tips for setting up small room for mixing?

[oinkbanana]

So i've got a 10'X9' room that I can use for my music needs at home.. and it's time i set it up to do some decent mixing.
i've tried a few different set ups but still am not satisfied.
the main inconsistencies that prevent me from centring myself are an open doorway in the corner and a big curtain separating living room.
right now i'm set up as a 6' equilateral triangle against the hallway wall and this leaves a big gap on my right side.


any ideas?
how big of a triangle should I be forming?
what size should my monitors be for this tiny room. (right now i'm using Yorkville YSM1p)

[Derelict78]

How in depth do you want to get with this? Do you have to consider others living in this space? How much $ can you to spend?

[dubkitty]

boy, that's an immensely inconvenient room arrangement.

[dubkitty]

logically, i'd go with the wall opposite the hallway, with the speakers about six feet apart centered in the wall. given that long expanse of curtain, it'd probably be wise to hang some blankets or quilts on the wall on the closet side ot the room to deaden it so you don't have an imbalance between one reflective drywall side and one dead curtain wall. i'd sit in a wheeled chair and scoot back and forth between about 3 and 6 feet from the speakers, spending more time closer; most people don't sit in a equilateral array from their speakers any more. and if i had a piece of drywall to cover that open hallway door i'd do so, to keep the sound from echoing in the hallway and giving me false results.

[oinkbanana]

How in depth do you want to get with this? Do you have to consider others living in this space? How much $ can you to spend?

dig in.
I need to have some consideration on my mixing levels for my neighbours,, but mixing at reasonable 85db isn't a problem (i probably mix at 80db-82db regularly anyways). G

so far i've planned to get a door to the hallway to close that off.
I'm thinking of putting the speakers against the curtain wall, so the dead space of the living room is behind the speakers instead of causing a void to one side.
I've got a book case to put against the closet wall to use as a diffuser behind me
and getting three foam baffles, to cut the first direct reflections off the hallway wall, outside wall and the ceiling.
aiming for a 6-8ft triangle. I have stands for the speakers and can put my desk in the middle of the room.
maybe look into some Bass traps too...

I can budget 1500$ for better monitors too.
i've been mixing on these yorkville's for 10years. i know them, but i also know i can do much better.
Is a 6.5" woofer might be too big for my tiny room?
I've been recommended Adam A7x (which aren't smaller, but have better control at lower levels apparently), or told to consider the smaller Adam A5x
but I don't like the adams. I much prefer getting some Dynaudio.. are the BM6Amk2 gonna be too big? BM5A?

[Derelict78]

so far i've planned to get a door to the hallway to close that off.
I'm thinking of putting the speakers against the curtain wall, so the dead space of the living room is behind the speakers instead of causing a void to one side.
I've got a book case to put against the closet wall to use as a diffuser behind me
and getting three foam baffles, to cut the first direct reflections off the hallway wall, outside wall and the ceiling.
aiming for a 6-8ft triangle. I have stands for the speakers and can put my desk in the middle of the room.
maybe look into some Bass traps too...

THIS is what I was thinking. good Idea to use a book case as a diffuser! Are there windows in the room? if so you will want to try to get them to rattle and than fix the rattling also fit a baffle into it. Is your floor carpeted? do you have acoustic tiles on the celling? If not you will need some rugs and some baffles and diffusers on the celling.

I can budget 1500$ for better monitors too.
i've been mixing on these yorkville's for 10years. i know them, but i also know i can do much better.
Is a 6.5" woofer might be too big for my tiny room?
I've been recommended Adam A7x (which aren't smaller, but have better control at lower levels apparently), or told to consider the smaller Adam A5x
but I don't like the adams. I much prefer getting some Dynaudio.. are the BM6Amk2 gonna be too big? BM5A?

use a monitor that you like to listen to, that your favorite music sounds great on. I use Yamaha HS50M but that is what I used in school and that is what I have grown accustomed to. I have no Idea what the dynaudio's or the yorkvilles's sound like. Higher priced or the best reviews dont always equate to best for you or your room. set your room up with the monitors you have and see/listen how they work. Oddly enough the best tool I have used for mixing is a shitty boom box that I know exactly what music should sound like through (have have had it for 15 years) Also my car stereo. If you mix sounds good in your car or on your home stereo/boom box it will sound good anywhere.

[oinkbanana]

no windows.
I've moved things around last night (I've got way too much stuff in that room :rolleyes" )
but i managed to lay things out with as much symmetry as possible, and get everything below speaker height.

as for monitors, i'm VERY familiar with my yorkvilles. been using them for close to 10 years now. I've hesitated to change them exactly for the reasons you pointed out. but as a 400$ pair, i'm sure they're lacking in some areas and I might as well try to capitalize on some semi-permanent changes to change the monitors too (I'll probably use this room for the next 3-4 years). I'll still keep them as a secondary pair.

tomorrow i get a door and some heavy moving blankets.
I'll see if i can take some pictures...

[sylnau]

That's a nice project... Make me wish I have a house.