# table for control room



## trifidmaster (Nov 18, 2006)

It is known that a "thin" table plate in a control room will resonate. 
I have been thinking: is a table plate from marble OK? I know it has a "cold" feeling, but it has a mass.
Any advice?


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

While it won't ring in and of itself, it will create a massive boundary if speakers are set on it as well as a solid cavity to resonate underneath it. Some tradeoffs are always necessary but the biggest thing is to get the monitors up off of the surface and onto some stands.

Bryan


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## chonc (Jun 9, 2009)

bpape said:


> While it won't ring in and of itself, it will create a massive boundary if speakers are set on it as well as a solid cavity to resonate underneath it. Some tradeoffs are always necessary but the biggest thing is to get the monitors up off of the surface and onto some stands.
> 
> Bryan


I agree, it depends where you set your monitors, what you put over the table (marble is very reflective) and what you place underneath the table. All this will affect the acoustic of the room, resonance is not the only problem you have to deal with. Try to make the table not too big, put equipment racks underneath to avoid the cavity, place the speakers on stands like Bryan says (the stands should be sturdy too).


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## trifidmaster (Nov 18, 2006)

The speakers/monitors are ON stands (the stands are filled with sand). 

The table is not too big, around 1,4 m x 0,8 m.

On the table I have the computer monitor, computer keyboard, mouse, one control surface, and monitor routing switch (similar to the the Big Knob).

Here is my new idea (= could be the final solution).

Glue/screw 3 layers of 1,8 cm thick MDF to the bottom of the table, so that the table will become thicker/heavier.

Originally I have been thinking to use (glue/screw) a metal plate, but that option is rather costly.
The MDF is relatively cheap, surely it's density is much less compare to the metal, but 3 layers of it could help.

Any comment?


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## chonc (Jun 9, 2009)

trifidmaster said:


> The speakers/monitors are ON stands (the stands are filled with sand).
> 
> 
> Here is my new idea (= could be the final solution).
> ...


Well, the table is not too big and its probably not a problem... unless its very light and hollow. Do you know for a fact that it is resonating? Anyway, your solutions look OK to me. If you screw the MDF together maybe is a better idea to have them of different thickness and/or densities so that they won't vibrate together.
Put some dampeners under the table so that the space beneath the table won't resonate either.


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## trifidmaster (Nov 18, 2006)

The table without any dumping resonates when I am doing frequency sweeps for room measurements.
My plan is to glue and screw the 1st MDF plate to the table. Next step is to glue and screw the 2nd MDF plate to the 1st MDF plate, and finally glue and screw the 3rd MDF plate to the 2nd MDF plate.
By other words, I plan to build a sandwich structure, not everything at once but one by one.

The MDF plates are cut, but are coming from the same big plate, so they all have the same density.
I will see what will come out from this assembly.

Could you please elaborate about the dampeners?


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## chonc (Jun 9, 2009)

trifidmaster said:


> The table without any dumping resonates when I am doing frequency sweeps for room measurements.
> My plan is to glue and screw the 1st MDF plate to the table. Next step is to glue and screw the 2nd MDF plate to the 1st MDF plate, and finally glue and screw the 3rd MDF plate to the 2nd MDF plate.
> By other words, I plan to build a sandwich structure, not everything at once but one by one.
> 
> ...


You should be fine glueing the boards together. If the cavity beneath the table doesn't have anything (i.e. equipment racks), then you should probably put some absorbent material (acoustic foam) so that you don't end up with a resonant chamber under the table. If you have a carpeted floor then you probably don't have that problem anyway.

Keep posted on how it went.

Cheers


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## Syd26147 (Jul 4, 2008)

Just a consideration...
In "Mastering Audio" Bob Katz warns about presenting a diffraction source if the relationship between the desk and the monitors is not taken into consideration.

Syd


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## 0bazooka_joe0 (Mar 22, 2010)

Better use some good glue... or watch your toes :yikes: thats alot of mdf


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## trifidmaster (Nov 18, 2006)

Correction: in fact the plates are HDF (high density, and heavy).
I have used glue and screws too (screws to be sure that they do not come loose).

Originally I had a plan to use 3 plates, but after the 2nd plate the whole assembly became so heavy, that I decided not to add the 2rd plate. Uhh, I could not lift it myself, it is really a heavy assembly.

Finally with some help the table is assembled.
No measurements yet, but will do later.


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## Speedskater (Dec 23, 2007)

Use "Liquid Nails - Sub-Flooring" glue along with screws around the perimeter. It will act like a poor man's Green Glue and add some CLD.


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## trifidmaster (Nov 18, 2006)

Here is detail of the table/left part. I have added 2 layers of HDF.


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