Music room help

poopot

Ok so I have the man cave in the garden... brick built and quite well soundproof from out side...currently used as my office and tv/games room...

I use my Mac for mixing but on headphones at the moment... just ordered some monitors and they will be turning up this week...

Going to have a shuffled around... so the question is where in the room should I put the desk and why?

the room is 3.8m x 3.8m and one corner is glazed as per the pic below...

I still have to keep all the other crap in there (sofa/tv etc) but want to have a decent set up for mixing... 

help me recordingists!!!!

WiresDreamDisasters

It's a square room, which is probably the worst kind of room for mixing because you've got all these parallel walls that will create standing waves like crazy. You're gonna want some acoustic treatment in there.

One approach to desk+monitor placement is to divide the room up into 3rds, and put the desk in the centre of the last 3rd. NOT in the centre of the room though.

octatonic

Is it exactly, mathematically square?

If so then I'd build a false wall on one side, cram it full of rock wool.
Doesn't need to be very deep, just to make it not square.

You'll still need a lot of bass trapping, especially corners.

Musicwolf

Speakers along the back wall (window to your back).  Super chunk broadband absorbers floor to ceiling in the front corners (Google for further details), Rockwool panels at the mirror points (walls and ceiling) at least 100mm deep and spaced as far from the wall as you can get them - then invest in a decent set of headphones.

poopot

Ok... just had a measure up it’s 3700mm along the front wall and 3400mm deep...

so not perfectly square but almost!... pic updated with dimensions...

octatonic

poopot said:

Ok... just had a measure up it’s 3700mm along the front wall and 3400mm deep...

so not perfectly square but almost!... pic updated with dimensions...

Better.
I would generally put the glass in front of the mix position if at all possible but if that isn't possible then you have two choices, glass behind you, or glass on the side.
If you put glass on the side then try a mirror roughly in the same position on the other side.
It won' the perfect but it is better than having glass on one side.

poopot

octatonic said:

poopot said:

Ok... just had a measure up it’s 3700mm along the front wall and 3400mm deep...

so not perfectly square but almost!... pic updated with dimensions...

Better.
I would generally put the glass in front of the mix position if at all possible but if that isn't possible then you have two choices, glass behind you, or glass on the side.
If you put glass on the side then try a mirror roughly in the same position on the other side.
It won' the perfect but it is better than having glass on one side.

Currently in this state:
pano shot with me stood in the door.

WiresDreamDisasters

Okay, not perfectly square. That's good. You will still need to think about acoustic treatment and breaking up standing waves, but you wont be starting out too badly.

I'd be putting the sofa in the window area to help soak up reflections in that area, and your desk + speakers at the opposite side firing down towards the sofa. You don't have room on the right hand side to setup monitors because of the door, and putting one montior near the glass and one not will fuck up your stereo balance.

Make sure you don't put your speakers too far into the corners. It causes a bass lift which will be very hard to mix anything with.

Make sure you use speaker stands and don't just put them on the desk. You could also build little risers for your stands that are filled with rockwool, which will help absorb low-mid and mid frequency content travelling down the stand into the floor.

If you have carpet and if it's a possibility, take it up. It doesn't do anything for low-end absorption and only affects high-end reflections.

WiresDreamDisasters

That's how I'd rock it.

octatonic

Agree.

poopot

WiresDreamDisasters said:

That's how I'd rock it.

Problem is I have to consider my midget flat mates (the kids) they use it for gaming/Netflix etc

Would this be feasible?

WiresDreamDisasters

You could try it, but I'd be worried about being too far into the top corner and being too close to the door. Basically, mixing environments are about asymmetry in terms of construction (perfectly square rooms are a big no-no because of how insane the standing waves and room mode problems are) but symmetry in terms of monitor placement.

octatonic

That isn't the way I'd do it frankly.

poopot

I’m going to have to compromise on this tho’

there will be anarchy if I do away with the Xbox etc! Tv bit has to go opposite the sofa unfortunately...

octatonic

poopot said:

I’m going to have to compromise on this tho’

there will be anarchy if I do away with the Xbox etc! Tv bit has to go opposite the sofa unfortunately...

Fair enough- do what you can.

poopot

Could I block off the side window with a panel and have the main window infront of the desk

WiresDreamDisasters

Your plan of having the desk against the 3.4m wall is better than the idea of blocking off a window, IMHO.

In my image, you could swap the TV and the sofa - so have the TV against the window section and the sofa as a room divider - and that might be alright. 

Just to check - coz I know it's Saturday night and we've all been drinking    - Does the door open inwards as in your diagram or outwards?

poopot

Door opens inwards... 

was also considering sofa against the side window and tv unit behind the door (ish) along that wall... and having the desk where you said... 

although if I do have the desk on the 3.4m wall I can get bass traps in each corner (there’s space behind the door... half a meter or so???!

Whistler

Symmetry is important forward from the listening position. Given all you have said about the kids and possible layouts, facing into the top right corner may be a practical option. Not ideal but doable.

WiresDreamDisasters

How long is your desk, Poops?

poopot

WiresDreamDisasters said:

How long is your desk, Poops?

Desk is 1630mm long...

I have 2650mm from wall to edge of door when it open on this wall... (the shorter wall)