Jump to content

My basement home theater project (pics)


dkp

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 97
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

i am just curious, i have seen other dedicated ht rooms with this 6" area platform built. is there a reason for this or pure cosmetics? should i put one in my room and then put my chairs on a riser?

So the folks sitting on seats on the riser can see over the heads of the people sitting in front of them more easily. [:P] You're just planning 1 row, right Inventor? No need in that case.

Only other things I can think of are what Dr. Who was talking about, acoustic treatments, or for mounting some sonic transducers (shakers).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

InVeNtOR: tenzip is correct, I'm building the riser for the back row of seating. There will be five seats in the front row of the theater, two seats on the back left side and a sectional in the back right portion of the theater. Check out some of the earlier pics and you will see the chairs laid out, minus the sectional. However, there are a lot of home theaters that have a stage in the front of the theater. Maybe this is what you are thinking of?

tenzip: That's a definite yes! for using acoustic treatments, although we'll most likely decide on those when we are tuning/measuring the room. However, I have no plans to add bass shakers/butt shakers to our theater. It's just my personal preference as I've never sat on one, but I just cannot imagine wanting them around for very long. I would think that they could get kind of annoying after the initial "cool!" factor wears off. Again, it's just my personal taste here, so no offense to anyone who loves them in their theater. I figure if I want my butt to shake there are lots of other ways to accomplish that!!! [<:o)][Z][8]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@dkp: Right, my reply was all to Inventor. I was just saying that the only other purposes I could think of for a seating riser were treatments and shakers. I wasn't suggesting shakers for you.

Your room is coming together nicely. Wish I had the know-how to do my own room by myself, but fortunately I've got friends that can help. They have all the equipment/tools, too. [:)]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A helmholtz resonator is just any trapped volume of air with a single mouth for sound to enter. Generally speaking, the length of the trapped column of air determines the frequency at which it will operate. In other words, you could easily "drill a hole" (6" x 10"?) at one end of your riser inbetween a pair of studs and you'll have a helmholtz resonator tuned to whatever frequency corresponds to the length. You could even change the length of the hollow space by putting a little sideways piece further down the length - which if you're creative could be done with a jigsaw and sliding a board in (and of course generous application of liquid nails to make it air tight). Since you've got a lot of long trapped spaces, you have a lot of flexibility with addressing a lot of different frequencies. At the mouth you could do something like a fancy metal vent cover that people can walk on, or whatever fits your decor.

As you near the completion of your room you'll be able to better tell if your stage is the source of any resonating that you hear (which you mentioned being uncertain about in a PM). But if you feel the need to stomp pretty hard to get any kind of resonance, then you've nothing to worry about. Just think about how high the SPL (sound pressure level) would need to be to match the pressure of your stomping...If you're listening that loud, then you've got bigger issues to worry about [;)]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the explanation, DrWho. This project has surely been one of the most educational things that I've done! I'm thinking that there would be a bit of an issue in using the riser as a helmholtz resonator, though, as there is a small airgap between the bottom of the centers of the joists and the concrete floor. There is a floor drain under the left portion (from sitting position) of the riser which means that the concrete is somewhat sloped underneath. I'm guessing that this would make the use of the riser just about useless since we wouldn't be able to trap anything with the bleeding of sound under each joist?

-David

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How big are the airgaps? They would still work to an extent, but trying to calculate the length to make them would become impossible - leaving it only to measurements, but I doubt you wanna start cutting up the floor to find out where it might be effective at...[;)] I'm trying to think of alternate ideas....perhaps cut some circular holes in the front of the riser and install sonotube to length? Yea I know, crazyiness - lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just remember this, Mike: If you get to say what you'd like on your pizza, you may get part of the bill. In other words, as you consider alternatives for destroying this fine riser of mine, you may find yourself with hammer in hand!!! Heck, maybe we could even tunnel under the house, pour some concrete and use the riser as the mouth of a subwoofer? lol

I'm just kidding you, please feel free to add any suggestions you think appropriate! lol

I would say that there are airgaps of 1/4" to 3/8" in a few select areas surrounding the drain. There is absolutely no give in the floor, and those spots are not spread all over under the riser. If you look at the pic of me kneeling down and securing the osb to the joists, the drain would be located to my immediate left, about halfway back (4 feet). The slope probably extends to the left, or behind me in the pic, about 4 feet or so, which would leave most of the left side of the riser available. As I recall, there are not many gaps on that side-I'm sure the floor is not totally level though. I almost used that "great stuff" spray-on foaming insullation for the bottom of the riser, but didn't think I was going to need it...

-David

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is the riser secured down, or is it just laying there? If it's not secured, you could lift it up, nail/screw/glue sheets of plywood to the bottom to seal it up, then put it back down. If you're worried about water underneath, you could put some 1x plastic lumber underneath for "legs".

And no, I'm not going to come up and help, I'd just cut myself with a hammer. [:P]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...