@@midnightwind8067 please post specific statements or theories and we'd be happy to discuss. This tutorial is solely for music production / mixing / engineering control rooms. Not recording spaces, home theatres, or hi fi listening rooms. So for that reason, sometimes you'll hear advice from acousticians in those niches that may be different.
Ohhhh "SBIR", "Against the wall", "Acoustic axis of the speaker", "Equilateral placement", "A point just a little bit behind the head of the listener". It is extremely hard to explain complex scientific information in a simplified manner. You are incredibly talented man! Bravo!
I think I've watched the whole youtube in search of a solution to my cubical spare bedroom 3mx3mx2.3m with window and doors that I'd like to use for production and I finally found this one. Thanks - I can go and start doing something.
thanks Drew! I learned a lot in this video. Especially the reflection off desk, I haven't seen anyone address that issue in any other videos on youtube
brilliant video, i realised i have so much acoustic problems in my room that i will need to sort, going to use this video as a base list but it's going to be a very hard job. thanks for posting this
Glad you got some value out of this one. Yes, acoustics are involved and time consuming. But the rewards are huge. As a producer, you really will benefit from being in a better room.
Well done on making a common sense, no frills video without lots of in your face product endorsements. Easy to follow and most refreshingly done in an average, small room! 😎
Thank you for this! Very informative and nicely done. One question though: You say "Push the monitors right up against the wall", but everywhere else I'm reading they should be 30 cm (12 inches) away from the wall due to bass buildup. Can you please elaborate on this? Thanks again for the video!
a year late to this comment but thought i'd share. it sounds to me (from pretty extensive time spent watching all kinds of different videos on this) like its fine as long as its a couple of inches from the wall. also, if the speakers are not parallel to the wall and are slightly off axis pointed towards you at an angle you will be fine. and also (what surprised me) front VS rear ported doesn't make much of a difference for the most part. unless you are designing a very specific and thorough studio meant for professional use you really don't need to sweat it with these kinds of details. Also, you should use headphones as a secondary reference as well. hope this was helpful
Absolutely fantastic and easy to understand guide! Thanks so much! This should help many people! I've learned so many tips of you from this video! Thank you very much.
He is right on a lot of points except the placement of the monitors on the rear wall The “in-phase“ frequencies get amplified, and the “out-of-phase“ frequencies cancel out. This principle is known as the boundary effect. To solve the problem, pro studios often build their monitors directly into the wall, thus eliminating all rear reflections. however, by placing the monitors directly in front of the wall will cause even more build up of energy this is what should be done create the maximum separation between the wall and the monitors that the room-size will allow. For most rooms, that’s between 1-2 feet. This won’t SOLVE the problem, but it will lessen it somewhat, by reducing the strength of the reflections. also buy monitors with front bass ports
Good info at least I know were to set up the deal now, and yes it's in front of the window. Question is ..... how do I treat the window? Wall to wall very thick curtains ????????
Hey Tekk. Thanks for watching. If you liked that one, then you'll LOVE this. It's the new studio design I'm building, with TONS more info on best practices and design hacks: th-cam.com/video/5VrG2K_E7qI/w-d-xo.html
Damn, so disappointed that the video ended when it did. I have an almost identical room & measurement and was looking forward to seeing you treat the room! Especially for that 80hz null! 😢
Hey hey. I have a ton of updated videos I made after this one all about building room treatment and acoustics. Check out the most recent videos in the playlist here. Music Studio Acoustics th-cam.com/play/PLsyXZjufQdPx-9XGoTYRY_jTt2Bhh8qcX.html
I did exactly like this. I have a windows on a fully square room and i put my desk infront the window and now have 3 dry walls where i can put my acoustic treatment. I even measuered perfectly how far the speakers are from the corner and my desk and now i am sitting perfectly in shape with the sound. cant wait till i get my acoustic treatment shipped
Thanks old musician disabled building my studio about to buy a new house so Now I know what type of room to look for. Also I got some folding stands do you think they will be ok as I start out. I also just downloaded to that software for that mic you have to check specs of sound positioning my equipment and set up. Just using one of those plastic folding tables with a yoga mat on it. I plan on getting one more for my Akia mpk225 and my Zoom R24 also . I was planning on getting a adapter to change the output of the Zoom R24 from USB to optical to add more channels to my Audient 14-2 . I like to hear your thoughts if you got the time. I plan on buying some gear from you as I get set up. Thanks for your help. ✌️
Hey Jay. I hope the room testing kit helps with your setup. I'd definitely try to get your monitors on stands close to the wall if you can. Go from there.
Hi there, Excellent video. Much appreciated!! One question tho. You mentioned that the ear should be on the same level as the acoustic centre of the monitor instead of the speaker's tweeter. However, there're lots of articles, videos and even official site of speakers brand that recommend an ear should be on the same level as the speaker's tweeter. So I am quite confused about which of these two ways should be applied to set up my monitors. It would be really helpful if you could answer my question. Thanks again!! Cheers
I have the same question, and i was buffed by the confidence he mentioned it since its the first time i heard that opinion. Usually as you said everyone from official manufacturers to forums to pros recommends tweeters at ears height. After one year has passed what do you recommend?
This is hands down the best, most informative video on acoustic properties of a room on the internet! I kind of feel like I owe you a consultant fee! I do have one quick question, if you have a minute... I am a woodworking enthusiast, and am planning to build a desk that I will use for both my recording, and for work (software engineer, working from home). None of the bedrooms in my house are ideal for conversion into a home office, so I was planning on just using my large living room as my home office/recording studio/living room. Watching your video has made me question a few things though. You had, in both your studio and guest room, the desk pushed up to a wall, with the user facing the wall. I had planned to have my desk pulled out 40 or so inches from the wall, and I would sit behind the desk with a sheet-rock (dry wall) wall directly behind me. Is that just a huge no-no? I am perfectly fine with it if I'd have to dead the wall behind me with thick cloth covered Owens Corning 703 panels to prevent sound from reflecting off the wall and at the back of my head. But, do you think deadening the wall behind me completely like that would solve one problem but create another? I'd love to know what you think. Thanks for the killer videos.
Great Video! Would you recommend putting the subwoofer near the wall, too? I used this Trick for my monitors and they Sound much better now. Just left 7-8cm for the Bass Reflex whole
Yes, you definitely want your sub against the wall or flush mounted into the wall. If you look at the manual where they talk about sub setup, you should see instructions on that. You'll definitely want to do some proper acoustic testing though, to ensure your low end is in phase.
As recommended by well-knowns like Wes Lachot and Rod Gervais, and other notable acousticians, the Stereo Vertex Point (the focused point where the speakers are aimed behind your head) should be 14" to 16" from your Listening Position (ear line). The reason you don't want to just to brush the ears is because of head lean. You need to add 4" to the left, 4" to the right, 4" forward, and 4" back from the Listening Position point to account for typical head lean. No one keeps their head perfectly straight and centered at the Listening Position at all times. At 10" behind the Listening Position and 4" of head lean, your L or R ear would be 2-1/2" outside of the equilateral line. At 12" behind the Listening Position and 4" of head lean, your L or R ear would be 1-1/2" outside of the equilateral line. When you map it out in a CAD program (with the human head being close to 8" in diameter) you will find that 14" behind your Listening position works out perfectly for keeping your head inside the stereo field despite any head lean. i.imgur.com/hRtuFXX.jpg
Hey Andy. We use about 12" as a standard, so a similar measurement. I am curious though about these measurements. If you toe your monitors out further, as Wes and Rod may recommend, that accounts for head lean backwards but not forwards. As the monitors are toed out further out, then you lean forwards, you're actually much further away from the sweet spot. How do they explain this? Of course you're going to lean forwards and backwards are you mix. For that reason it's important to know where the sweet spot is, and to buy monitors that disperse directional frequencies (high end) sufficiently wide to account for this.
@@warpacademy Well 14" wouldn't mean toeing anything out further. You are still maintaining the 30-degree equilateral triangle. At 14" you are just moving the Listening Position (sweet spot) directly up 2" into the triangle from your 12". Basically just more into the triangle. I think it's easier when you see a CAD drawing. Here's an image from Sterling Hill that explains it better: i.imgur.com/hRtuFXX.jpg
Hey hey. I have an updated video that includes full details on the floating flooring. Building a Mixing & Mastering Studio - Part 2, Design Walkthrough th-cam.com/video/5VrG2K_E7qI/w-d-xo.html
Is buying a measurement mic really necessary for sonarworks? How about just using an ordinary condenser mic (AKG p120 or AT2020)? How much will be the difference
Thanks for the vid. I did not know about the desk issue. My biggest issue is my vaulted upstairs ceiling. The walls to either sidevof me are only a meter high, then the ceiling begins angling inward. For now I use calibrated Sonarworks HD650’s and a Subpac turned up only enough to feel the sub. All that and refrence track/analysis (which is the most helpful of all).
Glad you enjoyed the video. Yeah the desk issue is a huge one. Especially considering most pro studios have huge mixing desks, cluttered with gear. If you saw an acoustic test of that setup you'd cringe. Your spot with the vaulted ceilings sounds difficult for sure. Have you ever done acoustic tests?
Warp Academy I’ve only run the Sonarworks calibration up there in that room. At the time I had Auralex everywhere. What is your feeling about a window right in front of my mix position? Do I need a diffusor? Is that a problem? I use the Se Munro Eggs w port on bottom-front of speaker and I wonder if they will exhibit the same concentric bass patterns as your test monitors? If I recall, these are shaped like eggs tto avoid a lot of reflection issues in the vicinity of the monitor itself.
I have not re-run calibratiob since version 4 was released. Should perhaps do that. I’ve just gotten too comfortable with doing most of the work like I described above. This day and advanced analysis tool age one get get FAR with good ref material, a decent analyzer/oscilliscope and Sonarworks it seems
@@nsjx if you have a window in your studio it'll be a major acoustics issue no matter where it is. Covering it with absorption won't help much as that can create a resonant chamber behind the panel. Probably your best option is to stuff the entire window full with rock wool, then place an acoustic absorber over top of that. Won't be even close to perfect, but it'll help a lot. Cheers!
Excellent & very informative video, especially with offering the science & thorough explanation behind why certain obstacles may arise & how they can be remedied, much appreciated bro, God bless & continued success -Anon One
Here's an interesting question about SonarWorks I got from an actoustician who came to treat my room - lets say that you have a -10db of 80hz,it will compensate by adding those 10dbs, but that can stress your speakers as obviously they push a balanced amount of that frequency and so that would be too much isn't it? I actually have to know because my room for now is not really treatable in my circumstances haha
I'm a bit perplexed about how you encourage setting the monitors right up against the wall. All I've ever read and heard from other people is to have space between the back wall and your nearfield monitors. Would you care to elaborate?
I literally ordered the ms90 stands in a 36” height for my rokit 8 G5 speakers. I’m planning on filling the third “fillable” chamber with sand perhaps 65% of the way up. I’ve heard it’s possible to deaden the stand by filling it all the way up. I’d appreciate it Vesper if you could give me tips for the fill up aspect of the stand, or does it matter?
Nice one. They're good stands. And I like the KRK Rokits as monitors as well. I used to have a pair of G1 Rokit 5s that I loved for small monitors. For the MS90 stands, pay attention to a couple of things. First of all, you want to ensure that the acoustic axis of your monitor is at ear height. Usually that's 47" from the floor when you're seated. The acoustic axis is midway between the center of the bass/mid driver and the center of the tweeter. If you need to prop them up a bit, do do by putting a concrete patio stone under the stands. Next, about filling them, yes, in general adding mass to the stand is a good idea. I don't know how much of a difference it will make as I've never tested it A/B myself, but generally that's considered a best practice to add mass so it won't resonate. A good way to test this is to run a slow sine sweep from 20-500 Hz very loud (85-90 dBSPL-C) and listen for mechanical resonances from the stand.
@@warpacademy I feel like my neighbours are going to love the sine sweep test! lol thanks for the info, I'll run the test when my stands get here Tuesday, they are currently en route.
Oh, yeah, if you have neighbours and you're doing loud sine sweeps then they'll definitely hear them if you're in an apartment or regular residential construction. The sound will most certainly transmit down the stands and into your floor. Good luck with the stands and speakers! It's a good setup.
Well-needed video! I've been trying to use REW to fix my room and it left me confused and with damaged equipment. This video made things much clearer. Thanks!
Glad you liked this one. The Ultimate Support stands decouple just fine on their own. They're designed to decouple. However, in some applications that may help. Ultimate Support actually partnered with Iso-Acoustics and made a model of stand that has the Iso-acoustics decouplers built into the top of the stand. I'm not a fan of angling monitors at all. The reason is that if you move slightly forward or backward in the mix position, then you're outside of the sweet spot as the monitors will now be firing above or below you.
whoa I thought it was for sure better to keep the speakers as far away from the wall as possible? Wouldn't being nearer to the room boundary increase the amount of colored sound at the listening position?
Hey Alex. Good question. You're going to get reflected sound from all surfaces around you in any bedroom studio. The key here is to position your speakers for the most ideal frequency response in a non-ideal space. The prime way to set things up is to custom build a front wall and flush mount your speakers into it, thus avoiding the problem entirely. However, this is technical, and costly, which makes it prohibitive for many people. The next best thing is to reduce the degree of phase cancellation by getting the bounced signal as close to the direct signal as possible. I highly recommend you do your own acoustic testing to look at the results for yourself. If you use a free app like Room EQ Wizard (REW) and a calibrated acoustic measurement mic like the Mini-DSP UBIK-1, you'll clearly see for yourself the effect of different speaker positions. Don't take my word for it, check it out yourself :)
Cool info in this video. I have a new room that’s will double as a guest room and have a large bed in it and very low (7’2) ceilings. Will the bed help? A window too, will a shade help? Is there a special type of shade that will lessen the effect of the window?
Hey Jim. Glad you liked the video. Furniture like couches or a bed (mattress) often help, but in an unpredictable way. They're not the same as proper broadband absorbers. But it sounds like having a dual-purpose room is an advantage for you, so go with it. In regards to the window, a shade will likely not help at all. In fact, what it's more likely to do is create a resonating chamber behind the shade, within the window frame. If it was me, and acoustics vs. natural light was the priority, I would fill the entire window with Roxul rock wool. The low ceilings in your room will also be an issue. In an ideal studio, the ceilings would be 12', but in homes 8' is standard. Your ceilings are lower, creating a smaller room volume and more issues with reflections.
Great video, and also best explanation I’ve been able to find on acoustic treatment I have one question tho . Must I soundproof my studio space before doing any form of acoustic treatment or I can just go ahead to do acoustic treatment , because I would like to know if soundproofing affects mixing and mastering in any way
Glad you liked the video. Technically speaking there is no such thing as "sound proofing". All you can do is attenuate or reduce. You cannot ever nullify sound completely in a studio. Your question really depends on your environment. Do you get a lot of background noise that you can't control? Do you hear that noise in your studio? If you're getting a ton of noise bleed that affects your ability to record cleanly or to hear properly when mixing, then I would then consider doing some isolation. I would for sure start your own research by educating yourself with books like Home Recording Studio by Rod Gervais.
This was done so well. I love how clear and to the point you are. And the editing was superb!!! Now if only I could find 300 dollars for sonarworks laying around. Lol
Not sure exactly which gadget you're referring to, but in the shot are the Apogee Duet II audio interface and the Sonarworks room measurement mic. Cheers!
Dude tht was a great in depth video. Thank you. I have some nice equipment but have no idea on how to treat my room. I got fortunate to re capture a sound proof room that my company took over so I have abundant 2x4 acoustic foams but have no idea where to put them? I just covered the back wall and sides with them for now? It’s a tight sound now. Can that be overkill? Thx
Hey Kayak. Nice to hear from you and I'm glad you liked the video. We have a full playlist on acoustic treatment and music studio acoustics. I'll link it below. I highly suggest you watch all the videos shot with Primacoustic. They're one of the industry leaders in pre-fabricated acoustic treatment for music studios, and I interviewed their CEO, Peter Janis. Those videos will give you a solid foundation in the basics of acoustics. Also, you'll learn why it's not usually a good idea to use foam. th-cam.com/video/rLrZdahhCCE/w-d-xo.html
Great video very helpful. The only thing I'm a little confused is placing the monitors right against the back wall. If you had a rectangular room and more space from front to back what would you recommend for the placement of the monitors. Still against the back wall? or 3 feet away from it? Also, in the configuration that you show on the video what if you had a large computer monitor, would it be ok to put it on the desk? Thanks.
Hey hey. Glad you liked the video. Regarding monitors on the wall, you're doing that to minimize phase cancellation in the low end due to the bounce off that wall. If you move the speakers off the wall, you increase the phase cancellation effect by increasing the delayed reflected signal that recombines with the direct signal. So if you have a larger room, you can do 2 things: 1) build a hard front wall and flush mount the monitors into that wall thus eliminating the bounce entirely - but to do this you need monitors that are able to be flush mounted and not all designs can be (ex: rear ported monitors in some cases, depending on port tuning and use of a sub with a HPF and designs like the Focal SM-9s and Barefoots that have side mounted radiators or bass drivers. 2) You could add a bunch of trapping to the front wall and wall seams to reduce the bounce.
Love this! Question: when you built your monitors into the walls, won't those walls (and the space behind the wall around your built-in monitors) act as a big speaker cabinet -driven by the actual monitors?
Good question. The entire area behind the monitors is filled with absorption. The monitors are rear ported, which usually won't work for a flush mount, but they're highpassed by the sub at a frequency above the port tuning, so it works. The front wall is super heavy as it's made of ply layered with heavy MDF. The speakers are also acoustically decoupled behind the wall on custom concrete blocks and urethane bushings.
Hey looking at the video for the third time in past month I guess, something what you said is bothering me. You say we should push in the monitors right up against wall, but most manufacturers advise you move them 50 to 75cm away from the wall. For example I got my Neumann KH120A monitors yesterday and I'm trying to do a setup of the room which is 2m wide and 4.5m deep with 2.6m ceilings with big glass window I'd be looking at so monitors would partially be against the glass. Given that I have the room depth is it better that I focus on sitting position somewhere around 38% of the room depth and pull monitors closer to myself or to place sitting position based on monitors being pushed against the wall I'm looking at?
Hey Milos. Yes, we're aware that many manufacturers recommend spacing the monitors away from a wall. However, acoustic testing doesn't lie and I have no idea why they recommend doing that when you have SBIR to contend with. When you have monitors off the wall in an untreated room, acoustic tests usually will reveal large phase cancellation in the low end. This is very different when you have proper trapping that extends floor to ceiling and addresses all your room seams. You can't just follow speaker manufacturer's blanket/general advice and expect to get good results. My recommendation is always to do the acoustic testing yourself, first hand. If you don't take scientific measurements in your space, you're just shooting in the dark. The tests will provide invaluable information. Also, you should definitely plan on spending at least as much on acoustic treatment as you did on your monitors, likely more. Testing along the way and following room treatment best-practices. Best of luck with your studio!
love the video. What would you think about the opposite of the setup you recommended? the way mine is set up is i have a bunch of windows to my back? i never thought of putting my desk in front of the windows lol
Great video! One question I had was usually you hear people say to move the desk & speakers away from the back wall, but in this example you moved them closer. Is it because the room is SO small you're playing to the less of two evils? Or would it be advantages to have the desk & speakers a few feet off the wall? At what size should you start doing that - if at all?
There is what in know as the 38% rule. In theory the optimal position to be sat is 38% of the total room length from the front wall. In a really small room that is pretty impossible so I think the guys are demonstrating a best worst case situation.
Thanks for the comment Luiz. Glad you liked the video. We definitely strive to add in visuals, like animations, wherever we can. Of course, they all take a lot of time to create so we have limits on how many we can include.
Super solid info. I'm no pro but I know how sound works, and I always got told to position the tweeter to my ear, but I chose to set the monitors in the same position you recommended. Would you leave the window behind the desk untreated?
Glad that was helpful. Yeah, a lot of people give that bad advice because they don't understand phase and how the acoustic axis of a speaker works. Definitely treat the window area. I would stuff the entire window sill top to bottom with Roxul Comfortbat rock wool. Then cover it with prefabricated panels from Primacoustic, like their Broadway or Control Columns.
That's a very difficult acoustic situation to be in. You'd need to make up a full room plot / diagram with measurements and work with an acoustic consultant to get good results.
the clap test was insane. absolute madlad
So are your comments PHAT DADDY. madlad. I should use that :)
This might be the best and most comprehensive acoustics video on youtube. Well done.
Practical, concise and not too scientific.
Cheers mate. Thanks for watching!
I dunno. I think they left out acoustic treatment. It was just about speaker placement
I agree absolutely. So many useful tips in this video and easy to understand.
Some of this advice contradicts Ethan Winers acoustics work. Might be good to compare theories.
@@midnightwind8067 please post specific statements or theories and we'd be happy to discuss. This tutorial is solely for music production / mixing / engineering control rooms. Not recording spaces, home theatres, or hi fi listening rooms. So for that reason, sometimes you'll hear advice from acousticians in those niches that may be different.
I was not ready for how dry that last clap was.
Ohhhh "SBIR", "Against the wall", "Acoustic axis of the speaker", "Equilateral placement", "A point just a little bit behind the head of the listener". It is extremely hard to explain complex scientific information in a simplified manner. You are incredibly talented man! Bravo!
Cheers!
This is the best lesson I've ever seen on youtube
So comprehensive and to the point, You're a genius.
Glad it was helpful!
I'm so impressed with the quality of information in this video! I'm treating my room and this will be very handy. Thank you!
I think I've watched the whole youtube in search of a solution to my cubical spare bedroom 3mx3mx2.3m with window and doors that I'd like to use for production and I finally found this one. Thanks - I can go and start doing something.
Cheers!
That clap at the end really showed the effects of room treatments. I need to get on this
Yep. It really makes a big difference. Cheers!
thanks Drew! I learned a lot in this video. Especially the reflection off desk, I haven't seen anyone address that issue in any other videos on youtube
Cheers D! Glad you learned some new bit. I've wanted to do a video like this for a long time. Stoked to have this on TH-cam now. Happy music making!
Fantastic video! You explained rsmall room setup better than any other video I've viewed over a 3+ year voyage.
Thank you very much.
Glad it was helpful!
This info is so valuable. Thank you so much for giving it for free
Most comprehensive and concise video I have found on room acoustics. Thank you.
brilliant video, i realised i have so much acoustic problems in my room that i will need to sort, going to use this video as a base list but it's going to be a very hard job. thanks for posting this
Glad you got some value out of this one. Yes, acoustics are involved and time consuming. But the rewards are huge. As a producer, you really will benefit from being in a better room.
Well done on making a common sense, no frills video without lots of in your face product endorsements. Easy to follow and most refreshingly done in an average, small room! 😎
Thank you for this! Very informative and nicely done. One question though: You say "Push the monitors right up against the wall", but everywhere else I'm reading they should be 30 cm (12 inches) away from the wall due to bass buildup. Can you please elaborate on this? Thanks again for the video!
I was confused by that too
I use bass/broadening absorbers directly behind my monitors and then place my monitors right up against those.
This might help : th-cam.com/video/T10_MLGOBfc/w-d-xo.html
I'm not shure if it changes with the speaker's bassport on the front or the rear
a year late to this comment but thought i'd share. it sounds to me (from pretty extensive time spent watching all kinds of different videos on this) like its fine as long as its a couple of inches from the wall. also, if the speakers are not parallel to the wall and are slightly off axis pointed towards you at an angle you will be fine. and also (what surprised me) front VS rear ported doesn't make much of a difference for the most part. unless you are designing a very specific and thorough studio meant for professional use you really don't need to sweat it with these kinds of details. Also, you should use headphones as a secondary reference as well. hope this was helpful
@@BL1THE it’s never too late to comment. Thanks for your 2 cents it’s appreciated. Building my own professional home studio and it can be confusing.
Absolutely fantastic and easy to understand guide! Thanks so much! This should help many people! I've learned so many tips of you from this video! Thank you very much.
Glad it was helpful!
He is right on a lot of points except the placement of the monitors on the rear wall The “in-phase“ frequencies get amplified, and the “out-of-phase“ frequencies cancel out. This principle is known as the boundary effect.
To solve the problem, pro studios often build their monitors directly into the wall, thus eliminating all rear reflections. however, by placing the monitors directly in front of the wall will cause even more build up of energy this is what should be done create the maximum separation between the wall and the monitors that the room-size will allow. For most rooms, that’s between 1-2 feet.
This won’t SOLVE the problem, but it will lessen it somewhat, by reducing the strength of the reflections. also buy monitors with front bass ports
Fantastic video, incredibly helpful with great insights!! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for your professional presentation. Useful info!
Cheers!
Incredible video. Perfect for my circumstances. I can’t thank you guys enough! Liked subscribed and shared!
Good info at least I know were to set up the deal now, and yes it's in front of the window. Question is ..... how do I treat the window? Wall to wall very thick curtains ????????
Which is better proper acoustic(full treated acoustic)or only set up panel?? Which is proper detaling of sound we can get??
Great video Drew! I love the space you've put together downstairs of course, but lots of awesome tips for a more budget space as well.
Thanks! We had a blast making this one for sure. Happy music making!
Excellent instructions and details!
Glad it was helpful!
Good video hit many core concepts that help to understand 👍
Hey Tekk. Thanks for watching. If you liked that one, then you'll LOVE this. It's the new studio design I'm building, with TONS more info on best practices and design hacks: th-cam.com/video/5VrG2K_E7qI/w-d-xo.html
Great video! I have a degree in audio and there are some considerations in this video that I hadn’t thought of before.
Cheers mate.
the best videos ive seen on this so far, also my room is almost identical to the one in this video.
Glad you enjoyed this one. Happy music making!
Fantastic resource, thank you!
Cheers Tom, thanks for watching.
Amazing video, very informative. I was speechless at the clapping part, you have the optimal room for mixing!
Damn, so disappointed that the video ended when it did. I have an almost identical room & measurement and was looking forward to seeing you treat the room! Especially for that 80hz null! 😢
Hey hey. I have a ton of updated videos I made after this one all about building room treatment and acoustics. Check out the most recent videos in the playlist here. Music Studio Acoustics
th-cam.com/play/PLsyXZjufQdPx-9XGoTYRY_jTt2Bhh8qcX.html
That clap demonstration was insane.
Acoustics are so important for sure.
The best video explanation on TH-cam! Amazing work
I did exactly like this. I have a windows on a fully square room and i put my desk infront the window and now have 3 dry walls where i can put my acoustic treatment. I even measuered perfectly how far the speakers are from the corner and my desk and now i am sitting perfectly in shape with the sound. cant wait till i get my acoustic treatment shipped
UDM Music Ok we get it you are the teachers pet! Now stop interrupting the rest of us trying to learn something 😏
@@musikkloud5941 Ahahahahahhahhhahahah
Thanks old musician disabled building my studio about to buy a new house so Now I know what type of room to look for. Also I got some folding stands do you think they will be ok as I start out. I also just downloaded to that software for that mic you have to check specs of sound positioning my equipment and set up. Just using one of those plastic folding tables with a yoga mat on it. I plan on getting one more for my Akia mpk225 and my Zoom R24 also . I was planning on getting a adapter to change the output of the Zoom R24 from USB to optical to add more channels to my Audient 14-2 . I like to hear your thoughts if you got the time. I plan on buying some gear from you as I get set up. Thanks for your help. ✌️
Hey Jay. I hope the room testing kit helps with your setup. I'd definitely try to get your monitors on stands close to the wall if you can. Go from there.
very comprehensive one, many thanks
I cant believe how much different the clap sounds. I have watched the clap test for like 10 minutes in a row with my jaw dropped!
Acoustics matter for sure.
Great job. I can send this to my friends whenever they ask me questions about my studio setup. You covered everything brilliantly.
Glad it was helpful!
I knew nothing about the room acoustics, but now I know still very little, but I don't feel as intimidated. Thanks for this one.
Happy to help!
Hi there,
Excellent video. Much appreciated!! One question tho. You mentioned that the ear should be on the same level as the acoustic centre of the monitor instead of the speaker's tweeter. However, there're lots of articles, videos and even official site of speakers brand that recommend an ear should be on the same level as the speaker's tweeter. So I am quite confused about which of these two ways should be applied to set up my monitors. It would be really helpful if you could answer my question. Thanks again!! Cheers
I have the same question, and i was buffed by the confidence he mentioned it since its the first time i heard that opinion. Usually as you said everyone from official manufacturers to forums to pros recommends tweeters at ears height. After one year has passed what do you recommend?
I need to remember this. I've watched this twice already. Thank you
We have a new one on acoustics, much more advanced, that we’re editing right now for launch in the next couple days. Stay tuned!
@@warpacademy okay
Here's the new acoustics video. It's live and published now: th-cam.com/video/kbmCxkcH_EU/w-d-xo.html
WOW well done video and very comprehensive!! Thank you
Great video. What would you guys do if you have a window on the wall behind the desk, but drywall on the left wall and a closet on the right wall ?
Very informative👍🏾👍🏾
Glad you think so!
Exactly the vid I was looking for. Great.
Glad I could help!
Great presentation!
This is hands down the best, most informative video on acoustic properties of a room on the internet! I kind of feel like I owe you a consultant fee! I do have one quick question, if you have a minute... I am a woodworking enthusiast, and am planning to build a desk that I will use for both my recording, and for work (software engineer, working from home). None of the bedrooms in my house are ideal for conversion into a home office, so I was planning on just using my large living room as my home office/recording studio/living room. Watching your video has made me question a few things though. You had, in both your studio and guest room, the desk pushed up to a wall, with the user facing the wall. I had planned to have my desk pulled out 40 or so inches from the wall, and I would sit behind the desk with a sheet-rock (dry wall) wall directly behind me. Is that just a huge no-no? I am perfectly fine with it if I'd have to dead the wall behind me with thick cloth covered Owens Corning 703 panels to prevent sound from reflecting off the wall and at the back of my head. But, do you think deadening the wall behind me completely like that would solve one problem but create another? I'd love to know what you think.
Thanks for the killer videos.
Great Video! Would you recommend putting the subwoofer near the wall, too? I used this Trick for my monitors and they Sound much better now. Just left 7-8cm for the Bass Reflex whole
Yes, you definitely want your sub against the wall or flush mounted into the wall. If you look at the manual where they talk about sub setup, you should see instructions on that.
You'll definitely want to do some proper acoustic testing though, to ensure your low end is in phase.
Absolut awesome video 🎉
Great summary of that topic
11:31 looked like aeron was hypnotized for a while and very informative video btw
Such an informative video! Thanks guys! Some great Gems in here like the size of your desk that I didn't know about.Thanks for makin the Video for us.
Yeah buddy! Nice to see ya on the channel Adam. Glad you liked that one. Much love homie.
As recommended by well-knowns like Wes Lachot and Rod Gervais, and other notable acousticians, the Stereo Vertex Point (the focused point where the speakers are aimed behind your head) should be 14" to 16" from your Listening Position (ear line). The reason you don't want to just to brush the ears is because of head lean. You need to add 4" to the left, 4" to the right, 4" forward, and 4" back from the Listening Position point to account for typical head lean. No one keeps their head perfectly straight and centered at the Listening Position at all times. At 10" behind the Listening Position and 4" of head lean, your L or R ear would be 2-1/2" outside of the equilateral line. At 12" behind the Listening Position and 4" of head lean, your L or R ear would be 1-1/2" outside of the equilateral line. When you map it out in a CAD program (with the human head being close to 8" in diameter) you will find that 14" behind your Listening position works out perfectly for keeping your head inside the stereo field despite any head lean. i.imgur.com/hRtuFXX.jpg
Hey Andy. We use about 12" as a standard, so a similar measurement. I am curious though about these measurements. If you toe your monitors out further, as Wes and Rod may recommend, that accounts for head lean backwards but not forwards. As the monitors are toed out further out, then you lean forwards, you're actually much further away from the sweet spot. How do they explain this?
Of course you're going to lean forwards and backwards are you mix. For that reason it's important to know where the sweet spot is, and to buy monitors that disperse directional frequencies (high end) sufficiently wide to account for this.
@@warpacademy Well 14" wouldn't mean toeing anything out further. You are still maintaining the 30-degree equilateral triangle. At 14" you are just moving the Listening Position (sweet spot) directly up 2" into the triangle from your 12". Basically just more into the triangle. I think it's easier when you see a CAD drawing. Here's an image from Sterling Hill that explains it better: i.imgur.com/hRtuFXX.jpg
Hey Andy. I see what you mean. Easier with images for sure. Thanks for the link and comments.
@@warpacademy Yes sir. :)
What about floor? Carpet or wood? Great video
Hey hey. I have an updated video that includes full details on the floating flooring.
Building a Mixing & Mastering Studio - Part 2, Design Walkthrough
th-cam.com/video/5VrG2K_E7qI/w-d-xo.html
thank you! This is really helpful!
You're most welcome.
Great job! Thx for sharing.
this is brilliant! Thank you!
Is buying a measurement mic really necessary for sonarworks? How about just using an ordinary condenser mic (AKG p120 or AT2020)? How much will be the difference
Thanks for the vid. I did not know about the desk issue. My biggest issue is my vaulted upstairs ceiling. The walls to either sidevof me are only a meter high, then the ceiling begins angling inward. For now I use calibrated Sonarworks HD650’s and a Subpac turned up only enough to feel the sub. All that and refrence track/analysis (which is the most helpful of all).
Glad you enjoyed the video. Yeah the desk issue is a huge one. Especially considering most pro studios have huge mixing desks, cluttered with gear. If you saw an acoustic test of that setup you'd cringe. Your spot with the vaulted ceilings sounds difficult for sure. Have you ever done acoustic tests?
Warp Academy I’ve only run the Sonarworks calibration up there in that room. At the time I had Auralex everywhere. What is your feeling about a window right in front of my mix position? Do I need a diffusor? Is that a problem? I use the Se Munro Eggs w port on bottom-front of speaker and I wonder if they will exhibit the same concentric bass patterns as your test monitors? If I recall, these are shaped like eggs tto avoid a lot of reflection issues in the vicinity of the monitor itself.
I have not re-run calibratiob since version 4 was released. Should perhaps do that. I’ve just gotten too comfortable with doing most of the work like I described above. This day and advanced analysis tool age one get get FAR with good ref material, a decent analyzer/oscilliscope and Sonarworks it seems
@@nsjx if you have a window in your studio it'll be a major acoustics issue no matter where it is. Covering it with absorption won't help much as that can create a resonant chamber behind the panel. Probably your best option is to stuff the entire window full with rock wool, then place an acoustic absorber over top of that. Won't be even close to perfect, but it'll help a lot. Cheers!
Great tutorial! I am turning my basement into a studio and this is super helpful.
Excellent & very informative video, especially with offering the science & thorough explanation behind why certain obstacles may arise & how they can be remedied, much appreciated bro, God bless & continued success
-Anon One
Glad you enjoyed it!
thank you for sharing!!!
Here's an interesting question about SonarWorks I got from an actoustician who came to treat my room - lets say that you have a -10db of 80hz,it will compensate by adding those 10dbs, but that can stress your speakers as obviously they push a balanced amount of that frequency and so that would be too much isn't it?
I actually have to know because my room for now is not really treatable in my circumstances haha
Great job. Best wishes from India.👍
Thank you! Cheers!
I'm a bit perplexed about how you encourage setting the monitors right up against the wall. All I've ever read and heard from other people is to have space between the back wall and your nearfield monitors. Would you care to elaborate?
hey man, great video keep up the excellent work!!
Your video is very helpful thank u very much 😊
I literally ordered the ms90 stands in a 36” height for my rokit 8 G5 speakers. I’m planning on filling the third “fillable” chamber with sand perhaps 65% of the way up. I’ve heard it’s possible to deaden the stand by filling it all the way up. I’d appreciate it Vesper if you could give me tips for the fill up aspect of the stand, or does it matter?
Nice one. They're good stands. And I like the KRK Rokits as monitors as well. I used to have a pair of G1 Rokit 5s that I loved for small monitors.
For the MS90 stands, pay attention to a couple of things. First of all, you want to ensure that the acoustic axis of your monitor is at ear height. Usually that's 47" from the floor when you're seated. The acoustic axis is midway between the center of the bass/mid driver and the center of the tweeter. If you need to prop them up a bit, do do by putting a concrete patio stone under the stands.
Next, about filling them, yes, in general adding mass to the stand is a good idea. I don't know how much of a difference it will make as I've never tested it A/B myself, but generally that's considered a best practice to add mass so it won't resonate.
A good way to test this is to run a slow sine sweep from 20-500 Hz very loud (85-90 dBSPL-C) and listen for mechanical resonances from the stand.
@@warpacademy I feel like my neighbours are going to love the sine sweep test! lol thanks for the info, I'll run the test when my stands get here Tuesday, they are currently en route.
Oh, yeah, if you have neighbours and you're doing loud sine sweeps then they'll definitely hear them if you're in an apartment or regular residential construction. The sound will most certainly transmit down the stands and into your floor. Good luck with the stands and speakers! It's a good setup.
Well-needed video! I've been trying to use REW to fix my room and it left me confused and with damaged equipment. This video made things much clearer. Thanks!
Glad to hear that. Happy music making!
Greaaat content man!! What about having some isoacoustics over the monitor stands (angled downwards)?
Glad you liked this one. The Ultimate Support stands decouple just fine on their own. They're designed to decouple. However, in some applications that may help. Ultimate Support actually partnered with Iso-Acoustics and made a model of stand that has the Iso-acoustics decouplers built into the top of the stand.
I'm not a fan of angling monitors at all. The reason is that if you move slightly forward or backward in the mix position, then you're outside of the sweet spot as the monitors will now be firing above or below you.
whoa I thought it was for sure better to keep the speakers as far away from the wall as possible? Wouldn't being nearer to the room boundary increase the amount of colored sound at the listening position?
Hey Alex. Good question. You're going to get reflected sound from all surfaces around you in any bedroom studio. The key here is to position your speakers for the most ideal frequency response in a non-ideal space. The prime way to set things up is to custom build a front wall and flush mount your speakers into it, thus avoiding the problem entirely. However, this is technical, and costly, which makes it prohibitive for many people.
The next best thing is to reduce the degree of phase cancellation by getting the bounced signal as close to the direct signal as possible. I highly recommend you do your own acoustic testing to look at the results for yourself. If you use a free app like Room EQ Wizard (REW) and a calibrated acoustic measurement mic like the Mini-DSP UBIK-1, you'll clearly see for yourself the effect of different speaker positions. Don't take my word for it, check it out yourself :)
Cool info in this video. I have a new room that’s will double as a guest room and have a large bed in it and very low (7’2) ceilings. Will the bed help? A window too, will a shade help? Is there a special type of shade that will lessen the effect of the window?
Hey Jim. Glad you liked the video. Furniture like couches or a bed (mattress) often help, but in an unpredictable way. They're not the same as proper broadband absorbers. But it sounds like having a dual-purpose room is an advantage for you, so go with it.
In regards to the window, a shade will likely not help at all. In fact, what it's more likely to do is create a resonating chamber behind the shade, within the window frame. If it was me, and acoustics vs. natural light was the priority, I would fill the entire window with Roxul rock wool.
The low ceilings in your room will also be an issue. In an ideal studio, the ceilings would be 12', but in homes 8' is standard. Your ceilings are lower, creating a smaller room volume and more issues with reflections.
Great video, and also best explanation I’ve been able to find on acoustic treatment I have one question tho . Must I soundproof my studio space before doing any form of acoustic treatment or I can just go ahead to do acoustic treatment , because I would like to know if soundproofing affects mixing and mastering in any way
Glad you liked the video. Technically speaking there is no such thing as "sound proofing". All you can do is attenuate or reduce. You cannot ever nullify sound completely in a studio.
Your question really depends on your environment. Do you get a lot of background noise that you can't control? Do you hear that noise in your studio? If you're getting a ton of noise bleed that affects your ability to record cleanly or to hear properly when mixing, then I would then consider doing some isolation. I would for sure start your own research by educating yourself with books like Home Recording Studio by Rod Gervais.
Alright, really appreciate the advice really helps clarify most of my thoughts. I will check out the guide
This is such a great video well well done! Any particular tips for a small attic room with vaulted ceiling?
would love to see more about your personal studio build, looking to do something similar mounting monitors on the wall
Noted! Perhaps I'll post some photos of the build and walk through them in a video.
Push monitors against the wall if on stands ? Can this not add up to 3db on the low end therefore creating phantom bass within a room ?
This was done so well. I love how clear and to the point you are. And the editing was superb!!! Now if only I could find 300 dollars for sonarworks laying around. Lol
Thank you so much!
Appreciating this video in 2022 aswell!
Cheers!
What is this nifty lil gadget at 5:20? Total Star Wars/Jetsons vibes. Cool 😎
Not sure exactly which gadget you're referring to, but in the shot are the Apogee Duet II audio interface and the Sonarworks room measurement mic. Cheers!
Dude tht was a great in depth video. Thank you. I have some nice equipment but have no idea on how to treat my room. I got fortunate to re capture a sound proof room that my company took over so I have abundant 2x4 acoustic foams but have no idea where to put them? I just covered the back wall and sides with them for now? It’s a tight sound now. Can that be overkill? Thx
Hey Kayak. Nice to hear from you and I'm glad you liked the video. We have a full playlist on acoustic treatment and music studio acoustics. I'll link it below. I highly suggest you watch all the videos shot with Primacoustic. They're one of the industry leaders in pre-fabricated acoustic treatment for music studios, and I interviewed their CEO, Peter Janis.
Those videos will give you a solid foundation in the basics of acoustics. Also, you'll learn why it's not usually a good idea to use foam.
th-cam.com/video/rLrZdahhCCE/w-d-xo.html
Great video very helpful. The only thing I'm a little confused is placing the monitors right against the back wall. If you had a rectangular room and more space from front to back what would you recommend for the placement of the monitors. Still against the back wall? or 3 feet away from it? Also, in the configuration that you show on the video what if you had a large computer monitor, would it be ok to put it on the desk? Thanks.
Hey hey. Glad you liked the video. Regarding monitors on the wall, you're doing that to minimize phase cancellation in the low end due to the bounce off that wall. If you move the speakers off the wall, you increase the phase cancellation effect by increasing the delayed reflected signal that recombines with the direct signal. So if you have a larger room, you can do 2 things: 1) build a hard front wall and flush mount the monitors into that wall thus eliminating the bounce entirely - but to do this you need monitors that are able to be flush mounted and not all designs can be (ex: rear ported monitors in some cases, depending on port tuning and use of a sub with a HPF and designs like the Focal SM-9s and Barefoots that have side mounted radiators or bass drivers. 2) You could add a bunch of trapping to the front wall and wall seams to reduce the bounce.
Great info. Thanks
Love this! Question: when you built your monitors into the walls, won't those walls (and the space behind the wall around your built-in monitors) act as a big speaker cabinet -driven by the actual monitors?
Good question. The entire area behind the monitors is filled with absorption. The monitors are rear ported, which usually won't work for a flush mount, but they're highpassed by the sub at a frequency above the port tuning, so it works. The front wall is super heavy as it's made of ply layered with heavy MDF. The speakers are also acoustically decoupled behind the wall on custom concrete blocks and urethane bushings.
Warp Academy that’s pro! Thank you for sharing!
Hey looking at the video for the third time in past month I guess, something what you said is bothering me. You say we should push in the monitors right up against wall, but most manufacturers advise you move them 50 to 75cm away from the wall. For example I got my Neumann KH120A monitors yesterday and I'm trying to do a setup of the room which is 2m wide and 4.5m deep with 2.6m ceilings with big glass window I'd be looking at so monitors would partially be against the glass. Given that I have the room depth is it better that I focus on sitting position somewhere around 38% of the room depth and pull monitors closer to myself or to place sitting position based on monitors being pushed against the wall I'm looking at?
Hey Milos. Yes, we're aware that many manufacturers recommend spacing the monitors away from a wall. However, acoustic testing doesn't lie and I have no idea why they recommend doing that when you have SBIR to contend with. When you have monitors off the wall in an untreated room, acoustic tests usually will reveal large phase cancellation in the low end. This is very different when you have proper trapping that extends floor to ceiling and addresses all your room seams. You can't just follow speaker manufacturer's blanket/general advice and expect to get good results.
My recommendation is always to do the acoustic testing yourself, first hand. If you don't take scientific measurements in your space, you're just shooting in the dark. The tests will provide invaluable information.
Also, you should definitely plan on spending at least as much on acoustic treatment as you did on your monitors, likely more. Testing along the way and following room treatment best-practices.
Best of luck with your studio!
Very useful video.
Great video, plenty of useful information.
Thanks a lot for making this video, really helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
love the video. What would you think about the opposite of the setup you recommended? the way mine is set up is i have a bunch of windows to my back? i never thought of putting my desk in front of the windows lol
It's ideal to never have glass anywhere in a control room, but the absolute worst position for glass is directly behind you.
That was great but I would also like to know how to treat the walls and ceiling, make a vocal booth and treatment for drums.
For sure. We'll be doing a separate video on acoustic treatment.
Great video! In regards to the window, Am I able to add heavy curtains to compensate ?
Informative, Thanx!
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Great video ! Very informative thank you
Cheers mate. Thanks for tuning in.
Great video! One question I had was usually you hear people say to move the desk & speakers away from the back wall, but in this example you moved them closer. Is it because the room is SO small you're playing to the less of two evils? Or would it be advantages to have the desk & speakers a few feet off the wall? At what size should you start doing that - if at all?
There is what in know as the 38% rule. In theory the optimal position to be sat is 38% of the total room length from the front wall. In a really small room that is pretty impossible so I think the guys are demonstrating a best worst case situation.
thaks for this helpful video! Such a great content
Thank you for that detailed video 🙏🏻
My pleasure!
Amazing video! Very straight to the point and practical! I'd like to see more animations like those at 4:09 . How are they called? Thanks
Thanks for the comment Luiz. Glad you liked the video. We definitely strive to add in visuals, like animations, wherever we can. Of course, they all take a lot of time to create so we have limits on how many we can include.
Great job teaching me.
Super solid info. I'm no pro but I know how sound works, and I always got told to position the tweeter to my ear, but I chose to set the monitors in the same position you recommended. Would you leave the window behind the desk untreated?
Glad that was helpful. Yeah, a lot of people give that bad advice because they don't understand phase and how the acoustic axis of a speaker works. Definitely treat the window area. I would stuff the entire window sill top to bottom with Roxul Comfortbat rock wool. Then cover it with prefabricated panels from Primacoustic, like their Broadway or Control Columns.
What did end up sounding better? Tweeter at ears level or what the guy at the video mentioned?
YOU ARE THE BEST TY TY TY
Nice video. Unfortunately I have two windows in my room on two walls not parallel to each other. Any suggestion about the workstation placement?
That's a very difficult acoustic situation to be in. You'd need to make up a full room plot / diagram with measurements and work with an acoustic consultant to get good results.
Usefull Tutorial. Thank you. Your Explaining is Amazing.
Glad you liked this one. Cheers!