a window. I have high-end cloth-covered acoustic panels all around the window, which helps with the reflective stuff. AFA the low end, my Mackies have the rear-mounted passive radiator...yet I don't have any bass build up there. If anywhere, my bass builds up in the far corners behind me, where the monitors are firing into.

One thing...put the monitors at least a foot or two away from the front wall (window side)...and you won't really deal with too much reflection off the window...but watch where the monitors are pointing, as that may create angles with the side walls and rear wall or your mixing desk/surface...and bounce it BACK into the window.

Another easy add-on that helps a little is to have some typical vinyl blinds on the window. They will help break up the flat/solid surface of the window and act somewhat as a diffuser for the higher frequencies...and you can still see out the window.

Also...put an acoustic cloud over the mix position. That too will prevent stuff from reflecting back...especially if you are on a hard floor surface.

These are just things that have worked for me, though I'm still dealing with some corner bass build-up, but it's a minor issue overall. I'll hopefully iron that out this winter with a few custom bass traps.

 

[ste20man]

Thanks guys, that was some really good advice. Feel a lot better about it now, cheers, Ste.

 

[arcadeko]

Sketchup dude! Sketchup.