Official Rythmik Audio Subwoofer thread - Page 203

I use the RS analog meter for that purpose and it works just fine for what I want/need. All I use it for is to double check the relative levels that Audyssey sets, which is usually correct.

Didn't know you were opening such a can of worms with your innocent little comment did you. I think it's funny everybody thinks you should do what they did.

The cheapest solution is a used RS meter, <$20 on eBay, and the compensation tables.

For the record, I do not recall ever saying he should buy an Earthworks measurement mic and professional software, which is what I do.

No you are right not everybody. And I'm the one that gave him the link to the Cross-Spectrum meter but don't own one myself. It just fit what he said he was looking for.

Actually, with a full-range compensation cart and data file, the CM-140 is not a bad idea. There are other, cheaper, SPL meters available but I do not know if they have compensation figures available.

My only concern is that folk don't use an inexpensive meter and think their response is 10+ dB down, or expect absolute accuracy from one of them. They weren't designed to EQ subwoofers, alas.... It probably won't be long before somebody gets a new RS meter and publishes correction figures for it.

Curious, since we're off-topic anyway, anybody perfomed the LF mod on an RS meter and seen how it performed? I've been tempted, but don't need it...

Donh50 said:

Curious, since we're off-topic anyway, anybody perfomed the LF mod on an RS meter and seen how it performed? I've been tempted, but don't need it...[/quote]

The only one I've seen is for the older analog RS meter. I have the digital meter I would try a mod and have looked for one but all I could do would be a before and after because I don't own a calibrated mic. It is a little off topic but we are talking about calibrating Rythnik subwoofers.

+1

I paid Cross-Spectrum for the CM-140 Friday night at 10:41pm(according to Paypal) and it's being delivered today! There was no extra charge of any kind for this fast shipping! While spl meters is not among my fields of expertise,I'll be glad to give you a layman's review of it as I play with it,if you'd like(or not?).

I would like to hear what you think. Who knows I may be interested in one down the road. This is the meter they recommend for REW now, if you don't get a cal'ed Mic, but you still need a SPL meter to set the levels.

I think the front end is the same for the RS analog and digital meters but have not looked inside.

@sofast1: I am curious what the compensation curve looks like; post it if you can. Presumably it is only for your meter but I am curious as to the general shape.

Final thoughts first;my two F15HPs.Superb,spectacular,awsome,outstanding,fantastic,magni ficent;take your pick. These two subs surpassed my high expectations. They are equally tremendous for music and H/T. I've had them for 6 days,so they're 95% broken-in and tweaked. They still surprise me every day and make me smile! They're in a very high powered 5.2 system that's used for music(in 2.2) as much as H/T(in 5.2). The next room has a 2.2 music system with a pair of Velo DD12+. The Rythmiks sound better. They are fast,articulate,clean and deep for music and provide all the H/T chest thump and rumble you could need. Heck,when I played the first track of the RealTraps test cd, windows in other rooms rattled! For me, they are the perfect choice. My house is far from normal. For a start,it's only 800 sq. ft. w/1 bedroom. After 40+ years in the audio business(retired now & lovin' it!),I've accumulated a lot of gear(5 separate systems,no wife or waf!). Only a few pieces are considered "jewels";equipment that performs way beyond reason, that I'll keep forever. These Rythmik "gems" are here to stay! If you're reading this thread because you want a new sub,your only decision should be which Rythmik to buy. The fact that you can talk to the guy who designed them to help you chose and the customer service provided is the icing on the cake. Enjoy!

First inpressions; The Galaxy Audio CM-140 SPl meter. I purchased this from Cross-Spectrum for two reasons;it was the lowest price($126 total) and they calibrate it(0.0db deviation C weighted,-0.1db deviation A weighted. Sorry,no way to post). In one respect the company is like Rythmik;the guy you deal with(Herb) is the owner/calibrator/mail boy. I don't know how it got here so fast. I paid for it at 10:41 pm Fri.night and I received it noon today(Mon). USPS priority mail! It's approx 7" high,2" wide,1" deep w/a 1.5 x1.75" screen. About the size of a cordless phone. It feels solid,well built. The only con is you can't stand it up(the bottom is very slightly curved),have to lay it down. It comes with a 9v battery and wind screen. It's very,very easy to use. I quickly found out that my front three channels that were balanced by ear were not; the left front was 1/2 db louder than the right(big deal) and that the center was 4 db louder than the mains(that is a big deal). Also found out that my system can do 100db without strain! I've only played with it a little bit,but so far it's easy and accurate(no tables!). I'm glad I bought it.



R.I.P. Marvin Gaye,we lost him 28 years ago. Mercy,Mercy Me.

It's simple enough. They do this (for 0 degree, the FRD file has more entries):

O.K., spl meter gurus,lay some wisdom on me. I think I know what everything does,just not sure when to use it. A or C weighting,fast or slow. Which do I use when? Min/Max;when would I use "Min"? TIA!

Use C weighting and slow. A weighting roll off starts at 800Hz or something. At 100Hz, A weighting is -20dB.

As is clearly visible in the graphs posted just above Castano's post (sorry I never learned how to gett a tilde out of my keyboard).

IMO, even C weighting rolls well above the relevant frequencies for subs, but it gets a lot closer than A weighting. Works okay with pink noise test tones because they tend to not focus their power super-deep. Not acceptable for figuring out whether your system is flat to 20 Hz.

BTW, I seem to remember Ethan Winer did tests on a number of mics, comparing them to a "real" measurement mic (maybe an Earthworks). The mics were surprisingly decent down reasonably low, IIRC, including the one in the RS meter (you just have to use the mic output, bypassing the weighting curves).

Thanks! I did use "C" because I thought I remembered reading somewhere it had a wider response range. I used "slow" because it's easier to see the average levels. If I'm to always use "C" weighting for my audio system,when would "A" weighting be used? Also when would it be advantageous to use "fast" or "min"? Anybody? Thanks again for your help with my sub(s) order Enrico,I love 'em!

It's easy... you just 'copy' his spelling and then 'paste' it into your posting, like this... Castaño

You are correct I just finished reading it on the Real Traps web site and it was a Earthworks. I compared my Audessy mic to my RS meter in REW. With C weighting checked and no Cal file for the RS meter and no Cal or C weighting for the Audessy mic the curve they produced was identical. Only the RS meter read a few db high but I didn't reset the levels.

How do you know that the Audyssey mic+pre-amp have a C curve applied to the output?

Or you could use the combination alt + 164 on Windows machines :-)

In REW under Prefences where you load a cal file there is a check box labled "C weighted" I unchecked this box. And there is no pre-amp for a Audyssey Mic.

That's cheatin' rat thar.

Hey guys quick question! I'm a new member here, but not new to this forum as I have been lurking for quite some time now trying to research what subwoofer to get for my new house. Anyways I am very interested in the Rythmik FV12, especially since I work in Austin where they are located and can go by there and check out the place. Also, there is not much information out there on them, so I want to pick one up and post my thoughts and maybe some output measurements in an effort to educate others. I emailed Rythmik to find out exactly how much output this subwoofer has at 20hz and I received a response saying it puts out approximately 105db at 20hz. Judging by what I have researched online I am guessing that is pretty good output at that frequency? I was hoping some of you more experienced audio gurus could chime in and let me know your thoughts on that response I received from Rythmik.

I misread your post wrt the Audsyssey mic. The point I failed to make is that per Audyssey their mic families are consistent and have specific compensation curves. The confusing welter of information about the various models and versions of the Radio Shack meters suggests no particular consistency.

I just tried it... that is soooo cool. My wife is German and she has been using the alternate spellings for the umlaut sounds but I wonder if there isn't some other keyboard combination to get the umlaut symbols. Maybe I should just do an Internet search. Thanks for this info though.

EDIT: just found out how to change the keyboard to German... this is great!

Also, on mac computers just press Option + n and n then you'll get ñ

You'd be surprised what you can type with the + keys. Some examples starting with <128>:

à ü é â ä Ã* Ã¥ ç ê ë è ï î

Just hold down the key and type a three-digit number between 128 and 255. To see a list, consult an Extended ASCII Character chart like this:

http://www.asciitable.com/

I know that there have been a lot of reported inconsistencies with the Radio Shack meters but the way mine matches up so well with my Audussey mic makes me think I got one of the good ones. If they are off they are both off the same amount in the same places. Also I am only testing from 10-200Hz, from all that I've read there is very little variation between mic's and meters in this range. There is a shootout that I put a link to earlier on here and there is also one on the Real Traps web site that that may carry a little more weight but both come to the same conclusion that there is not a lot of variation between different Mic's and a few meters in the lower bass ranges above 10Hz or it may have been 20Hz to 200Hz. I am really only looking at 20-80Hz to EQ my Rythmik because my version of Audissey doesn't EQ the sub and then I'm only using one filter on my Behringer 1124 for one house curve and three for another that I use for movies. I don't feel you need an expensive Mic & pre-amp to EQ a sub, I know this will get some peoples dander up but the research that I've done backs this up. If I ever have to get another meter I will go with the same one that Sofast1 got, but for now I think what I have works well enough for my needs. Also I would like to thank Sofast1 for that great review of meter and Rythmik subs that he did a few posts up.
Larry

Anybody? I would rather not spend more money on a subwoofer if 100db at 20hz is sufficient? Although I could stretch my budget to $750 if necessary I don't have exact dimensions of the space the subwoofer is going to have to occupy, but it is on the large side and opens up to a breakfast area and kitchen. What do you guys think? Should I just pick up an Outlaw LFM1 EX, SVS PB12-NSD or HSU VTF-3 MK4 and be done with it or give the Rythmik FV12 a shot? This will be my first high end subwoofer.... Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

Have you visited data-bass.com yet JT? If not I think you should. It is a site operated by an avsforum member. The comparisons there could help you with not only Rythmik subs to one another, as well as other brands. Not only does the site offer comparisons, but it has a lot of nice general subwoofing info, like their myth section for example.