I Think it's Time to Begin Looking at (Listening to?) My Room Acoustics

Hi Folks:
 
The other day, I took a test recording of mine to a dance club to just hear it on their speaker system.  It was quite heavy and muffled, wheras it sounds crisp and clean on my DAW.
 
So I think now is the time for me to begin caring a little bit more about my studio acoustics.  I can only go so far here because I just don't want to spend a lot of money or take on a huge project.  I'm not about to start knocking down walls or spending the next three years installing rockwool or rewiring the house.  But I am willing to start small and take it in stages.
 
Where should I begin my education?  Suggestions?
 
Thanks in advance!

Hey thanks for responding.
 
I don't know anybody in the studio business.  I'm no pro or even a player, so I have no contacts or folks to ask for advice from, outside of here and a few other fourms.
 
It's interesting how something that can sound so clear in one place, can actually sound awful someplace else.
I'd like to explore this further.  Part of the learning process I guess. 
 
I'm thinking back to when I played my mix in the car.  In the car it sounds a lot quieter than commercial CDs, forcing me to turn up the volume a lot.  I think that's because I don't have the slightest clue how to use a compressor or limiter.    But the EQ sounds fine in the car whether quiet or loud.  Maybe that's because I have the car's bass and treble set to slightly de-emphasize the bass and mids and to slightly emphasize the highs so that I can hear vocals and such while driving on the highway.

Positive: chances are there is a mastering studio near you. Use google to find one, then call them up and tell them you have a song you want mastered. As a new customer, you'll probably get a good rate. Mastering engineers aren't like auto mechanics - they actually prefer to have the client watching over their shoulder because it makes do-overs less likely.

The ME will start by playing the song through without making any adjustments. This is your opportunity to hear your song on high-end speakers and amps in an acoustically-treated space. Ask the ME to comment on your mix - you're paying for the session so don't be shy.

After professional mastering, you'll then have a version to compare to your original that you can play in the car, in the studio, in a nightclub, on your iPod, your kitchen radio, your hi-fi, through headphones, or whatever. Maybe you'll be so impressed you'll decide to have all your songs professionally mastered. Or not. Either way, the educational experience won't cost any more than buying a book on the subject.

Hi again!

Bit, that's an excellent idea, thank you.  I think I may work on a few more songs of various styles and see how much it would cost to master say 4 to 6 of them not necessarily for the same CD or "album", including the opportunity to be present for the session.  I typically only use a half-dozen or so tracks anyhow, so I could just provide "beginning-to-end" stems for everything since I also have a lot to learn regarding mixing too.

But first, I need to see about coming at least "part of the way" in my own education, especially when it comes to having a more functional knowledge regarding compression, limiting, EQ, and so forth.

LPMike, Thanks for that link regarding the KRK Ergo.  What a fascinating little device.  Certainly bears more investigation.

Philip:  I have a Prius too!  But mine is from 2004, nearing 110,000 miles on the ODO with no major issues or repairs.  My car has the JBL so-called "premium" sound system of that model year.  My EQ settings in the car are:

Treble = 100% above 0
Mid = 1 or 2 ticks below 0
Bass = Approximately 50% below 0
Fader = Slightly more to the front speakers, and sometimes panned slightly left

The reason for the fader setting is that the back speakers have a very "boomy" quality to them, which tends to muddy up the vocal, violin, trumpet, and guitar ranges.  By panning "some" to the front, this lessens that phenomenon, while also allowing the back speakers to offer "some" midrange and bass (which I suspect is why my bass setting is pushed so low).

Due to these settings, the back seat has an awful, unlistenable quality.  Hence, the reason that my favorite passenger (or sometimes the person who has annoyed me the least that day) always gets to sit in the front seat. 

I have it panned slightly to the left or right when I am alone in the car; whatever sounds more "centered" to my ear.  I think it's left, but would have to check it again.  The car has the two door speakers below for mids and lows, two window speakers that appear to be (and sound like) tweeters, and one nondescript speaker mounted on the back of the computer display.  That speaker fires forward into the center of the windshield; I can only guess that it's an attempt to emphasize reflected sounds, not unlike the Bose direct-reflecting loudspeakers such as the 901's.  A valiant effort, but I think that center speaker has a tendency to further muddy up the sounds.

All in all, the car audio system is merely passable.  But because I drive so many miles each week, I listen to it a lot more than any other audio system currently in my life.  Oh well!