Soundcard calibration problem

**elee532** · **10-05-08, 01:25 PM**

I am getting the following message when trying to calibrate my soundcard:

"The highest level in the measured measurment is just -54.7dBFS. This is much lower than it should be. Check the input channel selection, connection, input volume, and wave volume/mute. The highest level should ideally be above -10dBFS."

Am I doing something wrong?

My connection consists of a 1/8" mini to RCA splitter on the soundcard line-in. Then the right RCA from this splitter connects to the right line-out connection of my sound card.

Sweep Level and Out Level = -12
Max out = -9
Left level is reads about = -12.3
Max left level reads about -9.3

One thing that's not quite clear to me is the difference between "wave volume" and "output volume." Are these settings that I should in VISTA somewhere?

Oh, also, the "control output mixer/volume" setting in REW is grayed out, so I am using the Windows volume setting in the taskbar to adjust the levels.

Thanks for any help!

**elee532** · **10-05-08, 05:41 PM**

Well, I think I may have had my left and right outputs reversed. Here is the reading I get now when i run the soundcard calibration. Pardon the amateur questions, but does this look reasonable? Why are there two curves? The example in the help file only shows one line.

Thanks!

**elee532** · **10-06-08, 06:46 PM**

Can anyone confirm whether the soundcard calibration graph above looks as it should?

**JohnM** · **10-07-08, 05:10 AM**

Looks fine. The black line looks like the meter cal curve, best to clear the meter cal while doing loopback measurements and reload it when you start using the meter.

**elee532** · **10-08-08, 07:20 PM**

So, I updated my soundcard drivers and then ran through the soundcard calibration again. The graph looks very different to me this time. Am I doing something wrong?

**brucek** · **10-08-08, 07:35 PM**

Yep, looks like a feedback loop. Turn off any soundcard monitor feature.
Simply connect right channel line-out to right channel line-in, with no other cables hooked up and uncheck "Use Left Channel as Calibrate Reference" and then execute the soundcard cal measure routine.

brucek

**elee532** · **10-08-08, 08:13 PM**

Thanks for the quick reply brucek! I turned off two settings in Creative Audio Console (X-Fi CMSS-3D and X-Fi Crystalizer) and reran the calibration - see new graph below.

Two things that are confusing me now...

1. There are two boxes checked to show on the graph... "Soundcard" and "Soundcard Cal." Which is the one I am interested in here? If the latter, then it looks like I still have a problem?

2. Changing the Sweep Level has the same impact on the Output level as it does on the Right level. In other words, if I increaes the Sweep Level by 6db, then the Output and Right levels increase by 6db. Is this how it's supposed to work?

**JohnM** · **10-09-08, 05:14 AM**

1. You now need to save that new soundcard measurement as a new soundcard calibration file using the button on the soundcard settings page

2. Yes

**brussell** · **10-13-08, 12:20 PM**

I don't want to hijack this thread but it seemed silly to start another soundcard calibration thread. I have the creative external card and I'm having difficulty getting it set up. I have tried setting it up with the left feed back channel and keep getting level to low errors. When I set it up with just the right channel, this is the graph I get.
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The dashed line is the sound card, the solid black line is the meter cal and the blue line is my sub.

After a couple hours of reading and experimenting I have finally given up. I must be missing something but I think I have followed every step

Thanks!

Brad

**elee532** · **10-13-08, 12:29 PM**

I'm brand new at this myself Brad, so not sure how much help I can be...

Have you confirmed that right channel line-out is connected to right channel line-in and "Use Left Channel as Calibrate Reference" is unchecked? I was frustrated at one point for hours before I finally realized that I had right channel line-out connected to left channel line-in. Doh!

Also, what operating system are you using? Try setting all Windows volumes to 100% and look for something like "Creative Audio Console" in control panel or on the Programs menu and make sure that all soundcard enhancements are off.

**brussell** · **10-13-08, 03:01 PM**

Thanks for the reply. I'm using XP and I have checked all of those items.

**JohnM** · **10-14-08, 10:25 AM**

The soundcard cal line looks more like a speaker measurement, sure that was measured with just a soundcard right channel loopback? Be careful with the jack plug to RCA leads, sometimes they are wired incorrectly so left and right are swapped at the RCA end.

**ajstan99** · **10-14-08, 11:02 AM**

Quote:

brussell wrote:

After a couple hours of reading and experimenting I have finally given up. I must be missing something but I think I have followed every step

Brad

FWIW, I have the SB Live! 24-bit internal card and got weird graphs until I went to the Soundcard Settings and toggled the Input from LINE_IN to MICROPHONE, then back to LINE_IN.

I have to do this every time I start REW, or else measurements don't work.

**elee532** · **10-14-08, 09:31 PM**

Sorry to muddy up this thread even more, but I have another question about soundcard calibration... I read in another thread on this forum (can't find where now) that the SPL Meter calibration file should NOT be loaded before doing running the soundcard calibration. I'm about 75% sure that I had the SPL calibration file loaded when I calibrated my soundcard. Is this really a problem?

Thanks for clarification!

**brucek** · **10-14-08, 10:30 PM**

Quote:

should NOT be loaded before doing running the soundcard calibration

No, it's fine. It's only after the soundcard cal file is saved and you run a measure with the loopback in place (to test that you get the required flat return), then you cannot have the meter file loaded.

brucek

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