Speaker/Listening Position in Odd-Shaped Room?

JoshHPMusic

New member
Hi all,


Just wanted to post a measurement diagram of my room and see if anyone can help me with where I should place my monitors and desk for best listening position? I know a fair bit about room acoustics and have a well treated room at home, but while I'm at college my room is shaped like this, somewhat oddly. If it helps, my ceiling is just under 8 feet. Also, the desk as pictured is to-scale.


I am currently using Yamaha HS5's but may very well switch soon to Focal CMS65's or CMS50's with sub (good or bad idea / which of these two?)


So, what would be the best mixing position here?


Thanks,
-JoshRoomPlan.jpg
 
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Wondering whether I should be more worried about side reflections, rear reflections, or front reflections. Depending on this, will determine which direction is best to face, 1) the longest wall from a few feet away, 2) the 11' wall from a few feet away, or the "cubby" of the room, 3) centered between the big walls and a couple feet back from that outwards corner, or perhaps 4) centered along the 9' wall, 2 or 3 feet back. I've attached a diagram of these possibilities. Also, I've got a full size bed that can go either along the 9' wall, or by the far 7' wall. Thoughts?RoomPlan2.jpg
 
As I said, I would go with the 9’ 3” wall. I wouldn’t try to jam it in the “cubby,” but either way, _definitely_don’t_ orient along a corner! You will have to treat this room as you did your home, and since you mentioned that you felt well-versed in that, I didn’t give too much detail, but stay at least a foot or two off of the wall, put some treatment behind the speakers, on the side walls, overhead/cloud if necessary, and bass trap the corners for sure. You don’t want to be corner-loading bass in this situation, and you don’t want to align your mix-position all cockeyed along one of the corners. Cut the corners with as much bass trapping as you can afford, and then throw bean bag chairs, heavy blankets, laundry, and any “mass” that you can get in there.

Of course, it is a dorm/apartment, not a purpose-built studio/control room, so you have to take into account windows/doors, furniture, and all of the other daily needs/uses for the room. You will have to make some compromises, because “them’s the breaks...” Do what you can, and then EQ the rest; no shame in using one.

GJ
 
As I said, I would go with the 9’ 3” wall. I wouldn’t try to jam it in the “cubby,” but either way, _definitely_don’t_ orient along a corner! You will have to treat this room as you did your home, and since you mentioned that you felt well-versed in that, I didn’t give too much detail, but stay at least a foot or two off of the wall, put some treatment behind the speakers, on the side walls, overhead/cloud if necessary, and bass trap the corners for sure. You don’t want to be corner-loading bass in this situation, and you don’t want to align your mix-position all cockeyed along one of the corners. Cut the corners with as much bass trapping as you can afford, and then throw bean bag chairs, heavy blankets, laundry, and any “mass” that you can get in there.

Of course, it is a dorm/apartment, not a purpose-built studio/control room, so you have to take into account windows/doors, furniture, and all of the other daily needs/uses for the room. You will have to make some compromises, because “them’s the breaks...” Do what you can, and then EQ the rest; no shame in using one.

GJ

If I do that then there is a closet door on the 9' wall at the corner opening towards the 11' wall, that I could perhaps angle such that it redirects some of the bass and helps with buildup in that corner. The other adjacent corners then on either the 9' wall or the 11' wall could have my dresser positioned diagonally to help redirect/trap bass also. Depends whether this would work better with my desk on the 9' wall or the 11' wall?
 
Your dresser will not really help with bass trapping. Neither will opening closet doors. It has to be something with mass, yes, but the corners need something that "fits" in them, not just something placed across the corner like a dresser. If you chose to try diffusion instead of absorption, I have seen people stack tires in the corner. My best inexpensive suggestion is thick pillow-like items such as large bean bag chairs, big bags of laundry or rags, and of course actual bass trap treatments.

Like I said, you are privy to the logistics (multi-use of room, doors, windows, closets, etc.), so you will have to decide what is best. Try to conform to the principles discussed, however.

GJ
 
I'd feel like it would at least do something? Surely the bass frequencies will not travel directly through the dresser without being impeded. At the least, I'd think it could help.

It's times like these that I really wish there was a visual way to "see" sound waves in a room. Wouldn't that make our jobs a whole lot easier?
 
There are test kits (software and microphone) that you can buy to eliminate trial and error with problem frequency identification in specific environments. But the principles remain the same. Which is why you can feel like moving your dresser if you want to, but you will not be eliminating the corner, so it will not do what you think/hope it will. If you can fit it in the corner, rather than across, it would be better, but that may impede your access to a fresh pair of socks...

Non-purpose-built rooms are always a compromise.

GJ
 
Most of the time, when someone creates a home studio, they are stuck having to take the room size they are given.

Three tips -
1. Have your monitors roughly six feet away from you so you can listen on loud playback for your final masters. And not against a wall.
2. A sub woofer is a MUST if you want to properly represent anything 100hz or less.
3. After that, you must listen to commercial songs and learn their sonic qualities on YOUR setup, in YOUR room. Once you learn how industry standard sounds, then you can replicate it.

I wish you the very best of luck with your music.
 
Agree with everything but the sub-woofer. They are responsible for all sorts of bass issues in people's mixes, and most listeners will not have a sub...

GJ
 
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