Designer: Anthony Grimani | PMI Engineering, Grimani Systems, MSR Acoustics
Location: Novato, Calif.
Website: pmiltd.com, grimanisystems.com, msr-inc.com, sonitususa.com
Years designing theaters: 33
Number of theaters designed: 1,000+
Services provided: Engineering, design, construction documentation, onsite consulting, installation supervision, audio and video calibration, acoustical analysis, sound-isolation testing.
What makes your service and designs unique: Our services cover all aspects of theater engineering — from recommended room proportions to properly control standing waves — to sound isolation and noise control (so you don’t hear the theater outside the room, and not letting the outside impact the noise floor in the theater). We also help with product recommendations, offering the optimal selection of speakers, components, projectors, and screen materials, as well as lighting and interior design needs as well.
Do you have a signature design: Every room is unique, but there is a common thread in our work: The rooms are usually dressed in stretched fabric, the acoustical treatments are interleaved absorber/diffuser sets, which are often slightly asymmetrical to make use of acoustically transparent screens that conceal the three front speakers.
We normally place projectors in hush boxes or in separate rooms. All the work includes colorful and clear plan sets that serve as clear guidelines for all the trades involved in the project.
Why should integrators work with theater designers vs. attempting it on their own: Inadequate understanding of sound isolation and noise control. While we’ve all learned these “general rules.” Most end up with too much or too little absorption and diffusion. Every room is going to be different, and room size, wall materials, incorrectly specified speakers for the room size, and wrong speaker locations are problems I get brought into to correct on a daily basis.
Understanding how to draw proper construction plans is another problem that usually results in redoes, upset contractors, and a less than stellar result.
I also see too many projects where the integrator focuses on the screen, speakers, and projector, yet the walls are bare of any acoustic materials to help control the sound in the room. This is usually because the client doesn’t fully understand the value of the room design, and the integrator isn’t confident enough on the topic to really push back to get the best results.
What is the key to a great dedicated theater design: Understanding the reference specifications of film and music production rooms and knowing how to translate that into the inherent compromises that arise from residential environments and architecture. We see a lot of companies talking about their speakers being used in various studios, but the home environment has different challenges. We’ve spent decades building professional studios, and understand the room, equipment, and acoustic requirements to get your home theater to sound the way the director and sound engineer truly intended.
Thoughts on the microLED trend vs. projection: Both have their virtues, based on the client’s use case. If the room can have proper lighting control and surface color specifications, a projector can produce an amazing picture, and has the benefit of being able to be coupled with an acoustically transparent screen behind which the three front speakers can be concealed. If on the other hand, the client wants ambient light and light-colored surfaces, a video wall may be the right choice.
How has immersive audio impacted home theaters: Immersive audio has propelled the audio experience a giant leap forward and is incredibly fun for audiences to appreciate. We’re seeing more programming — movies, television, and even music that’s utilizing immersive audio formats, and even lower-end products like soundbars and headphones are doing a good job of teaching consumers to enjoy the format. We love that because it means larger and more immersive theaters are going to be that much easier to pitch down the line, since clients will already be familiar with the benefits.
