# BamaBum Theatre Build



## bamabum

EDIT - Finished Pics





































The Beginning

Just starting on finishing the Theatre room in my house. The previous owner built it but didn't finish it out.

First things first. I have a large opening of 12 ft on right wall from viewing position to enable more flow to and from the game room adjacent.

the room is 25 deep x 15 wide x 10 tall

Primary purpose: Watching football games and entertaining. Xbox Gaming. Movie watching.

Primary Equipment:
Epson 6010 UB Projector - Split screen hdmi source for watching multiple games or playing multiple xbox as well as parallel source to duplicate into game room.
Denon 3313ci Amp - For multi-zone audio for attached game room
Def Tech 8060 Floors and 8040 Center and Surrounds.


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## bamabum

Starting point


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## Peter Loeser

Wow, you're off to a great start thanks to the previous owner. This will be a great spot to hang out and watch games with friends. What are you plans for finishing it?


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## bamabum

Thx Peter.

I must first say this is a very addictive, expensive, and confusing adventure!

I am on information overload right now.

I have a separate media closet where I currently house:
Xantech 8 zone audio
Xantech 4 way component matrix - for smaller house tvs
Direct Tv boxes
Apple Tv
Grace Audio 
Dual FM Tuner
Routers, Cable Modem
Intercom
Security Cameras
HomeSeer Server - Zwave lighting
URC Msc 400

All of that was DIY and pretty easy compared to what I'm getting into here.

My plans are a 12 seater with 2 rows of 4 recliner style and a bar in the back.
I plan on a 1.5 ft false wall in the front with a vutech 123. 
First row of seats at 11 feet (eye to screen) and second at 17 on riser. Then bar for 4 right behind.

I'm thinking of a remote control curtain to perform the blackout to the other room for better light control when watching movies. I also think I will need to install a better sound proof scheme in connected room to prevent leaking of sound to the rest of the house.

I have some wire and sound on order to start understanding the room acoustics.

My wife has fabric samples of Pallisar on order as well as GOM for wall panels.

My current delimas / questions

Sound proof on the front wall? Even when using BiPolar Speakers? The Def Tech towers have speakers pointing to the rear and it seams this would defeat the purpose.

50 ft runs to the media closet? Does a 50 ft HDMI cable really work wel or are baluns better?

Researching how to best kill the room echo. Very "tin"ny.

The new soffit I just added seams to need treatment but Im not sure what. I was going to just use it as my wire housing and just add drywall.


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## Wardsweb

Is the soffet functional or decorative?


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## bamabum

Wardsweb,

I was just posting about this. To be honest, I just built it yesterday after viewing others theaters mostly to contain smaller perimeter lights and as an easy cable management location.

I'm thinking I can add something in there as a base trap but still researching.

I'm not very organized/experienced on this project so things will definitely change as others advise.

Most of my other construction projects have started on a napkin drawing as well.


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## Peter Loeser

bamabum said:


> 50 ft runs to the media closet? Does a 50 ft HDMI cable really work wel or are baluns better?


I have found this article from RAM Electronics to be helpful in terms of choosing HDMI cables. Other members may be able to chime in with advice about the limitations of HDMI at longer distances. I have had good results with HDMI over CAT5 for longer runs. Monoprice.com has what you need to do that. They have good prices on HDMI cables as well - I am using a couple of theirs at home.


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## ALMFamily

I used my soffits as bass traps from 20-200 by lining with insulation and facing it with ..... sorry, I cannot recall the name at the moment but it is like a thick vinyl. If you are interested, you can search my build thread for "soffit" - follow the link in my sig.


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## bamabum

Thanks for the quick replies. I have some research todo tonight.

A few more photos









Theater entrance from game room.









current media closet









Blue lines are where columns will go

and for fun..








my new favorite stud finder from Franklin. it shows you the studs exact location. Very friendly when working around plumbing in the wall. It doesn't detect electrical or water like my other but is amazing at finding studs.


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## Peter Loeser

bamabum said:


> current media closet


Dang, that's luxurious! A window view and everything!


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## bamabum

Peter Loeser said:


> Dang, that's luxurious! A window view and everything!


The media closet is a nice feature the previous owner added. it even has a closet in the closet and shelving back to the right in the picture. Its the first house I have had for my computer equip and cable graveyard.


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## jgourlie

You had someone do most of the work for you...that is pretty lucky.....keep up the good work, I can't wait to see the finished product.


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## bamabum

jgourlie said:


> You had someone do most of the work for you...that is pretty lucky.....keep up the good work, I can't wait to see the finished product.


Thx Jgourlie.

I was very fortunate to have the space already there. Some of it has been recently done by me and a friend such as the large opening (needed open flow space even though I will pay acoustically), temp Media Closet shelving and the bamboo hardwood floors.

I don't do drywall, paint or framing but the rest I have done myself so far.

I like your Theatre. I am thinking of a similar false wall.


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## jgourlie

bamabum said:


> Thx Jgourlie.
> 
> I was very fortunate to have the space already there. Some of it has been recently done by me and a friend such as the large opening (needed open flow space even though I will pay acoustically), temp Media Closet shelving and the bamboo hardwood floors.
> 
> I don't do drywall, paint or framing but the rest I have done myself so far.
> 
> I like your Theatre. I am thinking of a similar false wall.


I didn't have much choice with the false wall because of the foundation coming out into the room....If I could do it again, I don't think I would have drywalled the whole wall like I did as it blocks alot of the subwoofer sound. But, on the good side it's not as loud therefore my wife is happier...lol


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## bamabum

jg, 

I am planning on speaker cloth front wall.

I dry fit my projector tonight to do some testing and learning... Epson 6020 UB










Tried out the projector with large light coming in from next room

This was all just against a single white coat of paint. I bet a screen would work better.










from left front seat position










New things learned.....

Add a few usb ports / power into one of the columns to charge the usb 3D glasses.

need to have 2 hdmi and one component run to projector. 

Also it has vga from computer but I think my PC laptop is hdmi out so I should be good there and I should be able to airplay my mac onto the screen.

Definitely need to consider ir repeater to it and rs 232 cable to control.


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## bamabum

Def Techs arrived

These things are great! I am thinking they will be easy to hide behind a small false wall.











Hooked them up to my denon receiver and now its time for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros


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## Peter Loeser

Nice! You'll have fun with those! :T


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## NBPk402

Looks like it is coming along nicely. What are the dimensions of your soffits? Are you going to wrap cloth on the front and bottom?


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## jgourlie

Speaker cloth should work great....just a 3db drop....and congrats on the progress, although you know what they say....once you put up the projector the whole progress slows to a stop.

Keep up the good work


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## bamabum

Thx for your thoughts. Im not sure I will do speaker cloth due to esthetics. The drop is 16 " wide by 8" tall. I plane to 45 the corners to smooth out the look.

I wonder if bass is so penetrating why you couldn't use as a base trap even with drywall finish??

I ran 500 ft of speaker cable today and 200 ft LFE as RG6. This is my first LFE so I hope I'm doing it right. 

I'm enjoying the system already and watching Thor (yes the project does slow once the projector is up) via Amazon prime right now. I wonder if they use a different format? I have a 16:9 screen painted temporarily on the wall but the format is much wider. is this the 2.something format?

I had to tone and wrangle the previous owners mess today.










I ran 5.2 so far. 5 - 12 gauge in wall monster and 2 coax. I still have another 2 runs for back wall in theater room and 2 for the game room bipolar speakers. Back to amazon for more cable.










Final coats of trim and paint went up in the game room.


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## Peter Loeser

bamabum said:


> I had to tone and wrangle the previous owners mess today.
> 
> Final coats of trim and paint went up in the game room.


Oh yikes, good luck keeping track of all those wires. Tip-toeing around in all that insulation is always fun...

I like the game room color. Is that plumbing for a sink on the wall in the photo? Seems like an odd place.


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## MrAngles

I'm a little late to the party, but thought I'd chime in on the HDMI run. I've used 50 ft HDMI cables as well as cat6 converter boxes, both from monoprice. I've never had a single problem with the 50 ft HDMI. Cat6 on the other hand is a little tricky. I had some problems with a few devices not transmitting picture or sound at all until I added a powered splitter to amplify the signal, and even after that I've had issues with interference when things like the refrigerator compressor clicked on the signal would cut out for a second.


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## bamabum

Thanks for the thoughts. I decided to pick up some Mono Price 60 and 50 ft redmere hdmi cables. Ill let everyone know how they work.

As for the plumbing. Its the end of a larger kitchenette / wet bar area and Ill post images once complete and maybe it will make more sense.


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## Peter Loeser

bamabum said:


> Thanks for the thoughts. I decided to pick up some Mono Price 60 and 50 ft redmere hdmi cables. Ill let everyone know how they work.
> 
> As for the plumbing. Its the end of a larger kitchenette / wet bar area and Ill post images once complete and maybe it will make more sense.


Ah ok I understand, and that does sound like a cool idea. Always nice to heave refreshments nearby when entertaining. That's one disadvantage of our HT being on the 2nd floor.


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## bamabum

decided it was time to model up some stuff to learn more and visualize


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## mechman

Looking very nice! :T


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## bamabum

I had some time last night and on the plane today to do some more modeling.

This is a very helpful exercise. I've save hours and money realizing my mistakes in the model....




























I think I will model the stage if I have time tonight...


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## bamabum

I'm about to order some GIK absorbers, traps, etc. once I take some room measurements. They have been very helpful. I realize I can save money on DIY but sometimes I think its better to get a polished product and pay for the advice as well. I also like the green product usage without the formaldehyde.

I need to figure our the REV tool. I cant find the equipment recommended on their posts. I'm wondering if others have the same issue. It would be so much easier if they just put amazon links up.


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## bamabum

Using web calculators I've determined:

I have an RT60 of 0.43 

and a room mode of










once I figure out what this means Ill have more words.

Anyone else want to read my room palm?


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## jgourlie

Did you do all those models on sketch up??? those are really nicely done....as for reading your room palm that is one area I would love to learn more about....hopefully I can learn from your experience here.

Also I think you are good to go with those redmere hdmi cables....I was wanting to get those, but they weren't released until a month after my roof in my theater was all closed up....luckily the 40ft monoprice hdmi I did buy is working just fine.


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## bamabum

JG, 

I am using Live interior Pro for MAC. Sketch Up frustrated me. Live INterior does support importing google models so you get the best of both IMHO.

Electrician stopped by today. 

Good work done. All the LED can lights were installed, sconce stubbed in, plugs rerouted, whole panel surge protection installed, dedicated circuits for AV, etc. I even knocked off 2 honey do list items in electrical around the house. 










I saw a nice column and sconce layout at a hotel this week. Not really good colors for a theater but I find myself studying things like this now...










Other good progress today in routing 2 one direction red mere mono price HDMI to the media closet.

The amp is now in its place in the rack and I've hooked up the fronts.

Everything looks great so far. I need to test local blue ray vs over the long runs to compare.

I have been using these plugs for the speaker wire. I must say I really like, What a clean job.
Sewell Deadbolt Banana Plugs with Fast-Lock Technology









Some GOM samples arrived. Trying to determine which match the color scheme.










I was trying out the xbox when all of a sudden.










I switched modes on the xBox and order was restored. I need to study the avail modes on this Epson 6020ub. I don't think the settings are the best for Xbox. It should have a much better resolution.
My son beat me pretty easy. 










Now back to watching elf with my daughter.


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## jgourlie

Those are really sweet banana plugs....I have heard good things about them...I ended up going with the nakamichi plugs cause they are grey...I might have to build some black speaker cables with a set of those sewell's


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## Sonnie

It appears to be shaping up very nicely... especially from an ole bama bum type a guy. :bigsmile:

I'll take ya on with some of that foosball. :flex:


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## bamabum

Thx Sonnie,

Ive got some time on the road for the holidays so its time to shape up the ipad and touch screen controls.










I have several rooms already "automated" but that popcorn icon has been staring at me for a while. 

This is done on the homeseer platform. I cant say enough good things about it. There are many other good ones as well but this is best DIY one Ive found that is comprehensive.


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## bamabum

Voices in my head are strong....

I have so many conflicting thoughts right now...

- My wife says your spending what? And you didn't like me buying ....
- I REALLY thought this was a 3 week project
- My Facebook friends think I have fallen off a cliff.
- I have envy over the smallest AV things of others.
- I never realized how proud companies were of their products such as stupid LED lights. But I need to save money at year 5 right?
- I have learned more then I ever wanted to know about acoustics and I am still uninformed
- I'm dealing with the fact that there is no perfect theater
- Every time I learn something I realize I did it ALL WRONG
- I read peoples threads realizing they spent 2 years to finish and realize I Am Jack's Medulla Oblongata 
- I need to do it my way and close out the voices
- I am constantly scheming on how to integrate this and that
- CPA side of me say to just pant some walls, buy $500 couches and call it done.
- Google cant solve my problems because it only leads me back to these long forums for hours.
- tonight I admired someones crown molding... and entered into a 20 min conversation about it.
- was watching dark night on dvd at my dads on a 42 in and had to puase the movie half way through to adjust colors, brightness, etc. Everyone looked at me like wtf.
- I feel generally irritable like when I am trying to solve a difficult software problem but it lasts for weeks.

I am a Bamabum and I'm addicted to this . But I have a 12 step construction plan and will be with you only for a short time more while I work the program.


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## Peter Loeser

All pretty normal symptoms of this hobby. Now and then you need to force yourself to stop thinking (or obsessing - usually the case for me) and go do something completely unrelated with your friends. You... still have friends... right? Oh, and the most important statement:



> - I'm dealing with the fact that there is no perfect theater


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## Buck64d

Wow ......I thought I was all alone with those thoughts. To be honest I have no idea why for as long as I can remember wanted a HT. I have never been to a opening night of a movie, I can count on one hand how many times I have been to a theater in the last 5 years, my dvd collection consists of children's movies for the 4 boys.

I am also obsessing about acoustic treatments and realistically a couple months away from that phase. I would love to sit in a high end room but then would be disappointed in my room.


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## Buck64d

But on a brighter note we have the honorable Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide!!!!


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## shananigans

bamabum said:


> decided it was time to model up some stuff to learn more and visualize


What software you use for this visual?


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## shananigans

Have u considered bi fold doors to close room off for movie viewing instead of the drapes


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## bamabum

Buck64d,

I rest assured that watching the winning BCS team will still be fine in a non perfect acoustic room.

shananigans,

For the software I use Live Interior 3d but a lot of others use google sketch-up.

BiFolds prob wont work for the style we are going for but I appreciate the thought.


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## shananigans

Thanks for the name on software I run pc so will check out google sketch up


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## HTB2015

bamabum said:


> Voices in my head are strong....
> 
> I have so many conflicting thoughts right now...
> 
> - My wife says your spending what? And you didn't like me buying ....
> - I REALLY thought this was a 3 week project
> - My Facebook friends think I have fallen off a cliff.
> - I have envy over the smallest AV things of others.
> - I never realized how proud companies were of their products such as stupid LED lights. But I need to save money at year 5 right?
> - I have learned more then I ever wanted to know about acoustics and I am still uninformed
> - I'm dealing with the fact that there is no perfect theater
> - Every time I learn something I realize I did it ALL WRONG
> - I read peoples threads realizing they spent 2 years to finish and realize I Am Jack's Medulla Oblongata
> - I need to do it my way and close out the voices
> - I am constantly scheming on how to integrate this and that
> - CPA side of me say to just pant some walls, buy $500 couches and call it done.
> - Google cant solve my problems because it only leads me back to these long forums for hours.
> - tonight I admired someones crown molding... and entered into a 20 min conversation about it.
> - was watching dark night on dvd at my dads on a 42 in and had to puase the movie half way through to adjust colors, brightness, etc. Everyone looked at me like wtf.
> - I feel generally irritable like when I am trying to solve a difficult software problem but it lasts for weeks.
> 
> I am a Bamabum and I'm addicted to this . But I have a 12 step construction plan and will be with you only for a short time more while I work the program.


Bamabum, 

Pull yourself together man!!! Watch some inspirational movies in your unfinished project and get some jump in your step! I'd say watch Rudy.....but I think we all know what you would say about that, haha


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## bamabum

So I took a small break and re-energized.

Watched a movie to gain motivation










Went to the hardware store and spent a few hours making the stage base.










The stage can be completely disassembled by removing 20,000,000 deck screws. :doh:


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## phillihp23

Thats a sweet looking stage. I would love to make one for my home theater room...just haven't got the motivation lately. Tend to get motivated in the spring when i can work with the garage door open. LOL
How deep and wide is the stage? What are you going to use for fill?


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## HTB2015

bamabum said:


> So I took a small break and re-energized.
> 
> Watched a movie to gain motivation
> 
> Went to the hardware store and spent a few hours making the stage base.
> 
> The stage can be completely disassembled by removing 20,000,000 deck screws. :doh:


Stage looks really nice!


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## bamabum

Thx. The stage is 4' by 15' but a 18" false wall will eat up some of it. 









I filled it with pink stuff. No matter if I wear a hazmat suit I still itch like crazy. 

I didn't use sand as the theater is above a 14 foot ceiling garage. And I don't want to sag the ceiling and have to re-tape and paint the ceiling. 

Once I find a sun place spot I will probably fill that compartment with sand. It should be pretty easy.


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## bamabum

So after the stage was built I played some music and the bass really stunk. I couldn't here it at all. I was a treble rebel once again. I was ready to rip out the whole stage. Then I realized 30 min later I forgot to plug in the def tech floors to the outlet. I had stuck the power cords off to the side so I forgot them. 

The extra 300 watt bass in each made me happy again. Maybe there will still be a sub build in my future.


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## BD55

bamabum said:


> ...Maybe there will still be a sub build in my future.


_Maybe?!?_ You used 20,000,000 deck screws for that awesome stage :T. You're now required to use at least that many in a sub build! 

Build looks great so far, keep up the nice work!


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## bamabum

Started playing on REW with the CM 140 on a MAC with external sound blaster.










Im not sure how to read this yet. Anyone have thoughts? The sound is playing thru the front L and R.

I don't have the sub LFE cables yet so they are just on full range using the internal amps in the DEF Tech 8060s


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## bamabum

Bass trap time...

After watching several threads I decided to start on some acoustic treatments.

I decided to go with GIK (I have no affiliation with them other than sending them my $) for some of the first items. I have seen several DIY bass traps but I decided to go with GIK because I was able to get advice and learned a lot from Bryan P over the phone. He has provided a basic treatment plan that came with plenty of other advice and knowledge. Before I talked with Bryan I didn't fully understand all the SPL measures. 

*Review - Note these are Corner Triangular Bass Traps*

Also note my room is not typical in that it has a large opening to the next room on the left wall.

Packaging 8/10 - No foam or styro but secured internally in a bag taped secure. I always like the packaging to have the styro corners that allow for a floating product as well as easy cardboard cutaway without product damage.

Bass trap box #1 arrived a little dinged by FEDEx










Nothing damaged due to sound construction and decent packaging. It was missing the hanging wire in the box but I can replace with simple picture frame wire.

Instructions 9/10 - Nothing in the box but the fact that I can reach knowledgeable company reps via phone is refreshing. BP explained the setup/mounting in seconds.

Construction - 8/10 Nice clean product that could easily be used as part of the rooms eye-candy even though mine will be behind a false wall. One side of one had a slight curve to it. I haven't decided if this was from construction or lack of more protective packaging.

back view









curved edge view









dry fitting in the corner. fit as expected with size cut to order by the supplier.










Performance - 9 -10 
It does what it advertises. If I am reading correctly my RT60 decreased by 10-20% in the low ranges and 5% in the high ranges. 

Purple is after traps installed










It is eating some of my low end from my Def Tech BP 8060 L/R. This is most likely due to bass woofers firing out the sides of the speakers into the trap. But I am becoming convinced that I need a dedicated sub positioned where this wont happen.










Overall I would rate my experience a 9/10 and would do again. The company is customer focused and the knowledge I gained from consultation was more than worth a few bucks I could have saved building my own. 

I should also note that they use an eco product without phenols.
I still need some sub recommendations........ Anyone?


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## J&D

Unless you DIY the sub it is pretty hard to beat a pair of CHT VS18.1's for under $2K. Craig is also currently working on a VS15.1 that comes very close in output to the 18's in a smaller form factor. Worth a call at the very least.


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## HTB2015

There is plenty of knowledge and experience on this website to help you through a DIY build if you are pondering the idea :nerd:lddude:


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## MrAngles

bamabum said:


> It is eating some of my low end from my Def Tech BP 8060 L/R. This is most likely due to bass woofers firing out the sides of the speakers into the trap. But I am becoming convinced that I need a dedicated sub positioned where this wont happen.


You have your woofers aimed towards the walls? Have you tried reversing them?


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## bamabum

My wife has determined the color pallet. : )










Minus the white blanket blocking the chair below. 

Thoughts?


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## Peter Loeser

bamabum said:


> Thoughts?


Looks good! Trust your wife's instincts when it comes to color coordination


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## ALMFamily

Agreed - like the combination!


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## bamabum

Agreed Peter. 


Mr angles, the def techs have side firing subs in their towers. I am prob going to get a dedicated sub. The speakers were on sale during Xmas which included a free center and surrounds. What sub do you use?


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## bamabum

Alm,

I have to trust my wife as I am design blind. Our goal is to be modern that fits the house without having a theatre that doesn't match. 

Although we did argue about her putting wall paper on the ceiling in her office. She won. Now everyone that comes over comments on it first. I'll upload a pic.


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## MrAngles

bamabum said:


> Agreed Peter.
> 
> 
> Mr angles, the def techs have side firing subs in their towers. I am prob going to get a dedicated sub. The speakers were on sale during Xmas which included a free center and surrounds. What sub do you use?


I have Acoustic Research AR1s for my front towers, they have side firing 15" subs with built in amps, similar to yours. I've never felt the need to get a dedicated sub, in fact in smaller rooms I've chosen to only use one of them for the sub channel and not turn the amp on the other speaker on at all, but I've only used them in living room or bedroom type setups, so it remains to be seen how I like them from further away, while sitting on a riser.

IIRC yours have drivers on both sides, but one side is just passive, so I would aim the passive side towards the wall and bass trap, letting the active sub fire into the open air.


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## bamabum

Angles,

You have a good point. I might still do a sub but I need to wait and see after all the treatments are in place. 

The problem is the active side is on the left when facing. So the right speaker is turned into the room and firing actively at the left corner across the stage. I think I might run the left on at 70% and the right at 30% and take some more measurements.


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## bamabum

A little bit of progress... 










Started the raised seating riser I intended to take a lot of photos but after work got started I didnt realize I hadn't snapped a pic until complete and soffit was also complete.










still quite a bit of finish work to go on the risers


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## MrAngles

bamabum said:


> the right speaker is turned into the room and firing actively at the left corner across the stage.


Ah ok, I thought maybe they were facing the other way. If you add a dedicated sub, would you put it on the stage, or closer to the riser?


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## ALMFamily

Nice job on the riser - that looks super sturdy!

How many puck lights are you running in the soffits?


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## bamabum

Mr Angles, 

I would put the sub in the left or right center on the stage wall behind the false wall. I havent built it yet. I'm still waiting on my XD material to ship later next week.

ALMFamily, 

Thx, I am going to redo it a little based upon the carpet quote. To lay carpet as is it is 69 yards. To reconfigure it will be 44 yds. I plant on taking all the angles out by using finish wood so that there is much less waiste in matching the pattern.

*Lesson learned:* Patterned carpet wrapping a bunch of angles leads to WASTE. 69 yds. * $$$$ Carpet = rebuild stage. 

I used 10 3" LED can lights around the perimeter. 4 on each side and 2 in the rear.

My drywall friend was here today sanding and the room looked like someone put powdered sugar in front of a fan.


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## bamabum

Time to spray some lights. I used the rustoleum for grills to handle heat from the lights. May be overkill. Note to others: do this outside unless you want to get high.


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## bamabum

A couple of updates...

I painted the LED cans. They were a little more time consuming since they didn't have pop out lights.










they turned out nice










Also I painted the cords outlet for the projector










Some one asked over PM what paint I used specifically so here you are










Next time for some ceiling paint.

The color is Flint from Restoration Hardware matched locally at the paint store 









Full light spray paint item against ceiling color.









Oh ! hit the led lights connectors with paint!










time for the handy iphone screw driver to scrape it off with a few swipes









All better









Color in more light. Had the theater back up in time for my daughters bday. 5 girls will soon trash it with popcorn and candy!










We rolled out the red carpet for her.









Kid Crack









I learned what the hole in the ladder is for....










If your can light baffles are not tight to the ceiling you can bend the little tab in the mount up and slightly bend the holding prongs out a little and it will suck the can light baffle in tight.


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## ALMFamily

What a lucky girl! :bigsmile:

I really like how you have been able to maintain using it while you continue to work on it.


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## bamabum

I have really enjoyed using the room while under construction. It is such a long process that it helps to keep the motivation even if I am just listening to Pandora on the speakers vs a small radio.

I made some good progress today. 

I finished up all the front facing on the stage and riser.









Next up was routing the oak riser trim with a 3/4 roundover and attaching pine to the bottom of it with the same routing. I left a 1 in overhang around the edge.

I finished a few of the cuts and installed the fornt part of the riser with liquid nails and brads



















I don't seam to get that many comments so I guess my build is not that interesting or good compared to some of the other builds here.


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## ALMFamily

bamabum said:


> I have really enjoyed using the room while under construction. It is such a long process that it helps to keep the motivation even if I am just listening to Pandora on the speakers vs a small radio.
> 
> I made some good progress today.
> 
> I finished up all the front facing on the stage and riser.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Next up was routing the oak riser trim with a 3/4 roundover and attaching pine to the bottom of it with the same routing. I left a 1 in overhang around the edge.
> 
> I finished a few of the cuts and installed the fornt part of the riser with liquid nails and brads
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don't seam to get that many comments so I guess my build is not that interesting or good compared to some of the other builds here.


I like that facing on the stage - what is that? 

I am assuming you are going to stain the riser trim? If so, what color were you thinking? I would love to see some close up photos to see how the oak and pine look together once they are stained.

And, I sometimes wondered the same as I was proceeding through my build. :bigsmile: 
However, just take a look at the number of views - people are definitely following along as you are close to 3000 views. You are doing a bang up job and I enjoy reading your posts as you always have a quip that makes me grin. :T


----------



## bamabum

Haha thx...

I am actually going for the painted look. I used oak only because it will be in a traffic area and most other woods don't hold up as well for the price. Hence that is why I did the bottom in pine where it doesn't matter.

For the stage and riser fronts I needed a smooth finished surface. I decided to use 5 MM 8x4 underlayment (used normally under tile to build up floor height.

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/5-mm-1-4-in-4-ft-x-4-ft-underlayment-plywood-448887.html

Its $10 a 4x8 sheet at HD and very easy to work with. I used the non-staining side because it has the smoother surface. The staining side has thin wood facing similar to 1/4 in plywood. I could have used plywood but the extra $50 for 2 sheets would not have added any value. Also this material is bendable and easy to patch. I might stain a section of scrap for you to see just for grins. I have maple color stain so lets see what that looks like.


----------



## MrAngles

bamabum said:


> I don't seam to get that many comments so I guess my build is not that interesting or good compared to some of the other builds here.


Or you could take that to mean that you are doing everything right! My thread has a good amount of posts because pretty much every time I post it's to ask questions. Count me in as a thread lurker.


----------



## HTB2015

MrAngles said:


> Or you could take that to mean that you are doing everything right! My thread has a good amount of posts because pretty much every time I post it's to ask questions. Count me in as a thread lurker.


+1. I look at your thread all the time. You may have lost some viewers after the national championship though, haha!


----------



## ALMFamily

bamabum said:


> Haha thx...
> 
> I am actually going for the painted look. I used oak only because it will be in a traffic area and most other woods don't hold up as well for the price. Hence that is why I did the bottom in pine where it doesn't matter.
> 
> For the stage and riser fronts I needed a smooth finished surface. I decided to use 5 MM 8x4 underlayment (used normally under tile to build up floor height.
> 
> http://www.homedepot.com/buy/5-mm-1-4-in-4-ft-x-4-ft-underlayment-plywood-448887.html
> 
> Its $10 a 4x8 sheet at HD and very easy to work with. I used the non-staining side because it has the smoother surface. The staining side has thin wood facing similar to 1/4 in plywood. I could have used plywood but the extra $50 for 2 sheets would not have added any value. Also this material is bendable and easy to patch. I might stain a section of scrap for you to see just for grins. I have maple color stain so lets see what that looks like.


Wow - good find and way to save a bit of cash! I am looking forward to seeing how those look painted - I did stain mine and put on 4 coats of poly but I can see where there are a couple chips already. What color are you going to use?

Yeah, would like to see how that looks stained!


----------



## bamabum

The beauty of paint is that you can patch and repaint!!

By popular request (1 person out of the 2 commentators of my thread) hear is the stained version.










On top is the 5mm Home Depot luan underlayment.
wood veneer side to the left and manufactured board side to the right.
Oak is on the bottom and pine is the round over trim.

I stained the left 2 inch of each in Minwax maple color stain and the right in Minwax pine stain.

Lesson learned...

Pine and Maple stain are gimmick words for stain and stain. I dare you to tell the difference on 4 types of wood.

The pine took no stain as it is Home Depot's "premium pine wood". I used it because I think that normally 1 out of 64 boards are strait at home depot. The wood clearly has a hardener and some filler and is as hard as oak and it way too straight for pine sitting on a shelf. However, if you have a router and a table saw you can take a 6" wide board (5 1/4) and make 5 - 10 ft 1 in trim pieces that are extremely straight and rout which ever style you like for the edge. 

Tonight I fished some riser trim and installed lighting for the steps. I was able to sand and prime some of the trim. Big accomplishment!










here is my glorified work station










right side of risers. need to patch the bottom light as my measurements were off and light is coming through over the plastic light guard










I need to remove the covers and spray paint next.

These are $12 120V 7 W lights from amazon. I threw them on a dimmer and they look very nice in the dark and light despite the iphone pics.










Here is an uninteresting picture I took that I don't have room for on Facebook...










Since I now know I have to ask questions to receive comments I will try this question.....










What is your comment?


----------



## ticopowell

Lava, Alligators, Snakes, or any other type of monster could be included in there... did anyone have any separate colored carpet patterns that avoided as a kid? I did... lol. 
Oh and BTW Nice Build! I enjoy learning and seeing what I might be able to do someday


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## MrAngles

I guess my comment is that when you're a kid, lava isn't just between couches. The world is a scary place, it felt like I was living on Mount Doom with all the lava everywhere.

The trim on the riser is looking great! I fear finishing wood, I can deal with wood framing all day, but ultimately the only wood you'll see in my theater will be baseboard and crown molding, and that will almost certainly be painted, because I don't know the first thing about making it look nice.


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## bamabum

Funny comments. I had a red carpet that was definitely lava. My moms cushions on the back of the couch were always smooshed from running on them.


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## bamabum

I think stained wood is a style preference and looks awesome or silly when comparing to the rest of the house.


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## ALMFamily

You are right - the only one I could really see a difference in is the oak - and I like that finish. I might just have to pick up some maple stain.

One thing I have discovered through this whole process is that these big box places just do not know how to store lumber properly. My local Menards has all their sanded oak standing on end! Not even straight mind you - it leans back at about 20 degrees. I have lost count of the amount of time I have spent looking for semi straight boards.

And, duuuuuude, that looks awesome! I love how that riser trim turned out! :T:T

I laughed when I saw the work area- I have that same exact table saw! Oh, and you guys are sooo lucky. Being able to work outside in January - sheesh! 

And, is it weird that I STILL play those games?! :rofl2:


----------



## bamabum

Here is where the Maple color stain came from....










Its on Mahogany.

A little more progress was made today today...



















in the dark with the LED and floor lights (without covers)









just the floor lights on 100%










This is one coat of oil based paint on top of grey primer. I am going to let it cure for a week until the carpet arrives. I will let them scratch it up a bit before I put down the final coats.


It always pays to use a large contractors discount at the paint store. The premium retail $65 gallon of oil paint turned into $32

I shopped carpet and pad around for a bit. I wanted the premium 1/2 in 8 lb pad and that was $$. The carpet is a Shaw brand and because of the pattern it was going to be $$$. Since 90% of the carpet comes out of Dalton Ga I called a distributor there and they are shipping me both for $23 less per yd! Then I found the guy that installs carpet for a Big Box and he gave a quote of $300. I believe the normal carpet store makes around $1200 profit based upon my calcs for an order like this.

$1233 saved towards my sub budget. Score!!


----------



## ALMFamily

Wow! Great shopping find!


----------



## moparz10

Been following this thread since begining,lookin awesome! Can't wait to see the finished product :T


----------



## bamabum

Thx mopar and ALM,

I have shoulder surgery today so the no major progress is likely for a bit.


----------



## Peter Loeser

Great progress on the build so far. Hope the shoulder surgery and recovery go smoothly!


----------



## ALMFamily

Peter Loeser said:


> Great progress on the build so far. Hope the shoulder surgery and recovery go smoothly!


+1 mate - hope you are back to working on the HT soon!


----------



## moparz10

hope all goes well and you get back to workin soon!


----------



## HTB2015

You're killin it Bamabum! Nice progress. Paint looks nice, did you prime or just put multiple coats of your final color? Oil-based or Acrylic? 

Hope you can get back to it soon. How long is your recovery?


----------



## bamabum

I'm using oil based sherwin Williams paint. Designed for wood. It is a great product. I primed first. Primer is cheaper at the big boxes. 

I only have one coat until the carpet goes Down. After 3 coats it will cure hard a a rock and be very resilient to traffic. 

FedEx says my screen will be here soon

Where do I order the triple black felt?


----------



## bamabum

4-6 wks in a sling and a total of six months. 

I expect my build thread will be silent soon.


----------



## bamabum

Thx all for the well wishes


----------



## moparz10

No excuse there's nothing wrong with the other arm,better get on it' (Lol) get better soon


----------



## ALMFamily

Triple felt fabric for the screen border?


----------



## bamabum

Yes for screen border


----------



## ALMFamily

I got mine at Joann Fabrics.


----------



## bamabum

My screen material arrived today. I think its time to enlist help. I dont think I can stare at the box for the next few weeks.


----------



## HTB2015

bamabum said:


> My screen material arrived today. I think its time to enlist help. I dont think I can stare at the box for the next few weeks.


Wish I could get some experience putting on together but AL is pretty far drive, plus I went to Mississippi State....it would just be wrong helping you out :rofl:

You might have posted this earlier but what screen material did you end up going with?


----------



## bamabum

Seymour av 

http://www.seymourav.com/


----------



## bamabum

*paint*

a little more paint progress as the base coats of wall and trim are almost complete.


----------



## ALMFamily

Looks good - how is the shoulder?


----------



## bamabum

Shoulder is great. I'm off pain meds and in pt as I type. Mostly just a wasted arm for the next few months. 

I'm having a friend help out with the screen as I bark orders over his shoulder.


----------



## bamabum

It's time for the screen

Frame built from hard pine and sprayed black









Using 2x4 for basic support. Attaching via deck supports. 









Just learned my pneumatic stapler needs different staples then what was bought as a pair on amazon. Guess I just perpetuated the "bought together" problem.


----------



## bamabum

The Seymour AV screen material looks great. I can not see the moire affect others mentioned. The material is clearly cut on a 15 degree diagonal to kill the effect. Others say they can see the prob at 8ft. I sit ~10 ft from the screen and I can not see anything. I moved closer and cant see anything. Maybe I need glasses as my wife suggests or the material is good. I leaned it up next to the painted wall and I can not see a big difference.










The carpet arrived today










Since I was cheap I needed to meet the driver down the road. His 18 wheeler could not come down my street.

He graciously loaded it onto my trailer.










As I drove down the street at 15 mph with carpet hanging out 4 ft in the other lane a student driver car passed with several kids and a teacher in it. I pulled off to the side and the 16 yr old girl passed at a rate of 2 mph with 4 ft to clear but her eyes were 8 ft wide.

It was raining so I enlisted several bystanders around the house to help unload and roll into the garage since it has been raining. 

*EDIT: Removed Pic due to rules : (*

The installer will be here on Saturday. My shoulder prevented me from moving myself. I thought about winching it to the trailer hitch before others showed up. Thank goodness they showed up randomly.

I was able to locate staples and affix the Seymour AV screen material to the frame last night. I had problems with the black support frame showing through even though they were 3/4 in off the screen. I read on Seymour's site that they offer backing if you have light splash from the back wall. I was definitely having this but I didn't have the front wall lined with anything but paint. from the pic you can see the picture shinning through on the back wall. 










I decided to remove the supports and line the back with very stretched black spandex. It was a good decision.










Spandex does not do well with staples when stretched tight so I made X patterns with staples. I started at the long ends and tacked. Then I moved to the middle with X tacks. Then I started a 3000 staple salute to the troops. I'm sure something random was stapled to the screen during this process. It was a cloud of dust with many random items permanently affixed via a pneumatic gun.










It was time to break out the Ecose sound material from GIK.










I have had the boxes for a few weeks and they have had many paint splatters on them as my son used for paint ball shelters during big battles.

I bought these due to their air quality. I see many using products using Phenol which is one of the carcinogenics in cigarettes.

I added them to the front stage wall and built a box for the center










I wrapped the center support and added french cleats for the screen.









My iPhone takes @#[email protected] pics. I think the blur is from grime on the lens. I keep it in my pocket all the time un protected.

finished product....










I was able to hang the screen but I will have to post pics later.... 

BTW, Who keeps doing this to the TP in my house?










Its not a slot machine. Stop spinning it so fast.

I also am happy with a new product via kickstart. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/whooz/whooz










I finally know which charger is mine and more importantly my kids know its not theirs. Each family member has their own color.

Ive also determined hash browns make the best Ice Pack for a recovering shoulder.


----------



## jgourlie

That was an awesome update....Things are really coming along nicely.....keep up the good work


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## MrAngles

Great update, the little details in the process are always nice to see, toilet paper included.


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## ALMFamily

Amazing progress considering you are down one shoulder! :T


----------



## bamabum

I get by with a little help from my friends. I get by with a little help from my friends.:whistling:


----------



## bamabum

I've noticed a huge difference in room audio dynamics with the front wall covered and bass traps in place. The majority of slap echo is gone. A movie I use to watch at 55 DB would hurt when at 70 DB. Now it sounds great at 70 DB. I'm wondering if all the echo/bouncing was hurting my brain in a way. Ive measured this via my SPL meter instead of what the amp says....

This made me wonder how loud is too loud?

Thanks to google....


 A typical conversation occurs at 60 dB – not loud enough to cause damage.
 A bulldozer that is idling (note that this is idling, not actively bulldozing) is loud enough at 85 dB that it can cause permanent damage after only 1 work day (8 hours).

 When listening to a personal music system with stock earphones at a maximum volume, the sound generated can reach a level of over 100 dBA, loud enough to begin causing permanent damage after just 15 minutes per day!

 A clap of thunder from a nearby storm (120 dB) or a gunshot (140-190 dB, depending on weapon), can both cause immediate damage.

Occupation Safety and Health Administration officials determined the daily permissible noise-level exposure is eight hours for 90 decibels of sound and hearing loss may result from sustained exposure of levels above 90-95 decibels, according to their website.

and scarily I read the movie theaters just wing the volume.. (link

"The average sound levels were 131.5 decibels for the G/PG-rated movies, 131.8 decibels for the PG-13-rated movies and 126.6 decibels for the R-rated movies"

I wonder If all their treatment makes you not notice it?

Thoughts?


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## phillihp23

Interesting information bamabum.....looking forward to more while your laid up with the bum shoulder.


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## bamabum

Thought Id post s few of the screen mount.

I used a french cleat which is simply cutting board at a 45degree angle.

It sits down flush. I just pulled apart for the picture.










at the bottom I added another 3/4 in back stop to the support so that the screen would stay at a 90 degree angle vertically. Without it I fear the weight would loosen the french cleat over time.










you can see the speaker sits very close the screen. I've had no sound issues that I can detect. 










You can see the screen weave pattern on the screen up close. From around 6 ft you can no longer see it










finished product










In broad daylight without blackout window treatment










At night with led side lights on










In the dark










things are coming along better than planned.


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## ALMFamily

Great pictures of the screen image - what type of camera are you using?


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## bamabum

iPhone. It actually takes bad ones IMHO. Need to wipe the lens next time.


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## ALMFamily

:wow: Those are GREAT pictures for a phone!


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## HTB2015

Great progress for having a bum shoulder! What size staples were you using for the spandex? We are planning on using layered spandex for our screen.


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## bamabum

I used 3/8 in deep crown. they worked great.

staples
gun

I used very hard hard pine. 

My first screen was cheap pine from HD and it was junk. Go with a hard wood. Definitely run a support or 2 on the backside the vertical length to keep things stable. With a black backing you cant see it.

Also on the first one I used double layer spandex and it worked well except the white spandex I used was too shiny and the frame was . I definitely recommend only doing one layer at a time.

it you use 3/4 in wood, you can shoot 1 million 3/8 staples without worry of the wood splitting or hold problems.

I started on the short sides stretching the material long ways.

I did 6 staples in 3 x patterns on one side then stretched the other side and did the same. The 20% spandex material will hold and not rip even though you think it might.

Then I moved to the sides and did the same. After that you go after the corners. Then start stapling the out of it. I trimmed the excess to 1/3 inch and folded over and stapled.

I tried the screen spline way but the spandex causes it to slip right out regardless of spline size.


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## HTB2015

Thanks for the info! Very helpful


----------



## bamabum

Carpet Diem!!










I was worried about the 3/4 in Trim causing a tipping hazard. I used premium 1/2 8 lb foam pad and with the carpet it measures the same. However at the butt joint they use tack strip and tuck the carpet. The tack wasn't as high as the 1/2 in pad so I gave the installer 1 in rip strips from the 1/8 floor under layment from earlier in my posts. He just nailed his tack on top of these.

farm9.staticflickr.com/8235/8458729097_8275128bc3_b.jpg

It worked perfectly.

Now its time to add the last coat to the riser trim paint.


----------



## ALMFamily

bamabum said:


> Carpet Diem!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I was worried about the 3/4 in Trim causing a tipping hazard. I used premium 1/2 8 lb foam pad and with the carpet it measures the same. However at the butt joint they use tack strip and tuck the carpet. The tack wasn't as high as the 1/2 in pad so I gave the installer 1 in rip strips from the 1/8 floor under layment from earlier in my posts. He just nailed his tack on top of these.
> 
> farm9.staticflickr.com/8235/8458729097_8275128bc3_b.jpg
> 
> It worked perfectly.
> 
> Now its time to add the last coat to the riser trim paint.



:wow: - that looks great!


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## Peter Loeser

Love that carpet, this room is looking great!


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## moparz10

Oh boy nothing like the look,feel and smell of new carpet! Looks awesome :yikes:


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## HTB2015

Looks great! I'm going to use your tip with 1/8 underlay with ours since it worked so well.


----------



## bamabum

Thanks for the kind words guys!

I was going to use the rubber ramp method Mario used but the installer said that was only for glue down applications. I wanted to use stretch installation so that it is easily patched if needed. The key as well is the 1/2 premium Shaw pad. It is less than normal pad when ordered direct from Georgia Direct online.
I have found many uses for the under layment. Most people think its oak or something but...









I wouldn't install another carpet in my house without the pad. Heres a super close up of the transition. I think the tripping hazard prevention key is to have the plush a hair higher. I looked like I was on a stair master after it was installed trying it out.









My wife picked out the carpet. She joined my for a chick flick in celebration.


----------



## ALMFamily

I do not recognize that Jennifer Aniston movie - which one is that?


----------



## bamabum

The Switch. Avail on Netflix. Was good enough to sit through.


----------



## ALMFamily

Ah - I have seen that one. It was a good date movie.


----------



## fschris

insane jealous here... just went through the thread. very nice build so far. maybe I missed it... what kind of subs are you using for the low end ? if you get some deep LF going on you may need to isolate your PJ as it can vibrate.


----------



## bamabum

thank you For-Shizzle-CHRIS,

I haven't got to the sub yet. I overlooked due to ignorance thinking the floor deftechs had enough built in. However they do not go low enough now that I'm educated. It sorta like going to a car show. All of a sudden you HAVE to HAVE this or that. I agree I need to put some rubber isolation on the projector mount. What subs do you like? I have about 24" cube floor space avail.

I'm probably going to replace the current mount that was free. It is not perfect at staying in position. Any mounts with built in isolation type design?


----------



## fschris

you really need to isolate it with some springs and a plate. but that is not very important right now.

subs are a whole different branch of the HT and can get very complicated. 

are you going to DIY or buy. if you DIY... you can save a ton of money but at the expense of your time. if you value time more and have money you need to spend at least 1500 per sub. it should be Heavy and have at least a 15 inch driver. at the very least I would get 2.

it will add to your HT some wicked wow factor when the rumble hits your chest. 

IMO if you built your subs you could build a 1500 sub for about 400-500. figure 200-300 for a decent driver and the materials for the cabinet plus you need an amp.

I built some clone MFW-15 and I will find a picture for you.


----------



## bamabum

mmmm new research.... sounds tasty.


----------



## bamabum

found your build....

jealousy reciprocated!


----------



## yoda13

quite possibly one of the best and most entertaining build thread, if not the best, I've ever read:clap:. Not to mention how great the room is going to look,

a fan,

cheers


----------



## bamabum

Happy am I you like


----------



## HTB2015

fschris said:


> you really need to isolate it with some springs and a plate. but that is not very important right now.
> 
> subs are a whole different branch of the HT and can get very complicated.
> 
> are you going to DIY or buy. if you DIY... you can save a ton of money but at the expense of your time. if you value time more and have money you need to spend at least 1500 per sub. it should be Heavy and have at least a 15 inch driver. at the very least I would get 2.
> 
> it will add to your HT some wicked wow factor when the rumble hits your chest.
> 
> IMO if you built your subs you could build a 1500 sub for about 400-500. figure 200-300 for a decent driver and the materials for the cabinet plus you need an amp.
> 
> I built some clone MFW-15 and I will find a picture for you.


Agreed, more bang for your buck when DIY. Looking and what you've done so far you shouldn't have a problem going DIY. And IMO, probably won't take you that long. Most of the time when I do a build ( in general, not just speakers) the planning is the most time consuming. Without any measurements I can tell you that our SI18 with 1100W is pretty awesome. And the driver and 2000W amp added up to less than $450. If you had two if them, you'd be happy for sure!


----------



## fschris

This would be awesome and I think could fit the 18's

http://www.diysoundgroup.com/flat-packs-1/subwoofer-flatpacks-2/4-sub-flat-pack.html

Its a pre made MDF box that has been CNC'd, I have bought some flat packs from these guys and the quality is great. The value is exceptional.

You would just have to route out the baffle. Glue them up, Stuff, Finish and you would be done. I bet you could get this done in 2 weeks.


----------



## MrAngles

I'm waiting to see how you finish that screen wall. Are you going to leave it freestanding, so to speak in the middle, so the L & R speakers stay in the open? I don't think I've ever seen it done that way, and I really like the idea. I imagine that allows you to have less clearance between the false wall and the real wall, and it makes me reconsider the option of doing an AT screen in my room.


----------



## bamabum

Thanks for the sub tips. I need to research more. Do you usually just split the preamp out of the main receiver to the two sub amps?

MrA, I admit it has a nice warehouse look. I am going to build a false wall. I've just been starring at it to make up my design in my head. 

Right now I need a certain type of hinge that I'm researching for the design.


----------



## Owen Bartley

'bama, it looks great... the carpet and the screen are really nice! I hope you're making some progress in your physio, and not pushing things too hard with the build, you don't want to set yourself back again. Keep up the good (and safe) work!


----------



## MrAngles

I can't find it in your thread, what exactly did you do to your shoulder?


----------



## bamabum

Thx for the well wishes. 

I had bone spurs, locking and a slap tear. 

Just part of an active lifestyle. 

I should be back to norm in a few months.


----------



## MrAngles

bamabum said:


> Thx for the well wishes.
> 
> I had bone spurs, locking and a slap tear.
> 
> Just part of an active lifestyle.
> 
> I should be back to norm in a few months.


Well I'm glad the surgery and recovery have gone well so far. The more I read your thread the more my own shoulder hurts... I don't know that mine has anything to do with an active lifestyle though, it feels like I'm just getting old.


----------



## bamabum

I was at my daughters national cheer competition this weekend and while we were in the stands my ears were hurting from the speakers. I had my laptop so I opened REW. It was a constant 120 DB. We decided to stand in the back. It was still 115 DB. Thank goodness we were only in there for her performance. 

I did notice how the bass was felt in my chest. Now I'm convinced I'm building some subs. Since I have an empty ceiling above.... What are the thoughts on down firing subs mounted in the ceiling?


----------



## MrAngles

bamabum said:


> What are the thoughts on down firing subs mounted in the ceiling?


Sounds like an infinite baffle setup. I'm sure you'd want to seal up the section of attic over the theater from the attic over the rest of the house though, or you'd get a lot of boomy bass in the other rooms, especially through ceiling HVAC or a bathroom vent fan.


----------



## fschris

I think you would be better off with 2 or 4 sealed 18inch subs....
or the very least 2 ported 15s. If you feel like an adventure in sub building. Try the MFW-15 clone!


----------



## bamabum

thx for the comments

can anyone point me to a DIY 18" build that is good. 

Also, how do I join multiple subs? Do you use multiple amps and split the preamp out on the main / receiver to each sub amp? Or do I get one amp for multiple subs and run from the main amp/receiver pre-out?


----------



## fschris

bamabum said:


> thx for the comments
> 
> can anyone point me to a DIY 18" build that is good.
> 
> Also, how do I join multiple subs? Do you use multiple amps and split the preamp out on the main / receiver to each sub amp? Or do I get one amp for multiple subs and run from the main amp/receiver pre-out?


I like the behringer inuke DSPs .... Id suggest the NU3000DSP 2 power 2 15inch subs ( that is the least you would want) . If you have more money you can also get the behringer europower EP4000 http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/EP4000.aspx ...although your going to need a minidsp for it so the cost just goes up and up!

i really suggest the DIYSOUNDGROUP Flat pack to save your self some time.

Do you want to do this all from scratch or is a flat pack an option?

We love spending other peoples money around here :bigsmile::rofl:

also you take the sub out and you may need a Y connector to go to the SUB amp.... if you get a behringer you will need need some XLR to RCA cables that you can get from monoprice


----------



## HTB2015

bamabum said:


> thx for the comments
> 
> can anyone point me to a DIY 18" build that is good.
> 
> Also, how do I join multiple subs? Do you use multiple amps and split the preamp out on the main / receiver to each sub amp? Or do I get one amp for multiple subs and run from the main amp/receiver pre-out?


First off, I'd start a separate thread in the DIY Sub forum. I could not have done our sub build without the help I received from that forum. 

I think the downfiring subs from the ceiling sounds awesome. 

Here's a pic of the back of our EP2000 and MIC2200. Maybe it will help to answer your question about preamps etc. 



















Each of them have 2 inputs and 2 outputs. Each one has its own adjustors as well. We picked up the EP2000 for a great price at walmart.com. They also have the EP4000


----------



## fschris

i think the down size of throwing a sub into the ceiling... is that you cant move the ceiling to get optimal performance. there is a huge chance moving the sub left or right 1 foot could really hit your sweet spot...


----------



## bamabum

Thanks for all the thoughts....

I think the Ceiling idea is busted now.

I mentioned the thoughts of a sub build to a friend who runs sound for larger bands and after 3 hours of dissertation I was just as confused as I am now. I will gather my thoughts and ask more later. He said he would bring over his 18" boxes to rattle my windows. I declined. 

Why is it that each step of your HT you think u are so close to being finished and have all the knowledge and then all of a sudden WHAM! You don't know diddly.

It seams I have room for about 2 subs @ 12 CU FT on my front stage but maybe these are not the ideal spots.

I will do more research....

I did manage to get a house keeping item done. The carpet to Bamboo floor transition is done...










The wife is picking out fabric for blackout curtains in the game room and possibly a full theater curtain for the opening. Not sure if we will just have false curtain ends yet...

Votes? It doesn't matter what you say because a woman has decided.










Paint just went up in the man cave. Next step is to redo the mantle and get some wall decor. I was thinking of moving the whole def techs setup into this room and building a new system for the theater.










Then I told my wife of my plans and now I'm grounded. 

BTW, ever eat Ethiopian food? 

There is no silverware. NONE! 










Don't even ask for silverware.... You just eat with a sponge bread by cupping the meat with the bread.

They asked if I liked spicy and I was like "Who doesn't"

About a hour later I was like


----------



## MrAngles

bamabum said:


> Paint just went up in the man cave. Next step is to redo the mantle and get some wall decor. I was thinking of moving the whole def techs setup into this room and building a new system for the theater.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then I told my wife of my plans and now I'm grounded.


Wait, a flat panel that ISN'T over the fireplace? I don't think that's allowed.


----------



## bamabum

Time to dust this thread off a bit.

Pallisar seats arrived. They are very comfy. 

I went for a reclining couch in the front and traditional seats in the rear.

Overall they are awesome. I had problems with the head rest on one of the seats but the rep is sending parts as I type.










more pics to come.


----------



## bamabum




----------



## fschris

almost looks like you are ready to break out the pop corn.....


----------



## MrAngles

Very nice!


----------



## ALMFamily

Nice mate - those look super comfortable!


----------



## Owen Bartley

Seats look great, bama! That's the exact idea I was thinking for seating except in reverse. Chairs in front for prime seating, and a couch with chaise behind on riser for lazy days when reclining just isn't comfy enough.


----------



## MrAngles

Owen Bartley said:


> Seats look great, bama! That's the exact idea I was thinking for seating except in reverse. Chairs in front for prime seating, and a couch with chaise behind on riser for lazy days when reclining just isn't comfy enough.


That was my first thought, but I figured that the riser would have to be awkwardly high to be able to see the screen while laying on the couch in the back row. So my plan is to position everything to make the back row the primary seating.


----------



## bamabum

Thx guys. We have been wearing it out. It really is awesome to have somewhat complete. 

I did the lounge couch in the front for a less formal use and the seats in the couch recline so it is the best of both worlds. Audio wise, the best seats for a movie are the back row while TV is best in the front so it works out well.


----------



## bamabum

I also factored on the height issues mentioned with the rows. This is a nice set up. Also when people in the front turn to talk to the back row the lower height backs work well.


----------



## Greenster

Looks great! I love the front row couch idea. How wide is it?


----------



## bamabum

Both rows are roughly 10' across. I planned the riser to have a solid 10' front drop in the middle and 2.5 ft steps on each side. 

Pallisar had several options in the 120-127" range. I liked that they have many configurations and pieces to build what you want. It took about 10 weeks on the custom order. 

I ordered from them so that I could get matching custom higher grade fabrics for both rows. It was a bit more than prefabbed leather options. It came to about 1k per seat for seating of 8. The cloth is much more comfortable and not as cold as the leather option I investigated. 

Many other manufacturers use around 136 " for a 4 seater but I don't find these to be cramped at all. However if you sat 4 typical 250 lb large men it would be a little small. 

Seating is easily one of the higher expenses and hardest to affordable change later so I would encourage anyone to pay for quality and research a lot.


----------



## bamabum

Ok, its time I dust off the thread and do some work.

I'm tried of looking at a incomplete front wall.

I tell my friends this is where the such and such is going.

They laugh and say Ive been at this for a year.

I decided to frame in the front screen wall. Some of the cuts were a little time consuming such as the front corner walls where the ends are cut at angles.









rough fitting walls









step one, walls complete










in time for oyster shooters


----------



## sillywilly

Looking good Bama! Keep up the motivation!


----------



## bamabum

Next up is the stage floor and front storage areas..

I intend on lining the front with cabinet doors with cloth middles.

Front cabinets..










using templates to measure stage floor










finished...









ready for the cloth track...









next up is to order the track and build the doors.


----------



## Greenster

I love it. You are very good at building and design. I wish you lived near me to help me with mine.


----------



## fschris

Its looking great!! These are giving me great ideas so someday I can build a theater like this


----------



## bamabum

Thx for the kind thoughts. I enjoy the work. I've learned a lot from these forums.


----------



## ALMFamily

That, my good sir, is going to be one beautiful front wall. Keep up the great work! :T


----------



## MrAngles

I'm jealous man, that looks great and the finished product is going to be really slick! How are you going to finish the soffit, cloth?

The only thing that's missing is a picture of food, I'm not sure how you dropped the ball there...


----------



## bamabum

Thanks!

Food pic as requested. 

beignets from cafe du mind in New Orleans. Sorta like a powdered donut but so much better.


----------



## ALMFamily

bamabum said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Food pic as requested.
> 
> beignets from cafe du mind in New Orleans. Sorta like a powdered donut but so much better.
> 
> View attachment 42299


Oh, so many good memories - it has been 16 years since I was there and I STILL remember them....


----------



## MrAngles

bamabum said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Food pic as requested.
> 
> beignets from cafe du mind in New Orleans. Sorta like a powdered donut but so much better.
> 
> View attachment 42299


There we go, thank you.


----------



## AlphaPie

I'm also drawn to nuteral grays.


----------



## bamabum

I ordered the Fabric Mate wall track today to adhere cloth black GOM to the screen wall.

Very excited to finalize the front stage. I just have to build some doors. That should take another half day probably for building and half day for painting and mounting the cloth.


----------



## bamabum

So the fabric mate system arrived and its time to put it up.

Overall I give the product a 9 of 10 for looks and 5 of 10 for installation. The product shipped fast and protected. The checkout process was outdated. I ordered online and then had to verify via later after shipping was hand determined. At $3-4 / ft shipped I expected a great product. I read some reviews from others and I expected an easy time. NOT!

I ordered the 1/2 raised beveled edge.










The product is a hard plastic that is extruded incorrectly or stored poorly because it comes in 5' lengths with a 1" bow in the middle (see pic above). I also learned the ends are not cut at a 90 degree angle after I hung the first one. Its more of a 81-97 degree end cut depending on the piece.

So I watched their video and it stated to miter cut them. This is a hard plastic so there was no way I was making 100 cuts on my miter box with my hand saw. On to the power tools. I dawned all my safety equipment and put a piece under the compound saw. 

Next a plastic bullet shot across the room!!










After many plastic bullets I determined the problem was the plastic it not strong enough for the pushing (Tensile) and vibrating (Sheer) force of the blade. So I reinforced with spare wood strips for cuts and then things were fine on the saw.










I was tired of compromising ladder positions so I rigged a ladder step. I put a larger base to keep from tipping and it seamed to work and I felt much safer reaching higher areas.










I started putting together the track and quickly learned the width tolerance in manufacturing needs some quality attention. in this pic you can see how a molded(extruded) pieces do not line up.










I affixed the track for 5 large panels and used the pneumatic stapler to secure. I learned on the first panel that you need staples very close such as the bottom piece in the pic below. Otherwise the cloth stretching process will pull the track right off the wood or drywall. I'm not even sure you can use with drywall effectively after this project.










The final look of the product is awesome. I would recommend doing panels but might look for an alternative supplier in the future.










More to come, but until then have some crawfish or crayfish or mudbugs....


----------



## fschris

Its looking great.... I like your ladder set up.... that is osha approved.. haha


----------



## Owen Bartley

Bama, thanks a lot for the detailed account and pics. I have to say I'm a little disappointed by all of the sloppiness you pointed out. You're exactly right that for the cost of this system, it should be much better. Did you have problems with the different width joints, or did they turn out alright? 

I'm also a little scared about your note on drywall. Do you think this would be better suited to OSB walls or something to give the (many) staples more grip?


----------



## bigt1rell

Love the room. I hope my next home has as much space as your room so that i can do something like this.


----------



## bamabum

fchris, OSHA is for professionals. I'm more of a ******* kinda guy.

thx! BigT1

Owen, the different widths are no problem and even weird angle joints are ok. The material stretches so all you need is to join corners. For example two 15 degree cuts can be placed together to form most angles as long as the end points touch. The track that keeps the fabric in place is very small and on the outside of the track so it is easy to meet corners.

The worse part is anything around a corner wall. For example I had track 2 " away from the ceiling. Since you need to keep the pizza roller completely perpendicular I lost 2 knuckles rubbing against the ceiling because you need an extreme amount of pressure.










some early photos of panels



















you can see on the far right panel where at the bottom left it pulled away from the wood. I will be replacing this panel soon.

I think it would be fine against OSB with many staples. Maybe one should put a staple every 6 inches. As for drywall I would stay clear. Maybe on the drywall you could place the track in place with a serious adhesive and use staples to hold in place until it drys. I would give it 2 days before I attached the cloth.

I used GOM cloth which is thick and has little stretch. Other fabrics may respond differently.


----------



## ALMFamily

The results look great, but it sure sounds like it was a hassle. Thanks for the detailed feedback - makes me glad I decided not to use the track system. :R


----------



## Owen Bartley

Looking back now, would you have gone the DIY route and made your own panels, or would you still go with the track system? The result does look great... but your poor knuckles!


----------



## bamabum

A hassle it was. Looking back this ended up being a days work. The backs are hollow and gave the effect I wanted. I would do cloth panels again but wouldn't even attempt this product unless there was a good wood backing or a very stretchable cloth. There was a competing product that seams better for the future if I tried it again. Instead of pushing the cloth in the track with a pizza cutter it works by a hinge system that stretches as it locks in place. It works much like a trailer strap. 

Also, I could have built a wood frame and used a router to create the bevel edge and stretched the fabric. I think the wood frame would be cheaper, but take longer given the amount of angles I had.

Overall I am happy with the results but not necessary recommending the product to others. I would use this product again if I was building standard sound panels that are away from any wall corners.


----------



## moparz10

Yea but look at the good time you had feasting on those crawfish, good times (priceless)


----------



## Owen Bartley

Thanks again, its good to hear some honest impressions from someone who has used the product and was able to sort out any issues. I'd be interested in the other competing system, I don't think I've seen that hinged one before.


----------



## bamabum

It has been a little while since the last update. Life is busy as always.

I managed to build the front stage doors and cloth back them.










It turned out very nice and sets the room off well.










I tried to dig out the photos of the work in progress but I can not find them.

BTW, have you ever tried the Dole Soft Serve in HA? Amazing!!










On to build the columns next!! End is in sight, maybe only another 5 months


----------



## B- one

Wow that's great work and an even better color scheme!! Can't wait to see the finished room.


----------



## fschris

that looks super professional... that will be a great place to kick back and watch a movie


----------



## Greenster

Life is very busy. Looks great. Thanks for sharing it with us.


----------



## bamabum

Thank you for the positive feedback guys!

The greys really have so many different looks and a different feel based upon light in the room.

No camera can capture the correct contrasts but I can say I am very happy.

Here is another shot with some more light in the room.


----------



## Mike Edwards

*drool. looking classy there


----------



## Horrorfan33

Awesome!! :T


----------



## moparz10

came out really nice!


----------



## cavchameleon

Very nice, clean lines, and quality work!!! As others have said, "Awesome!"


----------



## bamabum

Thx for the words of encouragement!!

I have been playing with simple media server options. I am drawn to XBMC and Plex. I set up both on a mac. They work really nice. Both have nice iphone or or device integration. Both have great free clients and servers. I decide on plex based upon the number of devices supported.

One thing I like is my Samsung Smart TVs (60 and 55 in) in the Man cave and bedroom have the plex app readily available for down load and its integrated into the remote.

I used Make MKV and Handbreak on "Full" to make my digital media from a disk.

Even over wifi they streamed really nice.

Next I ordered a Rasperry PI to use as a streaming agent for the theater.

http://rasplex.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Raspberry-Pi-Programmers-Bundle-Supply/dp/B00CKW291O/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1376880000&sr=1-4

At ~$50 bucks its hard to beat and a fun experiment. I understand there are blu ray players and other devices that have clients readily available.

I hooked it up with the given HDMI and used their Iphone app as a remote. It worked great!! 

Now I can easily stream my media (itunes, dvd, blu ray, etc) to many rooms in the house.

I need to figure out how to get full 5.1 or greater on the stream in the handbrake encoding next. The sound is nice but not using all the speakers wont cut it.


----------



## cavchameleon

Interesting! I've read some on the Raspberry Pi. I need to pick one up someday to satisfy my curiosity. MCM Electronics has a lot of their products and accessories:

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/content/en-US/raspberry-pi

Let us know how you like it.


----------



## MrAngles

You have to let us know how the raspberry pi turns out. I really like XBMC, but I haven't found any low-priced hardware yet that can run it reliably and stream full bitrate Blu-ray rips. It's really hard to find good advice on media players for this because most people seem to be playing files that have been re-encoded at a lower bitrate. I use PS3s and a WDTV live as media players currently, they each have their own drawbacks, but both of them play any file I throw at them regardless of the size without any stuttering or anything.


----------



## bamabum

Winter time is here so it's time to get back to work. I bought some wood for the wall columns and I'm excited to get it done.


----------



## fschris

sounds great... post some updated pics when you get a chance. Also Emotiva is having a winter sale if you need any new electronics!


----------



## ScAndal

MrAngles said:


> You have to let us know how the raspberry pi turns out. I really like XBMC, but I haven't found any low-priced hardware yet that can run it reliably and stream full bitrate Blu-ray rips. It's really hard to find good advice on media players for this because most people seem to be playing files that have been re-encoded at a lower bitrate. I use PS3s and a WDTV live as media players currently, they each have their own drawbacks, but both of them play any file I throw at them regardless of the size without any stuttering or anything.


Mr Angles, the cheapest/best solution that I've found for full bitstream audio/HD Audio for xbmc is the Intel NUC.

I have the celeron version and I'm running openelec off of it. At $170, its absolutly the best device I've ever had for running xbmc. 

I'm running openelec off of a usb thumb drive and it crushes through all my bluray iso files no problem. Full HD Audio.


----------



## bamabum

The Rasperry PI is a neat concept. It worked pretty well. The PI handles large encodings over the network and the iphone apps works well. I have not figured out how to get the full audio surround yet but maybe this is because my ripping/encoding skills and understanding is still almost nothing. Ill review more when I have the time and I have finished construction.

Now on to the columns.

I have decided to use a MDF frame and wood trim. There 6 columns to build so this might take some time.

I'm going with 11.5 inch width and 7 inch depth. After the usual hardware trip I came home with 4 sheets of MDF. Next I ripped with a circular saw. I am not as concerned with perfect cuts as I will use a flush cut router to finish the edges.










I cut some middle supports out of cheap pine. After 36 kreg drill holes per column it is time for assembly of the first column. I glued the supports and brad nailed them together to let the glue set up. 










Then the Screws went in and it was time to dry fit into the room.

I installed 2 x 4 blocks on the wall to later secure the columns in place. After checking with the level things are looking good for the next stage.










more to come shortly I hope...


----------



## bamabum

some good progress was made today. It was difficult to find the time in between 2 soccer games.

I finished the 2 longer columns. These were the easiest because they only contain a light and no speakers. 

I jig sawed out an electric box for the sconce. I'm thinking around 14" down from the soffit will make a good center for the lights. This magic number was invented last night.










I'm going with this model. I'm not sure of I will point it up or down yet. Given the height of placement on the wall I don't want people to see the bulb from underneath.










I spoke about flush cutting the edges of the MDF with a router and thought pics would be good. Good wood workers will already know and laugh at my skills but maybe others will enjoy. The circle part of the bit guides below the part you are cutting to gauge the depth of the square cutting edge.


















you can see the lip on one I'm cutting off. Flush cutting router bits help hide cheap wood and my terrible wood working skills.










On to the smaller columns










These will be more tricky because they contain dipole speakers.

I want to hide the speakers behind cloth so I will need cutouts in the columns on all 3 faces.

The hardest part is making it look good.

I have studied many other threads but my options for trim supply is very limited in Alabama.

I hope to make more progress tomorrow after soccer, school home coming decorations and other fun times.

It was hard to work around another sleep over this morning.










My kids have enjoyed my hard work. This is the 15th or so sleep over they have had with friends. They always sleep in the theater. Last night my daughter watched ET with her friend.


----------



## kevin360

Hey BamaBum,

You're rather industrious for a bum. :laugh: Your work looks to be worth the loss of some knuckle skin. It's well conceived and executed - it's neat, elegant in form and function, and _really attractive_. I look forward to your next update.


----------



## bamabum

Thx Kevin,

I have made some more progress on the columns. 

I have been debating on the style I wanted. I though maybe I would trim the speaker openings with a removable picture frame.

Here is an example of the dry fit.









I need to make 12 for the 4 columns holding dipole speakers.










After a little glue drying time it was time to nail into place.

@#$%@#$ - I hate cheap wood. The first nail found its way out and the second split the wood.









I think I might try a different approach.

Also, while I was jig sawing out the holes I noticed the backside of the blade is bending and making squiggly line cuts.









I wounder if I am adding too much pressure, the blades are cheap, or if I am using the wrong tool. Any thoughts?

Three of the six columns have been set into place.


----------



## Owen Bartley

Bama, how many of those corner clamps do you have? It would probably be best to just glue the frames with the wood behaving that way. You could always pop a staple in across the back for a little more support if you think you need it.

I'm not sure what would be bending your blade like that... MDF is fairly dense and can be hard on blades and router bits, but a sharp blade should do fine. Have you confirmed that the saw is good and it doesn't do that in other material like plywood?


----------



## fschris

Do you not have a festool track saw yet?? Buy one and enjoy the awesomeness. It may seem a tad pricey but it is an amazing tool. Plus the safety aspect is worth every penny. make cutting panels by yourself completely safe. plus you can cut repeated parallel cuts with the special guides.


----------



## ALMFamily

Owen Bartley said:


> Bama, how many of those corner clamps do you have? It would probably be best to just glue the frames with the wood behaving that way. You could always pop a staple in across the back for a little more support if you think you need it.


This is what I did - just glue worked like a charm. I did them at the end of the day and let them sit overnight. Never had one come apart when I was putting the cloth on.


----------



## kevin360

Owen Bartley said:


> Bama, how many of those corner clamps do you have? It would probably be best to just glue the frames with the wood behaving that way. You could always pop a staple in across the back for a little more support if you think you need it.
> 
> I'm not sure what would be bending your blade like that... MDF is fairly dense and can be hard on blades and router bits, but a sharp blade should do fine. Have you confirmed that the saw is good and it doesn't do that in other material like plywood?



Indeed, wood glue will do the trick all by itself - _reliably_. It just takes clean joints and proper clamping. 

Blades usually get bent by being forced. The resin binder in MDF makes it very destructive to cutting edges. It doesn't take long before one starts actually forcing the tool through the cut as the cutting efficiency diminishes. I'd recommend a carbide tipped blade in the higher tooth count for wood specific blades. In my experience, the more expensive blades and bits are worth the cost (they make me cuss less).


----------



## bamabum

Thx, good advice all around.

The festool track saw looks pretty awesome. I assume you would still jig saw the corners since the blade is rounded and couldn't cut a flush perpendicular cut in the corners.

After seeing the columns upright in place I might switch to a different style. I think I might use the Part Express frame for the removable panel and use thinner trim to decorate the outside.

I have noticed the blades on the jig saw wearing out quickly with mdf. I think I will buy some better blades and apply less pressure. I was using new cheap blades with fast cut wide teeth.

I have started looking for a good fabric printing place for the sound panels on the left wall. I found this place DPI that has a speaker fabric that is printable. At $25 per yard it is worth a shot. The speaker fabric is not listed on the site but the customer service department was helpful in diagnosing my needs.


----------



## Owen Bartley

Take a look at Bud's thread here where he JUST finished some amazing movie poster acoustic panels. 

I recommended a reference to him through google, but I always forget that the original poster, luma, had a thread here at the Shack too. This has a ton of research and detail, and has been the best reference I've seen so far. Should give you some good direction, or at least a place to start.


----------



## bamabum

Time for an update. I'm pushing hard to have completion by the BCS game.

I took some old base board and crown and gave them a first coat of paint outside.










I installed the crown molding on the tops of the column and installed my sconces.

Next it was time to cover the speaker holes. I am going with something similar to mario or cinemar.

I ordered the parts-express frame kit and started cutting the frames with a jig saw with a small teeth blade. These were extremely easy to use and install. Instead of using magnets or the push in holes I have determined I will just snip off the holding pegs and month with a tight fit. It worked great and they are removable.

For the sides of the column I am stapling the GOM onto the sides since they are not removable. Both the fonts and sides will be trimmed out on the border.


















































done in time for the kids to play the wii









and more importantly, in time to enjoy my home made pork tacos


----------



## Erin H

Nice thread. I am a fellow Alabamian... where are you located? Feel free to PM me if you'd rather.

- Erin


----------



## B- one

bamabum said:


> Time for an update. I'm pushing hard to have completion by the BCS game.
> 
> I took some old base board and crown and gave them a first coat of paint outside.
> 
> I installed the crown molding on the tops of the column and installed my sconces.
> 
> Next it was time to cover the speaker holes. I am going with something similar to mario or cinemar.
> 
> I ordered the parts-express frame kit and started cutting the frames with a jig saw with a small teeth blade. These were extremely easy to use and install. Instead of using magnets or the push in holes I have determined I will just snip off the holding pegs and month with a tight fit. It worked great and they are removable.
> 
> For the sides of the column I am stapling the GOM onto the sides since they are not removable. Both the fonts and sides will be trimmed out on the border.
> 
> done in time for the kids to play the wii
> 
> and more importantly, in time to enjoy my home made pork tacos


MMMMmmmmmmm taco's:drool:


----------



## Horrorfan33

Have you tried using biscuits, for joining the wood together?..They work wonders with wood glue.


----------



## fschris

That theater is looking awesome. Where in the house is the theater located ? Is it a basement ?


----------



## bamabum

B-one, The Tacos were Delish!

HorrorFan the 33rd, I had a biscuit joiner before but it got lost in the last move. I second the strength it adds. I keep saying I will buy a new one just after a task that required it but fail to before I start the next task.

forChrizzy, The theater is located on the second floor above the small garage. Between it and any bedroom is a future game room, office, and a long hall. Most room are down stairs at the other end of an L-shaped house. This combined with a few acres made sound proofing very easy - I just don't care about it as much as others. However I haven't put in the big subs yet. 

I was able to get the sconces wired today and I had one of those proud papa moments again. Its the little things that really set off a room. My kids keep playing on the random rolling ottoman. I might have to keep it but have it covered in the same material as the seats.










I have been very disappointed with the small perimeter LED lights. I am just not a fan of the white light. I bought very small ones and have a dimmer but even on the lowest I don't care for them. I might try to put a lens on them or something.

The new sconces are incandescent lights and they are so much nicer. They put such a great feel to the room. Also I have noticed the screen looks so much better than when using the perimeter LEDS.

These were taken from the same angle on a paused screen. The Incandescent is so much easier on the screen. I am not sure how much upward or downwards facing makes in the equation. You can really see the difference in the red truck and brown jacket.

The Uplight and Downlight text are switched :doh:, the LED is DOWN and Incand UP. THE LED IS ON LEFT. 










Time to iron my favorite shirt for tomorrow!


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## Horrorfan33

Looks great!!


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## Greenster

I really like how your theater is coming together. I love your layout and front stage. The side lights add a really nice touch.


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## mpednault

I have that shirt too! Nice looking HT! Maybe someday I'll finish mine!


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## Owen Bartley

There are more than one of those shirts that have been sold?? 

Lol


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## bamabum

thanks for the compliments. Mpednualt, don't mind Owen, haters gonna hate.


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## moparz10

very nice looking room,turned out great ! i wish i would have known about the led lights i just put mine up about 3 weeks ago,looks like i'll be looking for lenses as well.


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## bamabum

Mopar,

Don't let my experience with the LED can lights dictate yours. There are plenty of others that enjoy their perimeter LEDs. 

I think they work better for others because they use wall fabric vs my Satin paint walls. The fabric will reduce reflection of the light and soften the effect on the screen. Also I think I have the last set too close to the screen. I might hardwire bypass the 2 closest to the screen in the near future and it should help. 

Also I have sensitive eyes so the down facing LEDs were just not a good approach for me.


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## moparz10

I will have to see once I fire everything up,don't have wall treatments but used frazzle flat paint in a small 10x13 room.thanks


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## bamabum

*Speaker Enclosures*

I finished some trim around the speaker enclosures today. It turned out nice. I'm glad to be in the home stretch after over a year.

The front panels are removable while the sides are permanent.




























time to rest and enjoy some holiday time with the family.

Merry Christmas!


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## phillihp23

Very nice work :TT


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## bamabum

thx phillip,

Tonight I completed the first of 4 movie acoustic posters.

They are 36" x 42".

I positioned them on the wall for targeting reflections to the second row. We usually sit in the second row for movies and they look better higher on the wall.


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## Horrorfan33

These are so awesome!!..PLEASE tell me where to get them!!


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## bamabum

I printed the fabric on SpoonFlower.com.

I built the frame from hard pine. I used 1x3 ripped to true 2"x3/4". I used l brackets in the corner to keep square. Ill try to take more pictures on the next 3. The first was a test so the next 3 will go fast.

The inner sound absorber part is ecose from GIK

I wrapped the front with the fabric after ironing and stapled in the rear. The rear was simple brown painters paper stapled around the edges.

All in all it was less than $70 and about 2 hrs labor.
Fabric ~ 30
ecose ~18
Wood ~ 12
fastners, paper etc ~ 8

The other 3 should only be about 40 min each now that I understand the process.


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## mpednault

Which fabric did you go with from spoonflower? The performance knit? And pardon my asking, but what resolution was your imagine and at what DPI when uploaded to their site? I'm asking because I'll be getting ready to order my fabric soon and need to adjust my images accordingly before I upload them. Thanks!


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## Horrorfan33

So the actual fabric size was 36x42?..I cant quite figure out how to order the size I will need and what size the image will be


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## bamabum

I ordered basic cotton ultra based upon recommendations. It seams to be the correct choice since they don't carry Kona at this time. It has a slight stretch to it and is breathable.

I originally designed in Photoshop with 150 dpi/ppi with a print width of 42 wide by 48 long. I planned on leaving 3 in on each side to cover the 2 in wide boards on the outside as well as 1 in for stapling in the rear. This would make it 36 wide by 42 long.

When the material arrived it was off by 1/4" on each side and varied on each print even though they came from the same Photoshop file. My guess is that the ink shrinks the material slightly as it dries. This is why I have 34 1/4 x 41 1/2 because this was the best measurement working across all the pictures as delivered.

To get their software to work I chose centered, 150 dpi with 2 yards for each. This gave me a 42 printable width. This fabric is sold with 42 width printing area. I needed 2 yards to get the height.

It took 7 days or so to arrive.

It you don't have Photoshop try gimp or paint.net, just set the ppi to 150 at a min and set printable area to the correct dimensions, then paste your image and re size.


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## bamabum

I got a break and finished out the posters. 

I took a few more pictures this time 

First I Ripped 1x3 into true 3/4" x 2"

Then I cut the ends in simple 45 degrees ends









next I tacked them together with 2" trim nails









Then I added l brackets for support and to keep square.









Next I ironed the fabric on the back side on top of towels









I positioned the frame on top of the sheet and secured the first end. I found an x pattern staple holds best for stretching without ripping the fabric. Also I doubled the fabric over for stronger hold and tear resistance.









Start with 3 staples on each end long end stretched tight. then secure middle sides with 3 staples. 









Next just work around the frame towards the edges and last just fold the corners like a Christmas present.









I stuffed them with sound absorbing ecos from GIK. I used a simple backing with staples to hold into place.

Last steps are to lint roll the face to remove any debri and then hang with with monkey hook for a flush look. I have heard that hanging an inch or two off the wall is better for sound absorption. In that case I would have used stretch spandex to secure the back.


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## mpednault

Thanks for the explanation. Those look PERFECT in your room!


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## Horrorfan33

Awesome job!!..The room looks fantastic!!


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## knecht

Between yesterday and today I read through all 24 pages. Great build! I'm getting ready to build a new home with a multi-purpose media room. I need to figure out how to get some acoustic treatments into the room without the wife noticing what they are. :rolleyesno: Acoustic Artwork may be the way to go.


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## phillihp23

What a great idea. Love it! I am sure others on HTS will be implementing this in the future.


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## dougc

I love the look of the B&W in there, especially with your color scheme. Great job on this!


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## bamabum

Thank you for all the positive comments guys!

I wanted to go B&W to avoid clashing colors and to build on the greys in the room. I have not seen anyone do it in this way so maybe I finally contributed something original. Mostly I have seen movie posters vs movie stills.

I wonder if anyone can tell what all 4 movies are?


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## B- one

The Dark Knight, Shawshank Redemption, Fight Club,and The Fantastic Mr Fox. What was for dinner? Room is looking great!


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## bamabum

Wow, that was quick B-one.

Nothing much for dinner but lunch today was more mud bugs.


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## B- one

They look awesome! I could eat a ton of those, but can't find them around here.


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## Owen Bartley

Ah, Shawshank! That was the one I was wondering about. Really well done, I like what you did here, and I think you're right about it being original (at least I haven't seen it before!). The stills instead of standard posters, and done in B/W is a great idea, and looks great in there.


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## MrAngles

The best thing about being away from the shack for so long is getting updated on all the familiar threads! Your theater looks great, the kids seem like they are having a lot of fun, and the food looks great. The acoustic panels are very cool, and it's nice to see someone hanging something other than movie posters or pictures of film reels in their theater.

Did you ever get surround working with the Raspberry Pi, and are you still liking Plex so far?


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## bamabum

Thanks as always for kind thoughts guys.

I have the Pi up and running but haven't worked on it in a while. Ive determined I really don't have much need for the Plex system thus far. I still prefer the original blue ray and the time involved to backup the disc is more than I care to fool with. My Blue Ray player has all the steaming apps built in and the AppleTV has the music so I am not sure how the plex adds value now. I'm sure once the room is done I will go back to tinkering with all the electronics again.

Its time for the final coat of paint after some patching and sanding.










After the final coat I am stamping the room DONE. I still see some curtains, a sub build, and some other upgrades in the future but only after a break.

After the DONE stamp we are going to sit back and relax for a bit with a couple of these...


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## bamabum

Put a fork in her because shes DONE!





































Thank you to all the contributors to this journey!


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## mpednault

Looks great! Comfortable, yet refined!


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## Horrorfan33

Looks awesome!!..Excellent job!! :T


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## ticopowell

Awesome job! I doubt that you are done though... I am sure that you can find something else to do to the room!


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## bamabum

thanks for the positive feedback everyone. Maybe curtains, a sub build, and some new electronics. But then I'm definitely done.:explode:


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## MrAngles

Man that looks great, you did an incredible job.


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## jeremyekennedy

Great job Bama! Read the entire thread yesterday while snowed in. Thanks for all the detail and photos. Enjoy the BCSChampionship tonight.


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## bamabum

Welcome to HTS Jeremy. It must take one extremely large of a snow to take the time to read this crazy thread.

MrAngeles, thx for the comment. How has the IR232 unit been working? I might pick up one of those to use in automation from the remote to the PC.


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## Medi0gre

I've been lurking your thread for over a year. I don't say much 'round these parts but ... Excellent job on the theater and the commitment to keeping the thread going and updated. I'm truly grateful to the ups and downs and all the info you learned and passed back to me and the community:TT


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## MrAngles

bamabum said:


> How has the IR232 unit been working? I might pick up one of those to use in automation from the remote to the PC.


I love it. It took a while to set up but once I put together a spreadsheet of all the Sony IR commands it accepts and all the RS232 commands the projector accepts it was easy to set it up to do whatever I wanted it to.

For PC use though I'll bet there are cheaper solutions using a USB IR receiver and some free software.


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## ALMFamily

Been offline for a while and when I come back, I am treated to pictures of your completed theater! :yay: 

Extremely well done mate! :T


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## bamabum

Mediocre... thx for the comments, I am still surprised that people follow this crazy build.
Angela... Agreed, may need to look into a simple usb stick.
AllInTheFamily...Welcome Back!


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## daddieo

My hat is off to you sir you have done an incredible job and I hope you and your family are finally enjoying the fruits of your hard labor. Now what kind of sub are you planning???


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## bamabum

daddieo said:


> My hat is off to you sir you have done an incredible job and I hope you and your family are finally enjoying the fruits of your hard labor. Now what kind of sub are you planning???


Thanks Daddy-O.

I am still playing with the sub idea in my head. The Deftechs R/L each have subs built in.
_
At the base of the speaker is a 300 W, 10" side-firing subwoofer coupled to two passive radiators. This trio creates a total surface area greater than that of a traditional 15" woofer_

And to be honest I find myself only running them at 40% most of the time. I am not sure if I need to really hit the low frequencies. 

Once I find out if it is just theater envy or a true need I will start the build.


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## joed

Wow! I just started a thread on my build so I decided to go through a read some that are going on. It almost scares me because after reading these 26 pages I hope I am not bitting off more than I can chew.

Thanks for your detailed build it will definitely help.

Joe


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## bamabum

Joe,

Take a deep breath......

It will all be OK. It seams over whelming at times but it is well worth the journey.

I would do it again and mostly just like I did it.

Every room is different and has different goals. Focus on your goals and plan it out. Don't get too caught up in what others have done other than to learn new approaches.

If I had to do again I could with a helper in less than a few weeks.

I look forward to our progress.


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## joed

Thanks for the encouragement. I will keep that in mind. So many have done such great jobs and have great ideas I will just start with one step at a time. I started a thread in the construction forum under challenging room for home theater if you have any time to give input.

Thanks
Joe


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## joed

You have giving some good feedback on my build but let me ask you a question about yours.

I have read that floor speakers shouldn't be boxed in as it supposedly changes the sound of the speaker. 

I love your front stage area and am looking to build one just like that but can you tell me if you have noticed any muffling or distortion being those side columns.


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## bamabum

Joel, 

I am a little confused by you saying both front stage and columns. Are you talking about the sides and rears in wall columns? Or the Front Left Right Center speakers behind the stage? Maybe you are talking about the front stage right and left areas that protrude towards the room.

I would not personally want to "box" in speakers as I believe sound/air waves is what creates the sound. I believe hard or absorbent surfaces will trap/change the sound.

If you look at my front stage the speakers are pulled away from the wall in the back and sides to give air flow around them. There is really no wood blocking them. I paid great attention to make sure the speakers are aimed/pointed at the seats and at the sound ~transparent GOM fabric. The wood that is present is at 20-30 degrees to their sides. You can read more about the fabric at http://www.guilfordofmaine.com/. I made the whole front stage with minimal wood and mostly fabric for this reason. So that there is no box. The whole front is less than 10-20% wood surface area wise. The center is behind the AT screen.

look at this image to understand how the speakers are placed.









There was no noticeable sound difference to the ear and my updated REW measurements have not shown anything noticeable. Maybe 1 db lost through the fabric if any.

For the side/rear speakers I wish they had more air behind them but I wanted slim profile columns. I am not a fan of speakers all over the room several feet from any wall. Its a style preference. So I went with a wall mount speaker. The wood is even thinner than the front stage and the sound is pointed towards the fabric. Its like putting the side bookshelf speakers on a shelf and putting two small 3/4" thin pieces of wood to their sides.

One thing to ensure is the wood is very secure to prevent rattles from the bass boom.

Hope this helps.


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## joed

This does help. I should have explained myself better but I was talking about the front speakers. I did go back and re-read your entire thread and took notes and copied pics to have on hand when I start. 

I also think I will take your advice about making the fabric panels.

You thread will help a bunch.


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## bamabum

My Daughter enjoyed her 6 friend sleepover for her birthday and they loved using the theater again.

The birthday party after picture










I have been working on more whole home automation which has taken more time away from the theater. My father in Law has a Denon 4800 series receiver that over heated. He offered it to me so I am going to see how much it is to get it repaired. It might be good for the man cave. I am thinking of starting a new project upgrading the man cave soon.

Until then Ill enjoy some good greens.









And say hello to my friend's pet squirrel:


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## ALMFamily

That looks like it was one great party!

How old is the receiver by the way?


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## bamabum

ALMFamily said:


> That looks like it was one great party!
> 
> How old is the receiver by the way?


They had a blast.

The receiver is a few years old. I might just list it in the classifieds as it may be much more than I need in the man cave. I'm sure if someone got it fixed it would be a great deal for them. My father in law had it in a closed cabinet and was running it all day. Hopefully it is just a blown fuse or something.

it is this model: denon site


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## bamabum

*Update time*

So I have some time to think about whats next.

I am tired of the little imperfection of the projector vs screen so I am thinking of adding the black felt around the screen to box in the picture and have a screen to the edge of the black.

I am thinking of black felt. I am not sure I like the contact cement method so if someone has a good self adhesive product I would appreciate it. I have seen some thick rolls such as link, but I don't want/need that wide of material.

I have been working on more home automation lighting to control lights in adjacent areas that can be remote controlled to set different moods depending on the usage. I am planning on Movie, Games, Cleaning and Sports scenes currently. I am using the ZWave system. 










There are more than enough wires to screw up when you have 3 ways.










I updated my tool set with a new light helmet that my wife is not pleased with.










More to come on the velvet border. In the meantime enjoy some Costa Rica Chifrijo

Its double fried Bacon Fat over rice, beans and pico. YUMMM.


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## moparz10

you always have the BEST food pic's now i can'ts wait to get home


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## B- one

Just make sure to turn the light off in public,and pass some food along to the rest of us.


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## bamabum

How do you think I get good food pictures in dark lit restaurants? The new light helmet!!

I actually made my own version at home this week after returning on Sunday. The kids tore it up. Just some simple fried pork instead of Fat Back that Costa Rica uses. Fat Back for those in the north is the good thick fat part of the bacon you would discard.










We need a HTS recipe forum!


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## mpednault

You had me at Bacon. I second the motion to start a recipe sub-forum!

Oh and I don't know why it didn't pass the WAF!!!


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## bamabum

I declare the WAF dead after a too many trips thru the airport. Not every wife understands where we men must go in our theater style.


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## ALMFamily

*Re: Update time*



bamabum said:


> So I have some time to think about whats next.
> 
> I am tired of the little imperfection of the projector vs screen so I am thinking of adding the black felt around the screen to box in the picture and have a screen to the edge of the black.
> 
> I am thinking of black felt. I am not sure I like the contact cement method so if someone has a good self adhesive product I would appreciate it. I have seen some thick rolls such as link, but I don't want/need that wide of material.


I ended up cutting strips of MDF to serve as the framing piece and used a cloth spray on adhesive to attach the blackout cloth to the MDF. Worked pretty well for me...


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## MasonUK

Did you structurally isolate first? Box in Box construction method? What products did you use?


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## bamabum

MasonUK said:


> Did you structurally isolate first? Box in Box construction method? What products did you use?


Mason, I did not use sound isolation construction. 

I actually opened up the room to adjacent rooms. I had the benefit of the HT room being on the end of a wing on the house. You really cant hear anything in the bedrooms. We live on a larger piece of land so I don't worry about the neighbors as much.

Granted I have only 2 smaller subs right now at 300w each. If I go with 18" in the future the bass might travel much further in the house.


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## MasonUK

If you did you could look at some more heavy duty isolation.
There are some interesting techniques (box in box) available if you search this forum.
They make use of acoustic floating floor systems, sway braces and acoustic ceiling hangers. But I think that this would probably be overkill for you.


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## bamabum

MasonUK said:


> If you did you could look at some more heavy duty isolation.
> There is some interesting techniques (box in box) outlined here:
> ***Link Removed***
> They make use of acoustic floating floor systems, sway braces and acoustic ceiling hangers. But I think that this would probably be overkill for you.


So I assume you signed up for an account just to spam your marketing to our blogs. You didn't even read one bit to understand my construction or that my room was open format. At least become a HTS sponsor first before spamming. You sir have poor form.


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## mpednault

Also, his room is done and by reading his build thread you would have understood more about his construction techniques he used already. This one of the great builds here that I refer to often for ideas.


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## bamabum

*Re: Update time*



ALMFamily said:


> I ended up cutting strips of MDF to serve as the framing piece and used a cloth spray on adhesive to attach the blackout cloth to the MDF. Worked pretty well for me...


Joe,

Thanks for the thoughts. 

If I understand you pictures correctly your screen is mounted behind the wood stage front. My screen is mounted on the front of the stage front almost like a flat screen tv mount. I need to also cover the edges of the screen. I am thinking a tape felt would be easier than building a new overlay frame.


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## ALMFamily

*Re: Update time*



bamabum said:


> Joe,
> 
> Thanks for the thoughts.
> 
> If I understand you pictures correctly your screen is mounted behind the wood stage front. My screen is mounted on the front of the stage front almost like a flat screen tv mount. I need to also cover the edges of the screen. I am thinking a tape felt would be easier than building a new overlay frame.


Just to make sure I understand - I built the frame and then adhered my piece of Sintra to the frame. After that was done, I cut those strips, wrapped them in felt, and then nailed them to the edges of the screen / frame. However, I made the piece of Sintra a bit bigger than my intended picture so I could do that.

Is that what you meant or am I not understanding?


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## bamabum

*Re: Update time*



ALMFamily said:


> Just to make sure I understand - I built the frame and then adhered my piece of Sintra to the frame. After that was done, I cut those strips, wrapped them in felt, and then nailed them to the edges of the screen / frame. However, I made the piece of Sintra a bit bigger than my intended picture so I could do that.
> 
> Is that what you meant or am I not understanding?


I believe I understand from your pictures and the descriptions you have here. I am debating building a felt wrapped outer frame that I mount to the screen surface as you did or placing felt tape on the screen surface itself.


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## ALMFamily

*Re: Update time*



bamabum said:


> I believe I understand from your pictures and the descriptions you have here. I am debating building a felt wrapped outer frame that I mount to the screen surface as you did or placing felt tape on the screen surface itself.


The main reason I chose to do the strips was that I could make cleaner lines - also, it gave the screen a bit of depth from a visual standpoint that I liked when the screen wash lights are on.


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## koldby

bamabum said:


> I ordered basic cotton ultra based upon recommendations. It seams to be the correct choice since they don't carry Kona at this time. It has a slight stretch to it and is breathable.
> 
> I originally designed in Photoshop with 150 dpi/ppi with a print width of 42 wide by 48 long. I planned on leaving 3 in on each side to cover the 2 in wide boards on the outside as well as 1 in for stapling in the rear. This would make it 36 wide by 42 long.
> 
> When the material arrived it was off by 1/4" on each side and varied on each print even though they came from the same Photoshop file. My guess is that the ink shrinks the material slightly as it dries. This is why I have 34 1/4 x 41 1/2 because this was the best measurement working across all the pictures as delivered.
> 
> To get their software to work I chose centered, 150 dpi with 2 yards for each. This gave me a 42 printable width. This fabric is sold with 42 width printing area. I needed 2 yards to get the height.
> 
> It took 7 days or so to arrive.
> 
> It you don't have Photoshop try gimp or paint.net, just set the ppi to 150 at a min and set printable area to the correct dimensions, then paste your image and re size.


Hi 
I dont quite get it ;-(
When I try to make a print file in gimp 150 ppi and 24x36 inch, gimp says it is 207,7 Mb!!
What am I doing wrong?


By the way: AWESOME theatre and fantastic thread! Thanks.

Koldby


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## koldby

Well I found the answer to my question.
When you save it as .jpg, it suddenly is only a fraction of that size. It is apperently the memory used to process the picture and not the size of the saved file...


So now I have made a black background 42" x 144" and placed 5 posters on that (36" x 24") and send it to Spoonflower.


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## bamabum

glad you discovered it. The un flattened un compressed file will be very large until you save as jpg which strips out a lot of information and compresses it.

What images did you choose?


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## ticopowell

bamabum said:


> How do you think I get good food pictures in dark lit restaurants? The new light helmet!!
> 
> I actually made my own version at home this week after returning on Sunday. The kids tore it up. Just some simple fried pork instead of Fat Back that Costa Rica uses. Fat Back for those in the north is the good thick fat part of the bacon you would discard.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We need a HTS recipe forum!


Looks delish! Funny though, I lived in Costa Rica for 2 years and never had or heard of that... Guess I missed a few dishes!
Where did you get the recipe? and are you going to share it?


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## bamabum

Tico,

It is a bar food item. Similar to Chicken wings in purpose here. 

My version is pretty close but a little cleaner/fresher in taste IMHO.

Basically you layer in a bowl: cilantro lime rice, garlic roasted black beans, fresh pico de gallo, fried pork chunks (I used pork steak cubed) and avocado chunks. 

In the the original version it is plain rice, red beans, pico, fried pork fat and avocado.


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## ticopowell

Thanks for the recipe! Ill have to make that when i get home in a month, oh and the theater looks great too!


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## koldby

bamabum said:


> glad you discovered it. The un flattened un compressed file will be very large until you save as jpg which strips out a lot of information and compresses it.
> 
> What images did you choose?


Lara Croft, Quantum of Solace, Lord of the rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars... All movie posters, so very traditional.

Koldby


----------

