What to do?

[ivseenbetter]

I'm working on building my Theater Room. The room I am using is upstairs on the second floor of our house. I modeled it out the best I can using the google Sketchup program. If you want to look it is located here: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=271cb1378c716ad8e6ae3294e4529063

Anyway, if you don't want to look at it, the measurements are roughly 16' wide by 29' long with slightly less than 9' tall. It has a small offshoot from it on the side. I really keep reading how important room treatment is but I don't know where to begin. I keep hearing about having to use mics to calibrate and complicated programs to measure response curves (that I can't figure out how to read), and reflection points. Is there a "for dummies" guide to walk me through this? I want to address this and I want to learn "why" I would do this but I don't know where to begin.

Any other feedback on what might be a good screen, good speakers, and any other suggestions for this type of setup would be good. I already have the seats and I only have about 12000 left to play with.

Thanks

Chris

 

[jliedeka]

I wouldn't worry too much about room treatments up front unless you are doing some serious construction. There's no way to know for sure how your room will act until you hook up some gear and start playing some music. Everything will have an effect, carpets/rugs, window treatments, furniture, cabinets, etc.

Reflection points are exactly what they sound like. If you put a mirror on your wall or ceiling and can see the speaker from your listening position, that's a primary reflection point. If you are getting muddy sound in certain frequency ranges, it can help to put something at your reflection points that will absorb or scatter those frequencies.

If you can put a small part of your budget aside for room treatments, I'd do it. If you are handy, there are several DIY articles including one written by Tom Andry on this site. You can save some money but need a modicum of skill to make something that looks nice.

Jim

 

[bpape]

The 2 things you need to concern yourself with during construction are:

- Not building a room with lots of overlapping problems (like a 10x20x10 room) or a room that has doors, windows, lights, racks, etc. where you'll need to treat.

- Getting the isolation right. Not so much for sound getting out (though that is a consideration) as for sound getting IN and raising the ambient noise level of the space and reducing your apparent dynamic range.

Treatment can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. If you're going to DIY, then plan on the basics:

- Front corners floor to ceiling with thick absorbtion.
- Kill the front wall
- Hit the side wall reflection points

From there, it takes a bit more analysis to determine what's optimal for the space, it's furnishings, how many people, how the room was built, etc.

If you're going to be purchasing treatments, any reputable vendor should work with you to determine what is optimal for your space and what the best options are given any visual and budgetary constraints. "Buy as much as you can afford" isn't a valid answer.

Bryan

 

[ivseenbetter]

Ok, it sounds like two seperate opinions here. Maybe there isn't a right or wrong way to do this.

 

[jliedeka]

I'm just a guy with a ht system and a living room so take my opinion for what it's worth. My experience is that you won't know for sure what the problems are until you have everything set up. I'm not using any treatments but that could change later on when I want to refine things. I don't think I have any glaring problems.

Jim

 

[ivseenbetter]

Either way I appreciate the info. I don't have any of the audio equipment yet so maybe I am just getting ahead of myself. It makes sense that I wouldn't know until I hear it for myself. I'm just trying to lean forward so I can get enough info on "how" to do it so that I can do it right when I try.

 

[bpape]

I don't think they're different at all. I was simply saying what needed to be done DURING construction. The treatments are done AFTER construction is done and the drywall is up unless you're planning to build things in.

Bryan

 

[ivseenbetter]

Ok. That makes sense then. So it is all part of the same process.

Unfortunately, the space I am using is already built. It is a room upstairs that I am taking over. I guess I will be forced to concentrate solely on the treatment side.