Calibration info?

kelley

I ordered the Digital Video Essentials disc tonight and I was tooling around SVS's site and noticed that they say Radio Shack is discontinuing the analog spl meter. I remember seeing one at my local store a couple of days ago so I guess tomorrow is the day I buy. I haven't bothered calibrating anything other than by ear because I've been satisfied with the sound but I guess enough people have said that they really improved everything even though they didn't think it was possible. Where is a link to using the spl and DVE disc? I looked but couldn't come up with anything. I know we have to have some info stashed away somewhere here! Unless the Doc wants to run up here to Maine on the weekend and help out.;)

pjdami

Kelley,

Yes go and get the Radio Shack analog before it is too late! I can't believe they are going to stop making those things. I have used both the analog and digital and the analog I find is more stable and allows one to take a good reading.

Doc helped me this past week on some calibrations. You might want to start here:

http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14847

Send me a PM if you want me to send you the spreadsheet with all of the calibration factors built in.

Nice sub you have!
Paul

dave shepard

Set your reciever volume to 00 and run the test tones on the disc. Adjust each speaker seperately untill you get it it read 85dbl on the meter. The meter setting is 85dbl and the meters needle will be on 0 the RS meter is 4-5dbl lower then it should, so you will need to compensate, the meter will now read +4/+5dbl do this for all speakers. When you get to the sub the Avia disc I use is 8-9dbl lite so compensate accordingly if it is the same for your disc (I'm not sure about that disc). Also set your recievers sub level to -5 and adjust using the subs gain (volume) control. There are some that have still found that the rear sounded too low, so in the end it is still up to you as to what sounds best and you will see that even the slightest change in the room can have an effect on SQ. My wife is always doing something and in her doing so makes me change settings, this last one (christmas tree) has a big effect on sound levels, kinda fun, kinda PITA.

Good luck and have fun

Dave

Dr. Spec

The DVE disc subwoofer calibration tone is mastered WAY too high. It will yield a weak sub calibration. JKP is aware of the problem - check their website for details or email him direct.

kelley

Thanks for the info. I'm sure that once my disc arrives and I start I will have a few more ?'s

walk

I've found the meter somewhat useful but honestly, it sounds better if I just calibrate it by ear. Every time I try to match it up exactly with the meter, it's all wonky. The center and surrounds are too low, especially the back-surround, if I calilbrate it on the meter I can't even hear with normal programming. I think the mic in that thing pics up the white noise a lot better than normal sounds.

I find it's better for me to put on some music and use the "all-channel stereo" mode, then adjust each speaker until they are the same. At least, I do that then check it with the meter and sometimes tweak it a little here and there. But there's no substitute for using the old Eardrum Mk I.

Dr. Spec

Originally posted by walk
Every time I try to match it up exactly with the meter, it's all wonky. The center and surrounds are too low, especially the back-surround, if I calilbrate it on the meter I can't even hear with normal programming.

If that is the case, you might be doing something wrong?

Nearly everyone reports better system balance, cohesion, soundstage, panning after channel balancing and calibration.

walk

I think it's just because my room is small and I sit pretty close to the center and surround LR channels but the front LR and especially the back surround are much farther away (5ft for center, 6 for surrounds, 9+ for LR and back).

It's not a huge difference between the two, talking +/- 2-3db. In fact if you set all my speakers to 0db you're about 90% there already.

Settings are like:
Left 0db
Center -2db
Right 0db
SL +1db
SB +3db
SR +1db
Sub +8db (sleepy auto-on circuit)

If I go strictly by the meter it's more like
Left 0
Center -5
Right 0
SL 0
SB +1
SR 0

The center especially is too low to hear dialog well sometimes, and the surround back is nearly inaudible.

I think that white noise just bounces off the walls more than normal program material does, as I said the room is pretty small (12x16) with hard surfaces all around - 1 large drywall wall, 1 is solid wood, the back is drywall with a large sliding-glass door, and the ceiling is solid wood. I think room-gain is just tricking the meter with that white noise.

tapeshc

As adviced, today I went to Radioshack and bought the analog SPL meter.

I was just wondering why analog is considered better than digital.

Possibly reading a digital meter will be more easy and accurate, but havent used either so cant comment or understand.

Please help !

pjdami

Tapesh,

From my experience with both the digital and analog meter, the analog needle doesn't jump around like the numbers on the digital and is easier for one to visualize an average but on the 10 second bass test tones it goes rock steady and doesn't move at all once it is there.

P.