To See or not to See: Windows in your Studio

One comment we always get when we first walk people through Dark Horse Recording is the fact that there are so many windows, over 140 of them to be exact.  Most people are concerned with the acoustics and bouncing sound waves.  It’s a very valid concern, however there are always ways around it.  So many producers, artists and engineers love the fact that they can look out over our horse pasture or into the rolling Tennessee hills while they create.

A lot of our students and readers will ask us if they can set up their home studio in a room with windows.  I tend to chuckle. First, because of the atmosphere at Dark Horse.  Secondly, because I too am a Home Recording Enthusiast and Composer.  I’ve always been a visual guy, nature inspires me, I love having a view to do that.  So how can you still have windows and sound good?

The Answers are endless of solutions, but mine is easy, Curtains!  Curtains directly behind the monitors will leave you a couple feet of window and also act as a acoustical treatment.  Dark Horse also utilizes this as well.  Another trick is to make sure your monitors are at an angle from the glass, if you have enough room, the further back the better.  Glass can be tamed!

So how bout you?  Do you have windows in your studio?  How have you conquered the problems?