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433K views 1K replies 153 participants last post by  Reddig 
#1 ·

Updated (index added, original post follows):

Project: DIY HT, approx 15'x26'x10' in basement dug under existing house, IB sub, absorption/diffusion acoustic design, motorized hidden entrance, star ceiling, room within room construction, CIH curved screen, three rows.

Current Status:









Enjoying the theater and still working on the entrance


The starting point (a distant memory):


Thread Index:

1. Basement dig! start / complete

2. Adjacent Garage Remodel: start / complete

3. Framing: start / complete

4. HVAC

5. Skinning the room with OSB

6. Drywall: start / complete

7. IB Sub: start / complete

8. Riser

9. Stage

10. Soffits

11. Star Ceiling: start / complete

12. Design Details & Color

13. Acoustic Treatment: Front / Sides

14. QRD Diffusor Panels: start / complete

15. Quiet Extraction Fan

16. Hardwood Trim: Soffits start Soffits complete

17. Soffit lights: start

18. Carpet & hardwood Floor

19. Seats are in!

20. Walnut wall trim

21. Triggered Outlets

22. 2.4:1 Curved Screen/Masking start / completed (separate thread )

23. Columns start finish

24. Hushbox and A-lens build calibration

25. Media Library

26. Backlight Poster Boxes

Gear:

Subs: Front: DIY IB design with 4x18" Fi drivers

         Rear: 2x Klipsch KW120-THX

Speakers: Klipsch THX Ultra 2 (wired for 11.2 with 9.2 active)

Amps: 2x Berhinger EP4000 (IB sub/rear sub/buttkicker)

         1x Outlaw Model 7700 (7 channel)

         1x Outlaw Model 7500 (5 channels)

Pre/Pro: Integra DHC-80.1

Sub EQ: Berhinger DCX2496 (for 3 channel sub EQ)

Source Player: Oppo BDP-83

Projector: JVC RS40 / Prismasonic HD-6000R cylindrical anamorphic lens

Screen: DIY 130" CIH (2.4:1) w/ automated masking

Media Server: Dune Smart H1

Media Vault: QNAP TS-859+ (16Tb)

Other: Sonos wireless music distribution

          ButtKicker LFE

          Google ChromeCast

UPS: APC J15 (AV equipment)

       APC Smart-UPS (NAS, network)

Rack: Middle Atlantic sliding rack with custom faceplates

  

===================== Original Post =====================


Hi All,


So my dedicated home theater tale begins and I've no idea when it's going to end...


First a thanks for the fantastic goldmine of collective expertise on this forum and the wealth of inspiration. It's been nearly 10 years since the HT bug infected me, about 1 year of reading this forum and thus far about 8 weeks of construction.

The Details:

Approx 30' x 15'4" x 10' space created by converting a under house crawl space into a basement.

Emphasis on acoustic isolation: built as a room within a room, independent ceiling joists, isolated subfloor, DD or TD & GG, communicating door entry, etc

Approx 11' curved CIH AT screen, stage, raised seating

Two rows of three chairs and bar seating at the rear

"Sealed Box" construction - soffits, electrical, etc will all be run inside of the drywall shell

Named "The Old Vic"


I think the most unusual aspect is the starting point. I don't live in the mid-west where everybody has huge basements yet I really wanted an isolated space (well actually the WAF mandated it ;-). So I came up with the idea of excavating out one of my crawl space areas under the house and retrofitting a basement! I'm doing just about all the work myself except for the excavation... I know when I'm beat.


Here is the design so far. It does not show any acoustic treatment/basetraps although these are planned but rather concentrates on the use of space and audio isolation from the rest of the house. I'm curious to hear people's thoughts...

The theater layout:



Floor & Ceiling Construction:
 
 
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#152 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by In2Photos /forum/post/17547824


What about the LCRs?

Ah... I'll wire those on the wall surface. It will be covered with something like OC703 and GOM so they won't be seen. I guess I could have run them through the IB chamber but everything else about the design is being built "inside the shell" so these speaker connections can be routed the same way. The room has exactly four holes - the door, the HVAC, line voltage in, low voltage/speakers.
 
#153 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Moggie /forum/post/17547858


Ah... I'll wire those on the wall surface. It will be covered with something like OC703 and GOM so they won't be seen. I guess I could have run them through the IB chamber but everything else about the design is being built "inside the shell" so these speaker connections can be routed the same way. The room has exactly four holes - the door, the HVAC, line voltage in, low voltage/speakers.

Gotcha!
 
#154 ·
Here is what the "padded panic room" looked like before sealing up:




Is that lawn chair strapping holding up the isulation... Funny that was what i used when i did some vertical attic walls in my house but I went with some plastic pipe wrap I had lying around in the IB this time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moggie /forum/post/17547773


it feels quite claustrophobic in there!

and itchy... I feel your pain!!!

R25 all walls and ceiling.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Moggie /forum/post/17546507



I'm so close now to some fun woodworking. How is your soffit coming along?

Since my last update I've suffered through a period of concept/design development paralysis, (CDDP) a common affliction in all my DIY efforts as i try to get talent and reality to merge with my mental image of the look/feel I'm trying to acheive.


Fortunatey, I believe I found a very costly and complicated design solution, that will allow my self imposed torture to continue for an indefinate period of time, challenging both my skills and patience
 
#155 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by KNKKNK /forum/post/17549709


Is that lawn chair strapping holding up the isulation... Funny that was what i used when i did some vertical attic walls in my house but I went with some plastic pipe wrap I had lying around in the IB this time.

It's nylon tape used to strap HVAC ductwork. I also used 2" tin circles used for roofing as washers -- worked great at holding up the insulation. I didn't bother lining the ceiling or short walls. Do you think that matters?


Quote:
Originally Posted by KNKKNK /forum/post/17549709


Since my last update I've suffered through a period of concept/design development paralysis, (CDDP) a common affliction in all my DIY efforts as i try to get talent and reality to merge with my mental image of the look/feel I'm trying to acheive.


Fortunatey, I believe I found a very costly and complicated design solution, that will allow my self imposed torture to continue for an indefinate period of time, challenging both my skills and patience

LOL. Yeah I've been there myself for quite some time. I think it is a fear of making a mistake and having to backtrack.. I've been playing with the sketch up models and the "old vic" look is beginning to come together. The problem is that I'll probably have to change its name since it will be a fairly contemporary design. The first step is the star ceiling and soffits.


I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with since our builds seem to be on very similar timelines and scale (don't cheat on me and hire out the work, ok!!)
 
#156 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Moggie /forum/post/17551383


I didn't bother lining the ceiling or short walls. Do you think that matters?

No.. Not really.. your so close to the 10X point of theoretical infinity I wouldnt bother.. I was only in the mid 6's. I've never really read "why" the insulation has the effect of increasing the virtual size, intuitively I've assumed that a transfer of kinetic energy takes place as the sound pressure interacts with the fibers in the insulation. (but i could be totally wrong)


Quote:
Originally Posted by Moggie /forum/post/17551383


LOL. Yeah I've been there myself for quite some time. I think it is a fear of making a mistake and having to backtrack.. I've been playing with the sketch up models and the "old vic" look is beginning to come together. The problem is that I'll probably have to change its name since it will be a fairly contemporary design. The first step is the star ceiling and soffits.


I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with since our builds seem to be on very similar timelines and scale (don't cheat on me and hire out the work, ok!!)

A key architectural componant for the proscenium was delivered today, Very cool/top secret stuff..
1-2 weeks for the next update.


HIRE IT OUT?... not in my nature.... Just ask my wife, she would love to pay someone to finish the mutiltude of unfinished projects I've got going.
 
#157 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by KNKKNK /forum/post/17552437


A key architectural componant for the proscenium was delivered today, Very cool/top secret stuff..
1-2 weeks for the next update.

Looking forward to it. Does it include excessive use of that cool flat LED strip light you found?
 
#159 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Moggie /forum/post/17556715


Looking forward to it. Does it include excessive use of that cool flat LED strip light you found?

Excessive is a relative term
... LED's no.
 
#160 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by TeeCue /forum/post/17564078




Congratulations on a great project !!


Where did you get these calculations from?


Teecue

Hi Teecue,


It's a spreadsheet I put together as a way to capture all the various "rules of thumb" to help me plan my layout -- speaker angles, viewing distance, screen size, etc, etc. They are from various places like THX, Dolby, SMPTE, 20th Century fox and of course this forum! I can send it to you if you think it will help although I didn't put much work into making it generic, just PM me your email.


Cheers.
 
#161 ·
My IB sub is finished. Yeah! I also primed the drywall. That wasn't really necessary since I'll be covering all surfaces but at least it locks in the dust and gives the room that complete look.


Some pics...


After reading some of the concern about drilling mounting holes so close to the routed edge I decided to make some mounting clips. I'm pleased with the way they turned out and it makes installing the driver very easy because the clips can be rotated out of the way and then rotated back into place.




The clips were made from a strip of 1/4" aluminum which was drilled then chopped up on my chop saw. Then in a moment of excessive compulsive(ness) I popped them in my sandblasting cabinet so they match the forged crates.



However, the truth is that I did made a little miscalculation with my manifolds and wasn't sure that I'd left enough room between the driver bump plates for proper cooling so tried two alternative mounting strategies.


1. mount drivers back to back as originally intended. The problem is that the bump plates end up 7/8" apart. Is that enough room for proper cooling?

2. mount one of the driver pairs facing forward and or course reversing its polarity. The only minor annoying thing is that I will have to wire prior to mounting.




For now I decided on the original back to back approach -- its easy to change later.

 
#162 ·
I've been busy on more than the IB sub and since I've had a little free time lately have been making some good progress. Last week I pulled the trigger on ordering all the parts for a star ceiling. I decided to go with the more traditional light box from Cyr at Fosi . Since I wanted an accurate star field I ordered their full size template which has all the star locations plotted on craft paper. I'll have approximately 570 Milky Way Stars and 261 twinkling constellation starts, two shooting stars and a comet. I ordered 5000 meters of fiber which I expect will keep me busy when it arrives! The total size of the star field will be 10'x20' with a 2' "beam" crossing above the bar so that I can mount some additional lights and hang the projector. I'll document the build process as I go but I special ordered five 4'x10' ultralight MDF panels from my local lumbar yard which will be used to hang the ceiling.


Anyway back to real progress... while waiting for the star ceiling supplies I couldn't decided on what to do next .. stage, riser, soffits, stage, riser soffits, stage... it took me a whole hour to decided on the riser



The riser is decoupled from the theater walls and so I was able to build it a little way from the back wall and then slide into place. Whilst framing I wanted to keep the possibility of using the riser as a base trap open and so framed so I had two large joist bays at the sides and poked a few vent holes into other bays. I realize there is no calculation here but I thought these couple extra steps might keep my option open. It certainly can't hurt.




Once complete I slide it into place and used some 3/8" foam to ensure separation from the walls.




Since my riser is only 6" high (there is an additional 6" step in the concrete floor) and my lumbar was pretty green I didn't want to run the risk of having it warp whilst drying so I anchored the four corners to the concrete.




Then the fill. The 12" platform at the rear is designed as a rear sub stand and thus it and the surrounding area is filled with sand whilst the rest of the riser get the pink fluffy treatment.




All the line voltage runs are in, but I haven't decided on exactly what hook ups I want at the bar or exactly where to place them. Besides I don't have all my wires ordered yet. Therefore I'm taking a retrofit approach... I coiled up some romex in the general area I want outlets and ran 2" tubing for other hook ups in the neighboring joist bay. I photographed a tape measure so I accurately documented the location prior installing the 3/4" CDX T&G plywood.




Done. When almost... I haven't finished the front of the riser which will have a curved profile because I need to precisely work out the seating positions. Therefore I've only installed a single deck layer. I will add another with GG separation later.


Literally as I was screwing down the last sheet my special order ultralight MDF arrived. Here it is, 10' long and still lighter than a regular 4x8 sheet. I really wanted to get hold of some 5x10 sheets (which I know exist) but could not find anyone locally who would/could order them.

 
#164 ·
Well that brings me almost up to date. This afternoon I got to start on the next on the next section ... soffit, stage, soffit, stage, soffit. You see the pattern here? With only a couple of hours of labor left in me and the inability to decide, I started both





I did get the wife to help snap a few guide lines on the ceiling -- there are some things you just can't do on your own.


A final parting shot showing the current state of the theater. It's the first time since I started digging a hole under the house that I've been able to visualize how the room is going to end up. I'm really stoked now I've been able to make some progress that doesn't involve drywall dust.




Tomorrow .. do I want to work up a ladder or on my knees? Time for a beer now and I'll see what I feel like in the morning
 
#166 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tjambro /forum/post/17653502


Looking good Moggie!

Thanks for the encouragement Tom. I'm looking forward to your next update now that you've solved the dead vent with typically overkill


Quote:
Originally Posted by W00lly /forum/post/17654900


Moggie


I cant wait to hear the results you get with the sound proofing you have done when all is finished.

Me too! It's still too early to be sure but I'm not longer able to hear my daughter stomping around upstairs and can barely hear the beat of my wife's loud exercise music so I think it is going to work out. I've still to build the outer communicating door, seal the inner one and isolate more of the HVAC system in the soffit so it should get quite a bit better yet. Fingers crossed.


Sounds like you are having fun with your new Panny.
 
#169 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Moggie /forum/post/17655417


Thanks for the encouragement Tom. I'm looking forward to your next update now that you've solved the dead vent with typically overkill

Overkill? Me?? I'm not the one who decided to build a basement AFTER the house was built.



I'm still finishing the rest of the basement and then I will go back to working on the theater.
 
#170 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnsteph10 /forum/post/17656100


5000 meters????


Yeah I'm wondering what pulling over 3 miles of fiber is going to feel like
It might be a tad too much but I'm sure I can return any excess and once I get started on this I want to get it done without interruptions. It will definitely help wiring the panels vertically before hanging.
 
#171 ·
Very cool stuff Moggie, They say the primered room is the 1/2 way point...



Stage looks great and I Love the look of the manifolds.. Great finish on the inside. After handling those Drivers in free space/wide open area.. I can only imagine how big a PITA it must be trying to mount them in the manifolds after the manifolds were installed. Particullarly the one you had facing foward because the A$$ end is so heavy and your working in such a constrained area.



Brad


P.S. After reading your update I'm starting to feel "Under Accomplished" agian.
 
#172 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by KNKKNK /forum/post/17672677


Very cool stuff Moggie, They say the primered room is the 1/2 way point...



Stage looks great and I Love the look of the manifolds.. Great finish on the inside. After handling those Drivers in free space/wide open area.. I can only imagine how big a PITA it must be trying to mount them in the manifolds after the manifolds were installed. Particullarly the one you had facing foward because the A$$ end is so heavy and your working in such a constrained area.



Brad


P.S. After reading your update I'm starting to feel "Under Accomplished" agian.

And I was hoping I was over half way .. but you are probably right
. Things are going faster now that, for a while, I can work days and not just weekends/nights on the theater. I'm currently fitting the soffits and preparing for the star ceiling and I can tell you the layer of OSB makes life SO much easier by being able to attach "off joist" on occasion. If it wasn't for you I may not have completely covered the room with an OSB layer. Doing so was the best decision so far.


As you know the IB drivers are certainly heavy but it wasn't that difficult to mount them inside the manifold. The clips I made can be fitted first and then turned into place. It only takes two of them to hold the driver in place whilst I tighten the others. The real motivation for this was laziness to avoid having to build an access door and plug to the IB chamber. That said I don't really want to take them out again!


Since we are at very similar points in out builds I was hoping I could guilt you into an update. You know the guys at the the "cult" (of the infinitely baffled) as waiting for you to post your results ;-)
 
#173 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Moggie /forum/post/17677416


And I was hoping I was over half way .. but you are probably right
.

Virtually all efforts after this point have some immediate gratification associated with your labor .. unlike mudding and sanding drywall.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Moggie /forum/post/17677416


Since we are at very similar points in out builds I was hoping I could guilt you into an update. You know the guys at the the "cult" (of the infinitely baffled) as waiting for you to post your results ;-)

I fired up the drivers several weeks ago.. then ran around the house looking for damage, It actually scared me at first.. Admittingly I didnt spend any time trying to EQ, and the old left and right channels I used were not up for the challenge, (the THX II's are still in the boxes waiting for wall mounts) so the quality was less than desireable in the "Echo Chamber" ... but the potential was indescribable ...


Travel for work has been ridiculous the last couple of months and has slowed my progress signifigantly. I'm actually heading to the airport in a couple of hr for another two day'er, but dont fret, Im targeting Dec 21st as the deadline for at least a teaser post, I've been slowly closing the gap between my vision and skills, so hopefully my next update will provide inspiration for generations of AVS'ers to come
 
#174 ·
Well I made some good progress this week although it is never as fast as I want. I did manage to get a bunch of little things ordered including fabric and vaneer samples. Boy it feels good to be thinking about details like that.


I also had another conversation with bpape so he can move forward on the acoustic treatment plan.


Anyway, I just about finished the stage. No prize for originality here, this is now a familiar design to avid AVS'ers. Buy hey, I don't think I could improve on it so I just copied it.




I'm going to pick up some sand tomorrow so I can fill it and close it up. Anyone want to guess how many bags I'll need? I have quite a pile of bags already -- the past few trips to HD I've bee bringing home 6 bags at a time. I figured that

everyone complains about the day they spent lugging sand bags so I thought I'd spread it out a little
 
#175 ·
I also got most of the outline framing up on the ceiling and finalized the soffit design. The soffit is built inside the drywall shell and will carry the HVAC, wiring and act as a bass trap. I'm going to try a two tier design of hardwood and fabric with two layers of tray lighting. The idea is to create the glow of a setting sun around the star ceiling so I'm thinking of using different colors. I need to experiment, but perhaps orange in the lower and blue in the upper? Has anybody tried something similar?




Here is the ladder framing attached to the ceiling.


Front:



Rear:



Here the upper tray perimeter has been installed and the two areas where the star ceiling will be fitted can be seen. I designed the tray as a plug so it can be uncrewed and lowered. I figured it would be easier to work on the hardwood trim at ground level but now its up and I've read of others successfully applying laminate in position I might just leave it in place.




I'm racing to get this phase wrapped up because my fiber optic star ceiling toys will be arriving on Monday. Cool!
 
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