[nemoreborn]

hola , like title says , what do i need if i wanna use REW , i already have the laptop ... and i think i have read auround i need a external sound card ...


any1 can give me a tips and tell me everything i need to run REW ... i was about to buy a SPL meter , but i think i could use REW as spl meter !???



so i guess i need the software / external sound card ( no clue wich one ) / and a mic !?!?! dunno what kind either.

 

[Mike Garrett]



Quote:
Originally Posted by nemoreborn  /t/1467641/what-is-needed-for-rew#post_23186600


hola , like title says , what do i need if i wanna use REW , i already have the laptop ... and i think i have read auround i need a external sound card ...


any1 can give me a tips and tell me everything i need to run REW ... i was about to buy a SPL meter , but i think i could use REW as spl meter !???



so i guess i need the software / external sound card ( no clue wich one ) / and a mic !?!?! dunno what kind either.

Read this thread: http://www.avsforum.com/t/1449924/simplified-rew-setup-and-use-usb-mic-hdmi-connection-including-measurement-techniques-and-how-to-interpret-graphs

 

[basshead81]

edit* better explanation below.

 

[basshead81]

ok so i chatted with johnm over at home theatre shack. he said my setup will work fine. if you use a usb mic such as the dayton umm-6 then you dont need to calibrate the sound car nor is a external card needed.


this is all you will need:



Laptop(im using a hp g70 with windows 7)

Download REW

Dayton umm-6 usb mic kit (check out parts express.com)

Spl meter( to make sure mic is calibrated correctly with rew)

Hdmi cable

Ear plugs

 

[nemoreborn]

So REW is used to take some mesurement , but REW cant actualy ''Fix thing'' like antimode ... REW cant do like ypao or odyssey do right !?

 

[nemoreborn]



Quote:
Originally Posted by basshead81  /t/1467641/what-is-needed-for-rew#post_23188556


ok so i chatted with johnm over at home theatre shack. he said my setup will work fine. if you use a usb mic such as the dayton umm-6 then you dont need to calibrate the sound car nor is a external card needed.


this is all you will need:



Laptop(im using a hp g70 with windows 7)

Download REW

Dayton umm-6 usb mic kit (check out parts express.com)

Spl meter( to make sure mic is calibrated correctly with rew)

Hdmi cable

Ear plugs

i have everything exept the mic .. ill probly buy the same as yours ... any reason with u used Hdmi?? i have a Y wire 1/8mm to Rca R/L !?


Ive found a website where u can buy the same Mic as you but allready calibrated !? should i buy this ? or its easy to calibrate ?

 

[basshead81]



Quote:
Originally Posted by nemoreborn  /t/1467641/what-is-needed-for-rew#post_23189862


i have everything exept the mic .. ill probly buy the same as yours ... any reason with u used Hdmi?? i have a Y wire 1/8mm to Rca R/L !?


Ive found a website where u can buy the same Mic as you but allready calibrated !? should i buy this ? or its easy to calibrate ?

I used hdmi because its what input I have on the front of my rx-v773 and I had a spare cable anyway. My dayton mic came with a calibration file to plug into rew, but its still not accurate. You need to run rew spl calibration utility, then turn on a spl meter and match rew to what the spl meter says...then its calibrated. Check my thread out for before and after calibration graphs. My last graphs posted are with everything dialed and working correctly.

 

[nemoreborn]



Quote:
Originally Posted by basshead81  /t/1467641/what-is-needed-for-rew#post_23189879


I used hdmi because its what input I have on the front of my rx-v773 and I had a spare cable anyway. My dayton mic came with a calibration file to plug into rew, but its still not accurate. You need to run rew spl calibration utility, then turn on a spl meter and match rew to what the spl meter says...then its calibrated. Check my thread out for before and after calibration graphs. My last graphs posted are with everything dialed and working correctly.

where is that tread ? how can i acces to your tread ?

 

[basshead81]

 http://www.avsforum.com/t/1466140/need-some-opinions-please


skip to the last 2 pages.

 

[nemoreborn]

i want to buy a SPL meter .. any model suggested ??? and do i have to calibrate the spl meter if i buy it brand new ?? cm-130 good ???

 

[BeeMan458]



Quote:
Originally Posted by nemoreborn  /t/1467641/what-is-needed-for-rew#post_23190737


i want to buy a SPL meter .. any model suggested ???

Not sure what you mean when you post: "if i buy it brand new ?? cm-130 good ???"

This is the model I use. Very, very happy with it. I have several models, including the discontinued digital Radio Shack model that's so popular but after trying four sound level meters this is the one I settled on.


I went with this model because I wanted better then what Radio Shack had to offer. With this unit you have a Type 2 standard as opposed to an unrated Type 3.


The recently introduced digital Radio Shack model is much better featured so you'll have to ask others who might have purchased it if they're happy with it. The old version is discontinued and Radio Shack's website shows that it's no longer available.


As to calibration, for what ever reason, calibration devices are very, very expensive. This is the calibration device I use. I found it to be the best priced calibrator that I could find. A simple to use appliance that outwardly, seems to be grossly overpriced. Maybe someone else can explain why sound level meter calibration devices are so expensive because in that regard, I'm clueless.


Calibration consists of simply sticking the calibration device on the end of the sound level meter, turning the sound level meter and the calibrator on and then using a small flat tipped screwdriver to twist the sound meter's calibration potentiometer screw, match the sound meter display panel information to the the SPL being generated by the calibrator and voila, instant calibration. Turn everything off, put everything away and your sound level meter is now calibrated.


Hope the above helps answer your question.


-

 

[nemoreborn]

this is stupid , i need a calibration thingy to calibrate my spl meter , because i need the spl meter to calibrate my Rew's mic with Rew's spl meter ..

facepalm

 

[nemoreborn]

i think ill just buy a already calibrated Mic right there : http://cross-spectrum.com/measurement/calibrated_umm6.html

 

[BeeMan458]

A microphone is not a sound level meter as you can't use a microphone to calibrate you subwoofer and you need a sound meter to calibrate REW but some do use the microphone in their sound meter to collect REW measurements.


It's all dependent on how technical (anal) you wish to be with REW and how you view your final results; casual vs exact.


For peace of mind, I like as much exactness as reasonably possible. Insecurity? Of course, "reasonably" being a subjective term. Others are casual and say using a Radio Shack digital sound meter's microphone for taking measurements is exacting enough. Considering the level of expertise available on this forum, there's no reason to doubt the veracity of their statements.


I went the anal route and have sound meter, calibrator and non-powered microphone as everything is connected to a desktop, thirty-five feet away and I can't use a USB microphone but I did end up with a way cool calibrated sound meter I feel comfortable using for measurement purposes.


From the gear list I suggested, I found that for one to purchase better, one will find that it gets expensive, fast.


-

 

[nemoreborn]



Quote:
Originally Posted by BeeMan458  /t/1467641/what-is-needed-for-rew#post_23190834


A microphone is not a sound level meter as you can't use a microphone to calibrate you subwoofer and you need a sound meter to calibrate REW but some do use the microphone in their sound meter to collect REW measurements.


It's all dependent on how technical (anal) you wish to be with REW and how you view your final results; casual vs exact.


For peace of mind, I like as much exactness as reasonably possible. Insecurity? Of course, "reasonably" being a subjective term. Others are casual and say using a Radio Shack digital sound meter's microphone for taking measurements is exacting enough. Considering the level of expertise available on this forum, there's no reason to doubt the veracity of their statements.


I went the anal route and have sound meter, calibrator and non-powered microphone as everything is connected to a desktop, thirty-five feet away and I can't use a USB microphone but I do have a way cool sound meter.

well using a microphone pluged to a laptop using the REW spl meter should be exactly the same as using a Spl meter itself no !?!?!?!

 

[nemoreborn]



Quote:
Originally Posted by nemoreborn  /t/1467641/what-is-needed-for-rew#post_23190846


well using a microphone pluged to a laptop using the REW spl meter should be exactly the same as using a Spl meter itself no !?!?!?!

but i do need a Spl meter to calibrate the REW's spl internal meter tho ...



oh jeez im confused ...

 

[BeeMan458]



Quote:
Originally Posted by nemoreborn  /t/1467641/what-is-needed-for-rew#post_23190846


well using a microphone pluged to a laptop using the REW spl meter should be exactly the same as using a Spl meter itself no !?!?!?!

No. A microphone is dumb and does nothing but sit there, acting as a pass through device to the computer, a sensor device if you will. A sound level meter, has the microphone and the ability to convert the measurements into usable information; In this case, the sound pressure level being recorded. And just like a sound meter needs occasional calibration, REW needs being calibrated and in order to calibrate REW, REW needs a comparison value which is the value it receives using the microphone and the comparative value entered using a separate sound meter.


In the meantime, prior to running REW room measurement sweeps, one needs a sound meter to calibrate the gain settings on their subwoofer so as to set the base, pre-calibration volume level.


A proper REW kit requires a sound level meter, a measuring microphone, downloaded to their computer (laptop or desktop) REW software with necessary cabling to connect everything.


To save money, one can use the microphone that comes with the Radio Shack sound level meter.


-

 

[nemoreborn]



Quote:
Originally Posted by BeeMan458  /t/1467641/what-is-needed-for-rew#post_23190867


No. A microphone is dumb and does nothing but sits there acting as a pass through device to the computer, as sensor if you will. A sound level meter, has the microphone and the ability to convert the measurements into usable information. In this case, the sound pressure level being recorded. Just like the sound meter needs occasional calibration, REW needs being calibrated and in order to calibrate REW, REW needs a comparison value which is the value it reads from the microphone and the value entered using a sound meter. In the meantime, prior to running REW room measurement sweeps, one needs a sound meter to calibrate the gain settings on their subwoofer and one needs a separate sound level meter to do this with.


A proper REW kit requires a sound level meter, a measuring microphone, downloded REW software downloaded to their computer (laptop or desktop) with necessary cabling to connect everything.


To save money, one can use the microphone that comes with the Radio Shack sound level meter.

ok i got you now ... but if i buy a SPL meter , is it already calibrated !? or i have to buy that calibration thingy absolutly !?

 

[BeeMan458]

It's already calibrated but like anything getting knocked about, thing's go out of calibration. So I bought a calibrator to verify the sound meter's calibration. It's not a necessary item but as the saying goes; "What price, peace of mind?"


I went some fifteen years with a Radio Shack, digital sound meter and didn't know about calibration devices and survived.

Then I land on this forum and became all uber worried about, how do I know if I'm getting an accurate sound level reading? And the answer came back in my head: well tiger, the only way you'll know is if you hit the hip and buy a calibration device. In the end, I'm probably the only one here who has one as I haven't read of anyone else having one and there are some great technical minds working on this forum who are much more up on this stuff than I.


The point, if you don't have a calibration device, you'll be in good company but if you don't have a calibration device, you'll never know.


...


-

 

[Alan P]

All you need is:

• USB Mic
• USB extension cable (if needed)
• Laptop (or PC) with HDMI out
• HDMI cable
• SPL Meter

That is all.


If you don't have a laptop or PC with HDMI out, it gets a little more complicated. But, it sounds like you do, soooo.....