Audio Advantage SRM & Vista -- Calibration

[allredp]

I have the Audio Advantage SRM soundcard that Brucek reviewed a few weeks ago, running on an i-Mac with Vista in Boot Camp. I also have the Galaxy CM-140 spl/mic.

So, after installing the soundcard driver from the webpage, and insuring the control panel looks just like the screen shots Brucek posted in his review, I can't seem to get it calibrated!

My levels aren't high enough--only rising to a pegged-out -37db!

So, here's Brucek's response to my initial questions about this from a PM:

Phil,

I'm a bit confused by this statement:
When I go to "measure" and try to get the levels to match up, my Output is very high, while my L and R channels remain very low (in fact, I can only see my L increase when I peg my AA SRM levels as high as possible and it only goes into the 30's dbs). .

You have the Right channel looped back and the Left unhooked, how could you see the Left line-in move at all ? - it should not.
You're attempting to calibrate the Right Channel and so it should be the only channel to show any level.
Hopefully you don't have the "Use Left Channel as Calibrate" checkbox in REW checked. It is left unchecked and unused.

The monitor is shut off by disabling line-in in the playback devices level control tab. Be sure the volume is at zero and the speaker icon is red by clicking it off. The same goes for the microphone-in.
_____

So, I've made sure that I have the soundcard's R of the output connected to the R of the input (via the 3.5mm stereo jacks split into dual RCA adapter). Other than the USB powercord, that's all the cabling, right?

When I run REW and go to the Settings for the Soundard to calibrate it, I can't get the levels to move when I "measure."

I'm manipulating the volume via the Audio Advantage soundcard's control panel (as I've selected the soundcard's "speakers" for the output and the "soundcards "line in" for the input.

I don't have the "left channel as calibration reference" selected either.

When I go to measure, in the page before I actually "measure" I can see the "left" channel dancing slightly around the -41.7 db level (in blue) and nothing in the "right" side, and the "output" is greyed-out.

When I hit "next" the output is up at -12 db and the LEFT is still in the -40's, but only increased into the -30's when I use the mixer "recording level" slider in the AA control panel (if I slide the "master" in the mixer control panel it doesn't do anything). Only when I drop the "recording level" down to almost 0 does the "RIGHT" channel begin the rise--but only to 42.7 db. When I go ahead and try to get a measurement, it runs the test and says that my levels only reached -41.6 db...

I'm stuck!

Thanks for the help,
Phil

BTW, I'd love to post the pics of these windows, but don't know how to grab a screen shot--any help there?

[brucek]

I'd love to post the pics of these windows, but don't know how to grab a screen shot

Click the mouse cursor in the screen you want to capture and press Alt and PrtScr keys. This captures that active screen to the clipboard. Then use any graphics program to Paste the clipboard data and then manipulate the size to 800 wide (or less) and save as jpg. Paint or Photoshop etc.... Tell me if you have any trouble with that and I can explain further.

I'd like to see your REW Settings page if possible.

This is beginning to sound like another of our many Mac problems (that really only John can solve - if at all).

Forgetting about REW for a minute, are you able to simply hook the analog line-out to your receiver and play sound?

brucek

[allredp]

Yes, I can hear music and sounds through the card--so that's good, right?!

I'll work on capturing the screen-shots when I get home tonight to show you each menu and my settings, etc.

Thanks much,
Phil

[allredp]

OK, I've switched to a PC (Dell Latitude D620) to see if we're having a Mac problem, but I have the same calibration/loop-back issue as before!

So, that's good news on one hand (the iMac may still be usable).

Here's the screenshots of the measurement page and the soundcard's speakers settings and mixer settings.







BTW, I do have the card hooked up via the USB, and I have the stereo 3.5mm input and output jacks with RCA R/L adapters hooked up via the R channels only. There's nothing hooking up the L channel.

I'm sure it is something stupid on my end and hope you'll be able to put me out of my self-created REW misery!

Thanks,
Phil

[allredp]

BTW, I did this as "default" and as "speakers" and "line in" settings in the REW settings for input/output. Either way, I have this problem...

[brucek]

A couple of things....

Your Speakers Tab of the mixer shows a green light on Speaker Equalization, which means on the Equalizer tab you have it enabled. You want to go to that tab and press the enable button again to disable the equalizer (be sure the light goes out).

Also be sure no features are enabled on the Effects tab screen. Shut them all off.

Also on the Mixer tab, be sure to pull the volume sliders to zero for microphone and line-in for playback.

I see you have the Default selected on the REW tab for Output and Input device. Are you indeed able to pull that down and select the card itself? You should be able to (see my Vista soundcard thread on that for a picture). I'm concerned that Default setting may be selecting the on-board card instead of the SRM input.

Other than that it makes no sense at all. In fact I have to say my Input is a bit too sensitive for my liking. I can hardly get the volume slider off zero and its half way up full.....

Do you indeed see the driver in the Device Manager? Here's a Vista picture of it, but XP would be close to this... I show the properties tab too..



Also note that the Universal Serial Bus Controllers listing in the Device manager will show a Composite device in the USB port it's connected to..

brucek

[allredp]

So, I've fixed the EQ and the line levels are zero'ed out. And I've made sure I can (and have) selected the AA card for input and output as you can see here:

I think I've found a problem! I discovered something when I toggled between the 44.1 and 48kHz sample rates (just trying anything) and up came this message:

So, does that help?

BTW, I did go to the device manager and can see and select the AA card, I also checked the USB port and it does say composite device...

I really appreciate the help,
Phil

[allredp]

Clearly have a problem as I decided to just try the measuring for calibration again for the of it.

This message popped up:

[allredp]

More screenshots to help you help me!

I'm just cursed with REW, I tell you...



BTW, I restarted my computer (the Dell laptop) and I can now switch between the sampling rates without the device error problem... Must have lost the card's connections when the laptop went into power-save yesterday.

I don't understand how this isn't working! Something is wrong, clearly, between two different laptops (iMac and Dell), I get the same thing--levels too low and nothing from the R channel which is the only one hooked up!

Volumes are pegged...

HELP!

[brucek]

I don't understand how this isn't working!

Yeah, this is a tough one. I know with my system, there was no messing around at all with this card. Click, and it was working. So, something is quite wacky here. I hesitate to ask if you feel that your cables are fine that you're using (easy enough to check by testing them. You said the output was working, so maybe swap the input set with the output to be sure that the splitter is good.... and also check the loopback cable).

Can you generate a Debug file for the card and post it here? Maybe we can get an idea about what's happening with the outputs and inputs.
Start REW and go to the Settings page and Soundcard tab. Press the Generate Debug File and save it to the desktop. Then attach the file or the text to your post.

brucek