PX auto eq ( a repost of an answer to a question)
I have posted in the READ ME FIRST section a number of tried and true Auto EQ tips. Any true audio professional will tell you that RTA based measurement systems that simply base the process on volume related to frequency is a bad way to do things...Specifically because at low frequencies standing waves couple to create areas where the bass is very much louder or comes together after a reflection and cancels ...if you set up the mic in one of these locations you end up with a huge cut or boost of one or more frequencies depending on the location. High frequencies usually end up in cancellation and the result is a frequency band that is fully boosted to try and find the canceled frequency, when in fact if you move the mic a few inches you get a completely different result, and that cancellation is gone and another takes it's place.
When you put the mic in the room and turn up the pink noise, then yes it will seem too loud, but if it's not loud enough then your going to get a poor result also. I have a gripe about the DRPA and PX levels for auto EQ... in the 260 you can set it pretty much any where you want, but in the case of the PX and the DRPA there is a \"window\" artificially implemented that won't let you get too soft or too loud...Nothing we can do about that except work within the limitations...
Try getting your base line as in the \"new indoor method\" or try directly out in front of the speaker about 4-5 feet on, axis, about midway between the woofer and horn. This with a -0- or flat response. This will then be stored as a preset (better yet try and emulate what the GEQ does with the available PEQ's ...re-auto eq and get as close as possible to flat) and store that as a 'Flat' response for determining what a room is ACTUALLY doing to the sound. There you would STILL need to place the mic in different points in the room and average the results to get anything accurate, (do you think you can do that? I know I can't get away with even ONE Auto EQ pass if ANYONE is present!) and even then you have to have something to compare it to.. (the flat system preset) When you do actually get a chance in the room, I place the mic on the floor, or ceiling using the same method as the \"new indoor method\" aiming the mic AT the floor or ceiling getting 1/4\" or closer to try and minimize reflected cancellations.
As for the process, if it says \"set to performance level\" and won't let you start (>next page) you need to be louder, if it says \"turn down\" try one click at a time till it says \"set to performance level\" and then you can press the (>next page) button and the process should start. When finished.. if you just set the mic in the room, or only use fullrange speakers that cannot get down below 60 hz, you'll very likely get a \"NOT DONE\" message. If you cancel the RTA mic input (turn the switch off) after the process, and select the EQ and locate the GEQ you will see what the auto EQ process has done to the speakers sound...look particularly at the fully boosted bands and if there are more than 4... you will get the \"NOT DONE\" message, but the results are still viable (if you do the fully boosted or cut bands by ear...)
When you do auto EQ the \"room\" you can then compare what the process did with the EQ and if you know what your doing (read... years of practice and knowledge) you can use the information to see what in the room is causing the problems...(using math and distance calculations to determine what is causing a reflection or cancellation as one example) and then through a series of placement, aiming and as a last resort equalization, minimize the things the room is doing to the sound...BUT make no mistake, you CANNOT equalize a room! You CAN try and minimize the effects the room has by :
1. Getting the sound on the people and off the reflective surfaces
2. Having a properly tuned (flat response) system that excites the room less.
3. Not exceeding the rooms natural \"point of no return\" sound wise where destructive energy decreases the intelligibility of the spoken word.
So to summarize...
1. Knowledge is power READ READ READ especially the READ ME FIRST...section
2. Get your system as flat as possible
3. In rooms where you CAN Auto EQ try a few different locations with the mic pointing at a hard surface.. hopefully the floor or the ceiling, ( even laid on the floor is better than a mic stand.. and remember that the mic is omni-directional) and compare the flat response preset with the resultant EQ curve achieved by the Auto EQ process and try and see what the room is doing to your sound, then, try different placement of the speakers to minimize room effect and interaction (get the sound on the people off the reflective surfaces)
4. Don't exceed the rooms natural SPL (sound pressure)limits.
5. Having the measurement mic on a stand (except in the direct on close proximity method ...which BTW is considered a \"nearfield method\" which has all reflections way quieter than the direct sound so they are 'masked' by the shear preponderance of the direct sound, and therefore are rendered harmless) So try and get the mic On a boundary (Floor, ceiling (preferably) or a wall (actually believe it or not in a corner works well...)
6. Since the Auto EQ process has an artificially imposed hi and lo volume level try and get as close to the actual level( you will use) as you can and then you will most likely have to do a little tailoring to the HF and LF levels as you get louder...
good luck, and good sound!
Gadget
When you put the mic in the room and turn up the pink noise, then yes it will seem too loud, but if it's not loud enough then your going to get a poor result also. I have a gripe about the DRPA and PX levels for auto EQ... in the 260 you can set it pretty much any where you want, but in the case of the PX and the DRPA there is a \"window\" artificially implemented that won't let you get too soft or too loud...Nothing we can do about that except work within the limitations...
Try getting your base line as in the \"new indoor method\" or try directly out in front of the speaker about 4-5 feet on, axis, about midway between the woofer and horn. This with a -0- or flat response. This will then be stored as a preset (better yet try and emulate what the GEQ does with the available PEQ's ...re-auto eq and get as close as possible to flat) and store that as a 'Flat' response for determining what a room is ACTUALLY doing to the sound. There you would STILL need to place the mic in different points in the room and average the results to get anything accurate, (do you think you can do that? I know I can't get away with even ONE Auto EQ pass if ANYONE is present!) and even then you have to have something to compare it to.. (the flat system preset) When you do actually get a chance in the room, I place the mic on the floor, or ceiling using the same method as the \"new indoor method\" aiming the mic AT the floor or ceiling getting 1/4\" or closer to try and minimize reflected cancellations.
As for the process, if it says \"set to performance level\" and won't let you start (>next page) you need to be louder, if it says \"turn down\" try one click at a time till it says \"set to performance level\" and then you can press the (>next page) button and the process should start. When finished.. if you just set the mic in the room, or only use fullrange speakers that cannot get down below 60 hz, you'll very likely get a \"NOT DONE\" message. If you cancel the RTA mic input (turn the switch off) after the process, and select the EQ and locate the GEQ you will see what the auto EQ process has done to the speakers sound...look particularly at the fully boosted bands and if there are more than 4... you will get the \"NOT DONE\" message, but the results are still viable (if you do the fully boosted or cut bands by ear...)
When you do auto EQ the \"room\" you can then compare what the process did with the EQ and if you know what your doing (read... years of practice and knowledge) you can use the information to see what in the room is causing the problems...(using math and distance calculations to determine what is causing a reflection or cancellation as one example) and then through a series of placement, aiming and as a last resort equalization, minimize the things the room is doing to the sound...BUT make no mistake, you CANNOT equalize a room! You CAN try and minimize the effects the room has by :
1. Getting the sound on the people and off the reflective surfaces
2. Having a properly tuned (flat response) system that excites the room less.
3. Not exceeding the rooms natural \"point of no return\" sound wise where destructive energy decreases the intelligibility of the spoken word.
So to summarize...
1. Knowledge is power READ READ READ especially the READ ME FIRST...section
2. Get your system as flat as possible
3. In rooms where you CAN Auto EQ try a few different locations with the mic pointing at a hard surface.. hopefully the floor or the ceiling, ( even laid on the floor is better than a mic stand.. and remember that the mic is omni-directional) and compare the flat response preset with the resultant EQ curve achieved by the Auto EQ process and try and see what the room is doing to your sound, then, try different placement of the speakers to minimize room effect and interaction (get the sound on the people off the reflective surfaces)
4. Don't exceed the rooms natural SPL (sound pressure)limits.
5. Having the measurement mic on a stand (except in the direct on close proximity method ...which BTW is considered a \"nearfield method\" which has all reflections way quieter than the direct sound so they are 'masked' by the shear preponderance of the direct sound, and therefore are rendered harmless) So try and get the mic On a boundary (Floor, ceiling (preferably) or a wall (actually believe it or not in a corner works well...)
6. Since the Auto EQ process has an artificially imposed hi and lo volume level try and get as close to the actual level( you will use) as you can and then you will most likely have to do a little tailoring to the HF and LF levels as you get louder...
good luck, and good sound!
Gadget
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