# Setting up monitors in a bass heavy room?



## 7 Dying Trees (Feb 11, 2008)

OK, so I bit the bullet and finally bought myself some nice monitor speakers for home recording, Alesis 820DSP's (on blowout sale, so there were 65% off or something ridiculous)

I'll be getting them over this week (they ahd to order one in) but I am excited, they do funky PC controlled things which sounds cool 

Anyway, the room where i work is bass heavy, the low end just swirls around and tends to eat up higher frequencies on about everything. Partially, it may be the speakers i've been using (home stereo ones) but could be the room shape, so are there any cheap non destructive (as I am renting) ways of reducing this low frequency wash I am getting?


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## John_Strychnine (Feb 11, 2008)

You can get some of that aurelex that you put under the speakers which helps the bass quite alot.
There about £35.


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## Matt Crooks (Feb 11, 2008)

You need bass traps in the corners of your room.

Check out: Bass Traps Acoustic Panels from Ready Acoustics

The DIY bags will cost $30, and you fill it with OC 703 that you can get locally from an insulation supply house.

All told, you could make 4 traps for about $200. It will be a better investment than the new speakers.


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## D-EJ915 (Feb 11, 2008)

also make sure you aren't getting reflection sound from the wall behind you. People who get expensive setups are like "why does it sound whooshey" I'm like "you're walls have nothing on them" Having all that shit in my room actually almost serves a purpose  I get no reflections back at me at all, lol.


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## 7 Dying Trees (Feb 11, 2008)

Cool, those DIY bags look good, so I am going to try them, as they should also kind of provide some decoration without looking horrid! (Oh, the vanity!)


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## MF_Kitten (Feb 11, 2008)

i think you could do a frequency sweep, or basically use an EQ sweep on any sound that has alot of frequencies, and use a narrow Q. then, sweep until you find the frequencies that boom around in your room, and turn those down a little to compensate... if it´s just bass in general, turn it all down 

OR just acoustically treat the room


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## 7 Dying Trees (Feb 11, 2008)

D-EJ915 said:


> also make sure you aren't getting reflection sound from the wall behind you. People who get expensive setups are like "why does it sound whooshey" I'm like "you're walls have nothing on them" Having all that shit in my room actually almost serves a purpose  I get no reflections back at me at all, lol.


well, the back wall has stuff, but it is a small room, so the bags with some insultaion should do it, plus I ordered 4, so if it's overkill, i'll sell some on. It's about time i did this, as previously i didn't have his problem (old house) and i find mixing etc much more tiring with all that stuff going on... 

Now I wait for the to turn up, and then go find insulation


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## 7 Dying Trees (Feb 11, 2008)

MF_Kitten said:


> i think you could do a frequency sweep, or basically use an EQ sweep on any sound that has alot of frequencies, and use a narrow Q. then, sweep until you find the frequencies that boom around in your room, and turn those down a little to compensate... if it´s just bass in general, turn it all down
> 
> OR just acoustically treat the room


I could, the monitors I am getting allow me to do that, but I'd rather treat the room and not have to bother messing around with it


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## Matt Crooks (Feb 11, 2008)

7 Dying Trees said:


> well, the back wall has stuff, but it is a small room, so the bags with some insultaion should do it, plus I ordered 4, so if it's overkill, i'll sell some on. It's about time i did this, as previously i didn't have his problem (old house) and i find mixing etc much more tiring with all that stuff going on...
> 
> Now I wait for the to turn up, and then go find insulation



Check out the John Sayers Productions board - they have people that post there from all over the world giving locations to get OC703 and equivalents. I think there might even be a few from London


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## Matt Crooks (Feb 11, 2008)

I forgot to mention, Ready Acoustics is run by Joel Dubay the singer/guitarist of the band Powermad.

Some Powermad appreciation:

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Obn1ytNVNks&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Obn1ytNVNks&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

The drummer isn't too bad either,


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## eaeolian (Feb 11, 2008)

Matt Crooks said:


> The drummer isn't too bad either,



He's not afraid of a bottle, either. 

Seriously, they do make some cool stuff. As my "home" room evolves, more stuff from Mr. DuBay's company will be popping up - much to my wife's chagrin, I imagine.


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## Matt Crooks (Feb 11, 2008)

eaeolian said:


> Seriously, they do make some cool stuff. As my "home" room evolves, more stuff from Mr. DuBay's company will be popping up - much to my wife's chagrin, I imagine.



For a portable DIY option, they're about as cheap as you can find, without sewing the bags yourself. If you go this route, Capitol Building Supply sells OC703 and 705 locally.


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## newamerikangospel (Feb 11, 2008)

Treating little areas will be a definite no matter what, but most home stereo systems use psycho-acoustic overtones to push low end. The acoustics of the room may actually be treble happy, but the overtones make everything boomy. 

That is why you will hear an assload of bottom end (HA HA! Intended pun!) but not feel it vibrating through the room.


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## Matt Crooks (Feb 11, 2008)

Given the modality of small rooms (say under 2500 cubit ft), there are going to be sever inacuracies in the lowend regardless of any pyscho acoustic processing from the stereo. Due to the nature of modal interaction you can have some bass frequencies that are incredibly loud and some that are non-existant, all because of the acoustics.


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## newamerikangospel (Feb 11, 2008)

Smaller rooms resonate at a higher frequency. I understand. I was just saying, dont expect the monitors to sound like the stereo speakers. I have yet to hear an acurate speaker in a home stereo (at least a cheap to moderately priced one).


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## Matt Crooks (Feb 11, 2008)

newamerikangospel said:


> I was just saying, dont expect the monitors to sound like the stereo speakers. I have yet to hear an acurate speaker in a home stereo (at least a cheap to moderately priced one).



Fo Shizzle... flat speakers aren't really "fun" to listen too. My home stereo is much more exciting than my Genelec 1031s.


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## thadood (Feb 11, 2008)

If you have some cash to blow:
KVR: IK Multimedia releases ARC System (Advanced Room Correction System)


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## 7slinger (Feb 11, 2008)

Matt Crooks said:


> I forgot to mention, Ready Acoustics is run by Joel Dubay the singer/guitarist of the band Powermad.
> 
> Some Powermad appreciation:
> 
> ...




not much to add except thanks for the Powermad link 

I was just jammin some of their tunes the other day, love that album


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## newamerikangospel (Feb 12, 2008)

Matt Crooks said:


> Fo Shizzle... flat speakers aren't really "fun" to listen too. My home stereo is much more exciting than my Genelec 1031s.



My sarcasm senses are confused. Do they detect sarcasm?


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## 7 Dying Trees (Feb 12, 2008)

Matt Crooks said:


> Check out the John Sayers Productions board - they have people that post there from all over the world giving locations to get OC703 and equivalents. I think there might even be a few from London


Hmmm... confusing, this insulation may be harder to find than I first thought...


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## Matt Crooks (Feb 12, 2008)

thadood said:


> If you have some cash to blow:
> KVR: IK Multimedia releases ARC System (Advanced Room Correction System)



A _lot_ of serious acousticians are saying to avoid this product. Small rooms will have both peaks and nulls, and while the ARC can tame peaks, it can not do anything for the nulls. Broadband bass absorbtion is still the best way to go, as it will smooth out both peaks and nulls.

The ARC system would be a nice "icing on the cake" once you've treated your room as much as possible with standard acoustic treatments (both velocity and presure type devices).


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## Matt Crooks (Feb 12, 2008)

newamerikangospel said:


> My sarcasm senses are confused. Do they detect sarcasm?



Nope, I'm saying that home stereo speakers are not accurate, just like you said. I'm just adding that sometime the inaccuracies (i.e. the smile eq curve) can make it more fun to listen to stereo speakers.


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## Ready Acoustics (Feb 14, 2008)

Thanks everyone. 

Room resonances, or that "whooming" sound in your room is something you can fix pretty easily. Doing so will help your stereo imaging, your overall mix and help you dial in your sounds more accurately and easily. You can do some simple things to improve this in a mix environment. First, check to see that you have good left and right symmetry and try to make sure you don't have a wall on your left and door to your immediate right. In many cases this cannot be avoided, but if it can, it's a great place to start. Next, get some OC703 and wrap it in fabric to create a 4" thick panel. Then straddle this in your front left and right corners. This will reduce low frequency resonances and help improve the overall sound in your room. Then, put a couple in front of your listening position on the wall, and to your left and right on the walls. This will DRAMATICALLY improve your stereo imaging. 

Check out this layout for example: 










You can make the panels from materials found locally too. 

Check out this free bass trap tutorial I put together and that is up on YouTube. 





<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iyYUpkpL0gw&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iyYUpkpL0gw&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
Hopefully some of this help ya'll. 

Please ask any questions you like and I will do my best to help you. 


And for God's sake, get an IBANEZ 8!


Cheers,


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## eaeolian (Feb 14, 2008)

Heh. How many members of bands I've liked for years can we get posting here?

All good advice, Joel (well, except for the Ibanez part  ). I like your approach to cost-effectiveness.


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## 7 Dying Trees (Feb 19, 2008)

Ready Acoustics said:


> Thanks everyone.
> 
> Room resonances, or that "whooming" sound in your room is something you can fix pretty easily. Doing so will help your stereo imaging, your overall mix and help you dial in your sounds more accurately and easily. You can do some simple things to improve this in a mix environment. First, check to see that you have good left and right symmetry and try to make sure you don't have a wall on your left and door to your immediate right. In many cases this cannot be avoided, but if it can, it's a great place to start. Next, get some OC703 and wrap it in fabric to create a 4" thick panel. Then straddle this in your front left and right corners. This will reduce low frequency resonances and help improve the overall sound in your room. Then, put a couple in front of your listening position on the wall, and to your left and right on the walls. This will DRAMATICALLY improve your stereo imaging.
> 
> ...



Hiya, what substitutes for OC703 would you recommend? Just as I have the bags waiting, now just need to find the stuff to put in them, and finding OC703 in the UK, well, it's not exactly easy!


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## Matt Crooks (Feb 19, 2008)

Rockwool brand has equivalents to OC 703 nad OC 705. Contact Travis Perkins - they are a national supplier and should have a branch near you and will deliver. The kind of rockwool you need to ask for is RWA45 or RW3, these are the equivalent to Owens Corning 703 and 705 respectively. 

Also, check out http://www.bobgolds.com/AbsorptionCoefficients.htm, as there is a _long_ list of different products there that are similar to the OC 703 or 705.

Source: Recording Studio Design :: View topic - BUILDING A STUDIO IN THE UK - material suppliers This link should give you all you need, and more! 

Also see: Recording Studio Design :: View topic - RWA45 semi-rigid fibreglass in UK / Scotland


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