Distance between monitors.

[Armistice]

I'm working through options for the new recording space up north, which will be in a bedroom. Needs a desk, obviously. Said bedroom also has to contain my WFH office space, so I'm thinking, from what's easily available and doesn't involve carpentry that a couple of same brand office desks of various widths, side by side, might do.

For instance I can probably fit a 1.8m desk and a 1.2m desk side by side against a wall, which would provide ample space, I'd hope, for the studio gear on the 1.8m section and the WFH laptop and screen on the 1.2m section. Anything could go anywhere, I'll just have legs in the way at some point.

Got me thinking about where the monitor speakers would sit in such an arrangement... so how far apart, centre to centre, are your monitors?

My current set up is so flawed I don't want to think about the distance I'm using there which is 2m plus media desk in a corridor. What are you doing? Pics good too, if you can be bothered.

[Tadpui]

My current speakers are 40" apart from each other (on center), fitting immediately outside of my 21:9 computer monitor. And I'm 40" away from each of them, which preserves the recommended equilateral triangle setup. My now-retired 2nd pair of monitors were about 60" apart from each other when I had them set up. I can't say that I ever felt that they were too far apart, even at that distance.

My thought on the matter is that as long as you still get that "phantom speaker" effect, where anything panned dead center sounds like its coming from an imaginary point in space right in front of you, then you're in good shape with the distance between speakers.

[rayc]

As I'm using an old TV for a monitor the speakers are a TV apart, (the aerial signal receiver thing died so it was a case of using something that was 80% good)..
They were the same distance apart when I was using dual monitors though.
The equilateral triangle thing works for me as the desk is deep though I do have to sit upright for proper effect.
Basically you can sort your distance apart by starting from your sitting position and working the triangle from that apex: i.e. how deep your desk is will determine the measurements for the rest.
I've just been in my space today sorting 1st reflection points and placing book cases, (soon to be filled with a variety of book sizes), rather than foam, in those spots as diffusers rather than absorbers.

[JD01]

I actually measured how far my ears are off the floor when I'm sitting in my chair then built my monitor stands to be the right height. I think they're about 2m apart.

[Greg_L]

My thought on the matter is that as long as you still get that "phantom speaker" effect, where anything panned dead center sounds like its coming from an imaginary point in space right in front of you, then you're in good shape with the distance between speakers.

This ^^^^^^^^^

My speakers are about 52 inches apart center-to-center.

[WhiskeyJack]

Hmmmmm.

Mine might be way to close together. Shit. I don't get much of a phantom speaker at all and i think they are only about 40" apart cen of tweeter to cen of tweeter. When i set them up I followed the equilateral triangle rule of thumb but only really had the room to have them about that 40" apart. I have to lean back usually to get that phantom speaker shit going and even then i'm never inlove with how my vocals sit / pop or my kick snare.

I may have to go back to the drawing board.

[Armistice]

Ok, interesting... thanks guys.

I've always known that mine, currently at each end of the in-built media desk, were too far apart, but it was the least of my concerns at the time.

Sounds like I may be able to get a slightly smaller desk set up, depending upon what I have to put on the desk. The desks I'm thinking of buying will have a bit more depth than my current media desk too, so that will help too.

[JD01]

In reality mine are probably a bit far apart. I roll back from my desk quite a long way for critical listening.

[vomitHatSteve]

I actually spent some time last week trying to dial in my "phantom speaker". A cable was loose, so my right speaker was significantly louder.

I sit mine about 40"/100cm apart because that's how wide my screens are. I probably don't sit far enough back, but it seems to work for me?