Hi Ethan,

To start, Thankyou so much for being open to help us all!! Top man..

Im moving properties 'again' unfortunately and am leaving a large attic space with a sloping roof (with real nice sound), for a smaller property with small rooms and what I fear are going to be terrible for sound! (I produce dance music) - the only plus (and its a Big plus) to this, is being together with my girlfriend and cats (Pea,Pie and Aisha) so.. from one cat lover to another I need your help!

I have at the moment 3 rooms to choose from and would like your advice on which, before treatment would be best. My lovely girlfriend has drawn all 3 rooms up on CAD, please see the imageshack link for them:

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/864/jonsrooms.jpg

We have marked on each room the dimensions, features and the wall material (solid stone or plasterboard). All 3 rooms are carpeted. Room 1 sounds the least lively at present. We're renting so cannot do anything drastic but.. If Room 1 is selected, I would soundproof the window flush up to the wall noted on the drawing as to not upset my neighbour, and the same for the window in Room 3 thats been pointed out. These both look into the neighbors garden. The house is detached but is 1ft away from the neighbours house.

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/864/jonsrooms.jpg

All rooms are a little weird. In that I mean;

Room 1 has a piece of wall that comes into the room that makes it thinner in the middle. I'd be worried about the symmetry issues and the fact the left hand speaker would fire into the wall edge and do weird things.

Room 2, one side is plasterboard, the other a solid wall and a window. The window would be to my left which would probably make the symmetry weird again. It also recesses behind the left hand speaker.

Room 3, Totally weird shape, but as shown it the picture - I could possible ask my landlady if I could remove some seriously 'nasty' fitted wardrobes to the right of my listening position if this would help with the basic framework for my studio but as can be seen, the wall would 'step' twice to the door. i don't know what effect this would have.

We've put the circle (my head) at the 38% position but do realise that the speakers may be too close to the walls here so don't really know what to do.

You help and advice is HUGELY appreciated...

I really can't make out the images you posted, but you want the biggest room you can have. Symmetry is important, but if not WAY out of whack it can be dealt with with treatment.
Start at the 38% spot but don't be surprised if you get a better response a little forward or back from that area.

Glenn

Hiya Glenn, Thanks for your response.. Can you not see the 3 rooms when clicking on image shack or are the drawings too 'crazy?!'? I've just checked and they work ok after clicking once for magnification.. The reason for the images is that each one has a bit of 'weirdness' as far as dimensions go and just wanted you guys to have a look to see which one is best to start with.. If you've got time, it would be cool if you could check them out or let me know if imageshack is acting weird over there.. cheers, Jon

Ok now that I see you can make them big NOW I CAN SEE IT. lol lol I think number 1 or 3 would be your best pick. I would though try to move over a little to not have that one speaker so close to the side wall on picture 3.

LOL! Glad you found the zoom glen.. My girlfriend (CAD expert) was having a barny! "Why can't he see it", "what wrong with it!1"!!LoL!

If room 1, to the right of my sitting position, as you can see there's a 3.8ft in length of wall that juts into the middle section of the room. Now, if this room is chosen, I will soundproof the window to the right of my sitting position so not to annoy the neighbours. This would be flush to the start of the window ledge but this would still leave a recess to my right (to my left their is a flat wall) so things arn't that symmetrical. What Im worried about is the sound from my left monitor firing into the edge that protrudes into the room to the right of my head and doing strange things. Should this be a worry or will it not be a problem. I understand that I will be putting lots of bass traps in every corner and absorders to the side of the listening position and on the roof but I could consider putting in a false wall to my right so that the wall that juts out could continue to the wall in front of me and hence would make the wall to my left and right of the listening position symmetrical. What you think glen?

I agree with Glenn that 1 or 3 are best. But none of the rooms are symmetrical. So treating the side-wall reflection points with absorption is especially critical. I'd treat a larger area than usual. Maybe the entire front third of the room from a few feet off the floor to a few feet below the ceiling.

--Ethan

That small edge can be treated with absorption. It's small, so it's not a big deal. Plus, the right speaker doesn't face that way, so little sound will go there anyway.

--Ethan

Hiya Ethan, thankyou for your help so far. I just want to clarify the above before I make some purchases..

-Bass traps in every corner will be made of 100mm 100kg/m3 unfaced rockwool covered in burlap as per your fiberglass bass trap drawing (leaving an air gap behind).

Now.. what would be best for treating the side wall reflection points (or the front 3rd of my room as you mention)?

*the same stuff Im using to make the bass traps 100mm (100kg/m3) rockwool?
*or could I go down a bit say 50mm (45kg/m3) rockwool or 50mm (60kg/m3)
*or.. would acoustic tiles be best (the ones with the bumps on)- presumably the bumps would defract the soundwaves better that flat burlap over rockwool. I the tiles would be best, what kg/m3 density would you recommend? (Im not sure if these are absorbers or diffusers or what would be best)..

Im hoping these can be affixed flush to the wall so to not take up too much space, or once again, should I try and leave an air gap behind?

cheers Jon,

Any rockwool is fine for reflection points. Thicker is better, but not strictly needed. Less dense might be slightly better but don't hold me to that.

--Ethan

Thankyou Ethan and Glenn for your help. I'll post some image's up at Image shack and a link for everyone to enjoy when the job is done (before and after shots).
Just one more Ethan.. Out of interest, do you not 'rate' the acoustic tiles with the bits sticking out for use at reflection points? (at the sides and behind the monitors). Just wondered what their performance is like compared to flat rockwool slabs covered in burlap as I would of thought that the bumps diffuse the waveforms better than a flat absorbing surface. Please educate me!

I don't understand your question. Side-wall absorbers need to be effective down to at least 300 Hz or so.

--Ethan