# Booth remodel



## Plupo (Jun 6, 2014)

Hey guys!

I've been around the forums for a while, but have never posted. I'm currently in the middle of a renovation of the house are at my theatre and I'm looking for some insight/people to bounce ideas off of that aren't my board/manager.

Image 1 is an image from the stage to the booth. (we have a 300 seat-house with a balcony)
Image 2 is looking at the booth from the HL balcony.
Image 3 is looking at the booth from the HR balcony.
Image 4 is looking from the entrance to the booth (up the HR stairs)
Image 5 is looking at the booth from the HR door
Image 6 is a close-up of the sound setup
Image 7 is a close-up of the lighting setup.

As of right now, the plan is to take down the HL wall that sits behind the sound equipment (Image 6) and open up the booth all the way to the HL wall. Currently on the HR side of the booth are large wooden storage bins that will be removed (along with the last row of seating) to create a somewhat identical stretch. Both spot lights will be moved from the sides of the balcony (where they occasionally obstruct the view of audience members and where they are difficult to troubleshoot during a show without crouching in front of the balcony audience) to the HL and HR side of the booth.
The sliding glass panels along the front of the booth will be removed (finally) and left open.
New carpet will be laid across the entire booth.
New counters (at kitchen height) will be installed and drafting chairs will be added.

I'm (hopefully) upgrading the sound board from an older Yamaha 32 channel to a Behringer x32 - which will decrease the digusting cabling surround the board, and will eliminate a number of the pieces in the rack. It will also be moved to the center of the booth. This will allow my 12 wireless received to be moved from their balcony location into the rack in the booth for easy access.

The desk the lighting computer is sitting on will be torn out and a new all-in-one PC (with a uncracked screen) will replace it - running LightFactory.


I guess at this point, I'm looking for thoughts/suggestions on any of the areas above.
Thoughts on the Behringer x32?
Ideas where to purchase a work counter that isn't exactly an "office desk"?
Color to paint the booth?
Additions for convience? Littlites along the counter? etc?
I'm not overly concerned about booth security as the door has a lock and access to the builing is VERY limited, so I don't think ID' need roll top doors.
Thoughts on center placement of the sound board?
Modifications to the booth to allow for better mixing?
Overhead light solution?

I've already looked through all of the "booth" threads I could find and, at this point, am just looking for additional ideas/specific products.

Thanks guys!


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## josh88 (Jun 6, 2014)

No pictures. Search the forum for threads on the x32 it's pretty well liked around here. Especially for the price.


Via tapatalk


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## sk8rsdad (Jun 6, 2014)

Just a few quick thoughts:

kitchen countertops make a good work counter. They can be found at any building center. Bathroom countertops are probably too shallow. Custom countertops aren't hard to make and would allow you to customize the depth to suit your work habits and hardware.
since you are opening things up, why not just install a knee wall around the entire area, including the followspot positions, and forego the idea of a "booth" entirely


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## Dionysus (Jun 6, 2014)

A few of my own suggestions...

You can sometimes get cheap kitchen counters from countertop dealers who have made 'mistakes'. Other than that really I'd suggest building your own. Most booth I've been in are custom built out of plywood and usually some 2x4, sometimes with something like Masonite to give a nice smooth work surface.
Your sound guy will love getting rid of the glass... But be sure to police how loud the booth gets.
I've never used the x32 but I've heard good things. There are a LOT of different options out there right now. I've heard Berhinger has really stepped up their game under their new ownership. Other good yet cheap consoles are out there including those by Roland, etc)
Generally I say any wall surface visible through the windows either Black or a Dark colour, and you can happily go lighter on walls that only those in the booth can see. But really its up to you. Ive seen a lot of booths just painted contractors beige, others black.
Littlelites are a major suggestion for me. They are a GREAT working light, they dim right on the unit, can be moved around, and gotten out of the way easily. Other than that I'd suggest a downlight for places like the Stage Manager's desk surface (ie a potlight or such, perhaps in an LED flavour?) that will give light where you need it. T5 or T8 flourescents as a general worklight are okay, just never use them during a show.
I'd say the sound board would be fine where it is, lots of room around for the rack(s) and a computer to playback audio cues without getting in the way. The main thing is getting the sound guys ears out from behind glass if he must be in a booth (always good to get the mixer out of the booth if you can, playback usually staying in the booth).
Yes get the followspots from in front of audience members.


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## Jay Ashworth (Jun 6, 2014)

FWIW: I built an LED downlight for my booth with LED tape and 1/2" aluminum C-channel; I cut it to length, and put it up over the boards with a pair of the brackets they make for mounting shower curtain poles to the wall, which allows you to adjust the angle easily. It worked out *very* nicely, and cost about $20. They're dimmable, though we didn't need that.


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## alyx92 (Jun 7, 2014)

We snagged an x32 for my theater and love it


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## ThatsoundguyChris (Jun 7, 2014)

The school where I work has a X32, I love it. it's easy to learn and work with


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## FMEng (Jun 7, 2014)

I would avoid the tall chairs and high work surface. I always want my feet planted on the floor so that I can move about easily and quietly with a chair on rollers.

You can significantly reduce the amount of cabling between the audio console and stage by adding S16 stage boxes to the X32.


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## MarshallPope (Jun 7, 2014)

Personally, I prefer drafting chairs and a raised desk. I like the option to stand during a show, especially for music.


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## venuetech (Jun 7, 2014)

build a counter, surface with laminate, don't put it directly against the wall but leave a 2" gap for the passage of cables. Hang the counter from the wall using very stout brackets so you do not have legs to run into or work around. it could be hung an inch or two lower so the device control surface does not end up higher than it needs to be. The lighting control area of the counter may be helpfull to build a lower part of the counter to support the computer monitor. The idea is to make it easy for the operator to look over the monitor and see the stage. Lots of video about working with laminate on youtube.


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## Jay Ashworth (Jun 7, 2014)

Or, as an alternative, since it is probably a little bit sturdier to mount the back of the desk to the wall, you could drill 5 or 6 2" inch holes in the back edge for cables.

Sent from my SPH-L720


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## MarshallPope (Jun 7, 2014)

My suggestion for dealing with both the cable gap/sturdiness as well as unobstructed leg room would be to do something along the lines of this:


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## Jay Ashworth (Jun 7, 2014)

I dunno, Marshall; should you find yourself having to run both boards, the center brace would be troublesome ...

Sent from my SPH-L720


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## MarshallPope (Jun 7, 2014)

That was just quickly done without regard to scale or length or leg placement or anything of that matter. Anyway, I don't know that your chair would tend to go far enough under a 3 or 4 foot deep counter to hit a leg at the halfway point. Granted, every space (and everyone) is different.


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## Jay Ashworth (Jun 7, 2014)

Chief Architect?

Sent from my SPH-L720


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## venuetech (Jun 8, 2014)

something like this. you could add ether the back gap, or drill holes for gromits in both the tops and the brackets.
lets you sweep the floor quickly. If you have any thing like short file cabnets make sure you leave enuff room for it. adding some thin drawers for pencils and papers would be nice.


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## JohnD (Jun 8, 2014)

Another type bracket to consider is a cantilever table bracket:
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/bfm...nd-24-x-32-rectangle-table-tops/163TBC22.html
That is just an example, and it shouldn't be too hard to find someone locally to fabricate something like this.


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## josh88 (Jun 8, 2014)

Same concept as what johnD linked to, but a little different in design. We've got these in a computer lab in my building. Pardon the angle as I'm sitting on the floor to type this and take the picture.


Via tapatalk


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## AsherSB (Jun 8, 2014)

I really like the presounus studiolive boards, although they are a bit more expensive.


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## Jay Ashworth (Jun 8, 2014)

One construction thought, if the layout of the booth and doorways permits: if you are prone to have people in the booth who aren't front-row crew, and you have enough headroom, you might want to platform the rear of the room 6-9", so they can see over you while seated. I don't know how that interacts with ADA, as long as the front row is at hallway height.

Also: you want *everything* in the booth painted black or charcoal: anything bright will stop your eyes down, and you generally need all the iris you can get, especially that far back.


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## Jay Ashworth (Jun 8, 2014)

An electrical thought: plan on getting a pretty sizable UPS in there to carry the whole FOH stack, preferably on a dedicated 120/20 circuit (if you don't already have one). If you execute the S16 stage box idea, you can move the amps to backstage, which will solve ground looping problems, as well as increasing your damping factor, giving you tighter bass... and it will get the amps and fans and heat and power out of the booth.


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## Plupo (Jun 8, 2014)

Thanks for the responses! I don't have a sketch of my layout at the moment (on a different computer), but I really like the idea of a shorter counter for lighting. I'm thinking two thirds of the booth will have kitchen height counters with drafting chairs - with supporting legs on each end and maybe two "halfway" legs splitting the difference. Then the lighting desk will sit somewhat lower (because my LBOs won't ever stand to run lights and ultimately need to see over the PC).
Then I think I'll place the sound board a little closer to the center of the house - possibly centering it on the counter; that way I have room to move the lighting computer in case I have to run both lights and sound.

From the responses, I think building a counter myself (pretty good at carpentry, and my MC offered to help) and covering it with laminate or Masonite for a smooth, professional feeling workspace. For the back, I think I might create a 2" trough with 4" holes drilled every few feet - that way I can feed cables up from where, but I can also run cables between the rack, sound PC, sound board, Clear-Com control unit, and lighting PC with anything laying across the actual desk.

Definitely getting some a handful of Littlelites because of how fantastic they are.

Jay, I've somewhat nixed the idea of a back platform because very rarely is there anyone in the booth except for the mixer and LBO (SM sits at a station on stage) - however, I think I'll go completely black - I hate looking at something brighter in the booth and having to wait for my eyes to adjust when I look back at the stage.

My amps are currently located on stage - with an output feed running from the board to the stage/amps then up to the speakers...however, I do get a hum that is noticeable only during straight shows - and it's worsened when my lights (especially my FOH wash) is at any level other then full. So any fades from BO to, say, 75% produce a delicious hum that grows and lingers in the background. Over the loudness of musicals, it's not noticeable, but quiet shows/events are bothersome.
A friend of mine said I have a ground loop issue and that the amps and the board should be on the same circuit. He suggested that I have my electrician run a dedicated line from the same circuit/breaker the board is on down to the amps and plug them into that source to eliminate the hum. Is it the best solution? Or would I be better off moving my amps up to the booth and running wire to my speakers (~80')?


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## Jay Ashworth (Jun 9, 2014)

No; if your amps are on stage, by all means leave them there. If you're going with the S16s, the problem will (mostly) go away, as the analog signal will get originated on-stage, on the same power circuit as the amps.

If you have a loop, it's because you don't have a clean enough bond between the booth ground and the stage ground, probably; an electrician can, in theory, clean that up. It also may be insufficient case grounding on the dimmer cabinets; depends on whether it's a clean 60/120Hz hum, or buzzy sounding like SCR/Triac noise.

You'll probably want to do some "unplug this and see if the noise goes away" tests, and see if you can nail down where it is.

It couldn't hurt to check the cables you're running from board to amps, either; perhaps there's a problem; is your noise in both channels?


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## Jay Ashworth (Jun 9, 2014)

Oh, here's another one: does your sound board have a headset jack up front?

I'm always wanting the 1/4" and the A4F mounted under the front edge of the counter lip, instead of off on pieces of gear; perhaps that's just a personal preference, though.


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## Plupo (Jun 9, 2014)

Jay Ashworth said:


> No; if your amps are on stage, by all means leave them there. If you're going with the S16s, the problem will (mostly) go away, as the analog signal will get originated on-stage, on the same power circuit as the amps.
> 
> If you have a loop, it's because you don't have a clean enough bond between the booth ground and the stage ground, probably; an electrician can, in theory, clean that up. It also may be insufficient case grounding on the dimmer cabinets; depends on whether it's a clean 60/120Hz hum, or buzzy sounding like SCR/Triac noise.
> 
> ...



There's noise in both channels, but I haven't gotten a chance to do an unplug test - I'll see if I can nail something down or have my electrician (who is also an musician) come in and see if he can trouble shoot


Jay Ashworth said:


> Oh, here's another one: does your sound board have a headset jack up front?
> 
> I'm always wanting the 1/4" and the A4F mounted under the front edge of the counter lip, instead of off on pieces of gear; perhaps that's just a personal preference, though.



I believe the x32's headphone jack is on the side. I'm not sure if I'd like the 1/4" mounted directly on the counter, though.


On somewhat related note, part of the renovation is replacing the house lights with (4x) LED house lights (I believe they are LightSource's), a new chandelier (that will be on a dimmer in the booth), and a series of ceiling mounted LED down lights for columns that are being installed into the HL and HR orchestra walls.
In an effort to not have to daisy chain all of the DMX together, I was considering getting a small DMX splitter in the booth (to run from the PC to the static house light dimmers, to two outlets I want to install on the edge of the balcony, and to the stage). Then getting a splitter on the stage and setting up DMX outlets on SR and SL, as well as at the end of each run of truss (there are five lengths of truss going from SL to SR and I'd like an individual hookup for each truss so I don't have to run cable over the truss and work lights to daisy chain between runs, if that makes sense?)

Also, I'd like to set up some kind of remote lighting solution - a mini control board just inside the house coming in from the lobby, and one in the SM booth on stage - that way rehearsals, janitors, tours, etc. can bring up house lights or a wash without having to call me and have my access the PC remotely. Any suggestions for the interface that would allow me to program presets with a simple fader or button to control them? I'm assuming I'd need a merger in the booth?


Thanks!

P:L


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## Jay Ashworth (Jun 9, 2014)

The magic words are Doug Fleenor Designs. ;-)

Sent from my SPH-L720


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## FMEng (Jun 9, 2014)

Plupo said:


> My amps are currently located on stage - with an output feed running from the board to the stage/amps then up to the speakers...however, I do get a hum that is noticeable only during straight shows - and it's worsened when my lights (especially my FOH wash) is at any level other then full. So any fades from BO to, say, 75% produce a delicious hum that grows and lingers in the background. Over the loudness of musicals, it's not noticeable, but quiet shows/events are bothersome.
> A friend of mine said I have a ground loop issue and that the amps and the board should be on the same circuit. He suggested that I have my electrician run a dedicated line from the same circuit/breaker the board is on down to the amps and plug them into that source to eliminate the hum. Is it the best solution? Or would I be better off moving my amps up to the booth and running wire to my speakers (~80')?



There are simple fixes for ground loops. Drop the shield connection on one end of the line between the mixer and the amp rack. If that doesn't do it, a good quality audio transformer in the line, such as a Jensen Isomax, will solve it. No need to rewire the place to remove a little hum or buzz.


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## JChenault (Jun 9, 2014)

Jay Ashworth said:


> The magic words are Doug Fleenor Designs. ;-)
> 
> Sent from my SPH-L720




+1 the Fleanor preset 10 is an excellent solution for this if:
1 - you don't need to control more than one universe
2 - your DMX dongle puts out no signal ( instead of repeating what it last saw ). Or you have a booth procedure that stops all DMX output when done for the day.


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## AlexDonkle (Jun 9, 2014)

Just my 2c, another consideration is wire management. Getting the wires below the countertop with 2" holes is great (that's what we do on new theaters we design), but then you don't want a mess of cables running all over the floor if possible (though it's still common to see). What works really well is running 2 parallel tracks of Wiremold G4000 surface raceway beneath the countertop, with low voltage dividers. Bottom track is dedicated to 120V outlets, next track is Network / Intercom cables, and top 2 track sections are audio only. Great stuff and if you want to put new wire in latter you can just pop the raceway cover off and add/remove as needed.


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