HELP laying out my new space NEEDED!

[rayc]

Hello folks,
My new space is about half of my previous.
It's 3.2 x 4.15m with ceiling at 2.5m.
The storage space at the end is 1.3 x 1.8 and the same height.
It's a brick rectangular prism lined with Gyprock/sheetrock and a timber ceiling, cheap fake wood flooring and it's quite reflective at present.
The windows a 1.4m from the floor.
As shown in the elevation the room is partially/mostly underground.
No AC but a large ceiling fan centered.
Where do I set up the mixing station?

outer wall elevation.png

recording room plan.png

[SweetDan]

The general rule I've read and use is that for mixing you want your ears roughly on a line that's 1/3 the longer dimension of a rectangular room. I.e., about 1/3 of the room would be in front of you, and about 2/3 behind you. You'd be facing either the closet (walk in "ward"robe?) or the wall opposite it, and the longer, 4.15m walls to your sides. Then you'd position your monitors in front of you and in an equilateral triangle with your head. (I'm assuming you'll have a desk of some sort to sit at in all this.)

Taking your second image as a template, the green circle would be your head position. The red line splits the length of the room in thirds, with 1/3 in front and 2/3 behind you. The brown rectangle could be your desk, and the black rectangles your monitors. (They should be angled in towards your head, of course, but using MSPaint I don't think it's possible to rotate shapes...instead you can have this crude drawing. )

oneThirdDistanceLayout.png

[CeeBee]

That wardrobe would make a great vocal booth lined with drapes or acoustic foam. Make some bass traps and stick them in the corners and lay a carpet on about a third of the floor so as to have variations in brightness. I would put the desk in one corner to make the most of the available space. If you have bass traps set up it won't make much difference where you put your mixing desk.

Ray's dive.png

[CrowsofFritz]

I wouldn’t use the closet as a vocal booth. Vocal booths offer no benefits in terms of sound. In fact, it could sound worse. The reason vocal booths even existed back then was to isolate the singer from the rest of the band. Studios today have them for contingencies and tradition, but they don’t offer anything good. I’ve been seeing more and more videos of live recordings where the singers are in the tracking room.

I would use the closet to store your mics, stands, cables, etc.

[Greg_L]

I wouldn’t use the closet as a vocal booth. Vocal booths offer no benefits in terms of sound. In fact, it could sound worse. The reason vocal booths even existed back then was to isolate the singer from the rest of the band. Studios today have them for contingencies and tradition, but they don’t offer anything good. I’ve been seeing more and more videos of live recordings where the singers are in the tracking room.

I would use the closet to store your mics, stands, cables, etc.

Yes, this ^^^^^

Also, many pro "vocal booths" are actually as big as your room. Don't let the word "booth" fool you. They're not closets.

I'd put the mixing desk under the "3.2m" window, or whatever that short wall is opposite the closet.

[JD01]

Rays Room.JPG

Certainly get a massive rug for the floor - maybe even carpet it.

I'd love to have a room that size and shape with a store-cupboard at the end.

I understand that having your head 1/3 of the way down the room might be ideal. But practical considerations... you're setting yourself up to work in a relatively small room, you want to maximise your use of space.

You could even put your cab in the closet at the end which would increase in your floor space even more.

You've inspired me, Ray. I'm gonna tidy my room up.

[Tadpui]

It looks like you've got some great advice here, Ray. I think that JD's drawing sums up my take on it as well (although the ceiling cloud would also be placed at a first reflection point).

Now that I've moved into a few different rooms in the last several years, I think that the first thing I'd do is experiment. Before the room gets loaded down with stuff and while there's still room to move things around, I'd set up the desk, speakers, and listening position and just listen to some music. Focus on the low end of mixes, mainly. Then try moving things farther from the wall, closer to the wall, etc and see if there's a spot where it sounds more balanced. Flip it around entirely and see how that sounds. Experimenting will never be easier than now, before the room gets filled with stuff

[WhiskeyJack]

Rays Room.JPG

Certainly get a massive rug for the floor - maybe even carpet it.

I'd love to have a room that size and shape with a store-cupboard at the end.

I understand that having your head 1/3 of the way down the room might be ideal. But practical considerations... you're setting yourself up to work in a relatively small room, you want to maximise your use of space.

You could even put your cab in the closet at the end which would increase in your floor space even more.

You've inspired me, Ray. I'm gonna tidy my room up.

This one.

But try to not to look as miserable as JD makes you appear to be @rayc . It's a new house and new room in a new town. turn that frown upside down comrade!!!

In a perfect world if you were to take a mirrored version of @SweetDan sketch and combine it into JDs, that would, by textbook standards, be the most ideal. However, rooms are too small these days and to have your listening position that far back is largely wasted space in a DIY sense. If your room was double the size then yes i would say make use of it and explore but it just doesn't make any kind of practical sense to work with what you have available.

Also this video by someone we know goes into that a little bit if i recall the vid correctly.



Apologies if i am putting words into your mouth @Tadpui it's been ages since i have watched this video and if it wasn't you then it was somewhere else that i had read or watched someone discuss that the third of the way back "rule" isn't ideal for a lot of basement dwelling DIY'rs, despite it's well established track record for being best practice.

[Greg_L]

(although the ceiling cloud would also be placed at a first reflection point).

I agree with this. ^^^^

[JD01]

(although the ceiling cloud would also be placed at a first reflection point).

I agree with this. ^^^^

Sorry, guys... I know my drawings are fairly high quality but I wasn't intending them to be used as construction drawings - I should probably have written "Not To Scale" on it.

[Tadpui]

Sorry, guys... I know my drawings are fairly high quality but I wasn't intending them to be used as construction drawings - I should probably have written "Not To Scale" on it.

Although @WhiskeyJack is right...Ray does look rather unhappy in the drawing. Maybe also add a note that it's not representative of Ray's current emotional state

[WhiskeyJack]

I agree with this. ^^^^

Sorry, guys... I know my drawings are fairly high quality but I wasn't intending them to be used as construction drawings - I should probably have written "Not To Scale" on it.

As some one who does this for a living, yes, you should have.

Can you also fix rays mouth and issue a revision.

Regards,
Shannon.

[Greg_L]

I don't know, Ray is getting wonderfully crankier in his old age so I think that's an accurate representation of the guy.

[rayc]

I don't know, Ray is getting wonderfully crankier in his old age so I think that's an accurate representation of the guy.

You should see me today!
Yes folks, small room problems but I may arrange something so I can pull the desk away from the wall when seriously mixing.The room is already FULL with stuff stacked as it came from the truck: I'll have to empty it to start anyway.
THANKS FOLKS.

[Tadpui]

You should see me today!
Yes folks, small room problems but I may arrange something so I can pull the desk away from the wall when seriously mixing.The room is already FULL with stuff stacked as it came from the truck: I'll have to empty it to start anyway.
THANKS FOLKS.

We love our cranky cantankerous Ray

I hope the move was successful and not too stressful on the two of you. Tensions can run high, tempers can flare (just ask me how I know ). I hope you get to take a breather and relax for a bit before diving into the stuffed-full music room.

[Armistice]

I'll be having this conversation too with you all soon...

Capture.PNG

I've already staked out the studio room, as marked. It'll be carpeted (brand new, after I get the place painted.. )

I'll be doing vocals in the Living area, however. Also carpeted. I've chosen that room of the two obvious possibilities as there's no window on the west (cooler) and it has a slightly bigger wardrobe - or so it appears on the spec.

Have about zero idea what I'm going to sit everything ON yet though. Studio at the apartment is on a built in media desk. I'll have to get a slab of wood from somewhere, and something to sit it on.

And it has to double as my WFH office AND sleeping quarters for overflow guests, so there'll be a 2.5 seater sofa bed (2.0m wide) in it somewhere as well that will have to be expandable without moving anything. All to be decided... Still 5 weeks away from even getting in the door.