Are Your Speakers Where They Belong?

If I told you there was a way that you could instantly improve the sound of your speakers, help you get better mixes faster, and it would cost you nothing to do, would you believe me?  Well, you’re in for some good news today folks. Get ready to do some rearranging!

Via Dave Dugdale Flickr

Your Speakers Take Priority

If you want the most out of your speakers, then do yourself a favor and put them in the absolute best spot in your room. This may sound obvious, but believe me, people put their speakers in just about every place BUT the right spot. And it’s wreaking havoc on home studio mixes.

I know it’s not convenient, but you need to rearrange your room so that your speakers take priority. There is likely only one ideal spot for your mixing desk (and your speakers) to reside and everything else needs to be worked around this. If you’re serious about getting great sound out of your studio then trust me on this. It’s worth the hassle.
 

Taking Center Stage

The absolute best place for your speakers is in the center of your room. No, I don’t mean the actual center of the room, but rather the center of one of your walls. Most people keep their desk in a corner for space saving reasons and I get that. But it’s time to grow up and move your desk to the center of your wall, preferably the shortest wall of your room.

What this is going to do is actually balance out your room reflections. Whether your room is acoustically treated or not, you likely have sound reflecting off of your walls and ceiling. The worst thing you could want is unbalanced, uneven reflections hitting you at different times. In essence smearing your sound. By centering your desk along the wall, you’ll be sure that each reflection is at least symmetrical. This one move alone can make mixing easier!

Reduce Bass Buildup

The other benefit to moving your desk away from a corner is that you will reduce unnecessary bass frequency buildup. Bass likes to hang out in corners and this will amplify what you think you’re hearing in your mix. Big problem, because now you’re going to turn down the bass in your DAW because you think you’re hearing enough in your room. In fact you are.

By moving your desk out to the center you’ll get a more natural bass response. This instantly helps you make more accurate bass mixing decisions. Thus reducing the number of trips to the car when mix tweaking. Happy clap for that!

Make The Change

If you don’t already have your speakers in the center of your room against a wall, go do it today. Make the effort to change your mixing position. This one simple (and free!) step alone can help you mix with greater confidence and speed. No room is perfect. Acoustic treatment will help. But speaker position is critical regardless. Do it. Your mixes deserve it.