Question for the installers....building a theater with two floors (main floor and then balcony floor in rear of the theater)...therefore ceiling is pitched over 20 feet high.

I'm concern for the sound on the balcony level. Do I need to install speakers at a much higher level so that the surround effect is felt at the balcony level?

What are some opinions for this type of room?

Are you an integrator or a homeowner designing your own Theatre?

i'm a homeowner asking question to the installers

[Link: silcom.com]

THis is the definition of a job that needs personal attention. There is no way any of us here on the Internet can answer your question. Hire a local professional.

But wait........won't that.....like.......cost money?

Could you give us more specs? Length of room/ width/ how many rows of seating?/ How many rows of seats in the "balcony"? I've done some pretty large and challenging Theater rooms, but never with a balcony... :)
Unless I'm missing something... this sounds like it could be a big undertaking - maybe not? I'td be money WELL spent to contact a CEDIA certified installer, or a CI outfit that is well established in your area to take a look at the room & make suggestions...
Just curious... What size Screen are you considering??? |
Are you located in the Hamptons?... there are some regulars on this post that cover that area...

i'm obligated to say this


hire a pro

i like the concept if your in chicago or metro area we can help, or jcma or any of the chicago guys

ed

Hampton,

There are many more things to consider than just the audio. What about the video, ceiling height of 20ft? Consider downwall dimension and keystoning for the projector or is it rear projection with mirror system? Many of the responses you will most likely get will be from pros who have designed theatres before so don't take it the wrong way. The only theatre we have been involved with that had muliple platforms ie seating risers (certainly not a balcony) was over 700K. For the investment you are describing, you should have detailed drawings (AutoCAD) for the buildout. Yuo should also expect to spend quite a bit on acoustical treatment. Go ahead and at least spend a few hours speaking to a professional about the considerations, it'll be money well spent.

Thanks for the replys....I will get the exact dimensions and post soon. No, I am not from the "Hamptons"....my name is Hampton, I am in West Palm Beach.

What I was actually looking for in answers is just general placements for where I will be placing the speakers. I intend on doing the 7.1 surround configuration with actually 2 subs in the stage up front. In my mind, I thought that it may be best to put surround speakers up on the balcony as well as on the first floor and possible speakers up higher on the walls in the middle of the room ( I don't know)

Strategically is what I am looking for in answers....I'm not so much worried about perfect acoustical treatment of the room.

The screen is huge and is in direct line of sight with the projector as it will be mounted inside the floor of the balcony (no keystone adjustment will be necessary)

I cant picture not needed keyston adjustments in the scenario you describe.

Yes, I would place Side and rear speaker in both the Balcony and main floor. Other than that I need a Deposit and drawings.

Well I am trying to invision your room but with 20 foot ceilings and a balcony, your room has got to be at least 30 feet long to do what you want... You cant just stick a balcony, much less a substantial one in a room best suited to "home theater" appications. What your describing involves MUCH more than your ordinary 7.2 speaker system. Once you get into bigger rooms, you start talking about speaker arrays for each channel with 2 maybe even 3 or 4 speakers per surround channel depending on the size of the room. Ive done a room with 2 speakers for each surround channel, but once you get into systems bigger than that your talking some serious "commercial theater" audio gear that works with time alignment and room acoustics.
Just my opinion
Mike

Oh yeah, lets not forget video... Expect to pay atleast 20K for a good projector that will handle a giant screen, check out Digital Projection

If your balcony is directly above the lower back row seats, I would use a good processor (my choice would be a Denon 3806) coupled with seperate amps ( I like Parasound). Place your fronts in the normal locations, the mid and rear surrounds at 6 to 7 ft., then duplicate those channels with speakers directly above them for the upper level surround.
Be careful to use the same wire and the same length for each speaker that shares a channel and you should have no timing problems.
This will give a system with 7.1 channels of processing and 11 amp channels.
Sounds like the best position for your projector would be in the floor of the balcony, of coarse that depends on the throw distance and screen size. If you are using a higher end projector they will have lens options that would pretty much allow you to place them at any distance.
Take a look at the Sim2 C3X lite. It's a 3 chip DLP that has lenses available for adjusting throw distance. about 17K

P.S. this is only what I imagined from your description. Might or might not be an accurate vision.

I used a Highlite 5100 from Digital Projection Inc. in a Theater about 3 years ago. Great picture but man was it loud.

A 20' high ceiling isn't a typical "home theatre". IF it's just a "great room" scenario that is being transformed into a "home theatre" then as the others have mentioned, a lot more information is required. The 20' ceiling height is what is raising all the red flags. A 20' ceiling without a properly engineered approach won't end up being a great home theatre experience. If the room is 20' high ans also really large, the need for an intelligent deisgn is all that more vital. Large rooms require careful attention to managing the reverberant field as well as dealing with low frequency issues such as standing waves, lobing, and comb filtering. Always address or attempt to "fix" the room first ,, saves a lot of money trying to band aid acoustical problems with electronic solutions that often only mitigate the problems