Do you struggle to get your mixes sounding right due to an untreated room?
Acoustically treating your mixing room is essential for accurate monitoring and mix translation.
Let’s dive into the key steps every producer should take to properly treat their studio.
Reduce Sound Reflection
Treating early reflections is one of the most important aspects of acoustic treatment in a mixing room.
When sound waves from monitors and other sources hit flat surfaces like walls, ceilings, and floors, those waves bounce off and travel to the listening position from a different path.
These early reflections interfere with the direct sound from the speaker, causing comb filtering effects and an inaccurate perception of the frequency response in the room.
To reduce detrimental sound reflections, install acoustic panels on the walls, ceiling, and other surfaces surrounding the monitors and listening position.
Acoustic panels are constructed using porous absorptive materials and membranes to both absorb sound energy and provide some diffusion or scattering.
Strategically place panels at the key first reflection points in the room – particularly the side walls adjacent to the monitors, the wall behind the mix position, and the ceiling above the mix position if possible.
Covering these early reflection points with absorption eliminates excessive brightness caused by sound waves bouncing off nearby walls and arriving shortly after the direct sound.
This tightens and focuses both the stereo image and the frequency response.
For most small and medium-sized mixing rooms, acoustic panels with an NRC rating of 0.7 or higher will provide sufficient absorption.
Control Low Frequency Resonance
In addition to addressing reflections, it is critical to control low frequency resonances when acoustically treating a mixing space.
Every room has specific modes associated with its shape and dimensions that resonate excessively at certain low frequencies.
This phenomenon causes uneven bass response characterized by peaks and nulls throughout the frequency spectrum below about 300 Hz.
Mixing in an untreated room with problematic bass modes can result in mixes that sound drastically different when played back in other environments.
To identify troublesome room modes, conduct frequency response measurements throughout the room while playing sine wave test tones.
This reveals the specific frequencies that resonate too much so you can apply targeted acoustic treatment. Low frequencies build up in corners, so place thick bass traps loaded with absorptive material in each corner of the room.
Bass traps absorb excessive low end energy to smooth out the modal response.
For especially narrow notch-type room modes, consider installing Helmholtz resonators, which are tuned to absorb sound energy at their resonant frequency.
Position these at the point in the room with the highest amplitude for the problematic frequency.
Combining corner bass trapping with strategically placed Helmholtz resonators provides thorough control over low end resonances.
Optimize Speaker Placement
The layout of the monitoring system also greatly impacts the acoustic performance of a mixing space.
Poor speaker placement often exacerbates issues with reflections, stereo imaging, and frequency response inaccuracies.
Follow some basic room layout guidelines when positioning studio monitors.
First, adhere to the 38% rule – make sure each speaker sits at least 38% of the distance between one wall and the opposite wall.
This prevents the speakers from aligning with parallel reflection points, helping mitigate comb filtering effects.
Next, create an equilateral triangle between the left speaker, right speaker, and listening position.
Aim both speakers inward so they focus directly at the engineer’s head when seated in the mix position.
This triangular symmetry improveslocalization and creates a more focused center image.
The distance between the listening position and each monitor should roughly equal the distance between the two speakers.
Additionally, isolation pads on speaker stands decouple the monitors from the surface they sit on, reducing unwanted vibration transmission through floors and stands.
Pads with adjustable feet can angle speakers toward the mix position while leveling them.
For the most accurate monitoring possible, position speakers at the engineer’s seated ear height.
This may require tall speaker stands or actual installation of speakers directly into the wall.
Proper elevation alignment allows the mix engineer to hear an accurate and balanced frequency response.
Treat the Listening Position
Just as early reflections can interfere with sound from the monitors, reflections arriving at the mixing engineer’s ears can also degrade monitoring accuracy.
Applying acoustic treatment directly behind the listening position helps absorb some reflections originating from the wall in front of the mix engineer.
Use acoustic panels or bass traps mounted or positioned directly behind the mix position chair or console.
This eliminates reflected coloration from that direction so the engineer hears only the direct sound coming straight from the monitors.
Consider combining this with a large reflection filter positioned above and slightly in front of the mix position.
Reflection filters are angular panels designed to catch sound aimed over the mix engineer’s head from behind and absorb it rather than allowing it to bounce off the wall in front.
Advanced designs may incorporate Helmholtz resonators for additional low frequency control.
For maximum reflection control, construct a full acoustic screen dividing the space between the mix position and the monitors room.
Floor to ceiling panels directly behind and to the sides of the listening area establish an acoustic “shadow” where reflections are dramatically reduced.
This represents the highest level of acoustic isolation during mixing.
Address Windows, Doors, and Parallel Walls
Windows, doors, parallel wall surfaces, HVAC vents, and other openings often contribute significantly to reflection and resonance issues in small mixing rooms.
Sound easily passes through these apertures and exacerbates problems with flutter echoes.
If possible based on ventilation needs, seal HVAC openings with acoustically transparent fabric or additional panels.
Install dense velour curtains over any windows and doors leading outside or to echo-prone spaces.
Curtains help mitigate reflections and resonance coming through these openings.
Ensure curtains extend wall to wall with full overlap and have backing lined with absorptive material for best performance.
Consider dual curtain solutions for extremely problematic windows and doors.
To address problematic room flutter echoes or excessive resonance related to parallel walls, break up these parallel surfaces using diffusive treatments.
While absorption controls distinct reflections, diffusion helps scatter sound in many directions to attenuate flutter echoes.
Place large diffusive panels at reflection points on parallel walls or install them in place of sections of wall or ceiling if remodeling.
Angled or non-parallel walls also help minimize this issue
Conclusion
Properly treating the acoustics in your mixing room can feel overwhelming at first.
However, by methodically addressing reflection points, low frequency control, speaker placement, the mix position, and problem areas like windows and doors, you can dramatically improve your monitoring accuracy.
Follow the guidelines covered here to create a balanced, accurate listening environment that allows your mixes to translate reliably across different playback systems.