Discuss Check Levels inconsistent?? in the Equalization | Calibration forum.
Yesterday I ran Check Levels and got (at -18dB) a 75dB SPL reading. For a first try I was happy. ...

**hrpschrd** · **12-28-08, 09:08 PM**

Yesterday I ran Check Levels and got (at -18dB) a 75dB SPL reading. For a first try I was happy. I went ahead to Calibrate SPL and only had to make a 2dB adjustment to -73dB. Good I thought. Didn't have time to do a measurement of the room.

Today I went back to Check Levels and got (at -18dB) a 61dB SPL reading! (see attached). I also noticed that the sound was mid and high frequencies only and yesterday it sounded quite different (low sounds mostly). Is there something I missed in setting this up? I used the same (good) cal file. Contrary to the image below, I have set the levels to main speaker.

Ok, now I have tried again and get still different results - still not working. I decreased the Input Volume and checked the SPL weighted meter box in Settings. I have connected the right output from the MP3+ soundcard through a Y to both left and right channels on my AV processor. Now I get no volume from the stereo but get feedback if I try to turn it up. Really stuck here.

**thewire** · **12-30-08, 12:47 AM**

First make sure you have the correct drivers.

http://support.creative.com/Products...=Sound+Blaster

Then go to the creative console in your start menu so it looks similar to this.

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Now go here in your windows control panel that looks similar to this and double click the speaker icon. I think the icon in your system tray might work also.

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Check the playback and recording playback as bruce explains.

Disable the line-in of the Playback Mixer.

The line-in of the Record Mixer is enabled.

PLAYBACK MIXER
Attachment 10489
RECORD MIXER
Attachment 10490

See that REW settings look similar to this except with the soundcard calc loaded and then adjust as needed.

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**thewire** · **12-30-08, 12:51 AM**

Corrected the first post.

**thewire** · **12-30-08, 01:03 AM**

This bass boost needs to be disabled also...

**hrpschrd** · **12-30-08, 07:25 PM**

Thanks for the detailed help. Unfortunately that site only has a driver update for the internal sound card SoundBlaster Live! I have the external SoundBlaster MP3. I can't find any drivers for the external card. Therefore I can't use the Creative Console! Any ideas?

**brucek** · **12-30-08, 07:37 PM**

Use the Windows Mixer...

brucek

**thewire** · **12-30-08, 07:43 PM**

Quote:

hrpschrd wrote:

Thanks for the detailed help. Unfortunately that site only has a driver update for the internal sound card SoundBlaster Live! I have the external SoundBlaster MP3. I can't find any drivers for the external card. Therefore I can't use the Creative Console! Any ideas?

That is the one I am using.

**hrpschrd** · **12-30-08, 08:44 PM**

Bruce: Where do I find Windows Mixer?
Steven: Do you mean you are using the internal driver? I couldn't load it because it is for x64 only.

**thewire** · **12-30-08, 09:07 PM**

Quote:

hrpschrd wrote:

Bruce: Where do I find Windows Mixer?
Steven: Do you mean you are using the internal driver? I couldn't load it because it is for x64 only.

Yes I spent over a couple hours downloading a driver version from another site and as soon as it started to install the driver it said it was not going to install because I did not have a internal sound card. Out of desperation I went to the Creative site and then installed the beta one and it worked. I thought to myself good news for users of REW. I guess the drivers only work on Vista x64, sorry to hear it isn't working.