Need help with acoustics!

[straightgrimey]

Hey everyone.

So, my setup right now consists of a MacBook Pro, a Focusrite audio interface, and some KRK Rokit G2 5" speakers. All this stuff is on a desk in my bedroom, and I am not really liking the sound coming from my speakers.

I was hoping I could get some advice on how to make my room more acoustically sound (so that my speakers will sound better/cleaner). I am not concerned with recording vocals or guitars or anything like that.

Here is an image of my situation.

[vegaron]

It seems that your room can produce an awesome hall effect. ^^
I'd recommend a carpet and maybe even some cloth (?) on at least one of the walls.

[mitchiemasha]

Put the table in the middle of the room... with the side walls closest to you at the left and right, furthest wall to the back. I'd say move the table away from the wall but depending on the size of your room you might end up cancelling more bass frequencies with the reflection off the back wall

Buy a pack of the densest cavity wall insulation you can find, the slab type. Try finding some with less volatile VOC, many worry about the fibres but it's the glues that's more of an issue, no more than other things we use, air them of in for a week or 2 first. Place 2 together and wrap some material around them, less reflective the better. Place these in each corner of the room.

Buy a pack of fluffier cavity wall insulation, build a frame to fit each piece. Mount on the wall directly behind you, 1 each side between where you sit and the speakers, there's a mirror test to do this, same for above your head. leave a gap between the wall and panels to improve performance.

The denser panel in the corners is for bass, these will reflect more of the high end, the fluffier panels won't do much for bass but help mid and high. There's not much you can do about the lower bass but with 5", no sub, it's not as bad, you won't be able to make accurate decisions regardless.

[Jim Y]

Good advice above.
But, if the room dimensions are anything close to cubic - find another room!

[.jon]

The Three Principles of Classic Studio Acoustic Treatment:

1. A big, soft old sofa with suspicious stains and funny smell, the uglier the better
2. Several big, soft old carpets with suspicious stains and funny smell, the uglier the better
3. Egg cartons on all the walls and ceiling (empty before use)

[fmr]

3. Egg cartons on all the walls and ceiling (empty before use)

What? You can't use the eggs?

BTW: If you still want to have thge table on the corner, I would move it to become in an angle of 45 to each of the walls, and woild place some sound absortion in each wall, right behind the monitors. I think that would help

[straightgrimey]

These suggestions are cool but I kind of need to keep my desk in this corner.

I was hoping for some advice on which sort of acoustic padding and placement would help!

[mitchiemasha]

You need to match the relationship with the walls and each speaker. A corner desk might serve you better if you can't move the table.. When it comes to what needs to be done though... there is no can't, simply do it!!!

I mentioned the fiberglass slabs, these are far the best solution. The professional foam tiles i have absorb no where near as much sound. Simply placing one infront of the speaker reveals the difference. The thick wedge ones I have are better but the pointy style ones do very little, only the highest of frequencies are reduced. They are not dense enough.

[straightgrimey]

I see a lot of cool terms and advice but not that much detail about placement

Maybe this will clear things up: how are these positions and what should go there?

[fmr]

I thought I was clear enough. Place the table so it's sides form an angle of 45 degrees with the walls (basically, what I said is place the table as of it was a corner table, as someone else later advised). The back of the table should form a perfect triangle with the corner.

Then place some sounds absorb material so that the reflexions from the back of the monitors don't hit the walls directly, and therefore cause reflexions. It's where I would start from.

[straightgrimey]

Ohh I see. That's helpful thanks!

[thenoisesmith]

Straightforward answer and a general quick guide to anyone that stumbles upon this.
What are the dimensions of your room? If it's close to a 1:1 ratio (square room), you have some trouble. No one can help you without knowing at least your room layout.
Prepare to do some moving, treatment is totally inefficient without some basic placement rules:

1. Placement
Currently you're in the worst position possible. Your table needs to be placed at the center of the short wall of your room, with your speakers equidistant from the walls. At the corner you will get horrible stereo imaging and a very poor bass response. Give the speakers/table some distance from the wall, about 20-30cm. In your case you don't need as much, as your speakers are front-ported. Ideally you can use the thirds rule for basic placement and fine tune from there: Your listening position (your head) needs to be at a third of the length of your room. Please do not put your desk at the center. Not a cent spent and a massive difference, trust me.

2. Basic Treatment
You need to start with the corners, and get some bass traps. Not your generic eBay "acoustic foam". There are plenty of DIY tutorials on bass traps on the net if you can go that route. You can also buy them already made for you. Those go straddled on each corner of your room. Basic DIY design is a 2' x 4' 4" thick panel made from fiberglass (Owens Corning 703) straddled on each corner.

After you're done with the corners, you can treat the first reflections with broadband absorbers. Again, you can go DIY or buy them. Those need to be placed at the right spot, so as with everything, some great tutorials online. Same design, same materials, but generally 2" thick.

[thenoisesmith]

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[thenoisesmith]

Double post, sorry!

[thenoisesmith]

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