Help with REW!!!

**sendtobrit** · **01-27-09, 01:55 PM**

For some reason I cannot get my right VU meter to go past like -50db. All I am trying to do is measure
my subs and i have done it before but for some reason it won't work!

I have splitters in both the output and input of my SRM and I am only using the right channel to my receiver aux 2 input and using the right channel input from the SRM to the galaxy mic.

I have turned of the amp so only the subs are getting a signal! I need some help I am obviously
doing something wrong thanks.

**brucek** · **01-27-09, 02:01 PM**

Take a look at your Windows Recording Mixer and see if the Line-in is enabled and that the Volume isn't muted...

brucek

**sendtobrit** · **01-27-09, 02:06 PM**

It was muted! I tried to check levels again and it still does not work.

**sendtobrit** · **01-27-09, 02:25 PM**

Both the sw synth and cd are muted but the volume, line in and wave are all unmuted.

**brucek** · **01-27-09, 02:38 PM**

Quote:

Both the sw synth and cd are muted but the volume, line in and wave are all unmuted.

No, in the Playback Mixer, the SW Synth, CD, and Line-In should be muted, with Wave and Master unmuted.

In the Record Mixer, only the Line-In should be selected, and the Volume should not be muted.

brucek

**sendtobrit** · **01-27-09, 02:47 PM**

Ok I made those changes and still the same problem!

**brucek** · **01-27-09, 02:49 PM**

Then your meter or cable or adapter or soundcard is bad...........

Test the meter by connecting it to your receiver AUX input directly and talk - it's a microphone.

Test the cable by swapping it.

Test your soundcard by using a loopback and run check levels and see if you get input level.

brucek

**sendtobrit** · **01-27-09, 03:17 PM**

ok I checked everything and it all seems to be working! I don't know what else to try I am thoroughly frustrated with this whole thing! It makes me feel like i am some kind of idiot that can't figure it out!
I don't know what else i can do!

Now when i try to calibrate the spl meter i get no sound from my subs go figure!

**sendtobrit** · **01-28-09, 12:48 PM**

Thank you Brucek for being patient with me! OK so I checked the soundcard by doing the loopback to itself and i get input level! I tested the mic and was able to speak into my speakers and then i figured
that the cable was working since the loopback worked it is the same cable I use to hook into my AVR.
The only thing that is hard to check is the y-cable!

So my connection is this I have a splitter into the input and output of my SRM souncard. These splitters are 1/8" pin to Stereo rca outs. Then I have my mic hooked into the input side and the y-cable hooked into the right side of the output which is then hooked into my AVR AUX 2 inout.
Do you see anything wrong with that setup?

I tried a second y-cable just to be sure and no change! is there a way to check the y-cable to see if it is bad or not?

Thanks again guys for all your input and time you take in helping us newbies out with this software.

**brucek** · **01-28-09, 01:20 PM**

Quote:

OK so I checked the soundcard by doing the loopback to itself and i get input level!

But you must use the splitter Y-adapters on both line-in and line-out to carry out this test, so they must be OK - yes?

Hopefully, you are using (line-in and line-out) and not (mic-in and headphone)? It's easy to confuse on the SRM card.

brucek

**sendtobrit** · **01-28-09, 01:56 PM**

Yes i am usingline-in line-out!

yes i am using two splitters on both, but i am also using the y-calbe on top of the splitter on the line-out so i can get stereo into the AVR correct?

**brucek** · **01-28-09, 02:07 PM**

Quote:

but i am also using the y-calbe on top of the splitter on the line-out so i can get stereo into the AVR correct?

Then remove the Y-cable at the AVR and see if everything works. If yes, then the Y-cable is bad. The Y-cable is only so you can check both mains. You can remove it to see if it's defective.

brucek

**sendtobrit** · **01-28-09, 02:10 PM**

let me make sure i understand you correctly; take out the y-cable and only hook the red rca into both the splitter (Soundcard head end) and into the right channel AUX 2 input on AVR.

**sendtobrit** · **01-28-09, 02:23 PM**

I took out the y-cable and still the same! I swapped out the cable for a different one same results.

Ok the weirdest thing happened! I had to literally scream into my mic just to get it into the -20db

range on the vu meter! In fact i can scream into both my mic and the soundcard and get the same result. It seems that both my soundcard mic and my spl mic are working at the same time!

Does that ring a bell into something i have checked wrong?

**sendtobrit** · **01-28-09, 02:42 PM**

I finally got it to work!

Below is my graph.

**sendtobrit** · **01-28-09, 03:00 PM**

here is my subs + mains! There is some difference at the crossover when the mains get added!

**brucek** · **01-28-09, 03:47 PM**

Quote:

There is some difference at the crossover when the mains get added!

Usually you can adjust the phase dial on the sub to obtain the smoothest crossover region.

brucek

**sendtobrit** · **01-28-09, 04:25 PM**

Thanks again for all your help very appreciated!!

**ElectroKinetic** · **01-29-09, 12:33 AM**

Just as a side note, I also had a bad cable when I first started. Funny thing is, is that I could play music through it with no audible depreciation. Just something to keep in mind if you're having trouble. I never would've guessed it was bad.

**thewire** · **01-29-09, 10:38 AM**

I have been working on my cable management this morning but I can't say that it's going as well as I had hoped that it would. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3467/...0bf256d3_o.jpg

So far I have elminated some kind of soft clicking noise I hear at reference level when I put my ear up to the left surround. It might have been my transcoder being within close proximity of the cables, but not sure.

There is some hum in the right surround when I put my ear up to that but I'm pretty sure I already ran out of plug-in's for my audio equipments surge protector that I have. I first started using REW with a cable that would hum each time I would make contact with the other side of the stereo RCA, but I don't recall noticing any changes to the measurements. You noticed changes in the measurements?

**ElectroKinetic** · **01-29-09, 11:22 AM**

It sounds like you have a ground loop. try switching your equipment to a different outlet or a non-grounded adapter one by one. I have my laptop, amplifier and TV plugged into the same power strip. the laptop and amp have a three prong power cable. When i disconnect the power from the laptop, the excess noise goes away. I believe this is occurring because there are now two paths for the ground; the RCA cable and the ground of the power cable.

In my case, REW detected that something was wrong (i believe it said that there was excessive distortion) and it asked if i wanted to continue with the tests anyways. As soon as I switched adapters, REW ran great.

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