Here’s the 4 important things you need to be aware of when you set up your home studio.
What Kind of Room Is It?
The shape and size of your room are a major factor. If you only want to create beats and your room is super small,
then you can get away with just a pair of good headphones. If you want to mix then you probably need a bit more
space and some treatment for your room.
The main problem is that the sound bounces between walls creating unwanted resonances, especially with naked walls.
You have to stop this from happening. You can use professional panels like the red ones from
GIK Acoustics
that you see in our videos.
If you are on a budget then you might consider building your own panels. There are many videos on YouTube on how
to make them. You can even use bookcases at the points of early reflection. Whatever you can use to break up the
sound bouncing from one parallel surface to another is better than working in a room with bare walls.
Wall panels can only address the top end and mids. If you want to stop low-end rumble you’ll need bass traps,
which take significantly more space.
What Speakers To Choose?
If you have a small room then you have to choose small monitors. If you have a bigger room you can get bigger
monitors. What you don’t want is large monitors delivering excessive bass in a room that can’t handle low end.
Where To Place Your Speakers
Ideally, the points where the two speakers and your head are located should form an equilateral triangle.
For example, if you have 1.5m between the two monitors, then you want 1.5m between you and each speaker.
You can use sound panels directly behind the speakers and on the side walls halfway between you and the speakers.
If your room is beyond hope, invest in a good pair of headphones. Our favourite are the Sennheiser HD650.
They are open-back, comfortable, and give a good representation of a mix.
Comfort
Be comfortable. You are going to spend quite a few hours in front of the computer, so make sure you have a
comfortable chair, your arms are rested properly, and your head is positioned correctly between the speakers.
Related link:
StudioDesk Music Commander