I am a (very) amateur/intermediate digital music enthusiast who started off doing MIDI tracks in the 90's. As a first-time Sonar user from a few years ago, I'm learning more every day about not just the software, but music engineering in general.
 
Having seen visual examples of elaborate in-home mixing rooms, I cannot afford the expenses involved toward creating that environment. In my simple little apartment space, my computer area does not accommodate a genuine mixing environment. Before my bay window sits a 45" computer desk with a single 23" monitor and dual Logitech speakers. This is the limited space I have available...but why allow that to hinder my progress?
 
I've recently read about utilizing studio monitor speakers vs. headphones for the purpose of the best sound. But given my work environment, I am forced to abide by my physical limits. And I've heard there are huge differences in result between speakers and headphones. (And they don't make stereo monitor speakers desktop-size.) I would like the best mixing experience possible in my minimal in-home space. So I ask you all: What's my compromise? Or am I overthinking?
 
I know for starters that the triple-window situation allows too much glare for me to be able to clearly see my monitor screen. And gut instinct says my best option is to invest in a pair of quality stereo mixing headphones. Can anyone offer any suggestions, or any insight as to whether it's truly necessary to tweak my very limited work area?
 
Just an ordinary home user who wants to make the best out of his amateur mixing experience. :)
 
Thanks in advance.

I have been recording for over 35 years and have a few suggestions...get yourself some small relatively flat speakers...we used to use Auratone cubes...just little speakers with a 5" single speaker in each. Keep your volume low, and mix using those speakers, and try to get the best sound you can. A good friend of mine that was very successful moved to Nashville years ago and used to have several songs he had produced in the top 20 most of the time, said to mix low level with Auratones and check the mix on larger monitors after you get your mix, and also in your car. Elton John used to check his mix in the car because that's where you listen to music, and you can compare your mix to the radio very easily there. I've done that for years and it works. The low level helps your ears last longer.
These days, you have to use a sub woofer if you are working with rap or RnB music  because of all the low end in those records.
You should check your mix on headphones, a little mono speaker such as a smartphone, large studio speakers if possible, and your car, as well as your small mixing speakers...even a laptop. You never know where a person is going to be listening.
Also, another trick is to put a similar type music song on a track of your DAW, and compare your mix to the hit record ...this helps to give you some perspective ...they have a hit...if your mix stands up to there's, good!
Don't worry about your tools so much...sometimes all the gear gets in the way of making good recordings...your ears are the most important thing. You can make a great recording with much less than you are told .
I have a friend that owned an expensive studio here in Atlanta...he paid half million dollars for an SSL console when it first came out...the 1st band that came in to record, asked to record everything at +4 db...a distored level. He couldn't believe it! He paid half million bucks for a console just to record at a distorted level. 
Just some things to think about....Hope some of this helps you ...good luck!

One more thought...if you mix at low levels, the room isn't going to be a problem. You just don't need a boomy, live room...just buy some Auralex or some wall treatment to keep out the boom. It could be carpet or egg cartons or whatever...
 

In the past I have worked in very good locations and very pour. But I have always used the same monitors. So therefore my mixes are more about the monitors I use, than the space I'm using. Learn your monitors.  The Auratone cubes mentioned above is an excellent recommendation. I think they just released an updated version. 

There are small but pretty good desktop monitors around. Auratones or their Avantone or even Behringer clones are one approach, though they're primarily mid focussed. Other possibilities that don't break the bank include Genelec and the smaller Adam, Yamaha and KRK speakers. In a small room too mich bass or a sub-woofer can be overkill.

Mixing entirely in headphones can result in mixes that have problems speakers would have revealed. On the other hand they can reveal what's happening in the bass frequencies smaller monitors tend not to reproduce so well. There are a few solutions that attempt to improve the headphone mixing environment either by emulating speaker frequency responses, though imposing one frequency response curve onto the headphone's own almost certainly not flat frequency response may or may not ne a good idea. Wave's NX is pretty good at making headphones sound more "open", just switch off the gimmicky and cpu heavy "head tracking" function.

Sonarworks (nothing to do with Cakewalk) offer a software system than can flatten some headphone eq responses out quite well and may be worth considering.

As for the room acoustics, anything that absorbs sound or diffracts it is a good idea. It needn't be purpose built, things like beds and soft furniture can make useful bass traps. Having a hard reflective surface behind monitors should generally be avoided if possible because it can cause phasing issues as the reflected sound interferes with what you hear directly. Simple reflection control can be done quite cheaply using d-i-y heavy-grade rockwool panels spaced a bit off the wall or ceiling. Covered in hessian or cloth they can even look pretty good.

As Cactus Music says, knowing your monitors is the biggest thing. Listen to lots of good commercial mixes through them and use commercial mixes that have the kind of sound you are looking for as a reference comparison to your own mixes. Good results can be had despite the recording and mixing environment not being ideal - and doing most things in the computer or using hardware synths plugged directly into the audio interface means room shortcomings don't affect the recording side of things in the first place. Before the modern scientifically based studios lots of excellent recordings were made in hotel suites, and Joe Meek recorded and produced quite a few classic tracks in his apartment which was situated on a busy main road. His soundproofing amounted to quilts stuffed into the windows.

A decent pair of 5 inch monitors and IK Multimedia Arc System 2.

I know this isn't popular advice, but don't discount good headphones.  If you learn your headphones (what they emphasize and de-emphasize and how they affect your perception of the stereo image) you can make great mixes on them.  You then check your mixes on other systems (car stereo, home stereo, laptop speakers, ear buds, etc.) and tweak your mix accordingly.

Check out the Tannoy 402s, great for a smaller desk.  

You can also take a 'known' reference song, where you have a good understanding of its sound on regular speakers, and import it to Sonar and then get a good feel for what frequencies your smaller speakers or decent headphones are losing for THAT song, and that will give you an idea of what to expect from YOUR songs being mixed.
 
I hope that made some sense.
 
Bob Bone
 

For the glare, some type of drape setup is recommended. They do not need to be pretty, but do need to be functional (open/close or totally removable, and block light). For fabric specifically, almost any store that sells fabric has discounts (like $1 a yard) on old stock... A double layer of thin material may also be as effective as something thick and too heavy (be practical with mounting it!). Pre-made products for bay windows are often expensive, but fabric itself can be dirt cheap if you look around.