Aim Loudspeakers at Ears

This may sound obvious, but look around your facility. Where are the loudspeakers aimed?

In many control rooms loudspeakers are mounted rather high to avoid interfering with viewing angles of video monitors, but they often end up being aimed at the back wall, or just not down far enough. You want the loudspeakers aimed so that the listener's ears are on-axis with the loudspeakers. That way you will benefit from the best frequency response and level that a loudspeaker system can offer.

In a production control room situation, where many people are seated along a desk, a good rule of thumb is to aim the loudspeakers at the key decision maker, the person who makes judgments regarding quality. Proper room acoustics will help with extending this "sweet spot" to others seated near this key person.

Don’t forget all of the loudspeakers in service at your facility, not just the ones in control rooms or edit rooms. Check those little monitor loudspeakers installed in racks, or mounted at the top of racks. If they are panel mounted, install them at ear level. If mounted on top of the rack (not the best of situations but sometimes that's the only available space), make sure they are angled down, and not facing an opposite rack.