Room setup, ergonomically and acoustically (sketch inside)

[Loudyman]

Hello,
I just want your opinion on my room, I think I've found the best ratio between acoustic and ergonomics, but I still have some doubts on several things, can you help me please ?

So, in that room, I want to stack up two displays (27"), like this :http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/2264/sfrontview.png, to preserve the sweet spot, but the problem is that they will not line up with my audio monitors, see this picture, top view : http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/1...ewdistance.png .

I've made another view to show the "dead spot" (area in red) :http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/3596/stopview.png.
And another one to show the side :http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/4236/sideview.png.
As you can see, the audio monitors are easily viewable on the sides...

Do you think I will encounter troubles with stereo imaging, (early) reflections, and comb filtering with this setup ?

Thank you in advance,
Loudy.

[RegenerationMix]

Hi, i think most people would set the monitors side by side. I have two 21 in monitors and i wouldnt want to stack them and look up to the top one. 27s would put the top one too high for me to look up at for long periods of time. Looking up at the top monitor stacked might tire your neck after hours of session work. Most will have both monitors side by side head height so its not fatiguing.

Also a side by side setup will put the screens closer to your line of sight for editing and small button stuff in the software like transfuser. Having the top monitor up and further than the lower one may cause you problems. Unless the top one is in line of sight and the lower one is down below your line of sight

Sound wise, as long as the monitors arent blocking the line to the speakers and they are the same distance apart as from your chair, your stereo sound should be fine.

just my opinion. Its a nice setup none the less. Good luck with it.

Chris

[albee1952]

Just my observations; I also prefer side by side. I run a pair of 22", but the distance you will have would make me also go 26 or 27". I do have a pair of 24" LCD's at home that are stacked, but I only do it as my desk won't allow a side by side setup there. As for your "dead" zone, I would not call it dead as the dispurtion of your speakers will be wider than what you drew, at least at lower frequencies. What speakers will you run? The ideal for nearfileds is an equilateral triangle which will place the speakers at the same distance from your head as they are from each other. So you may be able to have the speakers a bit closer, or the screens a bit further

Having said all that, I also work on a C24 setup at another studio and, since the C24 sort of takes the place of the MIX window, we run a single 32" 1080P LCD TV in the center, with the speakers on either side, spread out a bit(smaller speakers inside and Genelecs outboard). We do keep a 20" display off to the side for Melodyne(I move that screen onto the furniture, just to the right of the C24). The 32" 1080 P looks great at this distance.

[Loudyman]

Hey, thank you guys !

Indeed, a side by side setup would have been ideal, but as Albee said, the distance compels me to use a bigger display;
I've thought to a TV as well, but I should use a 47" or 52", (for a distance of about 1,6 meters), and in this situation, I couldn't use a second display in front of me....
(or a complete LCD wall ? )

It's why I thought to stack smaller displays with the top one centered at eyes' height (top of the display at 20cm max higher) and the lower one well below.
(about 1 screen + 1/2 screen below the line of sight...).

I've tried in a real situation with a "paper screen" , and it seems OK..., or at least , the best compromise....
The desk with the C24 will be lower than normal.

Because, unfortunately, my speakers (ADAM S5xV), are considered as midfield or main monitors, and a distance of about 2 meters is recommended, and in my case, (sketch), I have the minimal distance, i.e.: 1,8 meters and an equilateral triangle of this dimension.... so I can't move them more...

But now, if the impact on the sound is too significant, I think I'll give up this beautiful idea, ergonomics loses the fight against acoustic

[Loudyman]

Well..., I don't know what to do, I've tried other solutions but none is as good as this one... (ergonomically)

Any help, please ?

[hjorte]

Originally Posted by Loudyman

Do you think I will encounter troubles with stereo imaging, (early) reflections, and comb filtering with this setup ?

In theory, there will be reflections, caused by the desk and in particular the LCD's. But the question is if it's a problem to you. Maybe your layout is the best trade off - having the loudspeakers farther away in a perfect triangle to your ears.

The only way to reduce the reflections is to move the loudspeakers forward, in line with the LCD's, thereby creating a much smaller triangle (because you would have to move the loudspeakers more towards the center too, to maintain a proper triangle). This only works well with small baffle loudspeakers with good dispersion.

You seem thorough, so why not setup the loudspeakers and make an A-B test, with and without the LCD's? One thing is for sure - if the loudspeakers were singers and your head the recording microphone, you would get rid of the LCD's in an instant. But give it a real life test.

Oh, about the "red, dead area"... why mention it? I don't see it having any relevance here at all.

[Loudyman]

Originally Posted by hjorte

You seem thorough, so why not setup the loudspeakers and make an A-B test, with and without the LCD's? One thing is for sure - if the loudspeakers were singers and your head the recording microphone, you would get rid of the LCD's in an instant. But give it a real life test.

Oh, about the "red, dead area"... why mention it? I don't see it having any relevance here at all.

Thanks hjorte for the help,
I should buy them first to make a real test... (for the moment I only have an old spare LCD )
But with what you're telling me, it seems that it's not a good starting point...

Concerning the "dead area", it's simply a mistake (overtiredness )

I'm still working on it...

[albee1952]

Personally, since you have the C24, I would go with a single screen(the C24 can take the place of the MIX window). A 42" LCD at 1080P should be plenty, unless you want to move it father away than the meter bridge of the C24(that's where I view a 32" 1080P TV and it looks fine, so a 42 should be equally fine at another foot back). You could use any old flat screen off to one side for plugins or Melodyne.