Not the first, nor the last basement involved in music:) Techniques Discuss Not the first, nor the last basement involved in music:) in the DJ Forum forums; Hello. My name is Drib, and i am from Bucharest (Romania;|...i want to set up a small music production place in my basement but i am not certain where to ...

[dribbler]

Hello. My name is Drib, and i am from Bucharest (Romania;|...i want to set up a small music production place in my basement but i am not certain where to place the main "event" (i.e. the PC & monitors).

You can see in the pictures below the size of the basement. Here goes the questions:

1. Where should i place the desk so that i can get the best possible acoustics in this given space ?

2. The ventilation isn't as good as in a normal room so there is a slightly higher level of humidity (however this can be improved) . I know this can damage my gear on the long term. How can i improve the situation ? (isolation & stuff ?)

3. The water meter should be "read" by the water supplier's employees once a month and i wanted to set up the "desk" right in front of it (water meter)....I figured i can find a way to let the man "read" the numbers somehow above or below the desk but keeping the acoustics in mind, is this placement option a good choice ?

4. The basement measures 6 meters in length from the furthest wall (yes the one with the all-mighty water meter) to the first stairstep. However....from the first stairstep (lowest one) to the entrance in the basement there is another space of approximately 150 Cm length, and 95 cm wide. Should i add this volume to the "active" (or whatever name it has) space of the room ?

5. Given these facts...which type or which precise model of monitors should i use ?

Thank you in advance, Dribbler.

[Reece Duncan]

fuckin hell, you've spent some time thinking this through haven't you

[dribbler]

Sure as hell...i have a slight problem with the details....and some people find it real proffi...:P

Anyways....the question(s) stil stand(s).

[Reece Duncan]

i don't think you need to be too fussy with regards to where you put your main computer / mixing desk etc. as long as you don't put it on a corner. Personally i'd put a largeish desk, computer etc. on one of the sides. When you put your monitors in it will mean you will have better dispersion from each speaker as there will not be walls very close to stop the sound, so you will get a nice even sound field. Humidity shouldn't be much of an issue, just make sure theres no damp or water in the room or where it could leak in. I personally would sound proof the walls (if you have the money) to give better sound rather than plastering and painting the room which would make it more echoey. If you don't have lots of money the same effect can be acheived by carpeting the walls.

[Jonny]

I would be too scared to go down there nevermind dj there lol. Fair play to ya.

[Chris Powell]

lol Jonny

aye what Reece said though, sounds good to me

[dribbler]

That's strange...just now i talked to another guy who said to put the desk EXACTLY in the corner)....so the sound can reflect in an oblique rather than perpendicular trajectory. He made very much sense...i would appreciate your oppinion as well.

10x Drib.

[tOM]

i wouldn't want my monitors on the side i think the room is too narrow and you'd have to have them well close together hit the stereo, i reckon there would be loads of sound bounce back off the wall as well - not that i'm an expert

i think the best way would be to have the speakers on the wall facing the steps pointing down the room, obviously it would be nice to have the desk and monitor in the middle facing the wall but that would cover the water meter. So why not have the desk and monitor on a side wall - it'doesn't have to between the speakers. I'm sure good speaker positioning would mean it would sound great if you had a swivel chair you could face the speakers anyway. It would probably mean you'd have more space for gear anyway.

I don't know if i'd want to put any of my gear in there though if it's as humid/damp as it looks

[Psyfx]

i wud defs get this little room sound proofed if u have the cash, and for the pc..... i wud put it on a side wall, i wudnt bother puting it near the water meter, also about the damp or hum.... aint there little machines to take out the damp of a room???... anyways keep us informed to see how u go. gud look mate

[dribbler]

It isn't so humid in there as you might imagine....there is no water on the floor or on the walls for that matter....the only humidity present it's in the air...and that can be easily reduced by isolating the basement...let me worry about that. The main question is....should i place the desk in front of the water meter (and of course have the water meter moved from there) or in another location ?

[Reece Duncan]

i was just saying that being on the side wall would give you the greatest dispersion from the speakers. There wouldn't be any problem with echo if the room was soundproofed or carpeted. What the bloke was saying about being in the corner does apply is some respects but wouldn't effect you in that envoronment. If you're in a big room like a village hall or somewhere DJing where it's echoey and your behind the speakers like in most cases, then the sound will just bounce off the back wall and you would hear the echo (annoying for djing). If you then angle the speakers slightly so they're firing into the opposite corner then the sound will bounce diagonaly out of the corners and doesn't fire directly back to you, resulting in a much reduced echo. This sounds to me something like what the guy you mentioned was talking about. You don't have this problem as much if you are in front of the speakers and in a studio environment where it is carpeted etc. there shouldn't be an issue.

[dribbler]

so you say that 1,82 m are enough for me to hear the mix well (if isolated corectly)?

off-topic PS: i just added you on MYSPACE (dribblerfx)

[Chris Powell]

How did you get on with this dribbler?