# REW Help



## Guest (May 24, 2006)

Hi everyone

I'm just staring out using the REW and am confused :scratch: 
Can anyone give me some starting out hints?


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

How far have you gotten?

Is everything connected? Levels set? etc., etc.

Oh yeah... have you read the Online HELP files? It's somewhat of a step-by-step guide.


----------



## Guest (May 30, 2006)

Ah reading the online help does help


----------



## Guest (May 30, 2006)

Hum,
Way over my head, sure would be nice though. 
Joe


----------



## toecheese (May 3, 2006)

The software is great, but not intuitive. It has taken me a while, but I'm getting better at it.

The step that I kept missing was the part about getting my soundcard profiled. In this step, you unplug the cables from the sound meter and which go to your BFD or receiver, and put in a loopback cable. It then tests the soundcard against itself. 

Then you go back and hook everything up again.


----------



## Guest (May 30, 2006)

Glad that you are getting it. I wish I could, but I would need a tuitor.
Joe


----------



## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

Lots of tutors here Joe.

Do you have a BFD (Behringer Feedback destroyer) or have a desire to purchase one?

brucek


----------



## Guest (Jun 4, 2006)

Brucek,
I don't have one, but neither do I have a laptop. I have read the thread on EQ Wizard, but really wouldn;t know how to start. I do have a Radio Shak SPL and have done LF Sweeps, I also have placed acoustics in the room, but that had no scientific approach. I probably have done as much harm as good with my placements. My room is hard to figure, because has an open space. I will post a few pictures and maybe you have a suggestion or 2. Thanks for your interest. 
Joe


----------



## Guest (Jun 4, 2006)

brucek,
The room is 16 x 25', viewing and listening area is 16 x 14' to the curtain divider. I have 
2x8' panels or 705 in 3 corner, 2 are behind the front speakers, and 1 in the right corner facing the screen. There are 3, 2 x 4' panels on the right wall, 2 on the back wall and behind the curtains on the back wall is filled with 703. Don't know what to do with the part of the room beyond the curtains. I was hoping that the reflections were too far to worry about. I am in the process of getting a thick 8 x 12' carpet for the floor to replace the small one. 
As you can see, I have tried, just an old guy, 63, trying to learn something new, with little experience. It's hard. 
I could certainly purchase a BFD, but just reading the thread confused me. Most of the terminology, I don't understand. Thanks again for the reply.
Joe


----------



## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

Joe, that room looks very nice. You've done a great job.

Anyone that can do LF sweeps and produce a proper graph as you've done can certainly operate a BFD. You really don't need to use the REW software to set up a few filters on a BFD (parametric equalizer). The method you're using will suffice. 

The REW software simply makes it incredibly quick and accurate, which allows changes and observing the result in a second. To do an LF sweep and produce the hand drawn chart you've provided wouldn't be considered immediate feedback - but still effective.

The change that's obviously required for your room (that you are already taking care of) is that reflective floor. Yikes, that must provide a **** of an echo. Impulse response would be interesting. The carpet will really help there.

The dimensions of your room provide first order axial mode resonances at 22.5Hz, 35.3Hz and 70.5Hz. The peak at ~35Hz bears this out. That peak is in an area that will produce predominant bass levels that creates somewhat of a 'one note bass' sound. It would be nice to reduce that peak at 35Hz if possible. A BFD would do it easily. 

The BFD simply installs in line between your receiver/processor and subwoofer. You manually set a cut filter at 35Hz of a desired dB setting and a bandwidth at a desired width and then redo your manual LF response test and see if you've tamed the beast. It ain't too difficult...

brucek


----------



## Guest (Jun 4, 2006)

brucek,
I just finished doing a sweep with just my fronts. Maybe you would be so kind as to explain this to me. My speakers are Paradygm 100's. I have the crossover set at 80 in the preamp. I have my speakers all set to small. I don't understand how the fronts are producing 87 or 88 db at the 30 thru 70 range and even 77 at 20. I am going to run a sweep now with just the sub., which is a Hsu. VTF3-Mk2 and is set behind the couch to the right of the main seating position.
How do I purchase the BFD, and where? Does it act as a regular EQ? Sorry for all the questions. I have never had or used and EQ. Thanks again.
Joe


----------



## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> I don't understand how the fronts are producing 87 or 88 db at the 30 thru 70 range and even 77 at 20


Well, somethings wacky for sure. Even on large I can't imagine your P-100's producing that response. The low end of a P-100 is 39Hz +/- 2 dB. I know this because I use a set for my surrounds.

The processors crossover settings would be where I would first be looking for a problem. Something is just not right if you have a small setting at 80 and you are producing that graph.

Perhaps your measurement technique is incorrect. What Radio Shack meter calibration file are you using? What model of the three meters do you have? You need to use the correct file for the specific meter.

You should use our excel measurement tool and tones found here perhaps. See the BFD Microsoft Excel worksheets and use the correct worksheet for the meter model you have. All the cal files are built into the worksheet.

You can buy a BFD at most musician supply stores such as here. I'm not recommending this place specifically, it was just the first google match.

The BFD acts as a simple two channel equalizer at line level between the processors sub out and your subwoofer. There are 12 filters per channel. You just use one channel if you have one subwoofer. See the Guide for a deeper explaination..

brucek


----------



## Guest (Jun 4, 2006)

Thanks so much for the help. I really don't understand because the processor is set to 80. I will have to do more searching. I'm not sure about my SPL, but it is an analog one. Thanks for checking on me.
Joe


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Joe... you do have a very nice setup. Consider posting those pics in the Gallery forum and also you equipment in the Members Equipment Listing.


----------



## Guest (Jun 4, 2006)

Thanks Sonnie,
I will do that. 
Joe


----------



## Guest (Jun 5, 2006)

This is the reading for my sub. 
Joe


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I'm gonna break my neck trying to look at that graph... lol... can we get it loaded properly and maybe 800 pixels wide?

Or have my eyes gone crazy on me?

If you need help with this you can upload your Excel .xls file and we'll fix up a graph for ya.


----------



## Guest (Jun 5, 2006)

Now you can see I really don't know what I'm doing!
Sonnie, Thanks so much for the interest. The attitude on this forum is great. I will try an do what I can, please excuse the ignorance. I tried to use the Exel Graph but this is all new to me and I'm an old guy. I will try to redo this; I hope it comes out better. I do have microsoft outlook, but have never used exel.
Thanks Again,
Joe


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

The Excel file is what you used to create your graph above. Just upload the file as an attachment here.


----------



## Guest (Jun 5, 2006)

I hope this works. Sonnie, this is with the sub. in the same corner but firing in the opposite direction, behind the sofa. I'm still not sure how to get the file here from the the site. I saved it to my documents and did the upload as such. Which reading do you think is best?
Thanks,
Joe


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Now we got something to look at... see above!

You can tame those couple peaks at 25hz and 36-40hz and maybe boost that 63hz area a tad and have yourself a pretty good lookin' house curve.

REW will probably reveal more problems though.

I'll post the graph here too:


----------



## gacole2000 (May 25, 2006)

Don't feel bad Joe. I'm a younger guy who works on a computer all day and I still feel lost on these filters? I am hoping that the REW will do all that stuff if I can figure out how to get it set up. I set the levels on my BDF last night and never once saw yellow LEDs and that was during the depth charge scene of U-571?

I still can't figure our how everyone gets their graphs displayed as part of their posts? 

Someone please tell me the the REW will set these filters automatically for me when I get a cable to connect it to the BFD 

Thanks- Greg


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

gacole2000 said:


> I still can't figure our how everyone gets their graphs displayed as part of their posts?


I've outlined this in detail to help everyone that is having trouble uploading graphs. See this post.


----------



## gacole2000 (May 25, 2006)

Thanks Sonnie! Should I be concerned that my input levels seemed low on the BFD (at the properly calibrated level) and does the REW set all my filters automatically (please say yes):T ?

Thanks again!


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

If you are getting 3-4 bars on the input (while in Bypass mode - IN/OUT button light is flashing)... then you should be okay. I am assuming you have your sub pre-out on your Yamaha at full output and that still doesn't seem like enough. You can always purchase a line amp for about 50 bucks or so. I believe ART has those. brucek knows more about this than I do.

Yes... REW will upload your filers if you have a MIDI interface and cable connected to the BFD.


----------



## Snookboy (Apr 28, 2006)

I am seeing the same thing when setting my input levels. I have the in/out light blinking and set my sub in my reciever (NAD 773) to +12 db and never hit a yellow light at **** near full volume.


----------



## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> I have the in/out light blinking and set my sub in my reciever (NAD 773) to +12 db and never hit a yellow light at **** near full volume.


You didn't say what you were using as a source for the signal going to the BFD. If you set your receiver volume to about the highest level you would ever likely use for a movie, and play a 50Hz tone (that you can download and burn to a CD from here), do you still never attain a yellow or red LED on the BFD?

brucek


----------



## Snookboy (Apr 28, 2006)

OK, that worked. I have the input set correctly, +3 db and I get some yellow at about the highest volume I would normally use. Thanks!

Now on to my next problem. After about 14 trips to Radio Shack, I think I have everything hooked up correctly. First sign I had problems was setting the input volume. (BTW, it is an Audigy 2 sound card. I have the SPL meter connected to the line in. I have one of the line out directly to the input of the BFD) I get a message that the input volume is set to the max. Don't know what I can do about this, so I move on. When I get to Automatic Measurement, I get this message:

The highest level in the measurement is just -99.3 dBFS

This doesn't seem good and I don't think I am getting anything that I can use. Any ideas? This is rapidly pushing me towards the fridge and a cold beer to lower the frustration level! :blink: TIA


----------



## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

On Audigy 2 selecting the Line In is done by selecting "Analog Mix" in the Record panel of the Basic tab of the Creative Surround Mixer then going to the Source panel and muting all the sources except for Line In. Also in the Advanced Controls (usually accessed by clicking the + symbol for the input) you need to have Record Without Monitoring selected.


----------



## Snookboy (Apr 28, 2006)

Thanks John, I'll try that. I appreciate your help.


----------



## Snookboy (Apr 28, 2006)

Hmmm, now I can not get a loopback signal. I see exactly what you are talking about in the mixer control and have selected analog mix with record without monitoring selected. It does not detect a loopback. I have the line in connected to the line out on the card. I'll have to mess around with this and see what I can get. Thanks.


----------



## Snookboy (Apr 28, 2006)

I appears to work when I set it to "What you hear" whatever that is.


----------



## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

What U Hear just records what you are playing, it is in effect an internal loopback. Did you make sure Line In is not muted in the Source panel and the other sources are muted? Is the SPL Meter input on REW set to use the same channel you have connected for loopback? (i.e. left or right as appropriate).


----------



## Snookboy (Apr 28, 2006)

Line In is not muted, set to Analog Mix and every other source is muted. As to the channel connected for loopback....you have me for a loss there. I have the line out connected to the line in on the sound card. On the Audigy 2, there are three line outs, not a left and right channel. I have tried them all. Not sure what is going on.


----------



## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

Cards that support multi-channel (e.g. 5.1) typically have a number of stereo jack sockets for each pair of channels, so the 3 line outs on your Audigy 2 are probably L/R, C/sub and SL/SR. Use the L/R connector. If your loopback connection is a stereo jack plug to stereo jack plug lead then that's fine, both channels are connected so doesn't matter which you have selected.

If it works OK using What U Hear then that suggests the output side is working OK and the problem is getting the line in going. There might be some clues in the soundcard debug file (generated via the entry in the Soundcard menu), so worth generating that and sending it to me along with a screen shot of REW when set up with the loopback connected, the signal generator turned on and the SPL meter turned on.


----------



## Snookboy (Apr 28, 2006)

Thanks John. I'll have another stab at it this week or weekend with that help and see how it goes. Thanks!


----------

