Hello everyone. I actually started working on my HT in November of 2005 and thought it was about time to start a thread. I have been an avid reader of this forum for many years. The knowledge base of the members is amazing.

I have always wanted my own home theater. In July of 2003 we finished construction of our new home. It included a dedicated 16x20 theater room. I wanted to begin immediately on the theater room, but the wife had other plans. Im sure you guys know where im coming from. We moved from an 1800 sqft home into a 4000 sqft home and she insisted we furnish and decorate all the other rooms first. Well, after 3 years of theater room dormancy, I have the full approval to start the build :D

Please be patient with me. I am a normal mortal with shallow pockets and limited time. I wish I was superhuman like a few others around here. Those guys are building some amazing theaters in warp speed. Congrats guys. Hopefully this thread can be both interactive and informative. Im looking for some great feedback and help from you guys.

The wife and I fell in love with the style of theater that Chris Armbruster (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=535413&highlight=carmbruster) built. I am attempting to capture a little bit of his design in my proscenium. Thanks Chris.

Some of the Details.

Room Dimensions: 16x20x9
Screen Size: 106"-110" 16.9 profile
Seating Distance: Front Row - 10.5 or 11'
Seating Distance: Back Row - 16.5 or 17'
Equipment: Still undecided.
Walls: GOM on frames with 1" acoustic treatments.
Other: Lots of Oak



Here is a pic of the room before any work.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/start.jpg


Room Layout (without side and rear columns)
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/floorplan.jpg


Preliminary Sketchup of Stage and Soffit without side speaker columns. Colors are for display purposes only and do not match the color scheme I will go with.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/theater.jpg

So far I have built the stage, screenwall, and soffit.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/soffit_install1.jpg


My next task is to begin building the speaker columns for the stage. I have a few ideas sketched out, but nothing definate. I am debating on making them curved to match the stage and soffit, or just keep them straight, but on an angle. I'm also trying to decide if I should leave room (about 2 feet) for curtains between the speaker columns and screen (similar to Chris's), or just bring the speaker columns out about 3 feet almost to edge of screen wall and not do curtains or swag. May have to post my ideas and get some input.

If you are interested in a little more detail behind the work done so far, you can visit my website at the link below.

I realize this is not a lot of info to go on so far and I am sure there will be many more questions, but i'm open to constructive criticism. Please let me know if you guys have any concerns on my progress so far or future plans.

What are you storing in the Data Rack? Movies and music or this whole house server?

Nice job so far by the way! I like it.

What are you storing in the Data Rack? Movies and music or this whole house server?


The data rack is the home to my whole house av/data/telco wiring. It also houses some servers and data equipment. This thread goes into a little more detail about the data rack. Wiring closet (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=572579)

My equipment rack for the theater room will also be contained in that room. You can see the location of it in the diagram. Bottom left corner of equipment room. It will extend about 2 feet into the wiring closet.

Ronnie

Ronnie,

Looks great. I love your stage area -- very well done! I plan to use some real wood in mine too -- Maple wood veneers.

Who's in the running for your speaker choice? I think I'm going with Paradigm Studios -- but nothing has been purchased yet.

I'll be watching to see who get's finished 1st :D Since we both live in Dallas, I think a "live" demo at each others houses (once we get these HTs completed) will be in order :D

Looks great! Keep us updated with pics.

Looking Awesome Ronnie! That front soffit is a real piece of work. It is the same exact shape of my Martin Logan Theater Center Channel.

Ruben

Looks great so far Ronnie. Welcome to the club (although I am not yet a member lol). Between you, swithey and a few others, I hear a Dallas HT meet in the near future ;-) :cool: Keep up the good work!!!

Thanks for all the kind words guys.....

Swithey.... I have not decided on any of the equipment yet. I have a few ideas, but i figured at the pace im going, I might as well not get to deep into it now. Things will be better and cheaper when I get to that point.

MountainAsh... I will put up as many pics as I can. I actually have a lot more on my website. I thought about posting them here also, but didnt know if everyone woud be interested. I would sorta have to back track at this point. I can do it if everyone is in favor of it.

SandmanX....Thanks, its kinda hard to show you guys what I envision as the final product. The front soffit is kinda plain right now. I will be putting up a lot of trim and detail work on it later. And your theater thread has to be the coolest thing on the planet. I have followed it since day one. Out of the 80,298 views, 1,748 of them are mine. :D I hope you dont mind if I still a few ideas. I love the panel design scheme.

YldeSyde.. . Sounds good. I think there are enough of us here to have a pretty good turnout. It would be nice to see a few of these in real life. Pics just dont represent the real work that goes into our hobby.

Ronnie

I need some help from you guys. I,m trying to decide on the look for my stage speaker columns. I cant decide if I should go with curved framing to match the soffit and steps and extend the width for a fuller look, or just do the standard straight look and tie in some curtains to bring it all together. What do you guys think looks best. Or maybe you have some suggestions that differ from either of these. Can you take a look at the 2 designs and give me some feedback? Dont pay attention to the colors, I am just trying to get an idea of the overall design.

1st is what I will call the curved full look.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/curved_front.jpg



Here is another shot of the curved columns from a side angle.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/curved_side.jpg



And another view directly from the side.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/curved_side1.jpg



Now here is the other version. I will call this the standard look with curtains.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/squareprosc.jpg



An angled side view
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/squareprosc1.jpg



A direct side view of the standard with curtains.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/squareside.jpg



This is driving me crazy.

Ronnie

Curved look is better. Thats got my vote. Curtains are passe.

I like the curve also.

As for equipment, you might want to at least think about the speakers. What kind of surrounds, how big they are, etc. will make a difference in column sizes and positions.

I vote for curved.

A nice part with either design is you have plenty of room to put in some "hidden" corner bass traps behind those large panels.

Wow, all curved so far from this board. Its been 100% curtains from my friends and family. My daughter says the wide curved look is to masculine. She says it looks like something a bunch of guys would gather around and watch football ;) Friends and family say the curtains look more elegant and capture more of the feeling im going for. Please dont be concerned with the colors. The drawings were just quick mockups and I suck at that stuff. Wish I could render like Reaper and some of the others

BPape, thanks for the concern. This is the front stage area, so only left, right, and sub will go behind the area in question. Either will have plenty of space. Its about 2.5-3 feet to the back wall, 3 feet from side wall to screen and around 1.5 feet between speaker columns and screen. I may also make the front cover removable. As you mentioned, once I get to the side and rear room columns, sizing will probably be more of a concern.

Thanks for the input guys. Any other thoughts?

Ronnie

I added the swags to the drawings.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/squareprosc_swags.jpg

I added the swags to the drawings.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/squareprosc_swags.jpg
Ronnie,

I do like the curtains too and with the upper swag it balances it out better. Just get ready to spend some $$ on those curtains -- they ain't cheap even if you make them yourselves (at least that's what I've heard).

Another vote for Curved. More work, but it will look more Detailed.

Ruben

Hi Ronnie,
I would vote for the standard look. I have been to Chris A's palace, if that you are after go with the standard. If you want to go with a different screen size down the road, it will be lot easy to by covering with the curtains. The curtains also make the whole stage look very classy.
regards'
Jay

Jayken, I was thinking the same thing about the screen size and future modifications if needed. Curtains would definately make that easier. I made the screen wall 10' wide for that same reason.

How about a combination? Curved speaker walls and curtains? I might also move them out towards the front about 4-6 inches.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/curveandcurtainfront.jpg


http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/curveandcurtainside1.jpg


http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/curveandcurtainside.jpg

Ding!

We have a winner.

Ding!

We have a winner.

I agree! Looks really good that way.

That's some nice work :D What program are you using?

That's some nice work :D What program are you using?

Thanks, although im sure my skillset doesnt do the program justice. Im using crayola's compared to some of the other stuff I see on this forum. :D I have figured it out just enough to give me a basic idea of how things might look. Its called Sketchup. They have a 30 day eval on their website. Check it out, its pretty cool.

If anyone has any idea of how to import real colors and textures into it, please let me know. It came with a few basic materials to use.

Ronnie

Combo work for me too!

Ronnie,
I still like the standard look, but with the same size curved screen wall. if you compare both the pics, in the latest sketch the slightly larger screen wall just dominates too much. I still like the propostion of the standard look better IMHO. No matter which one you pick, they are all awesome.
regards
Jay

Ronnie,
I still like the standard look, but with the same size curved screen wall. if you compare both the pics, in the latest sketch the slightly larger screen wall just dominates too much. I still like the propostion of the standard look better IMHO. No matter which one you pick, they are all awesome.
regards
Jay

Jaken, I see what you mean. I take it you mean speaker columns instead of screen wall. The screen wall is the same size in all the sketches.

It does sort of de-emphasize the screen with the wider columns.

Let me play with it some more. I will make them the same width, but curved. Also bring them out towards the front a little.

Be back shortly.

Ok, lets try these. I made the columns a little narrower and moved them forward 3 inches. I also rotated them about 10 degrees to match the steps a little better. What do you guys think about this? That leaves tons of room behind them for bass traps and speakers.

Variation 4
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/curveandcurtain3.jpg


Variation 4 side view
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/curveandcurtain4.jpg

Ronnie

Hi Ronnie,
Yes I meant speaker columns not screen wall, sorry. The latest one is about as perfect as one can get. Now stop wasting your time , and get them building. We wanna see some pics of the real thing soon.
happy building
Jay

Sorry Jaken. Dont mean to hold up progress :p

Let me throw you a cookie to tide you over until this weekend when I will have some time to do the real work. I did a quick mockup of one side to get a feel for how it looked in the room. Im thinking I should go about 6 inches wider on the columns. It extends 28 inches from the side wall in this pic. Maybe 34-36 might look better? Its also hard to get the feel of the curve in the pic without some trim or something to set it off.

Dont laugh at the mockup material (trash bag and an old blanket). You gotta do what you gotta do. :D

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/test.jpg

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/test1.jpg

Ronnie

Hi Ronnie,

I like your sketches and your progress so far. The stage looks realy good.

This is just a thought, but you could make the curtains slightly curved also. Adds to the depth of the stage, i think...

Progress looks good so far! I am just a lurker in everyone's threads as I complile ideas for a new house a few years from now.

My thoughts on your "variation 4" with the narrow columns. I personally like the other look better. I think you should try to get the distance from the screen to the ceiling/floor, and the screen to the columns as equal as possible. I think if you had a nice equal distance/border around the screen it will help frame it better. It's hard to tell from the drawings, but maybe shoot for about 1' all the way around the screen to acheive the look I am talking about.

Of course my vote would be for curtains w/ flat or curved speaker panels. The proportions shown in your mock up look good. Your project is coming along very nice. BTW..someone mentioned that the curtains would probably be expensive...my wife did mine along w/ the swags (using a sewing meaching to treat the edges and stapling the cloth to a mounting board) for ~120...only took a few hours. Operable curtains would almost certainly cost more.

After a few mockups, I decided on the following setup for the columns. Stage columns will be curved to match the soffit and steps. Outside edges will be 36 inches away from back wall. Inside edge will be 31 inches away from back wall. the inside edge will be 17" from the screen wall. That should allow plenty of room to get speakers behind it without making the screens removable. The columns will extend 36 inches towards center of stage from side walls. That should allow 12-16" of curtain material.

Thanks for all the input. Here is the final Sketchup.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/proscenium.jpg

Ronnie

After finally deciding on the exact layout, I did some work today. I built the stage speaker columns and painted them black. In order to keep the screen material rounded to match the soffit and steps, I cut 1/4 slats of plywood and placed them every 2 feet. Im hoping this will give the GOM a nice rounded look. The top and bottom peices were cut out of a 2x12 using a jigsaw. What a pain. I used 2x3's for the side studs.


http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/P2040060a.jpg

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/P2040063a.jpg


Ronnie

Hi Ronnie,

What materials are those black? Is it a wood? If not, what was the reason for choosing that? I'm also in the planning stage and trying to learn so I can do mine properly. :D

Hi Ronnie,

What materials are those black? Is it a wood? If not, what was the reason for choosing that? I'm also in the planning stage and trying to learn so I can do mine properly. :D


Its 2x4's painted black. They will eventually be covered with fabric and the black paint will keep the wood from showing through the fabric.

Ronnie

On your center, why is there a space(top and bottom) on 2x4 painted black wood? Is that space for your center speaker? And on the wood paneling that stretches from wall to wall, is it a veneer? Where did you buy it?

Ronnie, It's looking great. Where in the theater will you be locating your sub(s)?

I noticed that you have some space open behind your soffit...will this be closed in w/ drywal or do you have plans for this space (like a curtain rod or concealed lighting)?

On your center, why is there a space(top and bottom) on 2x4 painted black wood? Is that space for your center speaker? And on the wood paneling that stretches from wall to wall, is it a veneer? Where did you buy it?

Yes, that space is for the center channel speakers. It gives me the option of putting them above or below the screen.

The wood is 1/4 oak plywood. It was wrapped around the frame and stained.

My website has a lot of the details. The link is below.

Ronnie

Ronnie, It's looking great. Where in the theater will you be locating your sub(s)?

I noticed that you have some space open behind your soffit...will this be closed in w/ drywal or do you have plans for this space (like a curtain rod or concealed lighting)?


Chris, Most likely I will be placing them behind the left and right columns.

The space you see behind the soffit will get finished out. I have a couple of ideas. Im thinking about finishing it out with black material. Starting at the front edge of the soffit, I would bring the material towards the back about 12-14 inches. The plan is also to put in 3" can lights. It should look similar to the final Sketchup a few posts back.

I also thought about doing hidden lighting as you mentioned. Maybe putting the lights about 3-4 inches up into the area behind the soffit. I just need to figure out how I would dress that out to make it look good.

Either way, the curtains and swags will tie directly into the back of the items above. I will have some space above and behind the swags, similar to the issue above, but that should be ok. I dont think you would ever see it unless you were standing against the screen.

I hope all that makes sense. Hard to describe it.

Ronnie

Looks Good Ronnie. Keep up the good work!

Ronnie,

I like the shape and how easy it is to "see" what it will look like once done. Keep those pics coming.

Thanks guys. I wish I had more time to devote to the build. Seems like weekends are about the only time I can really do anything constructive.

Im going to try to work on the can lighting for the stage this week.

Does anyone know where I can find a couple of very low profile can lights or similar? I need 2 lights that will go above the steps in the soffit to light up the steps and front speaker screens. The issue I have is the existing soffit on the sides. It extends 2 feet out and its preventing me from centering a normal can light. I need a lamp that is 4" or less tall. That would allow me to mount it under the existing soffit, but flush with the new front soffit. I dont really want to cut a hole in the existing sheetrock. If I could just find some very low profile lights, that would work. The rest of the stage lights will be 3" 50watt halogen can lights.

Ronnie

anyone have any suggestion for my lights above the speaker screens on the left and right of the stage? I would like to keep the look of the can lights i will be placing across the front if possible. My issue is that I need some that have a low profile. 4" or less for the sides. Does that product exist?

Ronnie

Ronnie.

I found these but not sure they will give off enough light for you.

3" Retrofit low Voltage Halogen - 4.25" tall
http://www.lightingfx.com/bmb_recessedlights.html

4 3/8" Tall
http://www.lightinguniverse.com/under-cabinet/view.aspx?family=17641

You may also come to the Big D and look at Expo off of 635 and the tollway north of the Galleria. I think they also have a website: http://www.expo.com/

anyone have any suggestion for my lights above the speaker screens on the left and right of the stage? I would like to keep the look of the can lights i will be placing across the front if possible. My issue is that I need some that have a low profile. 4" or less for the sides. Does that product exist?

Ronnie

When I did my lighting in my theater I needed low profile lights to recess in my 5" light trays. I found a spot locally that stocks a whole bunch of low profile line voltage can lights. Try to stay away from low voltage lighting.

Here is one example, this place is not to far from me as well. I buy veneer from them...
http://216.105.59.114/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1013

These come in Chrome, silver and black as well. Plus if you check their site, they have other styles like that. Plus they are all 120v Allot of people are always looking for these.

Ruben

Try to stay away from low voltage lighting.


I'm also preparing things for my future home theater room. However, I would like to know what's wrong with low voltage lighting. I'm not really inclined to this things. If I got attracted to how the light looks like, I will buy it. But I would like to make this home theater as correct as possible. :D

Thanks,

Neil

I'm also preparing things for my future home theater room. However, I would like to know what's wrong with low voltage lighting. I'm not really inclined to this things. If I got attracted to how the light looks like, I will buy it. But I would like to make this home theater as correct as possible. :D

Thanks,

Neil

Low Voltage has the tendency to Hum.

Ruben

When I did my lighting in my theater I needed low profile lights to recess in my 5" light trays. I found a spot locally that stocks a whole bunch of low profile line voltage can lights. Try to stay away from low voltage lighting.

Here is one example, this place is not to far from me as well. I buy veneer from them...
http://216.105.59.114/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1013

These come in Chrome, silver and black as well. Plus if you check their site, they have other styles like that. Plus they are all 120v Allot of people are always looking for these.

Ruben


Perfect Sandman. I knew they were out there somewhere. I found some locally that were 5" tall and will work for most of my needs, but had a little trouble finding any that were 4" or less. Looks like thats a good source. I will check out a few larger specialty lighting stores in my area.

I agree on 12v. I would like to stay with line voltage. Makes everything easier. Using a GRX-3106 to run everything.

Ronnie

You may also come to the Big D and look at Expo off of 635 and the tollway north of the Galleria. I think they also have a website: http://www.expo.com/


Funny you mention that. I was going to stop by there this evening on my way home from work to check out some GOM samples. I hear they have them over there. I will check out the lighting also. Thats a cool place to look around anyway.

Ronnie

After a few mockups, I decided on the following setup for the columns. Stage columns will be curved to match the soffit and steps. Outside edges will be 36 inches away from back wall. Inside edge will be 31 inches away from back wall. the inside edge will be 17" from the screen wall. That should allow plenty of room to get speakers behind it without making the screens removable. The columns will extend 36 inches towards center of stage from side walls. That should allow 12-16" of curtain material.

Thanks for all the input. Here is the final Sketchup.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/proscenium.jpg

Ronnie

This is gonna sound funny, but I just noticed your Prosceniums look like my other Martin Logan CLS's :D

http://loutrixrecords.com/images/theater-pix/429436.jpg

This is gonna sound funny, but I just noticed your Prosceniums look like my other Martin Logan CLS's :D



Since I cant afford the real Martin Logans, I thought I would create the next best thing........ Replica's

I can always tell the uninformed they are real :D


What a coincidence you bring this up, because I just got done listening so some Martin Logans about an hour ago at "Tweeter". Very nice.

Ronnie

I picked up some supplies today.

Linacoustics RC
Commando Cloth
Speaker Fabric

This should allow me to provide you guys with some more progress pics this weekend on the proscenium.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/lin.jpg

Ronnie

Were you able to find GOM swatches at Expo??

Were you able to find GOM swatches at Expo??

No. They have 5 billion other fabric products, but the lady I was dealing with had never heard of it. I wil probably just order the samples.

Ronnie

Today I finished up the Linacoustic behind the stage. I plan on working on the can lighting, Speaker fabric covers and Commando for screen wall tomorrow.



http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/linacoustic.jpg


Ronnie

Today I finished up the Linacoustic behind the stage. I plan on working on the can lighting, Speaker fabric covers and Commando for screen wall tomorrow.



http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/linacoustic.jpg


Ronnie

Looking awesome Ronnie! Your moving at warp Speed over there. Keep the good work up. The screen wall was the last phase in my build so I was so looking forward to it going up in the end. I still need to get my Prosceniums in, but I am waiting on carpet first.

Looking Sweet!

Ruben

Thanks Ruben. Hopefully it will turn out at least 1/2 as nice as your project. I still feel like I cant see the end of the tunnel :(

Ronnie

I wasnt able to get as much done as I had planned this weekend. I had some company over and I also spent most of today cleaning up the room. Its amazing how much waste you build up.

I did finish up the Linacoustic as you saw above. I also finished putting the grille cloth on the front two proscenium columns. The curves turned out nice and clean. You can barely see the framework for them under direct flash photography, but under regular room lighting, they look nice and smooth. Im pretty satisfied with the way they turned out.

With all the black material and insulation, its getting harder to take good clear pics.


Right Side Column http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/right.jpg Left Side Column http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/left.jpg

Side Profile of the Curvature http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/right1.jpg

Ronnie

I wasnt able to get as much done as I had planned this weekend. That should be the DIY Home Theater motto.
Along with "Nothing is as simple as it seems."
Ronnie,
You've got a great room and a beautiful design.
It's all coming together.
Great job. You're almost there, pal.

Hey Ronnie,

Looking Awesome man. How did you get your Curves on your Prosceniums done? Cut Curves in plywood?

I thiink your gonna be watching movies in there before I'm watching movies in Mine.

Ruben

Ronnie,
looking awesome. Are you doing going to add drywall or cloth material to the stage ceiling?

maurice

My first post, And I messed it up!

reece

Hey Ronnie,
How did you get your Curves on your Prosceniums done? Cut Curves in plywood?

Ruben


Ruben, I made the frames with curved ribs and just covered with fabric. Since all the peices were curved, it seemed to hold the fabric very nicely.

I think I got lucky.

Here is another picture of the framing. All horizontal peices are curved. The top and bottom peices are made from a 2x12. The middle 3 ribs are 1/2 plywood.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/P2040063a.jpg

Ronnie

Ronnie,
looking awesome. Are you going to add drywall or cloth material to the stage ceiling?

maurice


Maurice, I will use black fabric for the false ceiling. In the pic just above in my reply to Ruben, you can see an area just behind the new soffit and in front of the old sheetrock soffit that is hollow. That area will basically be covered by a false ceiling. The false ceiling will stop about 12-16" in front of the screen wall to leave room for curtains and swags. There will also be 5 can lights in this false ceiling shining onto the perimeter of the stage. If you take a look at my Sketchup drawings on the previous pages. That will give you an idea of the finished look. I hope to have that part accomplished by this weekend.

Ronnie

Ronnie,
Where did u buy the speaker fabric in the area.
Also, you mentioned commando cloth for the screen, is that better than the grey cloth that is sold on ebay?.

Thx

Ronnie,
Where did u buy the speaker fabric in the area.
Also, you mentioned commando cloth for the screen, is that better than the grey cloth that is sold on ebay?.

Thx

I picked up the speaker fabric at Jo-Anns off Preston. I picked up the commando cloth downtown at a place called Scenic Source. 214-887-8300. Tell Sandy you talked to me. Im not familar with the grey ebay cloth. The commando is highly recomended for sucking up light on a screen wall.

Ronnie

I picked up the speaker fabric at Jo-Anns off Preston.
Ronnie,

My wife is the one that visits JoAnns -- so I do not know the store that well. Do they have a large selection of colors for the speaker fabric? About how much per yard is it? I figure I can use one of those 50% off coupons and get it very inexpensively.

Ronnie,

My wife is the one that visits JoAnns -- so I do not know the store that well. Do they have a large selection of colors for the speaker fabric? About how much per yard is it? I figure I can use one of those 50% off coupons and get it very inexpensively.

The only color I saw for speaker grille cloth was black. I used a coupon and it was around $4 per yard. Normal price is $7.

Ronnie

The only color I saw for speaker grille cloth was black. I used a coupon and it was around $4 per yard. Normal price is $7.

Ronnie
Ronnie,

Thanks -- thats what I figured. Oh well, my brown sample (that doesn't sound right ;)) should be here in a week or so for review.

Im working on some ideas for my columns.

What do you guys think about these? The sconce will be lighted.

Good? Bad? To plain? Give up and start over?



http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/column.jpg http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/column1.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/columns.jpg


Ronnie

Awesome Design Ronnie, I think they are perfect. They may be a little too overpowering for the room. So I would say make them smaller, or use 2 per Side. The design is awesome though. You never cease to amaze me.

Ruben

I agree with Ruben. I like 'em, but three may be too much. Would you have to worry about reflections (acoustical) with the amount of wood/veneer used? Maybe someone else can pipe in.

Looks great!

Bud

Yes, I like them a lot too. 2 on the wall would work out well. Bud has a good point about reflections -- placement (if you have options) is critical. However, having the fabric along the entire front of the column will help since you would put absorbtion inside.

Thanks guys. I really appreciate your input on this. I agree with 3 columns being to much. I tried the drawing with 2 and it just looked funny. The first row of seating will be at about 11'. If I put the column at 12', I couldnt get it to look spaced out right with only 2 columns. It seemed to leave a lot of space up front. Anyone else have those issues.

Do you think I will have reflection issues? Only the sides will be solid wood. The entire front will be open and covered with cloth. I plan on filling them with acoustic treatement.

For the record, the columns are 8 feet tall. The bottom is 9" deep with a 3" overhang for the footing. The top is 15" deep with a 3" overhang for the cap. Its 18" wide.

Should I go smaller even with 2 columns per side?

Ronnie

They are beutiful. Are we going to see how you build these?

Reece

They are beutiful. Are we going to see how you build these?

Reece

Of course. Would anyone let me get away without a tutorial? ;)

Ronnie

The size is probably constrained to the size of your surrounds, correct? You might want to build a prototype to get a better feel. If the pictures of the columns are proportioned correctly with the room, they look a little big to me, but after reading the dimensions, seem OK.

Bud

Ronnie,
Very nice design and it fits perfectly with the rest of the room.

Ronnie,
Are you going to have any columns on the back wall?
Jay

The size is probably constratined to the size of your surrounds, correct? You might want to build a prototype to get a better feel. If the pictures of the columns are proportioned correctly with the room, they look a little big to me, but after reading the dimensions, seem OK.

Bud

Bud, I could probably go 2-3" smaller on the width. Maybe even a little on the depth at the top. I dont have the speakers yet, so I drew these to match about what most people are doing.

Ya, the pic is to scale. I think its the fact that there are 3 columns and the angle is a little strange that gives it that optical illusion of being big.

I plan on creating a single prototype once I decide on an overall look. I have another idea for them that I will run by you guys when I get a chance to draw it out.

Ronnie

Ronnie,
Are you going to have any columns on the back wall?
Jay


Im undecided yet on the back wall. I wont have much room behind the back row and the wall (about 3 feet). I want to leave room to walk. I also have an odd door location.

If I do columns on the back wall, they will match the others.

Why do you ask?

Ronnie

Ronnie, what are you doing about treatments in this room?

You may want to consult BPape here on AVS and let him do an analyzation of Your room. He will then recommend treatment placement along with bass traps before you take the final plunge on the columns. It will be the best investment of your theater and it's not as expensive as you may think.

I had to change my existing columns due to reflection points and he had to make changes on treatments everytime I changed my design.

Ruben

Treatments? Whats that? :eek:

Just kidding. At first, I thought I would just do the standard linacoustic up to ear level, batting on top, Linacoustic under soffit, Linacoustic on the entire front wall, and some bass traps in the front corners. Nothing to technical. The expense wasnt really the concern, It just seemed that I could do what most have done and achieve 80-90% satisfaction. I am probably dillusional.

Now, it seems that I should probably get a little more scientific in my approach and enlist some experts. BPape is definately on my list.

Im not sure equipment will play into the calculations, but I have not decided on exactly what i will be purchasing and probably wont until the very end.

Ronnie

Ronnie,
I think that the exposed front edge of the side pieces looks a little thin, have you tried it with about a 2" or 3" edge? Just my take... otherwise I think it is a pretty cool and unique design.

Keep up the good work.
Brian

Ronnie,
I think that the exposed front edge of the side pieces looks a little thin, have you tried it with about a 2" or 3" edge? Just my take... otherwise I think it is a pretty cool and unique design.

Keep up the good work.
Brian

Hi Brian. I agree, it looks a little thin. Its currently at 3/4 inches. I have received a lot of suggestions from a few folks here and also friends and family. I need to put them into a sketchup and get some feedback again. I will put up the changes in the next few days for you guys.

Im also thinking about not making the sconce lighted. I dont think it will project any light with the black material behind it, so it probably wont work anyway. I am now thinking about tray lighting around the soffit with lights just above the columns to give them a little illumination.

Thanks for everyones comments thus far.

Ronnie

I made some slight modifications to the columns based on some feedback. Do these look any better? Is there more tweaking to be done?

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/cm2b.jpg http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/cm2c.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/cm2.jpg

Ronnie

Im still not satisfied with the way they seem spaced on the wall. The first column is 7 feet back from screen and the second one is 12 feet from the screen. That would put the second one (which will house surround) about 1 foot behind front row and between the two rows of seating.

Does this look odd to anyone else, or is it just me?

I keep wanting to move them back about 1-2 feet each, but that would probably put the side surround to far behind the front row.


http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/cm2a.jpg

Ronnie

I personally think the reason the columns maybe look a little overpowering is the top plate and botom plate. Try doing a drawing with just the sides where the top and bottom would be hidden inside the column behind the black so they look more like ribs than columns.

2 could be made to work as could 3 if we play with the positioning. Just remember that 1 of the positions is pretty well locked down for the surround and the other 1-2 can be made symmetric to the front wall, the stage front, whatever depending on your preference - or not symmetric.

Brian, with my first row of seating at 11', would a column at 12' be ok?

Ronnie

I am guessing you want to hide all of your speakers and equipments. However, I am not sure where you are planning to keep your sub. Is your sub is going to be behind one of the corner frames?

PJ

I am guessing you want to hide all of your speakers and equipments. However, I am not sure where you are planning to keep your sub. Is your sub is going to be behind one of the corner frames?

PJ


Yes, the sub will be behind either the left or right frames on the stage.

Ronnie

12' would likely be OK but you might want to consider more centered between the 2 rows. Otherwise, the sides will be awfully far in front of the second row.

12' would likely be OK but you might want to consider more centered between the 2 rows. Otherwise, the sides will be awfully far in front of the second row.


PERFECT!!! Thats exactly what I wanted to do and it would be more symetrical. I was just concerned about having them too far behind the front row money seats.

Thanks Brian.

Ronnie

Great thread and theater design, Ronnie. I finally got around to checking yours out and am hooked, of course. :)

I'm glad you went with the combination of curved and curtains. The extra wide L & R speaker walls looked a bit large in your first rendering. You also have the ability to convert to 2.35:1 constant height, as many are doing lately it seems. All you'll have to do is move the curtains to the side.

I like your columns as well - I agree with others who've said that the wooden sides would maybe be a bit wider, and my additional thought on the subject is to possibly push them in a hair, so they don't stick out much more than the black fabric (approx 3/4" perhaps).

The last render you posted does indeed look odd to me, too. Centered on the side wall soffit that it's on may look a bit more symmetrical. It seems that Bryan has nudged you in that direction and you've agreed, so that should look great as well.

As far as the side surround speakers influencing the column location, I've thrown around the idea of putting two side surrounds on each side (essentially 9 channels including the rears), which should help diffuse the sound from the sides even more. The only additional requirement (other than two more speakers) would be an amplifier to power those additional channels. Obviously you'd cut the gain approximately in half at that point. I would imagine it would sound a bit better no matter which row you're in. I'm not sure if anyone else on AVS has done this (I'm sure someone has) or their results. If your column placement now favors a single side surround then obviously it's moot.

Awesome job.. the proscenium especially is a motivating factor.. Just don't hook up a projector! ;)

I hate to disagree with Bryan, but at least its only on something like aesthetics (where it's just an opinion and I can't be squished by his vast knowledge ;) ) I think that the top and bottom plate look better in the new design, and I would suggest figuring out what sort of baseboard (if any) you are going to do before deciding on the bottom plate for sure. Good news about the side speaker placement though, I agree that that will look better back about a foot.

Keep up the good work and it'll look great however you decide to do it.

Later,
Brian

Well, I was hoping to get a little work done this weekend. Nice thought anyway. My daughter turns 16 in April and has the new car itch. Almost all of my weekend consisted of driving around looking at 100's of cars. Very exciting :rolleyes:

Good thing tomorrow is a holiday for me. All alone, so I should be able to provide you guys with some progress pics.

I spent a few hours in there tonight trying to figure out how im going to set up the can lighting for the stage and create the false ceiling for it. After a few trial ideas and mockups, I think I have it. That will be tomorrows main project along with staining out the 1/4 oak that will face out the stage and steps.

Ronnie

Ronnie,
Are you going to place any kind of material(batting,insulation) in your stage ceiling?
Thanks
Reece

Ronnie,
Are you going to place any kind of material(batting,insulation) in your stage ceiling?
Thanks
Reece

Yes, Take a look back on page 2 of this thread. You will see several pictures of the stage area. Its completely covered (walls and ceiling) with Linacoustic.

The small area you see just in front of the speaker columns and behind the soffit will be covered also. It was just not finished in the pics

Ronnie

I will not be having side soffits, so I was planning on installing the curved plywood for the ceiling and from that point back to the front wall finish it with drywall. My question then is do I just staple commando cloth to the ceiling or do I need to install linacoustic material and then covered it with commando cloth?
thanks

I will not be having side soffits, so I was planning on installing the curved plywood for the ceiling and from that point back to the front wall finish it with drywall. My question then is do I just staple commando cloth to the ceiling or do I need to install linacoustic material and then covered it with commando cloth?
thanks


I believe the standard answer is that the entire front area needs to be covered with acoustic treatment. Walls and ceiling.

Check out the "Acoustical Treatment Master Thread". Its a sticky and is at the top of the "Dedicated Theater Design and Construction" forum. Lots of good info.

Ronnie

I finished 3 of my 5 can lights for the stage this evening.

Its hard to tell what the finished product is going to look like, but I created some framing for a false ceiling that will be finished out in black fabric. I mounted a 2x4 between both speaker columns with L brackets and brought it down level with the bottom of the soffit.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2190001.jpg



http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2190002.jpg



The cutout you see on the ends of the 2x4 will be used later for some curving I need to do to match the false ceiling with the curved speaker frames and hold the outside 2 can lights. More on that later. The inside of the soffit will also get linacoustic.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2190003.jpg

In order to support the can lights, I created some small trays out of particle board and some 1x2 Poplar strips. The strips were attached using liquid nails and brad nails. Clamps were used until glue dried.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2200004.jpg


http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2200005.jpg


Ronnie

I cut holes in all 3 trays and mounted the lights.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2200006.jpg


Front side

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2200008.jpg

Back side

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2200009.jpg


Ronnie

The 3 trays were mounted to soffit and rear 2x4 temporarily with clamps. All the wood and the cans will be painted black. Fabric will eventually be wrapped from the front of the soffit to the rear of the 2x4 creating a nice false ceiling. The 2x4 will also provide a place to attach the velvet swags. I will be making some sort of very thin heat resistant disk that will be 2-3" larger in diameter than the can trims. That way I can keep the fabric as far as possible from the cans and still have a clean look.


http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2200011.jpg


http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2200012.jpg


Ronnie

Awesome Idea Ronnie! Thats gonna look sweet!

Ruben

Thanks Ruben. In hindsight, I wish I wouldnt have cut the backside of the bottom soffit piece in a 4" strip when I built the soffit. I should have left it solid and extended back to where the 2x4 is now. That would have made it a lot easier.

I wasnt as bold as you were with the colums. I couldnt make myself rip it down and start over :D

Ronnie

Thanks Ruben. In hindsight, I wish I wouldnt have cut the backside of the bottom soffit piece in a 4" strip when I built the soffit. I should have left it solid and extended back to where the 2x4 is now. That would have made it a lot easier.

I wasnt as bold as you were with the colums. I couldnt make myself rip it down and start over :D

Ronnie

Well hey, It was allot easier to build those columns than to build that Soffit. It will be fine. Just wrap it with some black GoM. Make sure you paint that wood black first too.
Also, if You leave That open, I bet you can use it as a bass trap as well. You would have to ask BPape that though.

Keep on Rockin!

Ruben

Lookin good man. Nice idea for the can lights.

Lookin good man. Nice idea for the can lights.

Thanks Brian. Any merit to the bass-trap idea up inside that soffit?

Ronnie

I worked a few more hours this evening on the stage lighting. I finished making the left and right column lights, test fitted, and painted everything black.


Test fitting of the corner lights. The plywood you see in the back matches the curvature of the speaker grilles and stands off of them about 1/8 inch. Just enough to run some material behind them and staple it down later.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2220007.jpg


All lights test fitted and spacing checked for visual appearance.


http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2220005.jpg


Trays, 3 center cans, and 2 outside eyballs painted black.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2230016.jpg http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2230018.jpg


Ronnie

I'll take a look at everything when I run the room.

Ronnie, looks great so far. I can't wait to buy a house in the next 1-2 years so I can start planning my own theater using all the stuff I've learned on these forums. Question, what software do you use for your mockup renderings?

Ronnie,

Where did you get your can lights? HD, Lowes? Are they 4"? Are they LINE voltage vs. low voltage. BTW -- great idea to paint them black -- should make them blend in well with the black Commando cloth.

Question, what software do you use for your mockup renderings?

Its called Sketchup. www.sketchup.com

Ronnie

Ronnie,

Where did you get your can lights? HD, Lowes? Are they 4"? Are they LINE voltage vs. low voltage. BTW -- great idea to paint them black -- should make them blend in well with the black Commando cloth.

It took a trip to both to find what I needed. They were around $15 each.

I bought the 3 center cans from Lowes. They are 5 inches tall and take PAR-20 50watt halogen bulbs. 110 volt.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/can_fixture.jpg




I bought the 110v eyeball fixtures at Home Depot. They are 4" tall and take PAR-16 60 watt halogen bulbs. Im using 45 watt in them.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/eyeball_fixture.jpg



For my peremiter tray lighting, I found these at http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5092. They have a place in Mesquite off 635 over by Home Depot. They are only about 4" tall including the can. I will have to paint them also. Cool little lights.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/tray_lights.jpg

Where did you find the linacoustics RC at?

Where did you find the linacoustics RC at?

Its a long way from you, but the cheapest place I could find locally was:

J-MIL Sheet Metal Fabricators
2143 Gus Thomasson, BLDG #2
Mesquite, TX 75150
972-681-2223

$198 total for 100 foot Roll of 1" x 48" They have other stuff also.


The pricing strategy on this stuff is insane. Nobody has anywhere near the same pricing structure. It was anywhere from $198 to over $500 for the exact same product depending on who you called. INSANE :rolleyes:

Ronnie

The price i found was $255 for a 100' roll by 47" wide

Ronnie,
Would it be too dark if you did not use the can lights in the soffit? I noticed you have bigger can lights in the main ceiling.

Thanks
Reece

My idea with the 6 zones on the Grafik Eye is to use the middle lights on one or two zones and do the soffit lights on another so you can have direct light on your chairs or the other way around no light on the chairs and dimmed light when a movie is going in the soffits.

Ronnie,
Would it be too dark if you did not use the can lights in the soffit? I noticed you have bigger can lights in the main ceiling.

Thanks
Reece

Im not sure I understand your question? Too dark for what?

Ronnie

Ronnie,
what I meant was, you have the can lights in the soffit, and you also have regular can lights in the ceilling in front of the soffit. Is there a need to install lights in both places.
I hope I explained my self.
Thanks Ronnie

Ronnie,
what I meant was, you have the can lights in the soffit, and you also have regular can lights in the ceilling in front of the soffit. Is there a need to install lights in both places.
I hope I explained my self.
Thanks Ronnie


Ahhh. Let me help clarify my lighting just a bit. The four 6" cans on the ceiling were pre-exisiting in the room. The front two nearest the stage soffit will actually be moved back about 3-4 feet. That will position them closer to the front row of seating. They look closer in the pics than they actually are. Those main cans will probably never really be used unless your cleaning the room or something. I will have a lot of lighting in different places. The reason for all this is to help create different scenes of lighting for specific atmospheres.

I will be using a 6 zone grafik eye. I currently have 5 zones that I will be wiring. If I do a star ceiling, or rope in the upper soffit,I will add the 6th zone.

example:
zone 1 = Main overhead 6" cans
zone 2 = Peremiter soffit lights. 50w 3" halogen cans
zone 3 = step lights for stage and risers
zone 4 = center 3 stage cans
zone 5 = left and right stage eyeballs
zone 6 = to be determined

As you can see, this will give me the ability to mix and match all the lighting at various levels to acheive just about any lighting scene I might want. Everything can be completely automated.


Does that help explain?

Ronnie

Ronnie,

Looking good so far! I love the curved upper stage area. I thought I read that it was a 2x12, but that would be a tough bend. Can you explain it more? My guess is just thin plywood and a veneer....???

Ronnie,
It explains it perfectly. Thanks. I was not planning on putting the small cans, but after your explanation, I have to change my plans.
I just have to learn what is a grafik eye....
I saw a sticky tread somewhere.
After my wife and I return from Puerto Vallarta next week, its construction time.

thanks Ronnie

Reece

Ronnie,
I just have to learn what is a grafik eye....
I saw a sticky tread somewhere.
Reece

Grafik Eye is a lighting controller made by Lutron. If your going to have 4 or more zones in your theater, then I highly suggest you purchase one. You can get more info here: http://www.lutron.com/grafikeye/?s=17000&t=17300. The 6 zone GRX-3106 is what most use, but they make them with more or less zones.

The sticky is on the main page of the "Dedicated Theater Design and Construction" forum.

Ronnie

Ronnie,

Looking good so far! I love the curved upper stage area. I thought I read that it was a 2x12, but that would be a tough bend. Can you explain it more? My guess is just thin plywood and a veneer....???

Jerrod, check out my webpage from the link in my signature below. On the "Proscenium" page, look at the section titled "Front Soffit". It has a full explanation and details.

Its basically 2x4 framing capped on top and bottom with 1/2 inch plywood that was cut in a curve. I then faced it out with 1/4" oak plywood and stained.

It looks rough right now because its not finished out fully. I will be adding some medalions and lots of molding and trim.

Ronnie

I spent another few hours tonight wiring all the stage lights. Hopefully tomorrow I can finish off the fabric and install the lights.



http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/stage_can_wiring.jpg


Ronnie

thanks Ronnie,
You are moving so fast. With construction and keeping up with the replies, how do you do it?

Thanks
Reece

I picked up the coolest tool today! A Dremel with all kinds of attachments. This thing is Bad @$$....... I needed to cut some perfect circle disks out of 1/8 hardboard to use as extended trims for my can lights. This will allow me to keep the fabric 2.5" from the cans just for safety.

Next to air nailers and air staplers, the dremel is a must for all kinds of stuff. Very cool. For those that already own one or have used one, you know exactly what im talking about.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/dremel.jpg

Ronnie

I picked up the coolest tool today! A Dremel with all kinds of attachments. This thing is Bad @$$....... I needed to cut some perfect circle disks out of 1/8 hardboard to use as extended trims for my can lights. This will allow me to keep the fabric 2.5" from the cans just for safety.

Next to air nailers and air staplers, the dremel is a must for all kinds of stuff. Very cool. For those that already own one or have used one, you know exactly what im talking about.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/dremel.jpg

Ronnie

Funny, I had one of these a while back and it never seemed to work for me but this was about 8 years ago. Those bits kept breaking all the time. Maybe they got better now.

Are you putting cotton above the stage for the Bass Traps?

Ruben

Are you putting cotton above the stage for the Bass Traps?

Ruben

Im working with BPape on the acoustics of the room. Currently we have a lot of cotton planned for the front area. Still working on the details with him.

Ronnie

Ronnie,

Where in the DFW area did you get the Johns Mansville Linacoustic RC? And, if you don't mind me asking how much did you get it for?

Thanks

Ryan

Ronnie,

Where in the DFW area did you get the Johns Mansville Linacoustic RC? And, if you don't mind me asking how much did you get it for?

Thanks

Ryan

Ryan, look on page 4 (post #119). Someone already asked that same question and I posted all the details.

Ronnie

Funny, I had one of these a while back and it never seemed to work for me but this was about 8 years ago. Those bits kept breaking all the time. Maybe they got better now.
Ruben


Ruben, It worked flawlessly for me. They are geared for smaller jobs. If you wanted to do anything with larger/heavier materials then you would probably want to use a plunge router.

This is how I used it to make my extended can rings.



I cut out 8 inch circles in the 1/8" hard board.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/P2250001.jpg


http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/P2250003.jpg


Then I cut out the 3" center for the can to snug into.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/P2250007.jpg

The rough looking stuff on the edges is just the paper backing. I sanded all that smooth.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/P2250008.jpg

I painted it black to match the cans.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/P2250013.jpg


Here is a picture of the normal can.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/P2250014.jpg


Here it is with the additional ring. This will allow me to staple the material 3 inches from the can for safety and have a clean finish.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/P2250023.jpg


Ronnie

Wow Ronnie
You are truly a craftsman ! The amount of skill some of you exibit is amazing ! Your theater is really looking nice. Johnathan

Wow Ronnie
You are truly a craftsman ! The amount of skill some of you exibit is amazing ! Your theater is really looking nice. Johnathan


Thanks Johnathan. Im having a lot of fun and learning some cool stuff at the same time.

Ronnie

I finished up the false ceiling of my stage soffit tonight. Im excited at the way it turned out. As you know, pictures dont really do justice around here. Especially when your trying to photograph the color black.

Anyway, here are a few pics and the steps I took to complete it.


I temporarily hung the fabric across the framing I created using push pins to hold it in place. I used the push pins on the front side of the framing and let the fabric hang over the rear side of the 2x4. This helped my position it almost exact before I began using staples. I started at the center and worked my way to each side.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/stage-ceiling/P2260006.jpg


This is a shot from the frontside after using push pins to position it.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/stage-ceiling/P2260004.jpg


Once everything was in place, I began stapling the fabric from the center working my way to each side.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/stage-ceiling/P2260010.jpg

I used some thin strips of upholstery cardboard to fasten the material to the wood. Probably not needed, but I tried it anyway.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/stage-ceiling/P2260012.jpg


Once I had the middle section of the back done, I moved to the frontside. Starting from the center, I stretched the fabric tight and stapled it down to the front edge of the soffit. The staples will be covered with trim later on. I tacked the extra material up to the ceiling to keep it ouf of my way.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/stage-ceiling/P2260014.jpg


Here is a shot of the corners. They were a little more involved since I had some framing right up against the speaker columns to make the material match the curvature. I had left about 1/8" spacing, so I just pulled the fabric through from behind and stapled it to the front of the small strip of plywood where you see the push pins.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/stage-ceiling/P2260016.jpg


Here is the finished product.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/stage-ceiling/P2260018.jpg

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/stage-ceiling/P2260026.jpg

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/stage-ceiling/P2260027.jpg

Ronnie

Damn, I'm gonna have to change your name to Rockin' Ronnie! Your Freekin Rockin' man! Awesome idea on the Cans. Once That Fabric goes up, your going to start seeing your vision clearer :)

BUT, You Still didn't answer my question about the Bass Absorbtion above the Stage. I would think that's allot of good space up there that can be utilized for bass absorbtion.

I'm no accoustic expert though :)

Ruben

I also installed one of the can lights to see how it would look. I had created extended can rings a few posts back to help keep the fabric away from the lights.

Remember these?
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/P2250013.jpg



I measured 1.5" back from the edge of the hole in the tray and stapled the fabric in a circle around the hole. Well, I tried to make a circle :rolleyes:
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2260033.jpg



Next, I cut the fabric out and trimmed it back to the edge of the staples.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2260034.jpg

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2260035.jpg



This gives me an additional 1.5 inches of space from the actual light. It will also be seperated by the extended ring and the can will mount onto the ring.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2260036.jpg




Here are a few pics of the finished product. Im going to repaint the rings with flatter paint. I used satin and they are just a little to glossy. I will have to pick up another can of the same stuff I used on the lights. Im happy with the paint on the lights, they match the fabric almost perfectly although its hard to tell in the pics. Once I paint the rings with the same stuff, they should dissapear into the fabric.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2260041.jpg

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2260042.jpg

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2260043.jpg


Ronnie

Damn, I'm gonna have to change your name to Rockin' Ronnie! Your Freekin Rockin' man! Awesome idea on the Cans. Once That Fabric goes up, your going to start seeing your vision clearer :)

BUT, You Still didn't answer my question about the Bass Absorbtion above the Stage. I would think that's allot of good space up there that can be utilized for bass absorbtion.

I'm no accoustic expert though :)

Ruben


LOL.... Rockin' Ronnie.......

Thanks Ruben. I can only hope it turns out as nice as yours in the end.

On the bass absorbtion, I have been working with BPape on that. I will be going with 5.5" of cotton on top of all that linacoustic in the entire stage area. Im going to also be throwing a bunch of it up on top of that soffit you keep asking about. Away from the lights of course.

I had some of the "pink stuff" R-19 6.5" left over from some other stuff I did a while back on another room. I filled the 2x4 framing of the soffit with it. Just like you would do a wall. I hope Bryan doesnt kill me for doing that. :o

Ronnie

What fabric did you use ??

Was it GOM - how wide was the roll ?

Hey, it's your room. You gotta do what you want to do. I think I had something planned for up there anyway.

What fabric did you use ??

Was it GOM - how wide was the roll ?


I used speaker grille cloth. Its 54" wide.

Ronnie

Hey, it's your room. You gotta do what you want to do. I think I had something planned for up there anyway.


All I did was fill in the 2x4 cavities of the soffit framing. 14"x16" strips. The soffit area is still pretty much as open as it was before. Im still on board with your plans for the room. Is this going to affect anything? I can take it out.

Ronnie

Don't remember off the top of my head. If it's just extra thickness it will only help the bottom end and not hurt anything else.

Don't remember off the top of my head. If it's just extra thickness it will only help the bottom end and not hurt anything else.

Cool, After our conversation on Saturday about making the stage very dead and dealing with the low end, I didnt think it would hurt anything. Its just extra thickness between the studs that face the soffit. Plenty of room to put that 5.5"cotton up there on top like we were discussing.


Just kick me if I make any mistakes. :cool:


Ronnie

I used speaker grille cloth. Its 54" wide.

Ronnie
Ronnie,

How well does that speaker grill coth match the commando cloth you bought? I assume the commando cloth will be going around the screen and possibly on your DIY screen frame?

Ronnie,

How well does that speaker grill coth match the commando cloth you bought? I assume the commando cloth will be going around the screen and possibly on your DIY screen frame?


Steve, the fabrics are definately different. The commando is more like a velvet/felt looking stuff. The commando is going on my screen wall. Its main goal is to suck up any light spillage.

I havent compared them side by side yet. Im guessing you wont be able to tell the difference from a distance. My speaker columns and soffit are also several feet away from the screen wall. That will minimize the differences even more.


I will take a picture of the two side by side tonight.

Larry has a pic of his shadow box using Commando and GOM. I expect it to look similar. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5299328&&#post5299328

Ronnie

Steve, the fabrics are definately different. The commando is more like a velvet/felt looking stuff. The commando is going on my screen wall. Its main goal is to suck up any light spillage.

I havent compared them side by side yet. Im guessing you wont be able to tell the difference from a distance. My speaker columns and soffit are also several feet away from the screen wall. That will minimize the differences even more.


I will take a picture of the two side by side tonight.

Larry has a pic of his shadow box using Commando and GOM. I expect it to look similar. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5299328&&#post5299328

Ronnie
Thanks. I was just trying to figure out if the colors were similar enough to get away with using both materials. Larry used GOM and Commando which blended together well.

How much per yard was the speaker fabric you bought at Joann's? I think that's where you told us you go it.

Thanks. I was just trying to figure out if the colors were similar enough to get away with using both materials. Larry used GOM and Commando which blended together well.

How much per yard was the speaker fabric you bought at Joann's? I think that's where you told us you go it.


The colors are similar, the textures are not. I think you would be ok. I can mail you a small strip of the commando if you like.

Yes, I bought the speaker fabric at Jo-Anns. Preston and Forest location. Its normal price is $6.99/yard. I used a 40% off coupon and it was around $4 a yard. It comes in 54" wide rolls.


Ronnie

The colors are similar, the textures are not. I think you would be ok. I can mail you a small strip of the commando if you like.

Yes, I bought the speaker fabric at Jo-Anns. Preston and Forest location. Its normal price is $6.99/yard. I used a 40% off coupon and it was around $4 a yard. It comes in 54" wide rolls.


Ronnie
No need to send me a sample of the commando -- I already have some. But at $4/yard, I may consider that to cover my fiber stars instead of the black GOM.

You don't have an SKU or barcode for the fabric from Jo-anns do you ??

I tried searching their website using "speaker" or "grill" but had no luck.

Thanks

Im posting later here buy the looks of the dates but I cant seem to get to your website for some reason...anyway,

Thats some great work you have there...im sure it will be quite impressive once its finished!!! Youve just changed my design ....once I finally get started that is.

Keep it up...looks fantastic!!!!

Robert

You don't have an SKU or barcode for the fabric from Jo-anns do you ??

I tried searching their website using "speaker" or "grill" but had no luck.

Thanks


3514023 Black Speaker Cloth.


Ronnie

Im posting later here buy the looks of the dates but I cant seem to get to your website for some reason...anyway,

Thats some great work you have there...im sure it will be quite impressive once its finished!!! Youve just changed my design ....once I finally get started that is.

Keep it up...looks fantastic!!!!

Robert


Robert, you must be looking at the join dates under the members names. All the posts are current. The date of the posts shows just above each post in the pink bar.

Cant help you on the website. Its up and everyone one else can hit it.

Thanks for the comments.

Ronnie

Ronnie,

Actually I am a total newby and was referring to the earlier pics in this thread (first few pages) and I didnt realize there were 6 pages to it at this point....like I said...NEWBY!!!

I know you ahve heard this but your wood working skills are quite impressive...everything looks great and I might have to get with Bpape when it comes time, if his services arent already spoken for in the near future.

I was thinking about totally enclosing the stage area with having access to teh speakers through the columns....I like your open Idea better. Now if I can just figure out a shadow box type of arrangement that would still allow rear access like you have Ill be tracking.

Keep it up...it looks awsome and speeking as a newby...ite truely an inspiration for my future project!!!!!!

Robert

BTW.....I cant wait to see those columns you designed...im sure they will look great as well!!!

I had thought of an idea ....
You mentioned that you would have liked to put a sconce on them but didnt think the black fabric would reflect the light...if you put a small reflective layer of tin or something like that (cut to size of course so it wouldnt show) on the face of teh column between the sconce and fabric, I think the light would reflect off of it and it might add for a cool affect as well...

Just a thought, but judging form the quality of your work and the class in your design you may want to just ignore that and continue on ...haha

Robert

Ronnie,

I was thinking about totally enclosing the stage area with having access to teh speakers through the columns....I like your open Idea better. Now if I can just figure out a shadow box type of arrangement that would still allow rear access like you have Ill be tracking.


Robert

Robert, there is a gentleman by the name of Larry Chanin that has an impressive shadow box with removable grilles. That would probably be ideal for what you are looking at. I have seen a ton of his posts and he has a website with a lot of pics. Take a look at this thread to get you started. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=489193&highlight=shadow+box Larry's setup is the last 2 posts.

Thanks for the kind words on my theater.

Ronnie

BTW.....I cant wait to see those columns you designed...im sure they will look great as well!!!

I had thought of an idea ....
You mentioned that you would have liked to put a sconce on them but didnt think the black fabric would reflect the light...if you put a small reflective layer of tin or something like that (cut to size of course so it wouldnt show) on the face of teh column between the sconce and fabric, I think the light would reflect off of it and it might add for a cool affect as well...

Just a thought, but judging form the quality of your work and the class in your design you may want to just ignore that and continue on ...haha

Robert

Robert, I like your idea. I think they would look really cool with a glow coming from behind the medalion. I just dont want to see any of the hardware. Im still debating on how I want to do the columns. Im going to have some tray lighting that goes around the peremiter of the room at the edge of the soffit. Right now im thinking about just having lights in the tray above each column. Once I get to the actual column build, I will probably experiment with several options to see what I like best.

Ronnie

I finished up all the stage can lighting tonight. I also repainted the rings with the same paint I used for the cans. They look a lot better. Did I mention its very hard to take a picture of the color black. :mad: I will probably temporarlily run some juice to them tomorrow to see what they look like when turned on.




The color in this one is fairly accurate. The middle 3 cans look like this one.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2270024.jpg


I used eyeball lights in the corners. Just an example of what I mean about taking pics of black material. The upper soffit material and the vertical speaker grille is the exact same material and color. I guess the way the light reflects at certain angles makes it look a different color

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2270012.jpg


A couple of shots of the overall view.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2270015.jpg

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2270017.jpg


Overall, it turned out really well. From 10 feet away, you dont even really notice the lights against the soffit. Im glad to get this out of the way so I can work on something a little more exciting.

Ronnie

Ronnnie,

Great idea on the lights. I'm using 4" cans around my stage/riser and that may be a nice extra trim out to consider. For GOM stapling, I used two 1/2" pieces of plywood (sandwich) and cut out a hole large enough to accept the trim piece. I think adding the ring will give some additional detail and interest. I'll have to add that to my list!

Looking good!

Bud

Ronnie,

Everything looks great. I cannot wait until I can get to this level of detail on my HT.

I think when I get to this point in construction....im buying Ronnie a plane ticket to Indiana and having him help me with mine :)

It does look great Ronnie...those can rings add a little something to it

Robert

Ronnie,
How did you staple the material to the bottom of the suffit? From the picture I can make out the staples, did you stapled it directly to the venner?
Thanks
Reece

I think when I get to this point in construction....im buying Ronnie a plane ticket to Indiana and having him help me with mine :)

It does look great Ronnie...those can rings add a little something to it

Robert


Im game for that. Im having a lot of fun. It would be cool to do this for a living. But then again, I might change my mind if it were a job :p

Ronnie

Ronnie,
How did you staple the material to the bottom of the suffit? From the picture I can make out the staples, did you stapled it directly to the venner?
Thanks
Reece

The material wraps up onto the face of the 1/4" oak. The staples are at the very bottom edge of the face of the soffit. The bottom cap of the soffit is made from 1/2 plywood and the oak is on top of that. The staples are going into that 1/2" area of plywood. I will post a closeup pic of the stapling tonight. The staples will be covered with some trim later on. Actually that whole soffit area will have decorative trim and some medalions to dress it up.

Ronnie

Ronnnie,

Great idea on the lights. I'm using 4" cans around my stage/riser and that may be a nice extra trim out to consider. For GOM stapling, I used two 1/2" pieces of plywood (sandwich) and cut out a hole large enough to accept the trim piece. I think adding the ring will give some additional detail and interest. I'll have to add that to my list!

Looking good!

Bud


Thanks Bud. I had seen your can trims with the plywood. Im guessing your filling out the underside of your soffit with batting or similar. I think the rings would work great for you. You could just staple the fabric at the edge of your existing plywood and cover with the rings.

I like them. It kept them flush and maintained a factory appearance.

BTW, nice work so far on the theater. I have followed your thread from the beginning. Seems like there are 4-5 of us working in tandem here. :D

Ronnie

Thanks Ronnie,
I get it now.
Reece

Im game for that. Im having a lot of fun. It would be cool to do this for a living. But then again, I might change my mind if it were a job :p

Ronnie


Be careful what you wish for, if your theater turns out half as nice as I think it will then you might just find a plane ticket in your mailbox one day :D

Robert

The material wraps up onto the face of the 1/4" oak. The staples are at the very bottom edge of the face of the soffit. The bottom cap of the soffit is made from 1/2 plywood and the oak is on top of that. The staples are going into that 1/2" area of plywood. I will post a closeup pic of the stapling tonight. The staples will be covered with some trim later on. Actually that whole soffit area will have decorative trim and some medalions to dress it up.

Ronnie

Reece, here is a pic of the front edge of the soffit and the stapling. As you can see the fabric goes up onto the face about 1/4 inch. You have to be carefull when doing this and make sure your stapler level and is not pointed down. Otherwise your in for a suprise when a staple shoots out the bottom. :eek: :eek: Knock on wood, I didnt have a single misfire out of the what seemed like million staples.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/stage-ceiling/P2280005.jpg


Ronnie

I see it now.
Thanks Ronnie,

Reece

I ran some temp power to the 2 zones of stage lighting tonight. I dont have the grafik eye yet, so they are at full power. 50w bulbs in center cans, 45w on the sides. These little things put out some serious light. I dont like the eyeball lights on the sides. They seem to have a very wide degree of dispersion. I will have to try some different bulbs. maybe a very narrow spot type lamp. If that doesnt work, I will have to find some other low profile cans that I can recess the bulb into. Something more similar to the center 3 cans. Maybe the wont wash the speaker screens as much. I can also try putting a dimmer on them to see if it changes the look of the current setup. Possibly fabricate something to narrow the eye down some. Who knows...........

What I dont like about the eyeballs is that they make the ribs show on the speaker columns. Maybe its the angle of the downlighting. Im not very happy about that.

Can you guys take a look at these and offer any suggestions?


This pic is with the eyeball lights aimed pretty much straight down and washing the columns. Notice the ribs? :mad:

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2280010.jpg



Here is a pic of just the center 3 cans on.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2280011.jpg


Another shot of all cans, but the eyeballs are pointed back and as high up as the will go.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/slights/P2280016.jpg


Please, I need some honest feedback.

Ronnie

I don't know how much work it would be, but if it were me I would eliminate the lights on the sides. To me it looks a lot better with them off.

Just my .02

I agree, no need for the side lights.

Make that 3 votes for no side lights.

Ronnie,

I think I would try the lower watt bulbs or the dimmers before I started tearing them out. I do agree that the ribs showing is a bit of a downer. If you can find a way to not highlight the speaker shades quite so much it will have a great look. What about a DIY half round (or even full round for that matter) shade of sots that extends about an inch or so down from the can rim on the back side of the light cans...painted black of course and in effect soaking up some of the excess light and keeping it from hitting the speaker screens as much?

BTW...your theater design has totally changed my mental design...thanks alot, lol

Keep up the good work

Thanks for the opinions guys. I dont actually have to rip down the lights. They are on seperate zones. I could just leave them off or unwire them from the switch if I need the zone for something else. I am picking up some different bulbs and a cheap dimmer today to test the outside lights with.

Keep the ideas coming. I need the advice from you guys as I think I am becoming theater blind.

Ronnie

Ronnie,

I think I would try the lower watt bulbs or the dimmers before I started tearing them out. I do agree that the ribs showing is a bit of a downer. If you can find a way to not highlight the speaker shades quite so much it will have a great look. What about a DIY half round (or even full round for that matter) shade of sots that extends about an inch or so down from the can rim on the back side of the light cans...painted black of course and in effect soaking up some of the excess light and keeping it from hitting the speaker screens as much?

BTW...your theater design has totally changed my mental design...thanks alot, lol

Keep up the good work

Rsberg, thanks for the ideas on creating some sort of shader. I was looking around the net today at some cans that had a small slot in them for the light to pass. I think something like that or what you mentioned might do the trick. I just have to experiment. I really want a pinpoint of light that hits the floor only. At least thats what I think I want.

Ronnie

Excuse the poor rendering...but this might bive you some ideas....

How are the colums coming, have you even started them yet or still tweeking the design? I really like alot of your stuff and plan on "borrowing" alot of your designs :D

Excuse the poor rendering...but this might bive you some ideas....


Cool, I will see how it looks.

Ronnie

How are the colums coming, have you even started them yet or still tweeking the design? I really like alot of your stuff and plan on "borrowing" alot of your designs :D


I have not started on them yet. The design so far is pretty much the same as my last renders. Once I knock this stage stuff out, I plan to start some mockups.

Ronnie

I agree with leaving the side lights out. Once you have the column up with the sconce you will have enough ambient light.

Reece

Told you it was poor, lol

It was just a quick sketch. I also think if you use the sconces on the columns you wont need the additional light. I really hope that column works out like your original design...I thought that was too cool!!!

Any more pics????

You guys are not going to believe the deal I just scooped up on some seating. There really is a God............

I have been browsing some vehicle forums looking for a car for my daughter. My brother in law has also been watching them. Well, he sends me this classified post in the miscellaneous section. Its a gentleman selling 2 rows of 4 reclining leather seats. The pic he posted was a little dark, but they looked good. I pm'd him. After a quick conversation, I learned the following.

He is moving into a smaller place and they wont fit. His old room was 19x30 and the new room is 12x14. (top of the line equipment setup also).

One row is 6 months old. The other row is 3 months old.

They are black in color.

Brand/make: Klaussner - Paramount 94803

He bought them locally at Infinity Leather.

He paid almost $6000 for both rows.


Now, you ready for the AWSOME part?

---------------------------------------------------------------------




He only wanted $1800 total for both rows. :eek: :D :D :D :D

I immediately drove over to look at them. This seemed to be to good to be true. 5 seconds after seeing them, I told him they were mine. Picked them up tonight, but still have to unload them. These things are FREAKING new!

Here is what they manufactures pics look like. I will post the real stuff once I unload them. They are configured with arms on each end, two seats together separated by an arm. Like this |--|--| Not exactly the config I would like, but at this price I cant complain. I can always buy the additional dividers.

What do you guys think?

Dealer Pics
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/paramount.jpg

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/cinema_07.jpg


Ronnie

Better watch out for the cops because you stole those things. WOW a $4200 savings off new, you could not even get a cheap set a seats for that.

Now the big question, what are you going to incorporate intot eh HT with the savings, you could do one bad a$$ HTPC for the money you saved.

Sweet deal,

J-dubb

Awesome deal Ronnie! Just simply amazing! And they actually look very good, can't wait to see them in the theater.

Beautiful seating ! I never sat down to realize how much theater seating cost until hear lately. You found an awesome deal . Not to mention how nicely they will compliment your theater. Johnathan

you could not even get a cheap set a seats for that.

J-dubb

That was exactly my thoughts. They are not Berks, but I could not pass this deal up. Besides, who other than us HT guys know the difference?

Ronnie

Just unloaded them an put them together in the garage.

Here is the real thing.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3020012.jpg


http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3020013.jpg


Ronnie

Wow, that's insane! Great deal - they look great! Are they comfortable and what you were looking for (from a comfort/amount-of-uprightedness standpoint)? Do you like the cupholders (they seem a bit bright, but probably easy to find in the dark)?

Ronnie,

There's a problem with those seats. Once you put those seats in the theater, you'll understand. Here's the issue. Basically, once you sit and recline, within about 5 seconds or so, you'll be asleep! Geez! Sweet deal! Man!

Bud

Wow, that's insane! Great deal - they look great! Are they comfortable and what you were looking for (from a comfort/amount-of-uprightedness standpoint)? Do you like the cupholders (they seem a bit bright, but probably easy to find in the dark)?

They are very comfortable. They are also wallhuggers and take almost no additional room when reclined. I was actually looking at the Berlkine 088's. I favor the lower backed style of the 88's. The backs on these are actually 2 inches lower than the berks, so thats great. I also like the curved seating approach. I can always buy the angled wedges later if I want to change the config.

The cupholders are made out of brushed aluminum and held in place by a small screw at the base. Easily removable and painted if needed. I really doubt you would notice them any more than the cup you are placing into them during a movie. Flash photography really makes them pop more than what they look like to the naked eye. I might try to find someway to do them in a woodgrain to match the theme of my theater.

Ronnie

Ronnie,

I've been MIA the last few days and finally got to reading your thread. WOW -- what a deal!! Can't wait to watch a movie in those suckers -- oh, did I just invite myself over, sorry ;)

Ronnie,

There's a problem with those seats. One you put thos seats in the theater, you'll understand. Here's the issue. Basically, once you sit and recline, within about 5 seconds or so, you'll be asleep! Geez! Sweet deal! Man!

Bud


LOL, im actually going to put one in my family room and watch a movie on the 50" as a test.

Ronnie

Ronnie,

I've been MIA the last few days and finally got to reading your thread. WOW -- what a deal!! Can't wait to watch a movie in those suckers -- oh, did I just invite myself over, sorry ;)

Your welcome any time Steve. Summertime is almost here and we have a pool also. Its a 10 minute drive. You just have to return the favor by letting me see your masterpiece also. The invitation goes out to everyone else too.

Ronnie

My brother-in-law gave me this thing about a year ago. I have been hiding it in the garage in anticipation of my theater build. Im putting it in the gameroom just outside the theater.


http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/popcorn.jpg


Ronnie

Your welcome any time Steve. Summertime is almost here and we have a pool also. Its a 10 minute drive. You just have to return the favor by letting me see your masterpiece also. The invitation goes out to everyone else too.

Ronnie\
Ronnie,

Thanks for the invite. We'll see who get's done 1st :)

Ronnie,

I bought my wife one of those popcorn makers last year and it is great. Next best thing to the real $17 lowes theater 6oz bag of popcorn.

Between those new seats and teh popcorn maker you may never leave the room once its finished.

Robert

Ronnie,

I bought my wife one of those popcorn makers last year and it is great.
Robert


LOL, what a way to sneak in a purchase. You bought it for the wife. I will have to try that one out. :D

Ya, they are great. We used it a lot at his old house which had a theater room. Microwave popcorn cant even come close to this stuff.

Ronnie

You like that one :D

So its good to see the seating and the popcorn maker but when you gonna get back to work so we have some updated news and pics of the theater? Withdrawls here man...startin to get the shakes

Robert

You like that one :D

So its good to see the seating and the popcorn maker but when you gonna get back to work so we have some updated news and pics of the theater? Withdrawls here man...startin to get the shakes

Robert

LOL, I know what you mean. Im getting them too.

Things are kinda at a lull right now and I have been finishing up some petty stuff and trying to figure out what to do with those outside stage lights. I think im just going to leave them in place, but not use them.

My next steps will be to build the light tray that goes around the peremiter of the room attached to the soffit. I will also will be starting on my columns. Probably do a few test columns to get some ideas from you guys. Now that I have the furniture, I can also begin building the riser.

Now, If I just had a few extra hours a day to get it done :(

Ronnie

Aint that the truth...we could all use a few extra hours...

I have quite a dull job that supplies me with plenty of time to think and little time home with the family.....so I try to put that time to good use. One of those uses here lately (since I plan to "borrow" a great deal of your design, lol) has been to try to figure out the problem of your framing showing with those lights shinning on them....I have come up with a possible solution but you may not like it since it would erquire you to take those down and redo them. Really not that bad considering its not a total redo..more like an add on than anything. I got to thinking why they were showing through in the first place and I think its because it only has the few shape supports and the material somewhat sags between teh supports...showing them in more detail when the light is on them. SO this is what I came up with as a potemtial fix......

How about taking the cloth off and wrapping the fram in something like chicken wire ( spray painted black of course ). The chicken wire would be stury enough to form a more stable and perportioned curve frame for the material to evenly conform to while still allowing plenty of space for air movement for the sound to filter through.

I know it would involve taking the existing frame down but not necessesarily apart...just take the material off, staple teh painted chicken wire to it and reapply the material. I really dont think it would be that time consuming and it might solve the light showing the frame issue.

Just a thought.... Hope it helps

Robert

Anyone know why my Avatar disappeared?

Ronnie

I think they disapear if you dont regularly update your home theater build thread with progress pictures.....thats just what I have heard but im not for sure ;)

Robert

There's a new female moderator, if she thinks you're good looking, she leaves your avatar alone. :eek:

Bud

LOL.. I like Robert's and Bud's answers to that question...

But if you want the real answer (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=648901).. (you have to be an AVS Club Member now)

LOL.. I like Robert's and Bud's answers to that question...

But if you want the real answer (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=648901).. (you have to be an AVS Club Member now)


Ahhhhh, I see. Looks like I will become an AVS Club Member then. Small price to pay for the vast amount of knowledge you can get on here.

Glad to see it wasnt the reason Bud and Robert posted. :D

Ronnie

Ronnie,

Give any thought to the minor rebuild fix of your proceniums I suggested...even if your not going to do it Id like your thoughts as to if you think it would work....so I know what to do when its my turn to deal with it :D

Robert

Ronnie,

Give any thought to the minor rebuild fix of your proceniums I suggested...even if your not going to do it Id like your thoughts as to if you think it would work....so I know what to do when its my turn to deal with it :D

Robert


Robert, I am not going to be rebuilding. I would have to also remove the false stage soffit ceiling in order to get to the upper staples on the speaker screens. I will either not use the lights, or im thinking about taking out the ribs.

If I had to do it over again, I would probably put something on the face like you suggested. I dont think chicken wire would work because its not flat. Check THIS (http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/jsearch/product.jsp?pn=161320) out.
I saw this in HD the other day. Its a flat plastic mesh. Similar to that orange stuff you see around construction, but a lot smaller. I think if you stretched this across the front to begin with, then covered it with fabric, you would be ok.

Ronnie

Ronnie

Yea I think that is the idea I was trying to get to with the chicken wire. Shame its such a pita to redo yours because I think that would work great and I wasnt trying to emply you rip stuff out because I said to lol...just thought of it and wanted to share the idea with you.

Cant wait to see more stuff on your project...looks GREAT so far...in fact I showed your thread to my dad and he was quite impressed. He had no idea that home theaters were catching on like they are and that people were putting in such hard work and detail like you are....he is now motivated to help me do mine after seeing yours :D

Robert

rsberg34,

No, it was a great idea and I wish I could do it. Its just that it would be to big of an effort at this point and there really is no payoff for me. You can only see those ribs when they are hit with direct downlighting. Other than that, they look pretty good. Its easier for me to either take out the ribs, or not use the lights.

Im flattered that someone would want to use my design. I cant actually take credit for it. I stole it from Chris Armbruster. But with some modifications.

Anytime you have questions, just let me know.

Ronnie

You stole it from Chris, I steal it form you..with a few of my own mods as well...I guess its all part of the game, lol

I emailed Chris about his theater too...His is also very nice, especially his curtains for the stage and I think when it comes time he is going to email his wifes pattern so my wife can copy it.

Its nice watching yours come together but I cant wait to start on mine...not till Pril unfortunatly :(

Oh well till then youll just have to supply my fix ;)

I will have to ask you how you get your pictures directly in the site though...I cant figure out how to do that without having a link, and thats just not as nice. I would like to have it set up for when I start to do mine.

I will have to ask you how you get your pictures directly in the site though...I cant figure out how to do that without having a link, and thats just not as nice. I would like to have it set up for when I start to do mine.


I sent you a PM on how to add pics directly to your posts.

Ronnie

I need some help from you guys.

Im trying to decide on the layout of my seating. I really want to use both rows of 4 and I think it fits the internal room dimensions the best with both rows centered. The thing that bothers me a little is the entry to the room and the presentation of the theater. I have a door in a strange place. With both rows centered, you have about 2' to walk by on the right side of the last chair. Kinda looks odd from outside the theater. I put together a few diagrams and will follow it up with some actual pictures. The rear seats will be on a 10-12" riser. Also, the money seats will be the front row and where I will sit.

I would really appreciate your feedback on this. If I can decide on this, its on to building the riser.


Lets call this seating style 1.
Both rows are centered and probably the best layout for both acoustics and vision as far as the room itself is considered. I also like the fact that you can walk behind the rear row from either side.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/seating.gif


This is seating style 2.
I moved the back row almost to the wall and over to the left edge. I also moved the front row back a little. This clears up the doorway quite a bit, but probably doesnt lay out as clean for audio and video. It also eliminates the ability to walk behind the rear row if the person on far left has to get up.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/seating2.gif


Seating style 3.
I kept all the rows centered, but removed the far right seat on the rear row. This makes it 3 seats instead of 4. Cleans up the doorway, but I loose a seat.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/seating3.gif


Let me know what you guys think or maybe some other variation that I have not thought of. Like I said, I prefer 2x4 rows. You can still get through the doorway easily, it just looks odd from outside the doorway. Maybe im thinking to hard on all this....... :(


Ronnie

Here are some pics to help give a better idea.

Seating option 1.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3070028.jpghttp://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3070029.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3070031.jpghttp://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3070034.jpg

Seating Option 2 Pics.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3070038.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3070039.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3070040.jpg

Ronnie

Seating Option 3 Pics.


http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3070035.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3070036.jpghttp://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3070037.jpg


Ronnie

Ronnie,

I can see where you are coming from but I think it boils down to a matter of function and your prefference of wanting the 2 rows of 4 seats. There is plenty of clearance from the door to the seating and I really think once you finish the room no one will even notice that the back row is close to the door because the rest of the rooms interior will overwhelm them anyway. If that 4th seat really bothers you that much Id loose it and just go with 7 seats... but if it were me, option 1 all the way!!

Robert

Option 1 I think would be ebst :)

I'd vote for option 1. If you don't go with that though, a combination of options 2 & 3. Where you use 3 seats in the back pushed toward the wall. I say this because in appears in the pictures for options 2 & 3that the back row is partially blocking the door and if you're gonna lose a seat might as well completely open the door.

Nelson

I would vote option 3 as I don't think the first impression of your room should be one of bumping into the back of a chair. Option 2 looks like the person in the far right seat of the back row would feel a little "squished in" to a corner. Beautiful work on the room!

I had kinda originally thought that too Nelson...only thing I wondered about was if pushing the seats closer to the wall would mess with those seats sound field...meaning they would be considerably closer to one side of speakers and further away from teh other side. I know that sound silly but if it were me Id just center teh seating and deal with the 2' entry....besides, doesnt his door to the theater open out?

Just my thoughts....but like I said I started out thinking the same thing.

Ronnie...
When will we get to see some more build pics...I feel the shakes comin on, I need a fix, lol
Robert

Yea, it'll mess with the soundfield which is why 1 would be the best choice(I believe). But, if he doesn't want to go with it, then 2&3. :)

Nelson

I would definitely keep them in line with each other. I think it looks best being symetrical.

Great work by the way!

Sounds like everyone so far leans towards option 1. The family thinks that is best also. One thing I might do is slide the rear seats in option 1 slightly to the left (if your facing screen) about 8-10 inches. That would still keep it close to centered, but give a little more door room.

It really doesnt look as bad as I make it out to be I guess. Just seems strange with a chair in the middle of the door when viewing from outside. After all, does it really matter what it looks like from the gameroom? Its watching a movie that counts right? :D The door will most likely be closed all the time anyway.

Cant wait to show you the idea I have for my doors.


Anyone else have any constructive criticism of my seating?


Ronnie

Ronnie,
Option 1 seems the best to me as well. Now how about those columns?

Reece

Im in agreeance with reece....enough of the ready made chairs that youve already bought...get on to the columns man,,,,lol

Robert

Did you borrow the door Ideas as well because I saw a design from another thread that was awsome.....




Robert

Im in agreeance with reece....enough of the ready made chairs that youve already bought...get on to the columns man,,,,lol

Robert


I know.... I know...... Im slacking off :D

I have to get this small stuff out of the way so I can begin supplying you guys with the fix again. Hopefully I can start mocking up the columns this weekend.

I finished staining all the oak for the facing of the stage and steps. Going to install that tonight. Will pics of that hold you guys over until the weekend? :D

Ronnie

Did you borrow the door Ideas as well because I saw a design from another thread that was awsome.....




Robert


Wow, thats pretty cool Robert. Might have to rethink what I was planning on.

What I had in mind is doing one of these hidden doors. I saw them at a home and garden show this weekend. They wanted 6K for a double door. I think I can make one for a few hundred dollers. http://www.decoradoors.com/

I will try to either make the outside look like a ticket booth. I also saw one done that was a pool Q holder with room for chalk, balls and rack. Since the gameroom has a pool table, that would be cool. When the door is shut, you would never even know the theater was there.

Anyway, I'm in the thinking stages right now on it. Once I put something down on paper, I will run it by everyone for comments.


Ronnie

I know.... I know...... Im slacking off :D

I have to get this small stuff out of the way so I can begin supplying you guys with the fix again. Hopefully I can start mocking up the columns this weekend.

I finished staining all the oak for the facing of the stage and steps. Going to install that tonight. Will pics of that hold you guys over until the weekend? :D

Ronnie



You mentioned holding us over but supplied no fix...man your not very good at this drug sealing thing huh....:D

Wow, thats pretty cool Robert. Might have to rethink what I was planning on.

What I had in mind is doing one of these hidden doors. I saw them at a home and garden show this weekend. They wanted 6K for a double door. I think I can make one for a few hundred dollers. http://www.decoradoors.com/

I will try to either make the outside look like a ticket booth. I also saw one done that was a pool Q holder with room for chalk, balls and rack. Since the gameroom has a pool table, that would be cool. When the door is shut, you would never even know the theater was there.

Anyway, I'm in the thinking stages right now on it. Once I put something down on paper, I will run it by everyone for comments.


Ronnie



Yeah I am supposed to have a pool table room also (as I am an avid player when I am home on a regular basis) but as much as I hate to say it the pool room may give way to a longer theater :(

That would be cool though...hidden theater door...hmmmmmm

You mentioned holding us over but supplied no fix...man your not very good at this drug sealing thing huh....:D

I mentioned I would be installing them tonight. Thats when I will be taking the pics.

Ronnie :p

Damn it Jim.....I've given her all I got:D

Warp speed now Mr. Sulu!

Option 1 Ronnie.... with 8 seats, that's perfect for 4 couples and leaving things centered on the screen is better IMO.

Watch this. Im gonna hit the brakes and Steve and Bud are going to fly right by!!!

Ronnie

I finished up the oak facing on the stage and steps. Here are a few pics. I couldnt get a full shot because all the chairs are in the way. I will move them out tomorrow and get a full shot.


Front face and right hand steps. If you look real hard, you can see the recessed strip lights under each 3" step lip. This shot was without flash and closely represents the real color of the wood.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/P3080055.jpg


Center of stage. Flash seems to make it appear with a red tint.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/P3080049.jpg


There will be some additional trim and detail work done where the edges of the oak meet at the steps.


Ronnie

Watch this. Im gonna hit the brakes and Steve and Bud are going to fly right by!!!
Ronnie,

Nicely done. While you're doing glamorous stuff, I'm in the garage getting covered with saw dust. I hope you DO put on the brakes just a bit so I can at least catch up with you!!

That looks great Ronnie, I was wondering if you were going to do the front of the stage as well as the steps....if I thought to do that when I first saw your thread and you go ahead and do it...does that mean I am stealing form you when I do mine??? :)

What shade of carpeting are you going to go with or have you decided yet? The right shade would match beautifully to that woodwork and really set it off.

Keep it up Ronnie...and on to the columns man...that fix wont last long :D

Robert

That looks great Ronnie, I was wondering if you were going to do the front of the stage as well as the steps....if I thought to do that when I first saw your thread and you go ahead and do it...does that mean I am stealing form you when I do mine??? :)

What shade of carpeting are you going to go with or have you decided yet? The right shade would match beautifully to that woodwork and really set it off.

Keep it up Ronnie...and on to the columns man...that fix wont last long :D

Robert


Ya, my early renders at the beginning of the thread show carpet on the face of the steps, but I had changed that to put oak on all the faces. I guess I just never posted an updated render. Sorry about that.

Anything you see is public domain :D Feel free to steal anything you want. But if you steal it, you must improve it :p

We have not decided on the carpet or wall fabric yet. I definitely want to get something that showcases the woodwork.

Ronnie

I cant remember if I said this before, and it worth saying again anyway.

A big THANK YOU goes out to everyone that participates in all my design questions. The opinions of everyone has been invaluable in helping me with a lot of the decisions. Its great to have another group of eyes and ears to bounce things off of. This forum provides a great service. I get so involved in this stuff that after a while the thinking gets cloudy and I become theater build blind. I'm sure you guys know what I mean.

Again, THANKS EVERYONE! Its highly appreciated.


Ronnie

Ronnie,

I dont know about improving on it but I can certainly try to do the original design justice.

I was thinking (and I know it goes against the typical thinking) since your wood trim is a darker stain color that you might want to go with something a little lighter for the carpeting...not white mind you but maybe a nice beige with a hint of brown pattern. I think something on the lighter side would really make that wood pop when the carpet is next to it.

Robert

Ronnie

I have no real job (so to speak) which allows me time to mess around on the puter...I took one of your earlier computer renderings and changed it a bit and updated it too...thought you would like to see it....I also added a little touch I am thinking bout doing in mine.

Robert

Ronnie

I have no real job (so to speak) which allows me time to mess around on the puter...I took one of your earlier computer renderings and changed it a bit and updated it too...thought you would like to see it....I also added a little touch I am thinking bout doing in mine.

Robert


LOL, You want to come down and work on the theater for me? :D

Ya, I like the star ceilings. Im thinking about doing that as well, but have not made it to that stage of the build yet. I have seen several of these live and they are very cool.

Ronnie

Ronnie,

I've been lurking on the forum picking up tips and ideas for my own HT which I intend on starting in April. I find myself spending hours day and night trawling AVS forum - its really addictive.

You and the other guy's and girl's in this forum are a real inspiration. How you all find time to build your HT, keep everyone updated on the forum AND have a web site is beyond me. I just hope I can live up to the standards you all set - the bar is high!

Thanks again