Amarra Symphony with Dirac Live Impulse Response Correction

[dallasjustice]

I'm very interested in this.
Can someone please let me know how difficult it is to use?

It's very easy. It requires no technical skills. You must have a calibrated mic and an ADC. IMO, a good place to start would be the TASCAM US-366 and the emm-6 cross spectrum labs mic. That's what I sent Lee to get him going. You can get even better results with more expensive gear but that's really not necessary.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BG6ZM8W/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?pc_redir=1387631617

http://www.cross-spectrum.com/measurement/calibrated_dayton.html

The software is free to try for 14 days.
http://www.dirac.se/en/consumer-products/dirac-rcs.aspx

The really nice thing about DIRAC in terms of ease of use is the ability to use a different device for the input(mic ) and output( test signal ). The software compensates for the 2 different clocks.

 

[RBFC]

It's very easy. It requires no technical skills. You must have a calibrated mic and an ADC. IMO, a good place to start would be the TASCAM US-366 and the emm-6 cross spectrum labs mic. That's what I sent Lee to get him going. You can get even better results with more expensive gear but that's really not necessary.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BG6ZM8W/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?pc_redir=1387631617

http://www.cross-spectrum.com/measurement/calibrated_dayton.html

The software is free to try for 14 days.
http://www.dirac.se/en/consumer-products/dirac-rcs.aspx

The really nice thing about DIRAC in terms of ease of use is the ability to use a different device for the input(mic ) and output( test signal ). The software compensates for the 2 different clocks.

If I could do it, anyone here can.

Lee

 

[RBFC]

The Dirac IRC comes with 4 filter slots so you can create one "ideal" filter (the orange reference line in the graphs) and a few others that boost bass or treble (or instance) to compensate somewhat for bad recordings.

Lee

 

[dallasjustice]

. . . anyone here can.Lee

Except record player/tape machine folks.

 

[audioguy]

Except record player/tape machine folks.

Purchase a 24/192 A to D converter and that works as well!!!

 

[dallasjustice]

Purchase a 24/192 A to D converter and that works as well!!!

Or the analog audiophile could sell their front end, buy a computer and teach their grand children how to rainbow loom. That would be less complex, IMO.

 

[edorr]

If I could do it, anyone here can.

Lee

Only problem I had was getting Dirac to see my mic preamp, which apparently happens when you use a shared USB controller. The software warned for that though.

 

[dallasjustice]

Only problem I had was getting Dirac to see my mic preamp, which apparently happens when you use a shared USB controller. The software warned for that though.

I know you had a problem sending the test signal out via your MSB. I think DIRAC measurements would be way simpler if you just used a single device to go out and in. That's the way I do it. I did that with thee TASCAM and now do it with my RME sound card and grace m101 mic pre. I also couldn't get a legit measurements out my totaldac due to the anti-jitter buffer.

 

[RBFC]

Once I got the input gain properly adjusted on the Tascam, the rest went easily. And yes, I am one of those fossils who were turntable types.

Lee

 

[edorr]

I know you had a problem sending the test signal out via your MSB. I think DIRAC measurements would be way simpler if you just used a single device to go out and in. That's the way I do it. I did that with thee TASCAM and now do it with my RME sound card and grace m101 mic pre. I also couldn't get a legit measurements out my totaldac due to the anti-jitter buffer.

I believe I did my Dirac calibration (trial version) way back when before I had the MSB. Irrespectively, the MSB allows you to turn reclocking / buffering off, so there is no system delay and I should not have a problem.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

I wonder about this stuff. I'm a big believer in EQ. But over-treated rooms don't sound good. Headphones (usual IEMs) with dead-flat output don't sound good. And it's no wonder. We live in rooms. We listen to nearly everything in rooms. Sound, altered by rooms, is what sounds natural to humans. We're incredibly adaptable and I'm sure we can get accustomed to listening in a room corrected to flat. But I wonder, what sounds more like real music? A good-sounding room, or a room with no sound at all?

Tim

 

[dallasjustice]

I don't think flat sounds good either. If you look at the target curves posted herein, you'll notice they aren't flat. You should give it a try.

I wonder about this stuff. I'm a big believer in EQ. But over-treated rooms don't sound good. Headphones (usual IEMs) with dead-flat output don't sound good. And it's no wonder. We live in rooms. We listen to nearly everything in rooms. Sound, altered by rooms, is what sounds natural to humans. We're incredibly adaptable and I'm sure we can get accustomed to listening in a room corrected to flat. But I wonder, what sounds more like real music? A good-sounding room, or a room with no sound at all?

Tim

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

I don't think flat sounds good either. If you look at the target curves posted herein, you'll notice they aren't flat. You should give it a try.

They look pretty flat. What am I missing?

Tim

 

[edorr]

I don't think flat sounds good either. If you look at the target curves posted herein, you'll notice they aren't flat. You should give it a try.

You go from + 3db to - 3db across the 20Hz - 10Khz spectrum. This is not flat, but more flat than my target curve.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Where does the target come from?

Tim

 

[edorr]

Where does the target come from?

Tim

Personal preference - strictly empirical. It appears most listeners like a boost in the lows and a declining slope in the highs.

 

[amirm]

They look pretty flat. What am I missing?

Tim

Research shows that the curve must be *smooth*. What the slope is, is something you can play with.

On your earlier point, the device cannot get rid of the room in that there will still be reflections. For this reason, the correct name is EQ, not "room" EQ. The room is the room and can never be changed . It may also pay to only correct below a few hundred hertz where we know the room does bad things in how it distorts the frequency response. Above that, is a function of the speaker and making corrections on the wrong one can result in net negative performance. Listening test is always critical to know if there is positive effect or not.

 

[dallasjustice]

I used to think the same thing with regard to full range correction and HF. With DIRAC, I really don't hear negative effects in the HF. To me, the correction sounds more right even at the top end.

Tim,

One thing to consider is that the FR is only half of the picture. The impulse response greatly affects things as well.

Research shows that the curve must be *smooth*. What the slope is, is something you can play with.

On your earlier point, the device cannot get rid of the room in that there will still be reflections. For this reason, the correct name is EQ, not "room" EQ. The room is the room and can never be changed . It may also pay to only correct below a few hundred hertz where we know the room does bad things in how it distorts the frequency response. Above that, is a function of the speaker and making corrections on the wrong one can result in net negative performance. Listening test is always critical to know if there is positive effect or not.

 

[edorr]

I used to think the same thing with regard to full range correction and HF. With DIRAC, I really don't hear negative effects in the HF. To me, the correction sounds more right even at the top end.

Tim,

One thing to consider is that the FR is only half of the picture. The impulse response greatly affects things as well.

I created a filter that only did low frequencies in Dirac. Did not sound as good as full range.

 

[Whatmore]

I used to think the same thing with regard to full range correction and HF. With DIRAC, I really don't hear negative effects in the HF. To me, the correction sounds more right even at the top end.

Tim,

One thing to consider is that the FR is only half of the picture. The impulse response greatly affects things as well.

Apologies for the ignorant questions, but what is the impulse response?