This is a trainwreck I know but

[alanfc]

can you give me your opinion on this?

 

my mixing space.. I know theres a million posts and resources and products out there for this, but I have to try not to spend money

 

what we have is a failure to communicate-in my space that is,

 

My monitors under-represent the boxy lower mids. When I put a pro CD on these monitors for example, it sounds all scooped to hell and back. When I make my mixes beefy and wholesome in the mids, it sounds like half eaten oatmeal coming out of my car speakers (unlike the sweet sound of pro CD's).

IN addition, I have Mo-Pads under my monitors, which royally messes with my perception of low end. I used to have just a square of campers sleeping pad under each monitor, and I knew if I felt it rumble my desk too much , I was overboard.

 

anyway I'm looking for low-rent solutions

 

wait till you see this workspace:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v498/alanfc/room2.jpg

 

(you can enlarge it by clicking the little screen icon at the bottom right)

 

its my apartment bedroom

Thanks if you can offer any ideas, the mids are my worst problem

 

Thanks

[theblue1]

I take it you're really looking for advice on rearranging things -- but the first thing I wondered was what kind of monitors you're using...

 

Aside from that:

 

One thing off the top of my head... I think I'd think twice about the partition (assuming it's removable). The more you closely box in your monitoring position, the more problems you're going to have with side and rear wall reflection, not to mention potential standing bass waves in a relatively high band (you may be getting a bass bump now that makes your mid-range sound scooped by comparison -- or that may be other issues).

 

[My notion here is to avoid reflective surfaces close to the monitors as this screws with stereo image big time if mid/highs bounce off side walls, desks, etc, in between the speaker and your ear. However, by the time the sound from the speakers hits the back wall in a normally sized room, the more "separate" (chronologically speaking) the reflections are from the direct sound -- and, supposedly, the easier for the brain to sort out and ignore.]

 

Seems to me that if I had that room I might take out the partition and set up my work area with the back of my monitors to the window. But then you're boxed in by the amp cab (150) -- don't know how tall that is -- and your vocal booth -- don't know how 'reflective' that is at different frequencies (HF will bounce off many low mass materials while bass will roll through).

 

You could consider moving the bed between the cab and the speaker cab and the vocal booth, putting the workstation at the other end of the room, midway on the wall at the left side of your drawing. In that case you might (emphasis "might") get some 'bass trap' effect from the vocal booth and speaker cab... or not.

[Dennyf]

Well, you CAN go in search of an acousto-spatial room-tuning solution.

 

But what I would do is dedicate an eq to the purpose, put on a CD you like, and start pumping up the 200-600hz region until it sounds good to you. Then leave it alone for mixing your own projects.

 

I know you said you don't want to spend any money, but folks like us tend to accumulate things like EQs, pre-amps and stuff. Even a fairly crappy home-stereo type EQ will be adequate for this purpose. Just put it at the end of your signal chain before your power amp (i.e., make sure everything you monitor always goes through it)and LEAVE IT ALONE when mixing.

[D. Gauss]

as mentioned above... bye bye partition, face the window.

 

-d. gauss

[Ernest Buckley]

from what I can gather...put your speakers up near the right sided wall. At least that way you give those low waves somewhere to go. The way its set up now you have the right speaker close to the wall and that is definitely playing with some freqs.

 

You`d be surprised what Radio Shack speakers could do so I would also tell you to go out and spend the $60 for the amp and speakers, get really small ones that do not produce much bass.

 

I know you said you didn`t want to spend cash, but $60 is a cheap solution.

[Robman2]

Are the monitors ported front or rear?

 

If rear, they need to be closer to the walls.

 

Also check out Auralex, they have agreat walk through on what to address for typical bedroom setups.

 

R

[Lee Knight]

Are you sharing this room with a spouse. No? OK, ditch the partition as mentioned above, ditch the vocal booth (sorry), and work with phones when recording voice.

 

Turn the Table 90 degrees and center it to the window wall. Close the curtains when working...

 

Foam above, and to the left and right of mix position. Behind the speakers too if you can. Do you know the mirror trick?

 

Mix quitely... 85 dB or so?

[alanfc]

WOW !!

 

I wasn't paying attention to this post thinking it would be ignored off the front page in no time !

 

I love you guys !

 

so,

 

1. monitors: Yorkville YSMP1's, ported in the front. The dipswitches in back are set for flat high end response (with additional choices of 16k hi cut or hi boost), and flat bass response (with choice of normal, low cut, or low boost)

 

2. correct, no spouse anymore, the vocal booth is to save my neighbors.

 

3.I'm definitely not averse to spending =some= cash. Just can't go all out (yet). By the time I'm 50 I'll be able to buy a house and =really go for it= then.

 

4.the partition,

yes I'd take that down if it will help.

Its nailed to my bedposts..I have it because it makes me feel like I got a real music room

However, If I shift my space to put desk longways against the wall with the window, with the monitors fully on the window side, aming into the room where the bed is, theres a problem..... at the foot of the bed, the entire wall is a closet with a MIRROR, like the sliding doors of the closet themselves are big ass mirrors. In this case would I want to keep the partition up???

 

5.forgot to mention I have cottage cheese plaster cielings.

 

If I change this orientation, it looks like the sound will have a nice wide open space to go into, compared to what I have now......as you can see from the picture theres many nooks/crannies/slots/areas for sound and its all uneven behind me. Of course, the light burlap I have covering =everything= in the area should probabaly be upgraded.

 

but,

changing the orientation, freeing up the sound to travel,, this may help? With the choices I have on my monitors, with their backs now both facing the wall, I will want to experiment with the low cut/boost switches.

The only other =tiny= issue with re-orientation, is the giant backside on my computer monitor. Flatscreen would be nice ! I'll get to that.

 

OK thanks alot really, this is cool.

 

/edit/

forgot some stuff:

 

6. yes indeed I figured out the perfect EQ for making things sound OK, thats cool, but I don't have it sort of universally OK for all our songs yet... I know I've been winging it and totally relying on my car stereo to check mixes. I know I need to do that anyways but I'm absolutely =relying= on the car sound to know the truth (as I hear it with pro CD's)

 

7. Ernest did you mean picking up a radio shack setup to test mixes ?

 

8. Yes I 'll check out the Auralex home setup page thank you... I have Mo-Pads now, which look cool but I'm still trying to learn my new bass response with them.

 

thanks again

[theblue1]

Originally posted by Robman2:

Are the monitors ported front or rear?

 

If rear, they need to be closer to the walls.

 

Also check out Auralex, they have agreat walk through on what to address for typical bedroom setups.

 

R

Actually, I think rear ported (or acoustic suspension) speakers should not be close to the wall. I think any well designed speaker will probably sound best in an anechoic environment. Of course, virtually none of us have that luxury. Front ported speakers are best where you have to get the back of the speaker near a wall.

 

_________________

 

You can hang something in front of the mirror and keep it pulled out of the way when you're not working.

 

_________________

 

Adjusting with EQ is a quick and somewhat effective fix. It's maybe not ideal but then what in life is?

_________________

 

As someone who used to mix on classic Minimus 7 speakers I'll just say it's a miracle you can mix on 'em at all. Which is, you know, a good thing. I had another pair of cheap yamaha ducted port bookshelfs (as opposed to bookshelves, yeah?), too, after a while and even though they only cost $20 more per speaker, they improved my mixes a lot. But they were still pretty diff to get the bass right, on. Funny thing was, those consumer speakers had more apparent bass than my current second set (everyday primaries), a pair of Yamaha NS10m's. OTOH, the NS10m's are much accurate across the range they do have.

 

I'm not familiar at all with the Yorkville monitors but I think it's a generally accepted truism that the most crucial thing in the monitoring environment besides you and your ears are your monitors...

[Anderton]

<

 

I love you guys !>>

 

Never underestimate the power of the (SSS) force!

[Lee Knight]

I somehow managed to lose a whole post. So I'll distill the idea. Change your monitor orientation as mentioned above and...

 

...open the closet.

[Anderton]

<>

 

AND the room acoustics.

[alanfc]

Thanks !

Rushing home right now (Ok after work)

My goal is to trust what I hear better- the funny thing is is that when I throw on the EQ and forget about what it looks like and just mess with it, I am shocked at the settings I end up with. That is, when imitating pro mixes I hear on my system.

For a while I was just thinking I'd adapt to the environment and make everyting work. According to the band and our friends, my work is "great" but they don't know any better...I know too much, I need to be eliminated.! I should have put up this question long ago! Even a partial improvement will go a long way here...

 

Last thing, again, with this new orientation, will the partition, if properly treated, be beneficial perhaps? It only goes about 5 1/2 feet high. Or should I remove it and go with the open mirror closet idea? I wonder because the headboard of the bed rises almost 5 ft. up as it is, and it's wood. Seems very reflective. I'm not against a hybrid of this idea which would be to remove the partition, treat the headboard somehow, =and= slide open the mirror closet door directly in line behind me..

 

Thanks again for everything.