John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Hi all,

It's took over a year to build my studio. Finally getting to the end!

http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewt ... =2&t=14263

Not updated the post for a while as I've been too busy building it! Gonna do a big update once its finished (with pics).

Had some really good help from some of the forum experts on the build, including John who first suggested the widthways profile design for the room (see attached)

I'm at the point where I'm placing the speakers. They are Mackie HR824s. I am not soffit mounting (although it shows them soffit mounted in the skp as this was the original thought) them due to the limitations in the dimensions of the control room.

I'm looking at using a 90 degree angle between the monitors and the monitoring position, again due to limitations in the dimensions of the room.

The room is only 230 cm long (wall to wall). It is wider than it is long (see attached skp pic).

I'm thinking of having the monitoring position at around 50% of the room length. I know this is not the norm, neither is 90 degree angles, but I got to work with the space I have so after much discussion, this was the decision.

The control room is not a 2 leaf 'room in room' design, due to space limitation, although the live room is. The control room walls are battoned out with 3x2 studding and filled with 45kg/m rockwool. I am going to build large traps behind the speakers once their final placement is decided. All of this is going to be covered in material as in an 'inside out' design.

My questions are related to the position of the monitors and the adjustment of the monitoring position from 50%.

Normally, using 60 degree angles, the ideal is to have the monitors form an equalateral triangle with the monitoring position but as I need to use 90 degrees, this is not possible. I dont want to place them too close to the monitoring position but I dont want to place them too close to the front wall either so I need to fine tune the position of everything to get it right.

Given that the room is only 230cm long, what would you recommend as the monitoring position (distance from the front wall) and also, what would you recommend the minimum distance from the front wall the speakers should be placed?

My other question is how much of a gap, if any, I need to leave between the back of the speaker and the traps I am going to build behind them. They too will be filled with rw45 rockwool and covered in material. I've marked the shape / position of the traps roughly on picture called photo0157 attached.

Hopefully you can get a rouh idea of the positions etc from the attached pics.

I'd appreciate your advice. John & D, if you see this post, I'd really appreciate your input on this to make sure I get it right.

Thanks a lot

Ian

Ian - the area you drew with red should be a superchunk each side behind the speakers.

Hi John, yeah, thats what I'm thinking of doing. That whole area will be filled with Rockwool. Kinda want to get the speaker positioning correct before I build the superchunk though so I can do it on the same angle if you know what I mean, purely for aesthetic reasons....

Any thoughts on the speaker positions etc?

Cheers

Ian

Any advice guys? I'm getting desperate, it's holding me up

what's wrong with the current positioning?

It's really difficult to tell from the photos - an overhead (looking down) shot would help. The photos make it look like you might get interference from the video screens.

I like to have my video monitors as far back as possible (without causing eyestrain) - in line with, or even behind the baffle of the speaker monitors and I mount them on flexarms so I can pull them forwards when necessary, being clamped, they have no foot print on the desk.

I'm not too sure why you need to go for 90° - you seem to be using them as nearfields. I don't see anything wrong with having them closer to front wall, you can always place absorbers on the wall directly behind them.

As long as your imaging is good there should be no problem.

Thanks guys, some good points.

I guess theres nothing wrong with the current positioning. Also take your point about the screens. I am going to move them forwad as much as poss once i've decided on the final position of the desk etc. I guess I just need to play with the speaker positions myself

Any thoughts on how far away from the front wall the seat position should be?

Also, is it ok to have the back of the speaker right close to the rockwool superchunk or do i need to leave some distance between the two?

cheers

as general guidance, start at 38% from the front isolation wall and adjust forward and backward to identify the flattest location.

Thanks Gullfo, I'll do that

Cheers

Ian