Q: The room my studio is in has a big opening/arch to one side that leads into another room. I can’t close it off, but it’s resulting in a lot of extra reverb and I’m sure it’s messing up my stereo image as well. What can I do?
A: The best option, of course, is to permanently build a wall to close the opening off. But, since that is out of the question, here are three temporary/movable options:
1. Hang the heaviest and thickest curtain you can find across the opening. For best effect, you don’t want it stretched tight. Make sure it is big enough that there are a lot of folds and gathers.
2. Make some movable “gobos” that you can place across the opening to temporarily close it off when you are doing critical listening, mixing, mastering, or tracking. These can be made as heavy as you like (or can easily move). The side that faces the studio should be made absorptive to help reduce reflections.
3. Try orienting the studio so that the opening is behind you rather than to one side.