System Setup: Art? Science? A combination of both?

[caesar]

Where do you guys stand here? What are your procedures and rituals? What specifically would you do if you had to demo your system at a place like RMAF?

 

[JackD201]

We're prepping for another show next month. It definitely starts with Science. When our Philippine Show moved hotels last year, the first thing we asked for was the floor plan. Seeing the dimensions we opted to bring our smallest loudspeaker, 2 subwoofers and our smallest electronics as well. We also asked about the construction of the rooms and the electrical layout. These were provided for us by the organizer with the help of the hotel management. With this knowledge we were able to figure out initial placement for everything including treatments and were able to optimize the remaining space for the show goers comfort and listening pleasure.

Once wired up, set up is no different from doing things at home. One side wall was concrete and the other space frame. This led to some speaker placement adjustments of a few inches to even out the boundary effects. Having a handy portable measurement tool (we use a Phonic) is a great way to be consistent. It cut the sub integration time greatly.

I do have two rituals. First on is, I enter the empty room and sit alone in silence for about 20 minutes. I soak up and internalize the roomtone and visualize and predict hf reflection patterns. When I think I have a feel for the space, the boys begin setting stuff up where I tell them. I do all electrical connections myself. After that it's mostly just fine tuning to hit aesthetic targets. Our reputation is built on balance and continuity so that's what we always strive for. Always go for Goldilocks. LOL. I've been doing remote set ups in the strangest places for a couple of decades. The first look is no longer too far from where the equipment eventually ends up. Which last year ended up like this. Pretty modest and utilitarian but voted by many as best of show I guess because lots of guys were stuffing huge speakers in these small rooms. There's that science part again.



The second one is, I go down to the Hotel garden. Park myself on a bench and have a smoke. I plan on quitting on my daughter's 13th birthday so this may be this rituals last exercise.

This year we got a corner suite so we'll have more room to play in. We've already picked the horse for that new course so to speak and it is bigger but just by a little bit.

 

[audioguy]

System Setup: Art? Science? A combination of both?

YES !! And sometimes a measure of luck/good fortune.

Maybe in a start from scratch approach, science plays the larger role. But most of us don't have that luxury. Even in Mike Lavigns start-from-scratch room, he has substantially modified what his room started with (and that's the "art" part).

 

[garylkoh]

First on is, I enter the empty room and sit alone in silence for about 20 minutes. I soak up and internalize the roomtone and visualize and predict hf reflection patterns. When I think I have a feel for the space, the boys begin setting stuff up where I tell them. I do all electrical connections myself. After that it's mostly just fine tuning to hit aesthetic targets.

I have a similar process. Sitting in silence in the empty room is a very important part of the process.

Many years ago, to help myself visualize what room reflections will do, I got trays of various sizes, filled them with water, and dropped pebbles of various sizes from different heights into the water. The resulting wave patterns are interesting to say the least. Your brain learns after a while (lots of spilled water and pebbles) and now when I walk into a room, I can visualize where the speakers should be.

Then, for fine tuning, I have the "Genesis Loudspeaker Set-up Procedure" (1.5mb pdf). I've taught this to the executive committee of the local audio society and now they can set up the speakers pretty quickly for the monthly meeting.

 

[microstrip]

A recipe from Galen Carol Audio http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/roomacoustics.html

Optical Alignment Kit. A wide strip of reflective Mylar "tape" is temporarily attached to the wall surrounding the speakers, at ear level. Seated in your listening position, you will be surprised to see multiple reflections of each speaker, all around the room. These images represent the points along the walls at which harmful reflections will occur. Mark these points, remove the Mylar, pop a Tube Trap in each location and viola, instant gratification

 

[JackD201]

I have a similar process. Sitting in silence in the empty room is a very important part of the process.

Many years ago, to help myself visualize what room reflections will do, I got trays of various sizes, filled them with water, and dropped pebbles of various sizes from different heights into the water. The resulting wave patterns are interesting to say the least. Your brain learns after a while (lots of spilled water and pebbles) and now when I walk into a room, I can visualize where the speakers should be.

Then, for fine tuning, I have the "Genesis Loudspeaker Set-up Procedure" (1.5mb pdf). I've taught this to the executive committee of the local audio society and now they can set up the speakers pretty quickly for the monthly meeting.

Silence is so highly underrated eh Gary? LOL.

 

[garylkoh]

Silence is so highly underrated eh Gary? LOL.

Absolutely!! So is playing music quietly to hear the way the system should sound without overloading the room.

 

[mep]

A recipe from Galen Carol Audio http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/roomacoustics.html

Optical Alignment Kit. A wide strip of reflective Mylar "tape" is temporarily attached to the wall surrounding the speakers, at ear level. Seated in your listening position, you will be surprised to see multiple reflections of each speaker, all around the room. These images represent the points along the walls at which harmful reflections will occur. Mark these points, remove the Mylar, pop a Tube Trap in each location and viola, instant gratification

Very interesting.

 

[cjfrbw]

We're prepping for another show next month. It definitely starts with Science. When our Philippine Show moved hotels last year, the first thing we asked for was the floor plan. Seeing the dimensions we opted to bring our smallest loudspeaker, 2 subwoofers and our smallest electronics as well. We also asked about the construction of the rooms and the electrical layout. These were provided for us by the organizer with the help of the hotel management. With this knowledge we were able to figure out initial placement for everything including treatments and were able to optimize the remaining space for the show goers comfort and listening pleasure.

Once wired up, set up is no different from doing things at home. One side wall was concrete and the other space frame. This led to some speaker placement adjustments of a few inches to even out the boundary effects. Having a handy portable measurement tool (we use a Phonic) is a great way to be consistent. It cut the sub integration time greatly.

I do have two rituals. First on is, I enter the empty room and sit alone in silence for about 20 minutes. I soak up and internalize the roomtone and visualize and predict hf reflection patterns. When I think I have a feel for the space, the boys begin setting stuff up where I tell them. I do all electrical connections myself. After that it's mostly just fine tuning to hit aesthetic targets. Our reputation is built on balance and continuity so that's what we always strive for. Always go for Goldilocks. LOL. I've been doing remote set ups in the strangest places for a couple of decades. The first look is no longer too far from where the equipment eventually ends up. Which last year ended up like this. Pretty modest and utilitarian but voted by many as best of show I guess because lots of guys were stuffing huge speakers in these small rooms. There's that science part again.

View attachment 6274

The second one is, I go down to the Hotel garden. Park myself on a bench and have a smoke. I plan on quitting on my daughter's 13th birthday so this may be this rituals last exercise.

This year we got a corner suite so we'll have more room to play in. We've already picked the horse for that new course so to speak and it is bigger but just by a little bit.

Jack, do you make provisions for the presence of multiple bodies in the room? Do you find that makes a difference?

 

[egidius]

quitting

The second one is, I go down to the Hotel garden. Park myself on a bench and have a smoke. I plan on quitting on my daughter's 13th birthday so this may be this rituals last exercise.

If I may say, even though I never had to quit - if you use accupuncture, it is just plain possible. having seen now quite a few people doing it with no grave pain, and I 'd never have believed it..

Good luck. Egidius

 

[rbbert]

A recipe from Galen Carol Audio http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/roomacoustics.html

Optical Alignment Kit. A wide strip of reflective Mylar "tape" is temporarily attached to the wall surrounding the speakers, at ear level. Seated in your listening position, you will be surprised to see multiple reflections of each speaker, all around the room. These images represent the points along the walls at which harmful reflections will occur. Mark these points, remove the Mylar, pop a Tube Trap in each location and viola, instant gratification

Very interesting.

Interesting. I tried that a few weeks ago with the arrival of some new Tube Traps and GIK panels. In my room with my system it was a disaster! Dead sound, "smeary" imprecise imaging and peaky frequency response. So the Tube Traps went back to the corners only and the panels to the front wall, with just a little absorption at the sidewall first reflection points only. Much better

 

[Saturntube]

I just tried the Optical Alignment trick in my room and results were very "foreseeable". Where I had a bass trap there was some vibration! Mostly at the center of the wall, but not always. At first it is kind of difficult to notice the mylar moving, but after a couple of walls you get the hang of it.
I even tried it on the roof, or as far up as possible, and the vibrations were exactly were the bass modules mouth is placed: interesting. A new bass trap-difusor is going in there.

I absolutely agree with you Gary, not overloading the room is very important, I might even say: There is only one right volume you can play your system at and it is what the room will allow, without overloading. And it is not much, I have even seen very big open rooms overloading, but we were pushing it with Pink Floyd helicopter, "you, yes you"....

I could not open the file on your web page Gary.

 

[JackD201]

Jack, do you make provisions for the presence of multiple bodies in the room? Do you find that makes a difference?

The biggest problem with multiple bodies in a room isn't what they absorb but rather the noise they make. LOL.

That said, I don't go that far. There are always three of us in the room when doing final set up. We just run with that.

 

[A.wayne]

I have a similar process. Sitting in silence in the empty room is a very important part of the process.

Many years ago, to help myself visualize what room reflections will do, I got trays of various sizes, filled them with water, and dropped pebbles of various sizes from different heights into the water. The resulting wave patterns are interesting to say the least. Your brain learns after a while (lots of spilled water and pebbles) and now when I walk into a room, I can visualize where the speakers should be.

Then, for fine tuning, I have the "Genesis Loudspeaker Set-up Procedure" (1.5mb pdf). I've taught this to the executive committee of the local audio society and now they can set up the speakers pretty quickly for the monthly meeting.

Interesting stuff Gary , thanks for the link .....

 

[garylkoh]

I could not open the file on your web page Gary.

Strange - I click the link in my browser and the pdf opens right up - in Chrome, Firefox and Explorer.

 

[rockitman]

What specifically would you do if you had to demo your system at a place like RMAF?

Bring bass traps and diffusers on stands.