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Question on REW hardware required.

post #1 of 21
1/27/12 at 6:46am
Thread Starter 
So I don't know much about computers.

If I ...

Download REW
Have a Conexant SmartAudio HD card in my laptop... thus has up to 36db boost internal.
Plug in the Antimode 8033 mic into the mic in 3.5 input
Plug a 3.5 to RCA cable from headphone out to AVR

Should I be good to at least get started?

Thanks
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post #2 of 21
1/27/12 at 9:14am
1. I do not know anything about the Conexant SmartAudio HD card.
2. The Anti-Mode 8033 mic might require phantom power. Have you tried it to see if your computer will get a signal from it?
3. You will need a correction curve for this mic but, afaik, DSPeaker does not provide one.
4. Not sure if REW supports headphone out as opposed to line out.

Still, the only way to know is to try it. Might work but the correction curve issue will remain.
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post #3 of 21
1/27/12 at 10:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kal Rubinson View Post

3. You will need a correction curve for this mic but, afaik, DSPeaker does not provide one.

It is more probable than not that the Anti-Mode mic does not work without its own micamp with a soundcard, but it does not hurt to try.

You can get the calibration file from: http://www.dspeaker.com/en/products/...ment-kit.shtml .
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post #4 of 21
1/27/12 at 10:59am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the helpful replies...

Okay, so I have REW download, but not installed yet.
I have the AM8033 mic.
I have the AM mic CAL file
I have a 25ft patch cable of various connections to go to AVR

What else would I need to get to get me up and running this afternoon? Like the phantom power mic amp mentioned. I assume those are like the ones mentioned in the REW help file.
Preferrably something that can be purchased at a local music store, BB, or RS.

Thanks!
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post #5 of 21
1/27/12 at 11:09am
See if you can find the M-Audio MobilePre USB. It has the phantom mic support you mentioned and works really well with REW. You'll need a phono (1/4") to mono adapter from Radio Shack and then you'll be all set.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2062455

The initial REW setup is a little intricate, but stick with it and it'll be easy as pie. Once the initial setup is complete you'll never have to do it again unless you move to a different PC/laptop, so measuring is quick and easy.

This is a fantastic reference for REW.
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post #6 of 21
1/27/12 at 11:27am
Thread Starter 
Great. Thanks. I found it at a local Guitar Center. I will hop over there and pick it up.

I suppose that they would also have mics that are better than the AM8033 mic?
Is it worth getting one of those too? Or will the AM mic be okay for initial measurement.

I have the AM8033, so I don't technically need an additional EQ for the sub, right? Unless I want to remove the AM and just use the new EQ? Just for grins, let's say that further down the line I decide I would like to either swap out the AM for a true sub EQ... will this micamp work to transmit info to the EQ, or would I need to buy a new mic amp? If the answer is a new mic amp, then should I get the other one right from the start now?

Thanks!
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post #7 of 21
1/27/12 at 11:42am
I'm not sure about the anti-mode mic, but if it isn't compatible see if that Guitar Center carries the Behringer ECM8000. Home Theater Shack has a generic calibration file you can use with it. It's a great little mic and plugs right into the MobilePre USB. Get yourself a mic cable too .

Isn't the Anti-Mode already a true sub EQ?
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post #8 of 21
1/27/12 at 11:52am
Thread Starter 
Thanks!

Yes. The AM is a sub-only EQ. But it's all automatic. There are no adjustments you can make to the curve. But, it does have a Bypass selection and a 25hz or 35hz lift selection. Just press two buttons and let it do it's thing. Done.

I am pretty damn happy with the results in the ~1.5 years I've had it in my two-sub system.

I'm getting REW and all this other stuff to put some numbers to things. I'd be curious I guess if the graphs with AM come back as lacking still, as AM can only knock down peaks, not raise nulls, if a true adjustable sub EQ would help with that.

I guess I'll find out, won't I?
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post #9 of 21
1/27/12 at 12:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADDUpstate View Post

Thanks for the helpful replies...

Okay, so I have REW download, but not installed yet.
I have the AM8033 mic.
I have the AM mic CAL file
I have a 25ft patch cable of various connections to go to AVR

What else would I need to get to get me up and running this afternoon? Like the phantom power mic amp mentioned. I assume those are like the ones mentioned in the REW help file.
Preferrably something that can be purchased at a local music store, BB, or RS.

Thanks!

More to read.

http://www.hometheatershack.com/foru...ng-thread.html
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post #10 of 21
1/27/12 at 1:05pm
If you're computer sound card is adequate to run REW (typically they will be as long as you have a line out, speak-out and mic-in setup vs just a speaker-out and mic-in connection), personally I'd skip the mic and phantom power preamp thing and get one of these...

http://www.cross-spectrum.com/measur...ted_cm140.html

I believe they can be calibrated to 5hz from CSS and you skip part of the annoyance of needing both an SPL meter and a separate Mic, and the annoyance of needing something that can provide power to the mic.
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post #11 of 21
1/27/12 at 1:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADDUpstate View Post

Thanks!

Yes. The AM is a sub-only EQ. But it's all automatic. There are no adjustments you can make to the curve. But, it does have a Bypass selection and a 25hz or 35hz lift selection. Just press two buttons and let it do it's thing. Done.

I am pretty damn happy with the results in the ~1.5 years I've had it in my two-sub system.

I'm getting REW and all this other stuff to put some numbers to things. I'd be curious I guess if the graphs with AM come back as lacking still, as AM can only knock down peaks, not raise nulls, if a true adjustable sub EQ would help with that.

I guess I'll find out, won't I?

Indeed you will. The good news is the Behringer 1124p parametric EQ is only $100 and will allow you to boost and cut. It's a great EQ. Hopefully you won't need it, though. Good luck!
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post #12 of 21
1/27/12 at 2:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADDUpstate View Post

Thanks for the helpful replies...

Okay, so I have REW download, but not installed yet.
I have the AM8033 mic.
I have the AM mic CAL file
I have a 25ft patch cable of various connections to go to AVR

What else would I need to get to get me up and running this afternoon? Like the phantom power mic amp mentioned. I assume those are like the ones mentioned in the REW help file.
Preferrably something that can be purchased at a local music store, BB, or RS.

Thanks!

It is not clear to me if phantom power is required but, since you have everything but that, why not try it out. Ignore my earlier dire warnings as they were based more on logic and pessimism than knowledge.

BTW, here's another vote for the MobilePre.
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post #13 of 21
1/27/12 at 3:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kal Rubinson View Post

It is not clear to me if phantom power is required but, since you have everything but that, why not try it out. Ignore my earlier dire warnings as they were based more on logic and pessimism than knowledge.

BTW, here's another vote for the MobilePre.


Thanks for all the input everyone...

Okay, so I picked up the M-Audio MobilePre USB at Guitar Center today.

It was used and the only one they had, so they gave me a pretty good deal. The box was all beat up, and the unit had a couple scratches on it, but what could be wrong, right? It's all solid state in there I would think.

Anyway, this thing is pissing me off right now... I don't have time now to go down stairs and hook it for real, but I thought I'd play with it to see how everything gets set up for now...

When I go to calibrate the unit through REW, I loop the 1/4" mono patch cord from the input to the output. Everything comes up on the REW screen just fine.

I can't for the life of me get the damn input signal to match exactly to -12db... I turn the knob a little, and it goes by 0.10 pretty slowly, but then when I get close to the -12 area, it seems like you could blow on the knob and it'll go from -13 to -10 and vice versa. Any finer adjustment that can help me dial it in? Any work around. Is this a faulty unit? It would seem that a digital unit would be easier to dial in.

Help.
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post #14 of 21
1/27/12 at 3:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADDUpstate View Post

Thanks for all the input everyone...

Okay, so I picked up the M-Audio MobilePre USB at Guitar Center today.

It was used and the only one they had, so they gave me a pretty good deal. The box was all beat up, and the unit had a couple scratches on it, but what could be wrong, right? It's all solid state in there I would think.

Anyway, this thing is pissing me off right now... I don't have time now to go down stairs and hook it for real, but I thought I'd play with it to see how everything gets set up for now...

When I go to calibrate the unit through REW, I loop the 1/4" mono patch cord from the input to the output. Everything comes up on the REW screen just fine.

I can't for the life of me get the damn input signal to match exactly to -12db... I turn the knob a little, and it goes by 0.10 pretty slowly, but then when I get close to the -12 area, it seems like you could blow on the knob and it'll go from -13 to -10 and vice versa. Any finer adjustment that can help me dial it in? Any work around. Is this a faulty unit? It would seem that a digital unit would be easier to dial in.

Help.

It's pretty twitchy :-) Just a light touch will do it.
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post #15 of 21
1/27/12 at 4:27pm
Thread Starter 
Twitchy????? Twitchy is your hand after a long night of drinking... this is way beyond twitchy.

So how close does it really need to be?

Thanks!
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post #16 of 21
1/27/12 at 4:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADDUpstate View Post

Twitchy????? Twitchy is your hand after a long night of drinking... this is way beyond twitchy.

So how close does it really need to be?

Thanks!

Doesn't have to be exact. Within a db is fine IMO.
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post #17 of 21
1/27/12 at 4:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADDUpstate View Post

Twitchy????? Twitchy is your hand after a long night of drinking... this is way beyond twitchy.

So how close does it really need to be?

Thanks!

Nuts to that, shakey or you didn't do it right.
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post #18 of 21
1/27/12 at 5:07pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sputter1 View Post

Nuts to that, shakey or you didn't do it right.


That's what she said!

When the bed broke.


(At least that's what my father used to say... He would have been 98 this year.)
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post #19 of 21
1/27/12 at 6:56pm
That's because you don't adjust the knob on the MobilePre during the sound card calibration process; you use the slider built into the software on the PC. When calibrating, leave the gain for the MobilePre at half way up. Then use the slider within the M-Audio software to get it level matched. From that point on, every time you plug in the MobilePre it will save your level adjustment settings within the software and set them as default. Once the sound card calibration is complete, turn the gain knob on the MobilePre all the way up again, or just below clip levels.

Hope that helps.
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post #20 of 21
1/27/12 at 7:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nuance View Post

That's because you don't adjust the knob on the MobilePre during the sound card calibration process; you use the slider built into the software on the PC. When calibrating, leave the gain for the MobilePre at half way up. Then use the slider within the M-Audio software to get it level matched. From that point on, every time you plug in the MobilePre it will save your level adjustment settings within the software and set them as default. Once the sound card calibration is complete, turn the gain knob on the MobilePre all the way up again, or just below clip levels.

Hope that helps.


I'm sorry but I don't follow you.

So I installed the driver for the MobilePre, but I need to install one of the software discs?

So then I adjust the slider in this software to calibrate the soundcard within REW, then I turn the gain knob all the way up? How does the software overcome the gain knob being all the way up?

Man I must be stupid.
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post #21 of 21
1/28/12 at 7:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADDUpstate View Post

I'm sorry but I don't follow you.

So I installed the driver for the MobilePre, but I need to install one of the software discs?

So then I adjust the slider in this software to calibrate the soundcard within REW, then I turn the gain knob all the way up? How does the software overcome the gain knob being all the way up?

Man I must be stupid.

Yes, install the software disc and open the M-Audio volume control and use that to adjust the output and input. Be sure to follow the instructions from the Home Theater Shack forum that I linked to you earlier. Playing with the M-Audio levels is only for the soundcard calibration; once that's done you just turn the gain back up on the soundcard and move forward with using REW.
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