What to use for input

I am looking at downloading REW so I can play around with my home theator. I am wondering what exactly you need to get the readings into the PC. Is just the standard sounds card in my 1 year old HP lap top good enough, it has a mic input. I also have a PC with an older Sound Blaster card.

And for the Mic I do have an anolog Radio Shack SPL meter but is it acurate enough? I also have a mic that came with my Yamaha V2400 receiver for its auto set-up, can this be used in any way.

Sorry for all the newbie questions.

[brucek]

Is just the standard sounds card in my 1 year old HP lap top good enough, it has a mic input.

No, for a laptop you need an external USB soundcard.

I also have a PC with an older Sound Blaster card.

That will work fine..

And for the Mic I do have an anolog Radio Shack SPL meter but is it acurate enough?

With our downloadable calibration files, it is accurate enough for subwoofers..

I also have a mic that came with my Yamaha V2400 receiver for its auto set-up, can this be used in any way.

No, we don't have a cal file for that. The RS meter is fine...

REW HELP FILES

brucek

brucek wrote:

With our downloadable calibration files, it is accurate enough for subwoofers..



brucek

What about for the standard speakers then, I asume you can use REW for this also, Is a real mic then needed?

Is they anywhere you can buy a calibrated mic with a correction file?

[brucek]

What about for the standard speakers then, I asume you can use REW for this also, Is a real mic then needed?

Is they anywhere you can buy a calibrated mic with a correction file?

Those that test full range, so they can check room treatment, usually have a better microphone. REW certainly works full range with a decent mic. A popular one is the Behringer ECM8000. It also requires a preamp to work. The ECM8000 mic is fairly consistent between units. Sonnie has his calibration file posted on the site and it would be quite close to use.

brucek

[terry j]

I simply use the ECM 8000 file provided by Sonnie with obviously an ECM mic. In comparing the results with that with the results I get from using a calibrated ECM with the deqx, the results are certainly close enough for me.