# REW



## Guest (Jun 4, 2006)

*REW (SB Live! 24-bit external)*

Hi,

I have a Creative 24 bit external soundcard but have been unable to calibrate it despite messing with all the various settings there was always some feedback. The only way I can get a normal looking curve was to use the internal card as output and the external card as input. This gave me a calibration curve similar to that for an internal card.
I then tried a sweep for the sub but it seems with limited success :scratch: 
I've spent all day on this and achieving very little so far. Can anyone help?

Cheers.


----------



## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

I guess you mean the SoundBlaster Live! 24-bit External USB card. 

Ensure in the Creative Speaker Settings that the "Digital Output Only" box is not checked. 









Ensure CMSS is off (green CMSS LED off - push the button on the front of the unit to turn it off if it is on). 
Select Line In/Mic In as the Rec source in the Creative Surround mixer. 
In the Creative surround Mixer Source panel ensure Wave is *not* muted, Line-In/Mic-In *is* muted.









Ensure monitoring is off (click the *+* by the Line In/mic In symbol in the Source panel and ensure Monitor is *not *checked in the Advanced Controls dialogue this pops up (or run the Creative Device Control program and ensure Enable Monitoring not checked).
In the Creative Device Control program set the Output Audio Quality to 48kHz, 16 bits and ensure you select 48kHz as the sample rate in REW. 









In the Creative EAX Console make sure Audio Effects is not enabled, Equalizer is not enabled etc.
If a dialogue pops up that says to hear audio you must enable monitoring, click Cancel on the dialog.
By default the Wizard sets the output level to 0.5 while setting measurement level, for the SB Live! it is typically better to set output level to 1.000, otherwise can struggle to get sufficient input level - if you find this, use the Master Control in the Creative Surround Mixer to increase the volume to 100% at the point in Setting Measurement Level where the Wizard pops up a message saying that it is about to generate a pink noise signal at -20dB
Hope that helps


----------



## Guest (Jun 5, 2006)

Many thanks John, very helpful. The 16 bits in device control made the difference as all others were as they should have been. Regarding the increase in volume to 100% in soundcard control, does this then stay at 100% or revert back to 50% after the measurement?

Anyhow, I got it working and the curve was exactly as expected. 

I then did an automatic sweep of the sub and that was not :rolleyesno: I set the target level at 77.6 but achieved a peak of something like 36 db. The graph was just a mess with both peak and dips off the graph and only reaching a third along the way. Is my room really that bad or am I (again) doing something wrong? :scratch:


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Did you have your axis settings set properly? Check out post #2 and #3 in this thread.


----------



## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

Regarding the output volume, when you exit REW it will be restored to the level it was at when REW started up. It will stay at 100% while REW is running (unless you alter it elsewhere).

The default for the sweep is to cover the range from 20Hz to 200Hz, you can change this in the boxes below the Automatic Measurement button. 

When setting the target level make sure the speaker type on the tab you are using corresponds to the speaker you are measuring, i.e. it should be set to Subwoofer when measuring the sub.

Did you hear the sweep when doing the test? It is a tone that starts out very low and gradually rises in frequency over the few seconds of the measurement, if you didn't hear it then start looking at the connections to your sub. If you hear the tone OK and you could see your SPL meter needle reacting then check the connections from the SPL meter and that the channel selected in the SPL Meter box (below the red Record button) corresponds to the input you are using. If the meter needle did not react check that it is set to the correct range (usually 80dB).


----------



## Guest (Jun 5, 2006)

Changing the axis settings made a difference, now I can see the graph - it's still a bit **** but we're getting there :R I made some adjustments to the BFD and ran the sweep again which made some changes but I will connect the midi cable later this week and hope to get things moving.

I downloaded the cal files for the newer digital RS meter but couldn't see how to input them into the REW. My head still sore from all the other stuff! Do I just enter the figures in to the REW somewhere?

Thanks for all the help, and no doubt I'll be asking again soon :T


----------



## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> Do I just enter the figures in to the REW somewhere?


Simply copy the calibration data into notepad and save the file as rs.cal in any directory you wish.

Then start the REW program and under the pull-down METER, select LOAD METER/MICROPHONE CALIBRATION FILE.

You then enter the location of your XXX.cal file and that's it. The next time you start REW it will tell you that the cal file is loaded.

brucek


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

You should be able to save the *.cal file just like it is from the Downloads page to a folder on your hard drive. Probably name a folder "REW" under your "My Documents" folder and save all your REW files there... such a *.mdat files, *.req files and your *.cal file. This keeps all your REW related files under one folder.

To load it... in that same thread (post #6) I referenced earlier we have diagram clip of loading the *.cal file... as brucek explains... it's a one step loading process.


----------



## Guest (Jun 5, 2006)

Brilliant - thanks!


----------



## Chrisbee (Apr 20, 2006)

Just like to say thanks John for showing the Soundblaster Live! screenshot. 

Until I saw your post I'd just run the device as Plug and Play and was getting nothing except music replay.

Now I've run the software CD and have lots more toys to play with. :T 

The packaging said Plug and Play and (like a fool) I trusted the packaging. :rolleyesno:

The problem is if you connect a device and then run the CD you sometimes get multiple drivers and a non-functioning toy. 
It happened with both my Philips Toucam Pro webcams 1 & 2.

One day all IT will be as easy to use as toasters. Now if I could only fathom out how to work my toaster. :laugh: 

Thanks (yet) again.
Chris


----------

