The end of the Wife Acceptance Factor! Automated Drop Down Speakers

[Craig Gordon]

Ah, thanks for the clarification! Solid rods could push the speaker up above the floor in the room above was my thought, but would have to be right combo of height from ceiling/floor in each room, so not so practical altho you could probably devise something to provide some flexibility but can't see a cable pushing a speaker into position in the room above. My theoretical room above would have to be pretty specifically mated to the one below. (ps The ability to step on the section of the floor the speaker would emerge from would be a pretty thorny problem, too I suppose ).

In my living room ceiling this would be a pain in the butt to install....but without any WAF to consider, that's not an issue in my remotest dreams (and I'd have an issue in even being in that room as currently decorated...the bric a brac in the cabinet thing is scary.... but that's probably just another indicator of my singleness ).

I edited the post you quoted so please re read it. There are many possibilities but I think the biggest problem with all is how to get the speaker cable to move properly with the speaker (which I will post later on how I did it).

And your right about the Bric a Brac in the cabinet. It is scary! Lets just pretend its "diffusion"

 

[mtrycrafts]

That small crack is the exact amount necessary to allow the speakers to properly get into the space in case they are swinging a bit.
...

I was thinking of a flat molding flush on the bottom of the speaker but overlapping the gap, not take it up and all be flush.
The other way could be part of the bottom but angled, say 20- 30 deg like an inverted wedge.

Unfortunately all my system pictures were in photobucket and they changed 3 rd party posting and now are no longer.
I did a good bit of woodworking in cherry to do my system, drop down projector and screen with a very nice box around it. The projector lift is bought, on a drum and web so no swing. When up, very small gap; new pic posting site and need a few more pictures to update.

https://s26.postimg.org/e8m33e0w9/the_onlook.jpg

https://s26.postimg.org/4dzjawmbt/DSCN1620.jpg

https://s26.postimg.org/qoneavjm1/DSCN1619.jpg

 

[mtrycrafts]

...

And your right about the Bric a Brac in the cabinet. It is scary! Lets just pretend its "diffusion"

Does anything in there rattle? If not, may need more bass dialed in.

 

[TLS Guy]

I have to say I really admire your ingenuity. My biggest problem is that I like speakers, and don't think well crafted ones detract from the room at all, in fact quite the reverse.

I bet Jim Salk would not like his craftsman ship hidden away. You would not get the sort of speakers I enjoy between a ceiling anyway.

 

[Craig Gordon]

I was thinking of a flat molding flush on the bottom of the speaker but overlapping the gap, not take it up and all be flush.
The other way could be part of the bottom but angled, say 20- 30 deg like an inverted wedge.

Unfortunately all my system pictures were in photobucket and they changed 3 rd party posting and now are no longer.
I did a good bit of woodworking in cherry to do my system, drop down projector and screen with a very nice box around it. The projector lift is bought, on a drum and web so no swing. When up, very small gap; new pic posting site and need a few more pictures to update.

https://s26.postimg.org/e8m33e0w9/the_onlook.jpg

https://s26.postimg.org/4dzjawmbt/DSCN1620.jpg

https://s26.postimg.org/qoneavjm1/DSCN1619.jpg

Now I see what your describing. Yes there actually is a bottom piece now made up of fabricmate parts to hold the piece of stretched material that matches the ceiling. It is slightly bigger. I think I could make it even larger like you say to fill more of that space. An angled one makes more sense because it helps to center the speaker as well as seat it. Space is tight to get the speaker, brackets, cables, and pulleys up into the joist space.

Saw your pics. Nice woodworking and finishing.

 

[-Jim-]

I think this is cool.

I'd love to do it in our family room, which is soon to be renovated, but don't know how expensive it would be nor how complicated.

Glad you had the time to follow your dream.

 

[3db]

I wish this thread was posted 2 years ago because I would have done the same thing. As it stands, I'm using ceiling speakers for my surround speakers as indicated by my new gallery pics for my secondary system.

 

[2channel lover]

I have 90% control over one room in the house...well two actually. The loft (where the HT is) and also the office...the only thing I get push back on up here is volume level...I tried to tell her the overlook should be drywalled, but she insisted on having the opening to below...I bought a simple little SPL meter and it seems she's okay with 70-77 spl...over 80 I get a text to quiet down.

 

[Craig Gordon]

Does anything in there rattle? If not, may need more bass dialed in.

No, nothing rattles in the room ( silicone glue, velcro) except for the plantation shutters which are a pain in the ass. Im going to remove them and put up some kind of acoustic window coverings.

 

[everettT]

No, nothing rattles in the room ( silicone glue, velcro) except for the plantation shutters which are a pain in the ass. Im going to remove them and put up some kind of acoustic window coverings.

Alexa: *order ip controlled acoustic window coverings*

 

[KEW]

Nice!
I look forward to seeing the mechanism!
The two you showing dropping looked to be in sync, so I like to fancy it might look a little like an old (usually driven by a water wheel) machine shop with a central drive shaft running from front to back (except you have drums on the shaft and cables instead of belts) with pulleys on either side for the drop-downs! But then, modern electronics probably allow you to use separate drives for each speaker and still keep them all in sync.

How much clearance do you have between the ceiling and the floor above, and why?
Unfortunately standard stick-frame homes only have 6"-8" or so in this space, but I could see sacrificing a tray ceiling to audio.

It would be nice if you could get a beveled self-aligning system so they nest into tighter clearance.
A quick and cheap (but not as effective) approach to reducing the contrast between the black gaps and light colored ceiling would be to install light colored brush seals/sweeps on the ceiling panels to fill the gap. The brush has the flex to accommodate misalignment, but puts some pressure in areas of interference so as to be aid alignment:

 

[-Jim-]

KEW,

I expect the easiest / less costly way to synchronise them would be to use a Line Shaft type configuration. You could use a single motor / clutch system with limit switches on the cables to turn off the motor. I guess it's easier to wait on the explanation than speculate on how Graig did it.

 

[mtrycrafts]

...over 80 I get a text ....

A text? Wow.

 

[agarwalro]

Awesome! Jamie Hyneman would be proud of you.

Conceivably, one could swap the speaker with wife, while leaving speakers in the room and have similar results.

 

[Craig Gordon]

Nice!
I look forward to seeing the mechanism!
The two you showing dropping looked to be in sync, so I like to fancy it might look a little like an old (usually driven by a water wheel) machine shop with a central drive shaft running from front to back (except you have drums on the shaft and cables instead of belts) with pulleys on either side for the drop-downs! But then, modern electronics probably allow you to use separate drives for each speaker and still keep them all in sync.

How much clearance do you have between the ceiling and the floor above, and why?
Unfortunately standard stick-frame homes only have 6"-8" or so in this space, but I could see sacrificing a tray ceiling to audio.

It would be nice if you could get a beveled self-aligning system so they nest into tighter clearance.
A quick and cheap (but not as effective) approach to reducing the contrast between the black gaps and light colored ceiling would be to install light colored brush seals/sweeps on the ceiling panels to fill the gap. The brush has the flex to accommodate misalignment, but puts some pressure in areas of interference so as to be aid alignment:

LOL. That picture is awesome and hilarious. It feels like thats the equivalent effort I put in!

Your description of how it works is quite accurate in general. I will ultimately show everything. I will say again that the speaker cable itself was the most complicated part. I considered but did not use a cheap spool with contact system (company: Stage Ninja) and am proud to say that the cable is a single unbroken length from amp output to speaker input. I say cheap because the sliding contact in that sort of thing is a weak link that will eventually wear out.

My system uses 1/16 stainless steel wire cable with 3/32 vinyl coating. The cable runs the length of the joist channel to strategically placed and sized pulleys. The "drive" is at the other end of the channel and does use an "axle" with the cable wound on hubs, though I originally planned to use a worm drive track actuator (Firgelli Automations). But, nobody makes a track actuator that is long enough without getting insanely expensive. So i used...."something else" (wont say yet, but it is quite clever)

My ceiling is made up of what is called RPI joists 20 inch on center joists that are 3/8 inch thick plywood with glued on upper and lower sections for strength. They are 15 inches tall and similar to the attached gif file. Thus the "joist space" is 15" X 19" for the most part. House was built in 1991 and they are to engineered spec and California Code legal. BUT, one of the joist channels I used also has an air conditioning duct in it!! So I originally considered moving the air duct and register, but realized I only really needed 8 inches of height total as the minimum necessary. So I miraculously built that one around the duct by walling it off and halving the space.


The 15.5 inch speaker with associated hardware "fits" because I also placed 2 inches of absorptive rockwool and 1 inch of air space and fabricmate stretched fabric over that on the "ceiling" thus increasing the total space. There is also fabricmate on the bottom of the speaker.

I like your ideas about closing up the spaces. The spaces are there as the minimum protective space so that some minimal swing as the speakers go up will not cause them to catch on the opening edge. There are other solutions to this which I have figured out after the fact. However, even if the speakers do catch, the system is protective. It will stop and when next activated, the speakers will move down.

Edit: With less joist space height, you could either use smaller speakers, or, make a partial enclosure at the ceiling where you simply "see" a sort of window frame around the ceiling where the speakers go in. I was able to make them appear "flush". Also, I obviously ran the system down the length of the joist bays, but I could run it perpendicular by simply drilling proper holes for the cables.

 

[-Jim-]

I'll try to be patient and hope your "reveal" comes along soon.

About 7 years ago I used a Firgelli Automation system for a TV lift I made for the Cabin. When we rebuilt, I was under pressure from family not to block the view with a 55 inch Toshiba I was going to put in front of the Window. It works great, as it only blocks about 5 inches at the bottom of the window when closed. It's still going strong.

 

[Pogre]

Now that's just cool. WAF isn't too much an issue for me, but it's cool enough for me to want one!

 

[ATLAudio]

Dude, WAF be damned. I'd want this in my future man cave. It would be a library with leather bound books, and expensive cigars, but with the flip of a secret book lever, the speakers drop, the screen drops, light dim...

 

[lovinthehd]

I'll try to be patient and hope your "reveal" comes along soon.

About 7 years ago I used a Firgelli Automation system for a TV lift I made for the Cabin. When we rebuilt, I was under pressure from family not to block the view with a 55 inch Toshiba I was going to put in front of the Window. It works great, as it only blocks about 5 inches at the bottom of the window when closed. It's still going strong.

You have a build thread for that?

 

[NINaudio]

Dude, WAF be damned. I'd want this in my future man cave. It would be a library with leather bound books, and expensive cigars, but with the flip of a secret book lever, the speakers drop, the screen drops, light dim...

But will your apartment smell of rich mahogany?