Most studios employ the LEDE (Link to LEDE application note) or live-end dead-end concept when it comes to room design. In studios, it generally means that one end of the room tends to be more heavily treated than the other. But for most of us that live on a budget, we have to prioritize what we use and where we will get the most benefit from our dollars.

1. Corners - the first point of attack
Acousticians have long known that corners are your best friend when it comes to room treatment. Walls and ceilings act as guides that cause build-up in corners. Furthermore, because sound constantly expands, using corner reflections to your advantage can double the performance of your acoustic panels!

The Cumulus is probably the first and most effective room treatment. This triangular shaped corner trap will absorb all frequencies from roughly 125 Hz up. It is inexpensive, quick to set up and because it is almost 'invisible', it can adapt to any room décor without being obtrusive. Another good option for corner treatment is combining a Broadway broadband panel with corner impalers. These combine to create a large air cavity behind the panel which will help absorb bass. These can be mounted alone or stacked to fill the whole corner. You can even use recycled cotton, rockwool or fiberglass bats in behind to increase the effectiveness. This will effectively absorb energy from the 75hz region up. For even greater performance, the Primacoustic MaxTrap adds a flexible membrane to further attenuate deep bass.
** Image of Cumulus** Image of corner impalers and panel

2. Treating those nasty Primary Reflections
The direct sound coming from your playback monitors will first hit your ears. A few milliseconds later the sound reflecting off adjacent walls will arrive. Depending on the size of the room, the sound reflecting from the ceiling or back wall will then hit your ears. It is this succession of powerful early reflections that is next in line.

Side wall reflections are easy to control by simply placing Broadway panels in the line of fire. You can use a mirror to establish the area that needs treatment by plotting out the vector or line of sight of the sound hitting the wall and your ears. Just sit in the mix position and have a friend move a mirror around on the wall. Mark the area where you see your loudspeakers and treat!
** Image of wall mirror sliding process** Image of Broadway panels on wall

3. The front and back of the room
First question is simple: Do you have limitations such as windows and doors? For instance, if you have a window between your control room and the sound studio, you can't cover it up with panels! Generally speaking, most LEDE studio designs tend to treat the source end of the room with absorption and the receive end of the room with a mix of absorption and diffusion. If this makes sense to you, then you would start by treating the wall surface behind your reference monitors and create a dead end. Adding absorption to this wall will help reduce monitor fold-back, chatter echo, and standing waves.
** Image of treatment behind monitors.

To keep the live end of the room 'live' you basically have two options. You can diffuse the sound energy using natural diffusers like bookshelves or scientifically do the job using an acoustical diffuser. Professionally designed diffusers like the Primacoustic Razorblade [link] are designed to evenly disperse sound energy and remove peaks using what is know as a quadratic residue calculation. An diffuser array that spans the width of the console or working area is usually sufficient.
** Image of quadratic array

Another great trick is to use randomly placed absorptive panels like the Broadway Control Cubes to create an effect we call Soft Diffusion. Soft diffusion works by absorbing some energy while allowing some energy to reflect back into the room. Although not as good as true diffusion, it works remarkably well and costs a lot less. Panels can be randomly spaced or set up to create an attractive architectural design. It really does not matter. To be effective, what matters is that you have them scattered around the majority of the receive wall.
** Image of soft diffusion

4. Dealing with the ceiling
Last but certainly not least is ceiling treatment. Clouds such as the Primacoustic Stratus are designed to float above the console to help control primary reflections from the ceiling while also helping to tame standing waves and chatter echo. This can be a problem especially with larger consoles that have a hard, steel surface.
** Image of Stratus and reflections

Once you have installed the acoustics in your room, you will immediately enjoy a larger sweet spot, greater mix detail and a more pleasant working environment.