Should I have skylight at my dedicated audio room

[audioblazer]

In the process of building my dedicated audio room & your opinion is much appreciated
Renovated room will have a vaulted ceiling along the length of the room 28 ft long . Width 17' 10" . Side wall will be 7' 10" & it will peaked at about 12.5' .







I am considering sealing the smaller skylight area & it will be left with a reasonable size skylight (prob 4 x 5 ' ) which I m thinking of sealing it with a 15-20mm thick tempered glass . Was told that if it's thick , it will not be noisy when it rain heavily which is pretty often especially during monsoon season. Plan to hang panel traps 2' x 4' x 3" along the peak to absorb reflected sound due to the vaulted ceiling
Intend to hang absorption / diffuser panel eg vicoustic wave wood on the wooden ceiling . I could easily build & hang some mdf / solid wood diffusers on the ceiling but wouldn't want to run the risk of it dropping on me or on my gears which I intend to place on the side walls . As you can see , I plan to seal the tiny gaps of the wooden ceiling with 2" wooden strut otherwise the whole ceiling is a helmholtz resonator !
My question is that instead of sealing off the current open air skylight to be consistent with the wooden ceiling , I m thinking of maintaining the skylight with thick tempered glass so that my audio room can be bath with natural lighting & when I m watching movie , I create a motorise mechanism to close the skylight . However would the tempered glass skylight affects my room acoustic ?

 

[zztop7]

My reply is only about one area of your post: you wrote: "thinking of sealing it with a 15-20mm thick tempered glass".

Monsoons = equal flying debris also.
Therefore, you would be better off with laminated glass. Even better - two separate [air or gas space] panels of laminated glass; each panel being of different thickness. Why different thickness: one thickness cuts off some sound frequencies, the other thickness cuts off other sound frequencies.

zz.

 

[audioblazer]

I m on the west coast , so monsoon is not severe except it rains quite regularly . Wouldn't whether with laminated or tempered glass it will be too noisy when it rain heavily . Thanks for your feedback

 

[rockitman]

you can get remote controlled blinds that can stop sound reflection off the sky lights, if that is your concern.
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vaslt&1022712214&openflup&3340&4#3340

 

[LenWhite]

I'm reasonably sure I read somewhere vaulted ceilings are negative for a dedicated audio listening room.

I'm considering building an addition that would include a 15'8"W X 21L' dedicated listening room with 10' drywall ceilings. Some type of acoustic material likely behind the drywall. I'm planning to have no glass in the room since it will be a dedicated room, although it would be nice to include some type of natural lighting if it doesn't negatively affect room acoustics.

If I am able to go ahead with the project, I plan to use Acoustic Frontiers (Nyal Mellor) for the acoustic design. Nyal posts on this forum and is a professional.

 

[zztop7]

I m on the west coast , so monsoon is not severe except it rains quite regularly . Wouldn't whether with laminated or tempered glass it will be too noisy when it rain heavily . Thanks for your feedback

If you use at least 2 separate glass panels at least 1/2 inch thick each, separate them by at least 6 inches, and make sure there are >>> NO gaps <<< - then you will have attenuated all or almost all rain noise even when it is heavy rain.

GAPS between glass & frame + GAPS between frame and roof structure. You must eliminate 100% of all gaps; gaps = noise [not to mention Rain Leaks]. Use a rubbery type caulk that stays rubbery. Experiment with the expensive ones you have in your area.

Best to you,
zz.

 

[garylkoh]

I would keep the skylights as I love the idea of natural light. However, as the sunlight in the tropics is very intense and because of the monsoon, I would have some kind of motorized shade that could also attenuate the sound of the raindrops on the skylight.

For the skylight itself, use laminated glass, and an air gap between two panes. This is not only for sound insulation, it is also for (some) heat insulation.

 

[DonH50]

I go back and forth on windows, love the idea of motorized screens/blinds. Sometimes it is nice to relax and listen lightly in the light; other ties I preferred a darkened room, usually when I am more focused on the music. Of course darker is better for HT. Most speakers do not like direct sunlight so I try to keep it off them.

 

[Ethan Winer]

I am considering sealing the smaller skylight area

Glass in a skylight reflect about the same as drywall, maybe a little more above 4 KHz. As long as that part of the ceiling is not at a loudspeaker reflection point you'll be fine. The larger problem is the peak that extends the length of the room above the center line. Peaks like that focus sound, which is not what you want. So I suggest absorption (not diffusion) under the peak, along the lines of the photo below. Diffusion can be useful, but the more usual place is the rear wall.

--Ethan

 

[MadFloyd]

Glass in a skylight reflect about the same as drywall, maybe a little more above 4 KHz. As long as that part of the ceiling is not at a loudspeaker reflection point you'll be fine. The larger problem is the peak that extends the length of the room above the center line. Peaks like that focus sound, which is not what you want. So I suggest absorption (not diffusion) under the peak, along the lines of the photo below. Diffusion can be useful, but the more usual place is the rear wall.

--Ethan

Slightly off topic, but Ethan, what it is the effect of glass in general? I have glass (french doors) at the front of my room between my two speakers. Obviously not ideal, but what frequencies are most affected?

 

[audioblazer]

Guys thanks for your feedback . Ethan , yes I plan to hang 2 x4 x 3" absorption panel probably with reflective surface underneath the peak. FYI I have a friend in a prob 12.5 x 16 x 9.5' room packed with 36 pieces of realtraps treatment & it sounded fantastic especially the bass.
Christian , yes I read in Albert porter's thread the hunter Douglas motorised shade as well

 

[Ethan Winer]

Slightly off topic, but Ethan, what it is the effect of glass in general? I have glass (french doors) at the front of my room between my two speakers. Obviously not ideal, but what frequencies are most affected?

Not OT at all. Most room surfaces reflect more or less the same, though glass reflects a little more above around 5 KHz. The graph below is from my Does Wood Really Sound Warm? article. The graph shows third-octave reverb times in a small MDF box with and without a glass lining, but that's related to the surface reflectivity.

I'll add the glass on the front wall is not usually a problem, as long as the rest of the room is treated acoustically. Unless you have dipole type speakers, most of the sound radiates out the front and not back toward the wall. Reflections from the rear wall behind you are more damaging.

--Ethan

 

[MadFloyd]

Not OT at all. Most room surfaces reflect more or less the same, though glass reflects a little more above around 5 KHz. The graph below is from my Does Wood Really Sound Warm? article. The graph shows third-octave reverb times in a small MDF box with and without a glass lining, but that's related to the surface reflectivity.

I'll add the glass on the front wall is not usually a problem, as long as the rest of the room is treated acoustically. Unless you have dipole type speakers, most of the sound radiates out the front and not back toward the wall. Reflections from the rear wall behind you are more damaging.

--Ethan

Thanks, Ethan.