Bass management has come to Bent 6!
After much internal debate, I added a subwoofer. Why would this be a problem? Most of the rooms I've been in which use subwoofers utilize them as "exciters" for the client. "That sounds AWESOME!" Of course, they've done this with absolutely no regard for accuracy. Generally they'll turn them off while mixing and leave it to their experiences in the room (and mastering, if the project can afford it) to get the bass right.
After reading Floyd Toole's text (see the earlier post) I realized that I could work within the limitations of the room and by controlling placement, I could achieve an accurate monitoring situation.
The addition of the sub (an Emotiva Ultra Sub 10 - fantastic for the money, by the way) and setting up bass management has allowed me to get reasonably flat monitoring in a room that according to the classical acoustics texts (Bolt et. al.) shouldn't be a great monitoring room.
Rather than try to make for accurate sound throughout the room, I set it up to be accurate where people listen. To do this required precise placement of speakers and the sub in the room, not to mention the console/listening position. Basically, I utilized a knowledge of the natural resonant frequencies in the room and where the nodes should be to determine placement. It was a bit of a trick to find the places where the monitors should reside that could provide good placement for listening as well (not to mention the symmetry needed for 5.1 monitoring). I should add that the continuously variable phase control on the Emotiva made this relatively painless. I finished off with just a bit of subtractive EQ to tame down a resonance or two and to flatten the response from speaker to speaker.
The results? Stunning. Measurements have found that the room is as accurate as a famous studio in town with a $60,000+ monitoring system. I've seen the charts from that room and know exactly how they set them up. My measurement charts are just as accurate. Of course, I can't play nearly as loud, but I can run my room easily to 105-110 dB SPL-C at the listening position, and that is too loud for me!
I recently had an engineer friend come in and listen. He is used to far more expensive mastering grade speakers/amplifiers. I'm happy to say he was thrilled by the results and is now looking into setting up his rig with a sub and proper bass management as well!
