What does a beginner have to purchase to start using BFD?

[Rambo4]

Hi, Let me start by saying I am always open to improve the acoustics of my listening environment, and I am quite curious about the benefits of the BFD. What sort of improvement should I expect? And what is the "start up" cost of getting a system geared up?

At the moment I have the Receiver and Sub, that goes without saying. My computer is an intel iMac, as well I have a MacBook laptop and an old Toshiba Satellite laptop. A tripod as well for my meter when I find one. That is it so far when it comes to my preparedness fro subwoofer "EQing". I live in Canada, so my access to a Radio Shack meter is non existent. The only one I could find nearby at a music store was a Galaxy 130 SPL meter (blue one) for $70. Still haven't purchased anything as I am not sure what will do the job properly with Room EQ wizard.

So from there if someone could point me in the right direction, I'd love to get started on this. Thanks!

[mojogoes]

I would also like to know what is the bear minimum equipment you can use to get some form of results with REW.......could i use just my laptop (samsung) and a R/S spl meter.........or definetly a soundblaster 24 or mp3+ as a bear minimum......

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Rambo4 wrote:

My computer is an intel iMac, as well I have a MacBook laptop and an old Toshiba Satellite laptop. A tripod as well for my meter when I find one. That is it so far when it comes to my preparedness fro subwoofer "EQing". I live in Canada, so my access to a Radio Shack meter is non existent. The only one I could find nearby at a music store was a Galaxy 130 SPL meter (blue one) for $70.

Use the Toshiba – people seem to have trouble using REW with Macs. Pass on the tripod – you don’t really need it. The Galalxy 140 is the recommended meter if you can’t find the RS meter – in fact, by most accounts it’s better than the RS meter. Check our SPL Meters Forum and you’ll find plenty of reading on the 140.

Rambo4 wrote:

So from there if someone could point me in the right direction, I'd love to get started on this. Thanks!

mojogoes wrote:

I would also like to know what is the bear minimum equipment you can use to get some form of results with REW.......could i use just my laptop (samsung) and a R/S spl meter.........or definetly a soundblaster 24 or mp3+ as a bear minimum......

The “Getting Started” section of the REW Online Help Files will get you guys headed in the right direction.

Regards,
Wayne

[brucek]

The REW HELP FILES will fill you in on everything you'll require.

The Canadian distributer of SVS subwoofers is SonicBoomAudio and they sell the Radio Shack meter. I believe it's in Markham. You can order the Radio Shack meter from them here.

Laptops usually require a cheap external USB soundcard, since they don't often have a line-in port available (mic-in is not suitable)...

brucek

[Rambo4]

Hey thanks guys! I appreciate the info. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to go down a road that would require an investment of a large amount of equipment. The software to fix this is free, and for that I am grateful to this site. Compared to a lot of folks, I may have a modest HT room, so budget is a concern but if it is just a matter of a BFD and a proper SPL meter, it shouldn't be out of reach.

On the note of the Toshiba, I do have a "line in" jack next to my mic and headphone jacks. The information tells me it is integrated SoundMax digital audio. It may not be the greatest card, but I hope it does the job.

I do need EQing in a big way. The Velodyne 5000R should be plenty for a room that is 18 X 14 X 8, I just find I can either get clean bass, just not enough volume of it, or lots of bass, that "muddies up" the music. I am hoping to get "loud, clean and tight", not "boomy".

[brucek]

On the note of the Toshiba, I do have a "line in" jack next to my mic and headphone jacks. The information tells me it is integrated SoundMax digital audio. It may not be the greatest card, but I hope it does the job.

You can download REW and test the soundcard by doing a calibration and measure test without buying anything other than using a single cable (you must have some lying around). Use a 3.5mm stereo cable and loop line-out to line-in and test away........ No cost.

brucek

[macman]

Wayne A. Pflughaupt wrote:

Use the Toshiba – people seem to have trouble using REW with Macs.

I've tried all my Macs without problem, although the measuring was done with the MacBook. (G4,G5 and MacBook Intel, MacOS 10.4 and 10.5 ).

Only problem was that the Java Applet starterprogram was not the standardprogram choosen. Had to change that.
Otherwise theMacBook works ok for measure, can't get the miditransfer to work but thats another issue.

[lardawge]

Wayne A. Pflughaupt wrote:

Use the Toshiba – people seem to have trouble using REW with Macs.

I have an intel macbook and have had zero trouble using it for this purpose. It comes from the factory with a line-in and works a charm.