Sit stand desk - monitors on floor stands, or on [stands on] the desk?

[Hugh Robjohns]

The image is difficult to read, but it appears to me that the side panels are 4-inches thick and spaced with a four-inch gap from the wall, which is a very practical approach. Most of the acoustic reach of 8-inch traps without the weight!

There also appear to be 6-inch deep panels on the rear wall, and even deeper full-height bass traps in the front corners (although I'm not clear if there are corner chunks behind the corner panels).

[RichardT]

The image is difficult to read, but it appears to me that the side panels are 4-inches thick and spaced with a four-inch gap from the wall, which is a very practical approach. Most of the acoustic reach of 8-inch traps without the weight!

There also appear to be 6-inch deep panels on the rear wall, and even deeper full-height bass traps in the front corners (although I'm not clear if there are corner chunks behind the corner panels).

I think it’s basically a good design Hugh, don’t get me wrong, I’m just encouraging Dan to deploy his extra panels! In my experience it really is the more the merrier, especially close to the speakers and reflection points.

[Dan B]

Thanks both.

Yes, currently it's 4" panels with 4" gaps on the side walls and for the clouds. I can see the sense in doubling up first reflections with spare panels.

Rear wall is 6" with 6" gaps. Front corners are floor to ceiling 6" panels across the corners (with duvets behind).

I also have a few tall (c. 155cm) 4" panels. I'll need to get testing with REW and experiment with SBIR. The 38% listening formula suggests the (front of the) speakers should be 73cm from the front wall. I could put the tall panels behind the speakers ... But the other option would be to push the whole setup towards the front wall (closest would be about 45-50cm) and use those tall panels in front of the corner traps, so they'd be effectively 10" of treatment, with a gap (and a duvet) behind.

[Dan B]

P.S. Rear wall corner chuncks are just small 40cm triangles in the upper tri-corners - but there isn't really room for anything else back there!

[Drew Stephenson]

Can you do anything at the wall/ceiling corners?

[Dan B]

I think I'm pretty maxed out in terms of what will practically/sensible fit in the space, though I'm working on seeing if I can get bigger tri-corner traps at the top of the back wall; I can also in-fill (back fill) some of the front floor to ceiling corners traps more with rockwool.

It's certainly sounding significantly better than it did in the previous room, which had exactly the same treatment, and was basically the same size (though had a 40cm lower ceiling). I think the main difference is that I'm able to position panels much more optimally here, though I'm sure the extra ceiling height, non-parallel side wall and less solid walls are helping too (the previous place was a loft conversion, but professionally soundproofed).

Will be interesting to see how it measures in REW ...

[Dan B]

Still very much a work in progress and in need of a tidy up, but here are some quick snaps of where I've got to with this in case that helps anyone, or anyone has suggestions:







It's ended up really very close to the original design (though I've yet to set up the "mic" area to the left of the desk):






There is a large, pull-out secondary desk surface (on heavy duty draw runners attached to the higher desktop) which holds keyboard, monitor controller, mouse, etc - which facilitates optimal listener positioning (and creates more desk space, as well as maybe helping a bit with desk reflection). It's almost like the main desk surface is the monitor bridge for speakers and screens.

Monitors speakers are on IsoAcoustics stands on the sit/stand desk itself. Tempted to experiment by sand filling the IsoAcoustics hollow tubes - at least one user report that this made a big difference (though I don't think IsoAcoustics particularly endorsed it, if memory serves - or perhaps they dodged the question, I forget!).

I've yet to optimise positioning (fortunately, the whole desk is on wheels, so it's easy to tweak) or play with software EQ curves for sitting vs standing. I may be able to squeeze in some more treatment (and perhaps treat the desk or include some angled sections on it), but first I want to run some room analysis tests to see what needs the most attention.

[Eddy Deegan]

That's a lovely looking space Dan

[Luke W]

Agreed, great work! It also puts my mind at ease about the amount of instrument cases gathering in my studio

[Dan B]

Thanks both!

Yes, I'm working hard testing the hypothesis "It's impossible to have too many guitars". (And there are more that I can't even fit in the studio ... yikes ... ) It's tough work, but someone's got to do it ...

[Drew Stephenson]

Cracking job sir!

And no, there's no such thing as too many guitars.

[Martin Walker]

Wow - that's a lovely place in which to to work Dan. Bravo!

[Arpangel]

Nice set-up, but I’m always surprised at how close the main monitors are in some studios, I find it very difficult to get a good sense of the stereo imaging if they are too close, it all seems to go too narrow, where I can only detect extreme stereo information, I don’t have this equilateral triangle thing, I have to speakers at least 7/8 feet apart.

[Dan B]

Thanks all for the kind words. Yes, very fortunate blessed with a lovely space. If only I could spend more time working on music in it, rather than merely working ... ! Hopefully those days will come (again).

Tweeters are about 140cm / 5'7" apart. No issues at all with stereo imaging (that I can detect) - possibly due to the amount of treatment, though I also typically sit quite more forward (90-100cm) than an equilateral listening triangle dictates; but have the option to pull the lower desk out so I can sit exactly in the technical sweet spot and still have access to controllers/keys/mouse, etc.

[MarkOne]

Nice set-up, but I’m always surprised at how close the main monitors are in some studios, I find it very difficult to get a good sense of the stereo imaging if they are too close, it all seems to go too narrow, where I can only detect extreme stereo information, I don’t have this equilateral triangle thing, I have to speakers at least 7/8 feet apart.

I always thought Stereo, as developed by Blumlein et al at EMI was hard physics, but I recently heard that there is a lot of Psychoacoustics going on, and there are people that just can’t determine an accurate soundstage from two speakers at all. So I’m not surprised that there is a spectrum of capability in this regard.

[Arpangel]

Nice set-up, but I’m always surprised at how close the main monitors are in some studios, I find it very difficult to get a good sense of the stereo imaging if they are too close, it all seems to go too narrow, where I can only detect extreme stereo information, I don’t have this equilateral triangle thing, I have to speakers at least 7/8 feet apart.

I always thought Stereo, as developed by Blumlein et al at EMI was hard physics, but I recently heard that there is a lot of Psychoacoustics going on, and there are people that just can’t determine an accurate soundstage from two speakers at all. So I’m not surprised that there is a spectrum of capability in this regard.

Stereo has always been a bit like maths to me, I just don’t get it, apart from when it’s Jack Demanio saying "and now, I’m talking to you from the left speaker"