REW and dual subwoofer calibration help?

[Polish023]

Hi I’m completely new to calibrating my home theater system using REW. I just got dual subs and calibrated it using a spl meter but heard to really get my speakers and subs as close as possible to each it’s better to use REW. I’m gonna buy a UMIK-1 and use HDMI on a laptop but I was wondering where to even begin with REW? Also do I need anything more to help me calibrate everything as close as possibe? I heard people get sound cards what are they used for and are they worth getting? I also was wondering if by rule of thumb you should measure both subs lower say 72 dbs so the combined output of both subs are 75db? Or is it better to level both subs at 75 dbs? Thank I’m totally new to this and to here haha!!!

 

[everettT]

Hi I’m completely new to calibrating my home theater system using REW. I just got dual subs and calibrated it using a spl meter but heard to really get my speakers and subs as close as possible to each it’s better to use REW. I’m gonna buy a UMIK-1 and use HDMI on a laptop but I was wondering where to even begin with REW? Also do I need anything more to help me calibrate everything as close as possibe? I heard people get sound cards what are they used for and are they worth getting? I also was wondering if by rule of thumb you should measure both subs lower say 72 dbs so the combined output of both subs are 75db? Or is it better to level both subs at 75 dbs? Thank I’m totally new to this and to here haha!!!

With HDMI you are good, I'm assuming you are just doing the subs, so you would just select that channel (6 maybe, been a while) for sub only. REW will set to 75db . What dsp? Also when transfering the filters, use high resolution measurements when smoothing.

 

[Polish023]

I was going to checks all my speakers too I already did them with a spl meter but I just wanna go over everything with something more accurate and tune my subs better than they are. What’s sap?

 

[Polish023]

Dsp?

 

[everettT]

I was going to checks all my speakers too I already did them with a spl meter but I just wanna go over everything with something more accurate and tune my subs better than they are. What’s sap?

You probably dont need anything over 200hz as that's where the room interaction is.(below)

Dsp?

Digital Signal Processing like the minidsp 2x4

 

[Polish023]

What do you recommend? What does the mini dsp do?

 

[everettT]

What do you recommend? What does the mini dsp do?

Allows for in depth EQing. Depending on your AVRs RC you might not need to, but I haven't found one that will do all I need, others have (depending on the room).

 

[lovinthehd]

What do you recommend? What does the mini dsp do?

It can provide various filters, PEQ, delay functions. It also can accept REW-generated equalization curves. To use REW for subs is relatively easy as the dsp unit can be inserted between the avr and the sub amp.....do you have external amps for your speakers or are you using just an avr for powering the speakers? If the latter, REW isn't going to be able to do anything but measure and you're basically stuck with using whatever dsp the avr has. As Everett mentioned, it may be most useful on the subs in any case. There are various articles that can help you like this https://www.audioholics.com/home-theater-calibration/bass-optimization-for-home-theater

 

[latteDev]

Use your ears not instruments, unless you have a purpose built room and even then the sound is down to personal preference.

Given that this is a static room, you can create a sound system which only needs your ears to sort out.
Remember subs are not directional at all and high frequencies bounce around all but the best custom designed room. Personally if you are using two subs, then have one behind you and one in front, and balance to taste. Subs are not meant to be heard but zre to create a feeling of a low bass.

A DSP is just a signal processor, and comes in all shapes and sizes with a variety of different functions, from creating a multi point audio out to tailoring the eq for your needs. The quality of this can vary immensely, and can include a the A to D which is usual or just be stand alone.

Given this is only HDMI I am assuming the quality is not going to be that great

 

[everettT]

Use your ears not instruments, unless you have a purpose built room and even then the sound is down to personal preference.

Given that this is a static room, you can create a sound system which only needs your ears to sort out.
Remember subs are not directional at all and high frequencies bounce around all but the best custom designed room. Personally if you are using two subs, then have one behind you and one in front, and balance to taste. Subs are not meant to be heard but zre to create a feeling of a low bass.

A DSP is just a signal processor, and comes in all shapes and sizes with a variety of different functions, from creating a multi point audio out to tailoring the eq for your needs. The quality of this can vary immensely, and can include a the A to D which is usual or just be stand alone.

Given this is only HDMI I am assuming the quality is not going to be that great

Use your ears isn't the best advise, auditory perception is weak.

 

[everettT]

Use your ears not instruments, unless you have a purpose built room and even then the sound is down to personal preference.

Given that this is a static room, you can create a sound system which only needs your ears to sort out.
Remember subs are not directional at all and high frequencies bounce around all but the best custom designed room. Personally if you are using two subs, then have one behind you and one in front, and balance to taste. Subs are not meant to be heard but zre to create a feeling of a low bass.

A DSP is just a signal processor, and comes in all shapes and sizes with a variety of different functions, from creating a multi point audio out to tailoring the eq for your needs. The quality of this can vary immensely, and can include a the A to D which is usual or just be stand alone.

Given this is only HDMI I am assuming the quality is not going to be that great

EQing the relative frequencies is nothing that ears can do.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Hi I’m completely new to calibrating my home theater system using REW. I just got dual subs and calibrated it using a spl meter but heard to really get my speakers and subs as close as possible to each it’s better to use REW. I’m gonna buy a UMIK-1 and use HDMI on a laptop but I was wondering where to even begin with REW? Also do I need anything more to help me calibrate everything as close as possibe? I heard people get sound cards what are they used for and are they worth getting? I also was wondering if by rule of thumb you should measure both subs lower say 72 dbs so the combined output of both subs are 75db? Or is it better to level both subs at 75 dbs? Thank I’m totally new to this and to here haha!!!

My personal rule of thumb is to set them where the combined output is 75. In my room it’s usually 72db for two subs. Including the third sub, I usually end up at 69-70. Once my response is flat, I build the house curve with rew/minidsp. For beginners though, I would just level match them, and run audyssey. After that add about 3-5db(or more to taste) on the subwoofer trim in the AVR. This will give you a quasi house curve and should sound a lot better than flat. After you play with placement and setup with rew, then maybe think of a minidsp. It’s not super difficult but also NOT strait forward either.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Use your ears isn't the best advise, auditory perception is weak.

What!!! This is blasphemy: stops to drink kool aid:, my platinum ears are way better than instrumentation. And hdmi sux...

 

[Polish023]

I have a Yamaha 3050 aventage avr. Would it be worth buying a dsp then? Or like lovin said would that not matter because of my Yamaha dsp? Also what does sound cards do and do I need one of those? I’d like to measure everything and see how it sounds for myself then maybe I would adjust the subs to my taste but I would like to see how my system would sound first with balanced measurements. I was watching a video earlier how does REW work when it comes to making the subs flat?

 

[lovinthehd]

I have a Yamaha 3050 aventage avr. Would it be worth buying a dsp then? Or like lovin said would that not matter because of my Yamaha dsp? Also what does sound cards do and do I need one of those? I’d like to measure everything and see how it sounds for myself then maybe I would adjust the subs to my taste but I would like to see how my system would sound first with balanced measurements. I was watching a video earlier how does REW work when it comes to making the subs flat?

It might be worth it for subs, Yamaha's YPAO isn't particularly known for best sub integration, but since that's what you have, I'd try that first. It does have a pretty nice PEQ section, and some just use that for their subs, but you could easily add a minidsp to the mix. Unless you're using external amps with the avr for your speakers, you'd have no way of implementing the minidsp with your speakers outside of the sub. Between taking measurements with REW and implementing any needed eq (suggested by REW or not) with the minidsp, that can help you get closer to a flat response (especially as compared to "by ear").

 

[Polish023]

How does the mini dsp work for the subs? How does it connect between the laptop? That’s ok for the speakers as long as I can use the UMIK to calibrate them closer to what I want compared to the spl meter. The subs are the problem for matching and leveling.

 

[lovinthehd]

How does the mini dsp work for the subs? How does it connect between the laptop? That’s ok for the speakers as long as I can use the UMIK to calibrate them closer to what I want compared to the spl meter. The subs are the problem for matching and leveling.

The minidsp connects via usb to your laptop during setup, once setup you disconnect and the minidsp operates on what was programmed. You need to buy a specific plug-in (app but they call it plug-in, some models can work with several) for the model you're using and what you want to do. https://www.minidsp.com/applications/dsp-basics/minidsp-concept

 

[Polish023]

Ah so the mini dsp loads into the computer and then you can use everything from the dsp without it hooked up?

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Ah so the mini dsp loads into the computer and then you can use everything from the dsp without it hooked up?

Opposite. The laptop loads the curves and such into the minidsp. After that, it just does it’s thing, but it does have a remote available for switching curves etc.
before all that though, the AVR is connected to the minidsp and then the minidsp to the subs. You can then hook up the laptop to the AVR and run rew sweeps, and load the rew generated curves(or manually tune) into the mini and it will kind of auto EQ them. Once you’re happy with the curves, in hook the laptop from the AVR and the mini and enjoy!

 

[Polish023]

So it makes it a lot easier to calibrate both subs and get a better bass output that fits the room? Also should I be looking into getting the mini dsp 2x4 HD?