Natifix
LR Member
I have been researching a lot of complex systems and ideas focusd in the acoustical arena because simply, I need to know this now. I wish I knew this stuff BEFORE I spent the little money I had at the times in the past, where I was making modifications to my studio to improve the sound bu didn't really realize I could have done much better for the same or even less $ ...
So from a few years of practice and reading, researching, and designing, I have decided to take that info I wish I knew then, and share it with you all here and now.
Why is this important to delve into?
IF you are a serious, do it yourself kind of artist, guy, mechanic, construction worker, then you need to know this to help you make better descisions in the studio and to save $ of course. But maybe the more important reason is, because it relates to your product, and the sound, quality, legnth of time it takes to polish it... maybe your studio is so bad you said screw it, and are paying for a mixing engineer or a mastering engineer to finalize your product for you. That costs time and $ ...
I wanted to learn the process in iteself so I can do it myself. On top of that, I wanted to save $ by not paying for a mixing engineer or a mastering engineer. At least to this degree, I don't need to hire the engineer because I can get my mix and master - close enough - to sounding like a pro did it, and thats the point.
Some basic concepts that I think are important for any aspiring artist to know:
If you purchased a nice B & W set of monitors and paid out for a nice McIntosh amplifier, and have the finest pre amps and tubes, cables etc... and put it in a room that is of an UNDESIRABLE size and ratio, whatever you play thru those then thousand dollar speakers will sound like crap. I think its important for everyone to know just how important the SHAPE and SIZE of your room is AND why.
Each rooms size and shape impact the sound in the room. the size and placement of your speakers also have just as much effect on the sound in the room.
As a reference, you are looking to hone your room into a zero point. Something you can use as a ground basis. Understanding your rooms EQ curve as well as the response time in decay, and the room eigenmodes, will give you the information you need to know what you can put in the room, how much you need, how much is too much. It will also help you decide where is best to position the listening seat in the room.
This is why people TREAT their studios with acoustic absorbers, quadratic, skyline, 2d or 3d diffusors, bass traps, foam panels, maybe dual walls and a completely isolated room in a room... depending on your goals or needs.
Most home artists don't need a room that is de coupled from the room the studio resides in.
What most artists DO need though is, a simple room analysis using free room analysis software and a $100 omni dir mic.
IF you were to do this, it will give you a graph of your rooms EQ curve. Before anything, your gaol is to get this line as flat as possible. The more effort you put here, the easier ALL of your producing and mixing will be later down the road. Stay with me here!
Its not difficult to understand and treat your room. Im not a rocket scientist, if I can do it, ANYONE can do it! So dont get discouraged...
Acoustic treatment CAN cost a lot of $...
It can also NOT cost a lot of $ should YOU do a little research, planning, and work yourself.
EVERY room has acoustic issues, MOST of us are unaware of, cant hear, dont know exist, yet we think we make tight basslines and kicks. IF that is true, I ask those artists, then why are you paying for a mixing engineer or a mastering engineer to make your music sound good? Are you mixing and mastering yourself but not getting it to sound good, or are you having to work on a mix or master for hours?
This is why... Its like trying to win a formula one race with a pinto.. while competing against others who ARE driving formula one race cars.
Back on track. No pun intended. I want to walk you thru it as if It was our first studio we were going to do together. This is what I would do, should I do a studio tomorrow and you were my partner.
So the studio is 13 ft wide x 13.3 ft deep x 8.4 ft tall. Its a small studio. We will have issues with this room that will require a bit of taming to get a neutral room response. This itself, may be more important than buying GOOD monitors or a sub, or a new pieceof shiny hardware... take into consideration.
This calculator will help us here.
https://www.hunecke.de/en/calculators/room-eigenmodes.html
It will point out our pressure issues within the low freq energy in the room and its placement as it is distributed throughout the room. the mid and high freq energies mathematics and properties are different than the low freqs. This is why foam used for high and mid freq and why 8 inches of compressed rigid fiberglass board or mineralwool is used for low energy. We need inches and inches, heck, feet and feet of basic insulation to compare to specific tested and used design. But we are limited. We cannot compress 30 ft of treatment into a 4 inch thick panel. It just dont work like that.
https://www.hunecke.de/en/calculators/room-acoustics.html will give you an overview of why its important, what what is imporant.
http://arqen.com/bass-traps-101/pla...m_campaign=RoomTreatment-followup&omhide=true this may be a more friendly guide but I think both are essential to understand before spending a single dollar on anything.
Take the time to read all the articles or sections on both sites. both are short and quick to read thru. I got them both done in an hour or two. Its better explained there and I can do here btw.
So from a few years of practice and reading, researching, and designing, I have decided to take that info I wish I knew then, and share it with you all here and now.
Why is this important to delve into?
IF you are a serious, do it yourself kind of artist, guy, mechanic, construction worker, then you need to know this to help you make better descisions in the studio and to save $ of course. But maybe the more important reason is, because it relates to your product, and the sound, quality, legnth of time it takes to polish it... maybe your studio is so bad you said screw it, and are paying for a mixing engineer or a mastering engineer to finalize your product for you. That costs time and $ ...
I wanted to learn the process in iteself so I can do it myself. On top of that, I wanted to save $ by not paying for a mixing engineer or a mastering engineer. At least to this degree, I don't need to hire the engineer because I can get my mix and master - close enough - to sounding like a pro did it, and thats the point.
Some basic concepts that I think are important for any aspiring artist to know:
If you purchased a nice B & W set of monitors and paid out for a nice McIntosh amplifier, and have the finest pre amps and tubes, cables etc... and put it in a room that is of an UNDESIRABLE size and ratio, whatever you play thru those then thousand dollar speakers will sound like crap. I think its important for everyone to know just how important the SHAPE and SIZE of your room is AND why.
Each rooms size and shape impact the sound in the room. the size and placement of your speakers also have just as much effect on the sound in the room.
As a reference, you are looking to hone your room into a zero point. Something you can use as a ground basis. Understanding your rooms EQ curve as well as the response time in decay, and the room eigenmodes, will give you the information you need to know what you can put in the room, how much you need, how much is too much. It will also help you decide where is best to position the listening seat in the room.
This is why people TREAT their studios with acoustic absorbers, quadratic, skyline, 2d or 3d diffusors, bass traps, foam panels, maybe dual walls and a completely isolated room in a room... depending on your goals or needs.
Most home artists don't need a room that is de coupled from the room the studio resides in.
What most artists DO need though is, a simple room analysis using free room analysis software and a $100 omni dir mic.
IF you were to do this, it will give you a graph of your rooms EQ curve. Before anything, your gaol is to get this line as flat as possible. The more effort you put here, the easier ALL of your producing and mixing will be later down the road. Stay with me here!
Its not difficult to understand and treat your room. Im not a rocket scientist, if I can do it, ANYONE can do it! So dont get discouraged...
Acoustic treatment CAN cost a lot of $...
It can also NOT cost a lot of $ should YOU do a little research, planning, and work yourself.
EVERY room has acoustic issues, MOST of us are unaware of, cant hear, dont know exist, yet we think we make tight basslines and kicks. IF that is true, I ask those artists, then why are you paying for a mixing engineer or a mastering engineer to make your music sound good? Are you mixing and mastering yourself but not getting it to sound good, or are you having to work on a mix or master for hours?
This is why... Its like trying to win a formula one race with a pinto.. while competing against others who ARE driving formula one race cars.
Back on track. No pun intended. I want to walk you thru it as if It was our first studio we were going to do together. This is what I would do, should I do a studio tomorrow and you were my partner.
So the studio is 13 ft wide x 13.3 ft deep x 8.4 ft tall. Its a small studio. We will have issues with this room that will require a bit of taming to get a neutral room response. This itself, may be more important than buying GOOD monitors or a sub, or a new pieceof shiny hardware... take into consideration.
This calculator will help us here.
https://www.hunecke.de/en/calculators/room-eigenmodes.html
It will point out our pressure issues within the low freq energy in the room and its placement as it is distributed throughout the room. the mid and high freq energies mathematics and properties are different than the low freqs. This is why foam used for high and mid freq and why 8 inches of compressed rigid fiberglass board or mineralwool is used for low energy. We need inches and inches, heck, feet and feet of basic insulation to compare to specific tested and used design. But we are limited. We cannot compress 30 ft of treatment into a 4 inch thick panel. It just dont work like that.
https://www.hunecke.de/en/calculators/room-acoustics.html will give you an overview of why its important, what what is imporant.
http://arqen.com/bass-traps-101/pla...m_campaign=RoomTreatment-followup&omhide=true this may be a more friendly guide but I think both are essential to understand before spending a single dollar on anything.
Take the time to read all the articles or sections on both sites. both are short and quick to read thru. I got them both done in an hour or two. Its better explained there and I can do here btw.
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