Stretch's room EQ efforts

[Stretch]

Hello all. Having spent a few evenings futzing with REW and getting the basics figured out on my Mac*, I've finally got to the point of being able to take some measurements. What a great tool this is! Thank you John for the software and thank you to the expert users like Bruce and Wayne for all the support and advice.

Here's my first graph, with a few caveats. The sub used was an old 12" JBL that our home's previous owner stashed outside under the back porch to go with some outdoor speakers around the pool. It's roughed it through a good few freezing Boston winters and frankly I'm surprised it still works at all! It'll be replaced by an Epik Castle in a week or so, I hope. (Ship it! Ship it! Ship it!) Location was the usual starting point, up front between the left main and center channel.



Much appreciate any thoughts from the gurus about what this may indicate about the potential of that position -- which I'm really, really hoping I can get away with. (Don't much like the look of that null at 43Hz, though.) I've got a BFD still sitting in the box, but am not going to bother to do any EQing until the decent sub gets here. (Ship it! Ship it! Ship it!)

(* I'll be happy to write up a cheat sheet for other future Mac-using noobs, if that'd be useful? Could either put it up at the top here, or in a thread of it's own.)

Thanks.

[brucek]

Don't much like the look of that null at 43Hz, though

The null at 43Hz ain't that bad really, but the two peaks at 60Hz and 80Hz could use some filtering with the BFD. You'll find peaks like that will cause you to turn down the level of the bass since you hear the peaks louder than anything else. Once you filter them it allows you to turn up the wholesale level and the very low frequencies can now be heard....

brucek

[atledreier]

Not to hijack the thread, but how do you effectively EQ a 'plateau' like Stretch has from 80-110Hz? I have a similar problem. Not defined peaks like the 60Hz one, but continuous.

[brucek]

A couple of filters would probably do it fairly easily. Since REW allows you to "see what you get", it's very quick. Remember that it isn't important to have the result ruler flat..

brucek

[atledreier]

I know I don't need it ruler flat. I just wanted to try it to see how I liked it. I didn't.

[Stretch]

No worries about hijacking. I was wondering that myself.

Here's my first theoretical EQ effort, taking some of Wayne's advice and lowering the target level to 73dB to try and deal with the low-40s null, which I assume is a room mode. I moved the sub around a bit, including into both corners, and didn't see any change in that area. I didn't bother filtering much above 100Hz, as I'll likely be crossing over well below that.



With a bit more time for tweaking, I reckon much the same response could be had with a couple less filters. But I gotta go earn a crust. Stupid real life.

[atledreier]

That's one of those responses I call ruler flat. I'd kill for a natural response like that.. Could you please post your filters as well?

[Stretch]

atledreier wrote:

That's one of those responses I call ruler flat. I'd kill for a natural response like that.. Could you please post your filters as well?

Would happily do so, except I just realized you have to save filters and measurements separately and ... I didn't.

Live and learn.

Here's a quick and dirty do-over.

[atledreier]

I just simulated a new run from my original un-E'ed measurements... Looks promising. I've also added a hard knee house curve, +6dB at 20Hz. Match the inroom response better than a flat target anyway. The dip down low is location related, I get it ruler flat to 40 in another position, but then the 40-60 area is messed up. I'd rather sacrifice a little down low. It's not like I'm lacking much down there anyway...

[Stretch]

atledreier wrote:

It's not like I'm lacking much down there anyway...

I bet you say that to all the girls!

Looks good to me. I need a decent sub. Then I need another one to stack on top of it.