REW - DEQ 2496 - 64bit Vista - Coming Soon

[Alex2507]

My question was because I noticed your soundcard didn't also have any mic in's with 120V. So when you calibrated stuff, you created the loop by outputting from your sound card into one of the in's in the Xenxy right?

REW has you use the L line-out on the sound card to go back into the L line-in on the sound card. That's different from mic-in on the sound card. It measures any variation from output to input and subtracts that from the output on the sound card.

At first I was going to run it back to my MIC-IN on the mixer but the help files were specific. I'm wondering if your way might factor in the mixer as well but like I said, the help files were clear, well ... mostly clear. I think it's just hard for me to pay attention when I get tired.

 

[fuzz092888]

REW has you use the L line-out on the sound card to go back into the L line-in on the sound card. That's different from mic-in on the sound card. It measures any variation from output to input and subtracts that from the output on the sound card.

At first I was going to run it back to my MIC-IN on the mixer but the help files were specific. I'm wondering if your way might factor in the mixer as well but like I said, the help files were clear, well ... mostly clear. I think it's just hard for me to pay attention when I get tired.

Yes, but and I could be mistaken, that's for when you are inputting and outputting through the same device. Currently, you've calibrated the soundcard, but have not calibrated the Xenyx. Now this may or may not be an issue depending on where the Xenyx starts to roll off.

I believe, and again I could be mistaken, that you should have gone from the output on your soundcard to an input on your Xenyx since that would be your actual signal chain that you want equalized flat. Again, may or may not make a difference depending on the the Xenyx and to what frequencies you want accuracy to. IME, pro style equipment tends to roll off around 10hz and that's what the documentation is saying. You're probably fine, just wanted to through that out there.

 

[Alex2507]

Yes, but and I could be mistaken, that's for when you are inputting and outputting through the same device. Currently, you've calibrated the soundcard, but have not calibrated the Xenyx. Now this may or may not be an issue depending on where the Xenyx starts to roll off.

I believe, and again I could be mistaken, that you should have gone from the output on your soundcard to an input on your Xenyx since that would be your actual signal chain that you want equalized flat. Again, may or may not make a difference depending on the the Xenyx and to what frequencies you want accuracy to. IME, pro style equipment tends to roll off around 10hz and that's what the documentation is saying. You're probably fine, just wanted to through that out there.

I was at the part where I pick my mic calibration file. I have 6 to choose from. I have to go read up on whatever I can find regarding that. There are narrow band and 1/3 octave band at 90, 45 and 0 degrees.

I'm going 1/3 octave at 0 degrees. Why not right? YOLO.

 

[fuzz092888]

Basically you use the 0 degree to aim straight at the speaker/sub and the 90 for a more audyssey style mic orientation while pointing at the ceiling.

I've never used the 1/3's because REW can smooth.

 

[Alex2507]

Basically you use the 0 degree to aim straight at the speaker/sub and the 90 for a more audyssey style mic orientation while pointing at the ceiling.

I've never used the 1/3's because REW can smooth.

90 degree narrow band it is. Too tired to go on ...

 

[Alex2507]

So I set the mic cal file, calibrated the sound card and mixer. got the levels sorted so the playback is 74 db in room for stereo. It says I have 17 db of head room from there but a max of 104 db with these calibration parameters but if I need more I can lower the input sensitivity ... which I already forgot how to do. I've got some pic's that show the connections for when Doug is ready.

The help files are excellent. I just couldn't understand them without getting the gear hooked up and having REW to explore as I read the files. It certainly didn't hurt that you got me to recall what that 90 degree stuff meant. Finding that info would have been time consuming for me on my own.

I got this figured out in the office (Mantown). I took a couple of measurements showing what subwoofer phase reversal looks like. My cabling is sorted out and now I'm going to practice packing this up, moving it into the LR and then opening up this can of audio whoop @ss on that system. Let's see what subwoofer phase reversal looks like out there. Lets see what everything looks like out there.

 

[Alex2507]

This is the loopback for sound card and mixing board calibration. I started to wonder about actually getting the 2496 in that loop but that made my head hurt.





So I dragged everything into the LR and got my laptop on the big screen.





Now I see what you mean about the drag and drop for the mic cal files. I don't know how and where but I know why. I was surprised that REW needed the disc to load the file once I got the laptop into the living room.

After all the measurements I listened to a bunch of music with one sub unplugged and the other one plugged into the wrong binding posts ... so no subs. I raised the gain in my rec'r looking to find a happy place but the more I jacked around with that the more I realized that it all sounded super tame.

I guess the next step is to see what the 2496 can do for auto eq in dual mono ... but no hurry. I wonder if there is a way to include the 2496 in a loopback. I think I've read like 10% of the manual so far.

 

[fuzz092888]

You could incorporate the 2496, but that shouldn't roll off until below 10Hz so you should be fine. IIRC the bottom EQ on that is 10hz. So, shouldn't be a big deal if it's not in there.

 

[Alex2507]

I figured out how to download the calibration files into the laptop. I ran analog audio right into the DEQ skipping the rec'r's xo. Kudos Tiger Boy. Way easier that way. It's nice seeing what the xo does but starting out with a flat-ish (no smoothing) bass response can't be bad.

Measuring L, R and both demonstrated what Wayne always says about the response in a dual sub set up being dumbed down to the response of the worse sub. A 5db raise in the sweep level showed a nice even rise in spl.

I'm into the high 20's @ 80 db +/- 3 db. That's pretty much as loud as I'm comfortable going with sweeps anyway but I think she's got more where that came from. It's roughly the same volume you hear in a room coming from YAA's headphones @ 2m.




Now, when I use my rec'r's test tones to level match I already know that something gets screwy. IIRC using the rec'r to level match or even a Spears & Munsil being used to level match produces wonky results when compared to an REW sweep.

I've tried using music to gauge where I want the sub gain set in the rec'r and Oppo but my bass ques are gone. It all sounds different now. Talk about cleaning up the midrange. Those subs in stock form were the classic one note wonders. $450 in subs. $450 in amps and DEQ. Some MOARRRRR money in measurement gear and 10 years later this is what I have to show for it. But I still don't know how to get my font back to normal. It ain't easy ...

 

[STRONGBADF1]

Almost makes me want to break out my umik1 and do some tweeking...almost. ;-D

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[Alex2507]

Almost makes me want to break out my umik1 and do some tweeking...almost. ;-D

Really? I just checked out my center response in 3 positions. You know how it's on that slider shelf? I would say now I know but I just realized that I had the 45 degree cal file loaded instead of the 0 degree file. But still I found out that being pulled out 2" is marginally better than all out or all in ... and the likely hood of anybody being able to hear it is slim. Even at 10' away it's a good looking response. I'm strongly considering keeping this center ...

I don't feel like posting pictures but with 1/3 octave smoothing the responses look amazingly similar. Once you remove the smoothing you get to compare the magnitude of the peaks. Based on that info ... let's see how the Dire Straights sound now.

I already turned the subs down from flat with the rec'r tones. TV ads are brutal. I still haven't listened to the Oppo being done EQ'ing and level matching. BIA SACD? okey-dokey.

 

[Alex2507]

Hey ... my own personal boring thread. I figured out that no sound panel and 1" out on the shelf was better than tight or half inch or three fingers and the sound panel was a wasted effort as it sucked up the few inches of space I had off the front wall. The differences are minor. Turns out my YPAO setting on the center was dead on for 63 and 160 Hertz.

REW and my Berry mixing board are noisy with hiss and static. It doesn't seem to affect the measurements though. An incredible tool. At some point I'll try with and without the GIK Acoustics sound panel I have in a corner.