"Official" Audyssey thread (FAQ in post #1) - Page 1995

That hasn't been my experience, Audyssey and the miniDSP complement each other. The less correction Audyssey has to do, the better it does it.

Is this just for the programming of the minidsp or do you mean a dedicated pc hookup?!

The general advice is to run any other EQ tech first and then run Audyssey last.

It just needs to be hooked up to a pc when adjusting the filters. Of course this can be a laptop temporarily hooked up.

Is it Mac friendly? I was planning on a Mac mini with an external hard drive to re ripp all my music in Apple lossless files. Considering how far I have come in a matter of months I can't imagine not progressing to using all that is available

As far as I know it is not mac compatible. Perhaps running in compatibility mode (Bootcamp?).

 

Most (all?) Windows programs will run in Bootcamp. But as you need a copy of Windows installed on the Mac in order to do so, then IMO you may as well use a Windows machine. Suitable Windows laptops are available nowadays at very low prices and even used ones are good enough for running a few acoustic and audio programs as they are not especially demanding. I wouldn't normally use a Windows machine but I am glad I bought my (cheap) Windows laptop - initially for Audyssey Pro, then for OmniMic and now for REW. (REW will run on Macs under OS-X but I am sticking with Windows, for now, because the support is mostly using Windows.

This is it correct?

http://www.minidsp.com/products/acoustic-measurement/umik-1

It says recognizable by windows/mac/linux

As you probably know, just because the mic is compatible doesn't mean the program to use it will be.

Keith, good points about just using a cheap Windows laptop for running it.

Good it doesn't need to be a cheap Mac laptop as there aren't any.

You use REW correct?

 

Ain't that the truth. The cheapest comparable Mac laptop to my cheap Windows laptop is a staggering five times the price.

Please specify for me. You use REW and the minDSP mic together right? I have downloaded REW onto my Macbook and the mic is compatible with the macbook. I am surely misunderstanding something

I apologize. I forgot that there is a Mac compatible version of REW.

Ok, I was a bit confused because I have already downloaded REW on my macbook. I am unfamiliar with the software but plan on dissecting it in the near future.

I have 2 subs that are not identical. What I want to know is once Audyssey (just multeq version) is complete will it set the volume gain exactly the same for both or will I have to go up/down on the back of the sub gain knob to adjust and if so how do I know which sub is off since Audyssey sets them as one?

Hi guys,

This isn't strictly an Audyssey question but it seems Audyssey might have an impact so I thought I would ask here.

Basically, I'm wondering whether I can add a SVS NSD PB12 to my HT room that currently has a Velodyne DLS-4000R. Getting two SVS subs isn't really an option as I really only have two spots I can place a subwoofer in my room and one of them is too small for the SVS (the Velo fits just barely).

I know Audyssey recommends using identical subs so my other option is to relocate the sub from my second HT room which is a Velodyne CHT-12 (virtually identical specs to the DLS-4000R) - so I guess I'm wondering which of these options would produce the better results.

Incidentally, I have a Denon 4520 AVR which has XT32 and SubEQ HT.

 

What's your version of MultEQ?  XT?  What is your AVR? 

 

I am assuming you have XT and the AVR is connected to the subs via a Y cable or via two sub outlets that are effectively an 'internal' Y cable.

 

Check out this FAQ answer and see if it solves it for you:

 

f)2.    How do I connect and set up two subwoofers?

You might set them separately at -75db, then Y-connect them to the AVR. You can use Audyssey to set each one separately as if you were going to do a calibration. Once done, then Y-connect them and run a calibration.

 

The two most similar subs will work best. If you use dissimilar subs, Audyssey will EQ to the limits of the lesser sub, thus negating some of the benefits of the better sub.

 

You might care to read this FAQ answer too:

 

f)8.    How does Audyssey handle complex multiple subwoofer setups?

The performance of my 15" Exodus Tempest (I think that's its name) is definitely limited by the 12" Exodus sub I use with it. The 15" is capable of significant output below 20Hz while the 12" is not, limiting both.

Do you mean connect one sub with the Y adapter, run Audyssey and then disconnect the 1st sub and conncet the second sub, run Audyssey and then just connect both subs and be done?

Thanks, I didn't realize that - I thought SubEQ HT was supposed to get around that. So do you think I might actually be better off with just the one SVS NSD PB12 - my room is about 2,700 cubic feet and I noticed Audioholics' review indicated it was large room certified.

Also, just so I understand correctly, if my Velodyne doesn't have much in the way of bass under 28Hz does this mean that the SVS would be limited to that as well even if it has usable bass at 20Hz and below?

I have a of bass management question. I know Audyssey says if you have a sub then your speakers are small. Is it bad to run double bass from your AVR/proccesor? For example setting powered towers to large and subwoofer yes. I know we are told not to do this but what exactly does this do the bass management? Why is it not a good idea? I am simply trying to understand why. Thanks all!

I'm just thinking if audyssey EQ'd them and set them to large then we know that it won't offset Audyssey's special EQ effects. I think it just sends the same bass frequencies to both the towers and the sub correct? If this is so does it take away from the dedicated sub? Like less bass if it is going to both towers and sub?

Here's the important thing to understand about bass management -- the subwoofer gets TWO different audio sources. One is the LFE channel, the "point 1" in 5.1 or 7.1 audio systems. This LFE channels is a special low frequency effects track that supplements the bass in the other channels with heavy duty effects (rumbles, explosions, etc) and this track ONLY goes to the subwoofer.

In addition, the subwoofer will play "redirected bass", that is, the bass below the crossover frequency from the main speakers channels for any speaker set to small. This is the "bass management" part of the equation.

These two inputs -- LFE channel content plus redirected bass from other channels -- are summed and sent out to the subwoofer channel via the RCA pre-out.

So what happens if you set your front speakers to large is that the subwoofer will still play the LFE channel, but it will NOT play any redirected bass from the FR/FL main channels. Your DT towers will probably be fine down to 40-50Hz or so, and you should still get a nice full audio experience, but you are probably tossing out some of the lowest frequency content that exists in these channels.

If you leave the FR/FL speakers set as large but enable "double bass" (in Denons this is the LFE+MAIN setting) then the subwoofer will get a COPY of the low bass in the main channels, in addition to the LFE channel. So with this setting, the FR/FL main speakers will get full range content, and the subwoofer will play the LFE channel plus that copy of the bass in the main channels. So the subwoofer and FR/FL main speakers will be duplicating the signal for the low bass in the main channels.

The reason it's generally not a good idea is twofold. First, the "double bass" is taking you away from "reference" by replicating the bass in multiple channels, meaning you are getting more bass than is actually called for in the soundtrack. Some people actually prefer this though, it's common for people to like hot/bloated bass on a subjective level. The second reason is that the interaction of the multiple bass sources is unpredictable. With the same bass signal being reproduced by two speakers (main + sub), you could end up with a non-flat response in the bass region due to cancellation, basically undoing some of the good work that Audyssey has done EQ'ing the sub.

The broader reason is that the subwoofer is guaranteed to be BETTER at reproducing this low bass than the main speakers. So maybe you lower the crossover to 60 or even 40 hz to get more bass out of the front speakers, but the ultra-low stuff really should be going to the subwoofer. That's what it is designed to do.

Go ahead and try out the "double bass" setting, you may prefer it subjectively, but just be aware that you are deviating from reference with this. If you wan the bass a little hotter, it's more advisable to simply use normal bass management (Small/80Hz) and then turn up the sub channel a few dB's.

For the sake of learning let me ask a few questions. Since Audyssey did the EQ work on the fronts and the sub how would they undo some of the work Audyssey has done. I mean if audyssey set the towers to large at first then it would be ok right? Or is it cancelled because of the LFE+main selection?

What is reference? 75db across the board?

^btw thanks for your response. I am enjoying learning this stuff. I have found a new hobby/interest.

And the sub can be moved to the location in the room where bass sounds BETTER. Can't do that with the main speakers, at least not without ruining the soundstage.

jlpowell84,

Audyssey's calibration assumes you will enable bass management for all speakers. I.e. you have to set all Large speakers to Small. With speakers set to Large and LFE+MAIN enabled, you'll hear overlapping low frequencies coming from both the subwoofer and the main speakers, making those overlapping frequencies louder than was intended by the person who mixed the audio tracks on the disc.

"Reference" is what the audio mixer intended. Movie sound track audio levels are set to a calibrated level (unlike CD audio). Once your receiver has been calibrated by Audyssey, when you set it to the relative volume level of 0dB, you'll hear exactly the sound level intended for movie theaters . In most homes, though, it's much too loud, so most people tend to listen to movies at about -20 to -25 db.