Your experience with producing at home (volume levels)

[konzee]

Hails my mnml allies!

So I recently got my hands on a couple of tannoy reveal 501a's. I'm currently living with my grandarents so I hardley use them (SUCKS.) But when I do move out which will be soon I am still concerned about my volume levels and the general annoyance that revolves around techno production. My question to you is, how loud should I have my moniters to be benificial to the general mix, I have them at half volume right now which seems to be great, but you guys are more masters then I am when it comes to harmonic cycles, or whatever. Also, is there any thing I can buy thats not super expensive that can perhaps suck up the sound ? (a certain type of egg crate, some bass reduction towers?)

[steevio]

i monitor at fairly low levels as your ears compress loud sounds so you dont get an accurate representation.
but also if you go too low then you tend to overemphasise the bass and top end.

i monitor at a comfortable level about the level you would play music at on your stereo if you were chatting with friends but still wanted to hear the music.. but this is all very personal

then i turn it up loud briefly ever now and then, to see how it sounds loud.

the only thing which will really help with neighbours is triple glazing, but if you live an a modern building with thin walls or an apartment then good luck to you mate, you might have to do a full soundproofing job, or have a floating room, insulated from the exterior walls.

but alot depends on your neighbours, i once had a chinese family living next door, and they never said a thing, then they moved out and a bunch of students moved in and complained the very first day and banged on my wall every 5 minutes, till i went round in a rage one night...(i'd been living there for 15 years) they moved out shortly afterwards

[kristofason]

Well they do recommend monitoring at low levels, everything sounds great loud...even trance.
Get some good headphones maybe? You can crank them as loud as u want and always have ur mons as a reference.
solid speaker stands will help a little bit.
Forget egg crates, but do invest in room treatment, you can DIY it to a certain degree. It wont keep the sound in but it'l make your listening environment better for when u do put your tracks through the monitors.

[lem]

Well they do recommend monitoring at low levels, everything sounds great loud...even trance.
Get some good headphones maybe? You can crank them as loud as u want and always have ur mons as a reference.
solid speaker stands will help a little bit.
Forget egg crates, but do invest in room treatment, you can DIY it to a certain degree. It wont keep the sound in but it'l make your listening environment better for when u do put your tracks through the monitors.

Watch the headphone levels, that really will fck your ears up!
+1 on the DIY. Have a look on some of the stuff on sound on sound and realtraps.

To soundproof a room will take a lot of work (and potential loss of deposit). Acousticly treating the room will mean a more balanced frequency range and you will be less likely to crank it to hear things properly.
I monitor really really quietly, I only ever turn it up when I am doing bass and mixing down. Even then I only turn it up for a matter of seconds. Like Kristo says, everything sounds great loud. So make music that sounds good quiet!

[lem]

....a bunch of students moved in and complained the very first day and banged on my wall every 5 minutes, till i went round in a rage one night...(i'd been living there for 15 years) they moved out shortly afterwards

That was you?! You were disturbing our scrabble nights!

[konzee]

brilliant replies thanks guys.

And yes headphones DO take a toll on your ears, after 4+ hours I get this deep peircing feeling from to much bass. its annoying / scary.

[kristofason]

brilliant replies thanks guys.

And yes headphones DO take a toll on your ears, after 4+ hours I get this deep peircing feeling from to much bass. its annoying / scary.

more likely to be the higher frequencies!

My ears are absolutely knackered, bad tinitus in my right ear!!!
Strangley enough, the final straw was the high pitch sound of hammering a nail into a piece of wood (at work)!!!

[steevio]

....a bunch of students moved in and complained the very first day and banged on my wall every 5 minutes, till i went round in a rage one night...(i'd been living there for 15 years) they moved out shortly afterwards

That was you?! You were disturbing our scrabble nights!

did they manage to patch up your nose at the hospital alright mate ?

jeez they dont make students like they used to.