MixStation

Basic Sound Movement

• The recording engineer should be interested in listening to the direct injection of acoustic signals from the speaker.
  
• However, the surface of the room creates lots of early reflections that obscure imaging and detail required by the engineer to get the mix together.
  
• The Mix Station creates a real recording studio by eliminating all of these early reflections. The sound goes out but doesn’t come back due to the selected placement of the trap arrays.
  

Wall Reflections

• A more complete understanding of this reflection control process is achieved by breaking down the reflection into types or groups. The first reflections are the simple direct wall reflections.
  
• The second group of reflections are called the crossed wall reflections. This means sound crosses the engineer before it hits the wall.
  
• The location of the trap arrays in the Mix Station eliminates both the direct wall reflections and the crossed wall reflections adding an extra degree of control.
  

Corner Reflections

• The third group of reflections that impact the engineer are the corner reflections. These are double bounce reflections and there are two types: direct corner reflections and crossed corner reflections. The sound waves of the direct corner reflections move immediately away from the speaker and engineer and towards the corners of the room.
  
• However, with crossed corner reflections, the sound moves inwards, first crossing over the sound board or the engineer, and then expanding out to the corners.
  
• The pattern of trap arrays in the Mix Station intercepts every corner reflections direct or crossed.
  

Mix Station Layout

• There are two variations in the layout of Studio Panel™ trap arrays for the Mix Station. The front of the room is always the same but the back can be altered without degrading the sound for the engineer.
• Type 1 employs Studio Panel traps all along the back wall -4 centered on the wall in a cluster behind the engineers seating position and 3 on either side of the center cluster, tight to the corner. This is the traditional studio layout and it leaves lots of room for equipment racks and studio gear along the side wall.
  
• Type 2 retains the 4 trap cluster behind the engineer but the corner studio panel traps are located on the side walls. Because of the steep angles of incoming sound waves the side wall traps are spread out more. Type 2 is used to allow for a door or closet or window at the back of the room. It will be better sounding if a mic is opened up at the back of the room.
  

More Layout

• The console, and, particularly the engineer’s head at the mix position should be within 5 feet from the front wall. This keeps the engineer’s ears between the side trap arrays and within the reflection-free zone. The front trap array is always centered on the engineer. The monitors should be placed no wider than the center trap array.
• The back group of center Studio Panel traps should be centered on the engineer -spacing between individual panels should be about 6 inches apart. This provides a blend of absorption and edge diffraction included diffusion—essential for developing the crucial ambient tail in the studio’s response.
  
• The outer sets of 3 Studio Panel traps each should be no greater than 6 inches apart, starting 3 inches from the center along the back wall, or 9 to 12 inches apart, starting 3 inches from the corner along the side walls. In both cases, the sound will be partially absorbed and partially scattered so as to increase the diffusive tail in the room.
  

Studio Orientation

• Existing rooms used as studios are usually rectangular and can be length-oriented or width-oriented depending on the engineer’s setup. The front trap arrays are always set up the same, however, the 2 sets of (3 traps each) on the back and side studio walls can be varied to accommodate a wide or narrow room.
  
• Note that width-oriented rooms really spread out the reflection points, providing improved ambience.