Wall or corner listening placement?

[philbrown]

My little project studio has outgrown itself and I'm wanting to have room for at least one other person, so I'm faced with rearranging it. Right now everything is huddled in the middle of the room with walkways around the walls, which is great for wiring and access, but leaves me just a small cockpit area in the middle. Here's a pic if you want to get a visual:
http://idisk.mac.com/doctorvague/Public ... tudio1.jpg
(sorry about the ego shot - it was for a modular synth board and the only one I had handy)
Now I need to shove everything to the walls to make more room for humans in the middle space, and lose the cockpit thing. My question is this: generally speaking, of the two, which is acoustically preferable: corner placement of the listening spot or against a side wall?
TIA
Phil

[Kubi]

wall. corners are bass traps. keep everything as symmetrical as possible, so that everything to your left is a mirror image of everything on your right.

Great general info on this topic on sites like auralex and ethan winer. google will get you there.

[philbrown]

Thanks Kubi, that's what I had vaguely recalled, just wanted to make sure and figured someone here would know. I thought about googling but didn't know how to narrow down the question. Forgot about Ethan Winer - I've read his stuff in the past and even have some printed out somewhere...
Still painting the studio (while I can access the walls) so this won't be an issue for a few days. Then the fun begins We've moved a bunch of times in the last few years and seems like all I do is studio placement and wiring. Never gets any easier. My main problem is always the classic "10 pounds of sh*t in a five pound sack" as dad used to say

[mandobilly64]

You would probably also want the monitors facing the longest direction (length between walls) if the room is rectangular in shape that is.

Peace,
Billy

[philbrown]

You would probably also want the monitors facing the longest direction (length between walls) if the room is rectangular in shape that is.

Peace,
Billy

Indeed. Luckily, that's the only way it will work anyway
Thanks
Phil

[monkey man]

That is fortunate, Phil; I've had to go with the short one myself.

[SixStringGeek]

I like your power distribution solution - I'm gonna have to build me one of them.

[twistedtom]

It looks like that is the best placement for them and it looks like an equal triangle with the same distanced on all sides.
Do you use that door? Lots of nice knobs and gadgets.

[philbrown]

Thanks guys. I built that power system long ago and it's served me well through a bunch of moves, etc. I spread out the 4-plex boxes with short iron pipes separating them which makes it much easier to deal with any wall warts. I used a very heavy duty DPDT switch and at one point had it fed off 2 different wall circuits, one circuit feeding half the outlets and one feeding the other, but all switched from the same switch - extremely handy. Both circuits need to be on the same leg of the 240 though if you do something like that. I'll spare the technical details.

I LOVE my modular gear. I'm selling off some of this stuff and moving into a physically bigger system which is part of the motivation for my question. The cockpit approach is cool, but not for everything

http://synthesizers.com/studio66.html

Yes I do use that door - it opens on to our deck and 4 acres of backyard and about 200 more adjoining ranch land that's very much like a nature reserve with mountains and the Gila National Forest as a backdrop. I was just watching some javelina and deer this morning. The studio isn't big, but you can't beat the setting and views!! Back to studio painting - sigh

[philbrown]

Studio placement is always such a problem for me. I was just thinking it would be ever so much easier if the studio had no doors. But I guess that poses some problems too, unless you want to descend into it from a hole in the ceiling like Ceiling Cat.


Now excuse me while I find other ways to procrastinate my paint job...

[HCMarkus]

Sounds like your studio door may be a perfect bass trap... no traffic, except for the occasional passing javelina. Nice! Your studio brings new meaning to the old phrase "where the deer and the antelope play". I wonder... is it keys or guitar?

In my new studio, I am trying to stay away form the cockpit approach, as a more accessible layout tends to encourage clients and musicians to get in on the process, and involved customers make for repeat bookings. I will be mounting computer monitors on a pneumatic arm to allow flexibility in viewing when mixing vs editing vs tracking. The coolest arms ever are these ones: http://www.lcdarms.com I'll be hanging two monitors off an Arc Mount suspended by a single arm. I was looking at those beautiful Argosy desks, but they are expensive, and quite large for an in-the-box guy like me. My solution: Ikea steel legs and frame and a custom tabletop carrying forth that "studio feel". I built my last desk, so I know I can do it again and get exactly what I want!

Back to your initial question: Although I would concur with what is being said here, i.e. "go with the wall placement," I have heard some excellent corner-oriented studios over the years. But don't bury yourself too deep into the corner, and maintain symmetry as much as possible. Now, get back to your painting!

[philbrown]

Those arms are a good idea! Never thought of doing that. Going up against a wall - or corner that becomes a practical solution.

Still not painting,
Phil

[monkey man]

Great snapshot, Phil. Kitty's a cutie.

[philbrown]

Great snapshot, Phil. Kitty's a cutie.

Oh it's not mine - Celing Cat is quite famous:



along with Chairman Meow:



Obey the Kitty!

[monkey man]

Crikey! Technology, eh? Gotta get into this new-fangled nonsense one day.