Help - Need soundcard calibration help

I have been trying to use REW for a few months, but just can't seem to get anwhere. I hope someone can help. I am using a Gateway runnimg Windows Vista and a Turtle Beach Riviera Sound Card. I will attempt to past a view screen shots showing my settings. The calibration seems to work, except that I do not get a graph. Instead of writing a lot, I will let everyone look at the screen shots, and then ask me questions about the setup.

Thanks in advance for the help. Just in case you do not see any images, this may take a few tries.

Dan

REW Measure.JPG

Turtle Beeach Settings.JPG

REW Settings.JPG

REW Measurement.JPG

Here is what the plot looks like.

Dan

sc calibration.jpg

Dan, if you want to use a soundcard calibration file then uncheck the "Use left channel as calibration reference". The button to measure a cal file should remain disabled if "use left..." is selected, but it gets re-enabled after a level check (a bug, oops). If you are happy using the left channel as the reference then you don't need a cal file, just make a measurement with the loopback connected on left and right to make sure the result is suitably flat, then go ahead and connect your spl meter or mic on the right channel and carry on from there.

Why do you have digital SPDIF selected as your output and not Analog line-out?

See this thread where I show how to set up a Turtle Beach card in Vista (different card, but the same idea). You must select analog speakers for line-out and then analog line-in. If you are using the Left Channel calibrate method you must use a short on the left channel and use the right channel for your signal out and in...

bruce

Bruce


Thank you for the response.

Good question about the Digital SPDIF being selected. The only reason it is selected is because that is the only way I could make it work. I was glad to see your thread on setting up your Turtle Beach card. I printed your post and set mine exactly like yours, but I had issues. For some reason, if I have Speakers checked as the playback device, Windows Media Player does not work and I do not get the test signal from REW. I thought about this, but as you can, even though SPDIF is selected, I am getting the test signal.

Reviera Jacks.JPG

Here is what my sound card look like. I have a stereo cable from the Front Out to the Line In. I am getting the test signal and as you can see from above post, the VU meters are showing a response.

Let's start with baby steps. - From looking at the picture of the jacks on my sound card - should I use a stereo cable or a mono cable.

Dan

Did you select the Turtle Beach analog out as the default device in VISTA playback devices tab?

Stereo. From line-out (yellow) to line-in (top jack) and be sure it's selected as line-in and not center/sub out.

You need a set of breakout splitters that are (3.5 mm stereo jack to two RCA). This allows you to get at the left and right channels of the line-in and line-out ports.

brucek

I think I have a set up issue. Here is what I have selected. Notice the test tone error.

1. Playback set to Speaker.JPG

2. Stereo selected.JPG

3. Failed test tone.JPG

Is there another selection that I need to make.

Dan

Yeah, but in the pic below it shows the analog line-out as working.



If I look at my own playback devices screen in VISTA, and I switch the analog line-out to the Default, and then I place my mouse over the selection as shown below and right click, it offers me a TEST capability as shown.

When I click it, it plays a couple of tones for a test. Does this work for you?

test audio VISTA sound.jpg

brucek

Thanks for the help

I tried the test tones using right click, but I get the same error.

5. Failed to play test tones..JPG


I did a google search and found lots of other people have this same problem. Before we get to deeply involved in this error, I would like to ask a question. I can get sound out and in by using the SPDIF option. If I connect speakers to the sound card, I can hear the REW test tone, and I can see the colored bars on the VU meters showing sound in and sound out. What do you think - As long as I am getting a signal, or we O.K. - or do you think there is more to it.

The problem I am having is that the test tone plays O.K (only if SPDIF is selected), but I do not get a graph.

Dan

Have you loaded the latest VISTA driver called rivista.exe from this page?

brucek

Yes - I down loaded the new drivers about a month ago - the new driver solved an issue I was having of not being able to see the control panel.

Just for fun - I put the REW setting back to SPDIF and connected my radio shack spl meter to the sound card input and ran some curves. Everything was fine. (At least I heard test tones and got a graph).

Next I disconnected the SPL meter and connected the stereo cable from Out to In. I got the following curve.

measure with spdif and jumper cable.jpg

So - what does this tell us. Here is my guess - the test tone is being generated and the sound card is receiving the test tone - and REW is displaying the data.

So - the magic question is - what am I doing wrong when I try this in soundcard measure mode.

I don't know what is up with the analog issue, but I can at least get a measured curve - it just doesn't mean anything until I can get the calibration isuue figured out.

Bruce - As moderator I imagine you must get bombarded with stupid questions like these - but we do appreciate your help.

Dan

Dan,

The problem in soundcard measure mode is that you have "use left channel as calibration reference" selected. If you want to get a soundcard cal response, uncheck "use left...".

Your plot with a loopback curves up at low and high frequencies because you have C weight compensation selected, which isn't valid when doing a loopback measurement.

We are making progress. Thank you. Thank you Thank you I have a calibration curve - sort of. The top curve is a measurement with the cable connected instead of the SPL meter. The second curve is the calibration curve.

sound card calibration vs loopback measurement.jpg

Two questions.

1. What curve do I look at - Do I use the one tagged "Measured"
2. Any idea about what is going on above 500 Hz.

Thanks for your patience.

Dan

Is this your sound card calibration graph??? ... it looks different than mine .. ...

The bottom curve is the soundcard calibration curve. The top curve is a measurement taken using a cable connecting the IN to the OUT (same as when calibrating). Basically, the two curves are the same. I do not know why there is so much noise in it.

What does you calibration curve look like?

Dan

Please post a screenshot of the Impulse page for either your loopback measurement or the cal curve measurement.

I'm jealous - what sound card are you using? Also, laptop or PC?

Here is the Impulse page of the soundcard calibration. What does it mea?

soundcard calibration impulse.jpg

Dan

I'm using an old laptop (Dell Inspiron 1100) ... it has XP and the sound card is a SoundBlaster Live 24Bits.

I had problems when calibrating my card too, the problem was that I used a 3.5mm cable and just did the loop from line in to line out (hopefully you're not doing the same) .

The correct way is to use a 3.5mm to RCA, then use the right side (red), you will not use the left (white) ... that worked for me.

Good luck ... you'll solve this obstacle in no time and will be in your way to REW