Lounge lizard effect
If Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior were still alive and looking for a home theatre to engage in their Rat Pack antics, they could do worse than choose this installation.
A 1960s ambience was one of the client’s wishes for the renovation of a home theatre that had been laid out by a previous installer.
Murray Kunis, owner of Los Angeles installation company Future Home, says the media system and interior features were selected to complement and enhance performance.
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“Studio acoustics, reference technical performance, the movie collection and intuitive operation were all priorities.
“On analysing the layout and sight lines we found that a new approach was required. The floor was lowered because of the existing low ceiling.”
The layout was determined by seating and video projection sight lines, along with standing wave response.
“The DLP is in an isolated soffit. The foyer contains a 32″ LCD HDTV that lowers from the ceiling.”
And if Ol’ Blue Eyes had one too many Singapore Slings and felt the need to pay a visit, he could have heard the soundtrack in the bathroom.
“The client requested a sophisticated 1960s lounge theme, which is reflected in perforated stainless steel columns and cool grey fabric,” Murray says.
“This neutral palette, ideal for movie watching, is bathed with a colour-kinetics rainbow upon entering and leaving the theatre.
“The same colours and finishes in the foyer are illuminated with fibre optics. Wood and stainless are featured next to vitrolite-clad panels and comfortable eye-candy furniture. Add the sleek entry marquee and you have an environment in which the Rat Pack would gladly entertain.”
Having dealt with the logistics of moving walls to accommodate the foyer, and lowering the ceiling, it was time to deal with making the AV equipment unobtrusive. The Runco projector and JBL and Triad speakers are complemented by a Screen Research screen.
Installing a Crestron control system, a Middle Atlantic rack, a Kaleidescape media centre and lighting by Lutron was made easier because the client did not impose preconceived ideas that might hinder best performance.
Hiding the projection in the foyer was tricky. Careful planning blended in the unit, which weighs about 50kg and is more than 1m deep. The system racks are in the foyer – close, but out of sight of guests.
Future Home established control via 10″ wired or 6″ wireless touch panels. The 10″ panel includes video for one-button movie selection by touching an image of cover art; the 6″ panel is best for flipping HDTV channels. House security cameras are incorporated.
Acoustics were improved by treating walls and ceiling for smooth, controlled sound decay.
“Floating floors, shock-mounted walls and a double-seal door creates an isolated world. Custom low-frequency absorbers and seating placement address room modes,”says Murray.
“The centre speaker is behind an acoustically transparent screen, and left and right mains are behind the front grey panels.
“Four side and rear wall speakers are placed per THX-EX specifications. There are eight sub-woofers with an array in each wall, for smoothest low-frequency response at all seats. We installed lined AC ducts with multiple turns to minimise noise.”
The home theatre has video calibrated to +/-100 degrees of D65 grey scale at all steps using a Minolta Spectra radiometer.
“The extremely bright three-chip DLP runs at middle wattage and provides 50% greater white levels than theatrical SMPTE systems,” Murray says. “The screen geometry for our dream client was measured within ΒΌ” top and bottom masking for cinemascope,” Murray says.
The 7.1 surround is digitally calibrated with TEF and RTA for equal output from all channels and smooth frequency response. Digitally controlled, a 96-band processor was tuned so main and sub-channels are within +/-1dB of SBIC near/far field weighted curve from 25Hz to 18KHz.
“Surround speakers are tuned for +/-1dB response within their operation range. Extensive listening tests were done for fine tuning.
“With absorptive and diffusive elements, low-frequency mode analysis and proper speaker placement, minimal equalisation was required.
“Whereas many rooms have features that affect ideal performance, all aspects of this venue enhanced the media system.”
The installation took mor e than 780 hours. Last year it gained the CEDIA US Silver Technical Design award for a large home theatre costing between US$550,000 and US$815,000.
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