|
General Asylum General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories. |
|
|
|
General Asylum General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories. |
|
In Reply to: New room size starting with 22ft wide?. help and advise please posted by Shane from AUS on March 3, 2007 at 03:04:06:
Shane from AUS,The first thing to consider are the proprtions of the room. The closer the dimensions are to being a common multiple, the more likely there will be volumes nulled by standing waves. The closer a room is to being square in plan or section, also is there this likelyhood. In my view, your 22' X 28' is too square and the 10' ceiling is too close to being half of 22'. Also, if you can, don't make the room only four flat walls at 90 degrees to each other. If one wall can be angled in plan, the short end walls are clipped or even curved, or there is are large open inset bays and if the ceiling can be sloped, you're also forstalling some potential problems. Plus the room is just more interesting !
Have some natural light. If there is no view, a skylight can be very atmospheric. If you're planning home theatre, make a way to cover it to dim the room.
Much can be cured with room treatments, but if you have the luxury of setting the proprtions and shape you're already ahead at the start and the cost is really the same.
Plan carefully the seating layout, speaker, media storage and equipment locations. Put in at least twice the lineal feet of media shleving you think you'll need- it will be filled on 5-6 years! Have some storage behind doors and in drawers so there is a spot to keep connectors and spare interconnects, remote batteries, DVM, plugs and etc. If you have valve gear, you might have a NOS tube collection and this could be in divider bins in drawers of pidgeon hole divided shleves. But the is is only a reminder of the clutter that gathers around audio stuff. You'll have all this stuff regardless and may as well get in right on paper instead of costly experiments in wood and gyprock.
It's in your interest to make the walls as dense and non-reasonant as possible. If you're framing in wood use 2X6- which you really need for a +10' ceiling anyway and stuff it with glassfibre insulation- R30 if it will squeeze in. Make the roof 2X10s and stuff the roof joists too. Insulation for a room this size would be only a a couple hundred Dollars in the US. Then, mount the drywall with STC clips. "STC" is "sound transmission control" and these sort of put the gyprock on springs. There's some extra labour to use these, but the clips cost nearly nothing and are really effective. When sound hits the gyprock, the clips allow the mass to move a little and it absorbs the sound and acts as a break in the transmission of vibrations through the wall. This will both make the room more isolated from outside noise and also lower the sound that's transmitted to adjacent rooms.
Have windows and/or skylights be double glazed.
If you're using forced air heating and/or cooling, have the HVAC contractor oversize and wrap the ducts and use oversized registers. This lowers the air presssure a bit and helps cut down air rush sound. Be careful about the location of the return air register- put it well away from the seating area.
Think carefully about furniture. I find that when I'm more at ease, my hearing seems to be better- I can concetrate on the music when I'm comfortable. Buy a wide, deep armchair- never leather which squeaks- and an ottoman foor rest. Have a small table on one or both sides to set the remotes, the dust jackets, and the cognac- sorry- Foster's!
Run at least two dedicated 20A circuits to the area where the equipment sits and buy a couple of hospital grade outlets.
Given the future world of downloading music and such, run both a TV cable and phone line to the equipment area and hardwire for an FM antenna. You never know what technology may bring- or force us to do! There maty be acomuter in the room and so you miht want to run a line to network with the the other computers in the house. Let's be modern!
This seems like a lot of fuss and expense, but actually as long as you're doing a slab, walls, and roof, you may as well put the same sticks and stones you need anyway in the best places!
Have fun with it- it's a great opportunity to make a functional, enjoyable space just the way you like it- and let us know about progress.
Cheers,
Bambi B
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Follow Ups
- A new listening room: The 137 most important things to remember ! - Bambi B 07:43:54 03/03/07 (0)
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
