# Newbie here looking for advise.



## gogunbaba (Apr 30, 2011)

Hello Everyone,

I currently have an SMS-1 for my sub EQ needs and I would like to learn how to use REW. I have spent sometime reading the stickies here to find out what equipment I need to purchase to successfully run REW.

I have an ASUS UL30VT-A1 laptop (mic and headphone jack), Radio Shack Digital SPL meter. I know that I will need an external USB card.

My objective is to find out the equipment that I need and purchase them. If you could please give me some directions I would appreciate it. 

1- what type of USB soundcard I need to get?(model number would be greatly appreciated)
2- do you suggest buying a calibrated mic (such as the ECM8000 or EMM-6) or Galaxy CM-140 spl meter?
3- What device do you suggest to calibrate the system ? (Behringer DCX2496 or DSP1124P) 

I don't mind spending money to get the results I want. I have attached the list of the system I own and I do have a dedicated room.

Receiver: Onkyo 805
Amplifier: Emotiva XPA-5
Subwooferual MaelstromX Sealed (2'x2'x2')
Sub Amp: Dual EP4000
Speakers: 5 CHT SHO-10 - 2 Polk RTI6
BluRay: PS3
EQ: SMS-1
HD DVD: TOSHIBA HD-A35
Power Conditioner: APC H15


Thank you,


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## EarlK (Jan 1, 2010)

> ,,,,,,,,,snip,,,,,,,,,,I don't mind spending money _*to get the results I want*_. I have attached the list of the system I own and I do have a dedicated room.


It's helpful to clearly state your goals when asking for advice .

- If your main goal is to simply even out the response of your subs then I'd suggest that you have everything you need to get started ( excepting maybe having the necessary cables ) . You'd use something like this setup ;










- One can typically use the laptops built-in soundcard , along with the RS SPL meter, to get perfectly fine results when EQing sub-woofers.
- I'd recommend starting with this setup before making the leap to something more complicated .
- You just need to check to see if your laptops "mic in" also doubles as a stereo "line in" . They mostly all do these days .
You'll need an adapter at the input end like this ;








and something like this at the output of your sound-card ;









- EQ ? You'll need opinions from others about whether the 1124 or DEQ is best suited to your needs .
- Personally, I think the 1124 is more than adequate for sub-woofer work ( but do note that lots of users encounter hum problems once it's inserted into their system .

- Buying a MIDI>USB interface to auto load your EQ settings ( via Midi ) while fun ,it isn't mandatory .
- Here are a few examples ;


- You'll want to do some online research ( ie; read the reviews in my links ) to determine any Midi Driver>> OS issues ( if any ) before buying .

<> EarlK


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Adding a bit to Earl’s excellent advice:




gogunbaba said:


> 1- what type of USB soundcard I need to get?(model number would be greatly appreciated)
> 2- do you suggest buying a calibrated mic (such as the ECM8000 or EMM-6) or Galaxy CM-140 spl meter?


Answers to both depend on your objectives for taking measurements. If all you’re interested in is taking subwoofer measurements, then a sound card like the Behringer UCA202 is all you need, along with a Radio Shack SPL meter.

If you’re interested in full-range measurements then you’ll have to move up to a calibrated mic and pre-amp. If you’re only interested in “FYI” full-range measurements, then you can use one of our generic calibration files (we also have one for the Galaxy 140 SPL meter as well, if you prefer that). 

If you’re intending to implement main-channels equalization, then you’ll want a mic with custom calibration, as you don’t want to attempt equalization based on an inaccurate measurement.

The ECM or EMM mics will require a pre-amp. Something like the Behringer XENYX 502 will connect to the UCA202 sound card. Or, if you want to cut down on the connection clutter you can get a USB audio interface that has a built-in mic pre-amp, such as the TASCAM 122 or M-Audio Mobile Pre. With any sound card, you will want to make sure it is compatible with your OS before you buy, so look for some user reviews on-line. See here for tips on what to look for in a review.




> 3- What device do you suggest to calibrate the system ? (Behringer DCX2496 or DSP1124P)


Since you have a SMS-1 for your subs, I assume you mean for the main channels? The DCX. Don’t even think about using the DSP1124 the main channels. It’s probably a bit overkill though, if all you need is equalization.

Regards,
Wayne


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## gogunbaba (Apr 30, 2011)

thank you Earl and Wayne.

My main goal is to EQ both my subwoofers and mains. You can see the problem I have in my room in the post below.

My subs are interacting with eachother correctly (I believe the issue can be solved with phase settings ) and SMS-1 does not independent phase settings for each sub. Also I get a huge deep in my room at around 100 hz.

http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...ld-projects/46538-dual-maelstrom-x-setup.html


I have purchased the connection cables to my SPL meter and have been trying to make it work. My soundcard is Realtek HD Audio (or Invidia HD audio) and I am not sure if I am going to be able to make this simple connection work. It is going to take me sometime to learn this software and appreciate all the help I can get.


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## gogunbaba (Apr 30, 2011)

So, I believed I have succesfully added the RS SPL meter calibration file under mic/meter under preferences. I did not calibrate the soundcard as I am not sure how or if I need to. I hit the measure button and this is what I got (both subs are on, the rest of the speakers are off) I can here the system but I am not sure If my SPL meter is taking measurements.


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## robbo266317 (Sep 22, 2008)

When doing a measurement there is an option to check levels. Do that to make sure the system is reading correctly.


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## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

gogunbaba said:


> I did not calibrate the soundcard as I am not sure how or if I need to.


It is very advisable to go through the sioundcard cal as it ensures the soundcard's mixer is properly set up. The procedure is described in detail in the help.



> I hit the measure button and this is what I got (both subs are on, the rest of the speakers are off) I can here the system but I am not sure If my SPL meter is taking measurements.


Looks to be mainly a loopback measurement of the soundcard, which could be from an internal (soundcard mixer) or external loopback or monitoring connection. Avoiding that kind of problem is one of the reasons for the soundcard cal.


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