Studio acoustics, -Help to read REW Waterfall

[Kanten]

Hello everyone.
I have a small home studio of approx. 3x4 m with a very low ceiling (approx. 190 cm). I have made bass straps in the corners of rockwool, some acoustic panels on the walls and a cloud-like over the listening position/speakers. Since the room also acts as a bit of storage for tools etc. in cupboards, I have not endless possibilities to regulate it. The dimensions of the room also come into play here.
Just to get an idea of whether there is something serious issues that I should address, I have tried to make some measurements at the listening position through REW. Since I don't have a real measuring microphone, I have used an AT2050 set to "omni" at my listening position. I listen on a pair of Dynaudio BM5.
I'm sure it could be more accurate with a different mic, but won't I be able to use these measurements as a guide?
Can any of you help me with a few words on my measurements? Attached is a screenshot of Waterfall (both speakers with mic in my listening position). All feedback is welcome
I completely understand how Waterfall is read (hz, db, time (ms), - that is, the principle behind it all. I'm just in doubt about how big peaks/holes/reverberation etc. are "acceptable" and if there is something you could recommend me to do.
Thanks in advance

 

[Nyoak34]

I don't consider myself an expert in room acoustics but have studied up on it all a fair amount. Based on the size and dimensions of your room and your waterfall, my advice would be: you may want to invest in some good headphones and do your best to learn to mix on them.

That said, of you're determined to invest in the room, you may want to spend the money on an actual measurement mic before you make any decisions.

 

[sws1]

I think your decay times are pretty decent, except perhaps at the low end, which is always going to be a problem. But it looks like you have a pretty dry room.
However, your frequency curve is far from flat, which needs some work. A better sitting position would help. Something like sonarworks can help too after you've finished your room treatment.
Headphones as a backup too.

 

[ilkerguney]

You can check the IK Multimedia ARC 4 system. It comes with a measurement mic and a separate box to save room correction eq settings inside.
Seems like a good investment for home studios especially.
If you have chance to get studio monitors with DSP such as; genelec or neumann, that may be another level of solving the room treatment issue.

 

[sws1]

Keep in mind that the room correction systems are not all the same. Check out the video comparing ARC to the Trinnov Nova. There is a much finer level of correction with the Trinnov...as you might expect with a box that costs 5-10x the price.
I myself use Dirac, which is software based. But I'd love to hear the Trinnov, but aside from the price, it has features I don't need (and don't want to pay for.)

 

[JohnR1]

Seems like a pretty typical display for a square or near square room. A lot of what you are seeing are due to very common room modes that you can sort of mitigate a little bit by moving the speakers, the treatment, and your listening position, but will really never eliminate. At some point you've done your best and then it's worth the time to use reference mixes and learn your room and your monitors. As mentioned headphones are an option and same goes for that, learn the headphones. IMHO, I don't think that learning part ever ends...

 

[Kanten]

I don't consider myself an expert in room acoustics but have studied up on it all a fair amount. Based on the size and dimensions of your room and your waterfall, my advice would be: you may want to invest in some good headphones and do your best to learn to mix on them.

That said, of you're determined to invest in the room, you may want to spend the money on an actual measurement mic before you make any decisions.

Thanks for your feedback.
I allready own a pair of Sennheiser HD650, which I also use for mixing.
During the REW-meassurement, the level was quite loud. Will the peaks and valleys on my waterfall be more flat at lower volumes? I normally try to mix at lower volumes (unless I get to carried away

 

[Kanten]

Keep in mind that the room correction systems are not all the same. Check out the video comparing ARC to the Trinnov Nova. There is a much finer level of correction with the Trinnov...as you might expect with a box that costs 5-10x the price.
I myself use Dirac, which is software based. But I'd love to hear the Trinnov, but aside from the price, it has features I don't need (and don't want to pay for.)

And are you happy with Dirac? The "Room Correction Studio" could be an option for me. The ARC Studio also looks like a cool concept. Both of my teenage girls are also starting to making/recording som music in my room with their own macbooks, so the ARC Studio, would work really nice there as a stand-a-lone unit, -always on. Oposite to the Dirac, which I guess only could work on one computer eith one license?

 

[Kanten]

You can check the IK Multimedia ARC 4 system. It comes with a measurement mic and a separate box to save room correction eq settings inside.
Seems like a good investment for home studios especially.
If you have chance to get studio monitors with DSP such as; genelec or neumann, that may be another level of solving the room treatment issue.

Thanks for your inputMy Dynaudio Studio monitors are almost new, so I don't think, I would replace them. But maybe I should look into something like ARC, Dirac etc.

 

[sws1]

And are you happy with Dirac? The "Room Correction Studio" could be an option for me. The ARC Studio also looks like a cool concept. Both of my teenage girls are also starting to making/recording som music in my room with their own macbooks, so the ARC Studio, would work really nice there as a stand-a-lone unit, -always on. Oposite to the Dirac, which I guess only could work on one computer eith one license?

Yes - I don't need to power another device, and it has the ability to restrict the correction to certain areas. I was just concerned with the low end primarily, and this massively helped with that.

 

[JohnR1]

Will the peaks and valleys on my waterfall be more flat at lower volumes? I normally try to mix at lower volumes (unless I get to carried away

Depends on the volume, where you place the microphone and where the speakers are located. If you're close enough in the near-field of the speakers your spectral display will represent more of your speakers and less of the room. If you're in the far-field you'll see more of the room effect including RT60, modes, and standing waves. I've always tested at the mix listening location and usually +/- a few dB around 75 dB (C weighted). That's for me, others mix at higher or lower levels. What worked best for me was to take a day and set up my chair and speakers in a way that I could move them around the room in multiple set ups and then listen with a couple of reference tracks and also have a sweep tone set up to listen around the spectrum. If you dial through the tones from 30 Hz to around 12/16 kHz or so it will really reveal a lot about your room and speaker response.