Please help REW with FBQ2496

**mightyoakbob** · **08-25-07, 10:01 AM**

Can anyone point me to instructions for using the FBQ 2496 with REW? All I can find only refer to the older models and I simply do not have a clue how to get started with this even though I have read the instructions for the older models.

Even the first instruction says press the in/out button to put the unit into bypass mode. There is no in/out button.

Help please.

Bob.

**brucek** · **08-25-07, 10:28 AM**

Quote:

There is no in/out button.

On the FBQ it's called BYPASS.

The IN/OUT has three positions, the same as BYPASS.

Filters IN, Filters OUT, BYPASS. Actually the FBQ is better since it has a hard bypass.

The FBQ manual is on-line and downloadable from Behringer here.

brucek

**mightyoakbob** · **08-25-07, 11:56 AM**

Thank you for your help. Much appreciated.

I have a copy of the manual that came with the unit, unfortunately it talks another language to me and is clearly aimed at removing feedback which is fair enough I suppose.

I take it then that there is no documentation for using REW with the FBQ2496, if not I don't think I can guess my way through this it is way too complex.

Bob.

**brucek** · **08-25-07, 12:19 PM**

Quote:

take it then that there is no documentation for using REW with the FBQ2496

The REW Help files and the BFD Guide tend to reference the BFD1124 as far as the buttons on the unit itself are concerned, but the concepts are identical to the FBQ. That's why we never took the time to re-write the BFD Guide.

It would be a shame to use a sub without equalization, so I encourage you to press on. It doesn't have to be too fancy.

First you have to get the unit hooked up between the receiver and your sub and operating in bypass (you already know about that

). We don't use the feedback destroy function, so you only use filters that are parametric equalizer type. So, before you get going you first hook it up and go in bypass and then take time to get its input level set. It will operate in bypass and not affect your system while you learn the rest.

Then you have to learn about REW and connecting it to your system and how to select the FBQ equalizer and how to take measurements of your room.

Then you have to enter those filters that REW recommends into the FBQ.

It ain't too bad.

brucek

**mightyoakbob** · **08-25-07, 12:45 PM**

Thanks brucek.

I have used REW to get a graph of my sub in my room and I can hook up the FBQ to my AV amplifier and my sub and via midi -USB to my PC. The things I don't understand relate to:

level settings - I don't have any control over this do I? Is it not the volume I set on the amplifier plus whats on the programe?

How to get FBQ to take filter settings from REW via midi.
REW has seen the usb-midi connection and will allow it to be selected. It will not allow me to unselect com1 RS232 port so both are selected.

How to get FBQ to save those settings.

Thanks again for your help.

Bob.

**brucek** · **08-25-07, 12:59 PM**

Quote:

level settings - I don't have any control over this do I?

Indirectly you do. The level I speak of is the receivers subwoofer speaker level trim. Normally you would set this up using the receivers internal test tones. This indirectly then sets the input level to the FBQ. If you found that in normal use you had it set to a level that caused clipping of the FBQ, you would want to turn it down a bit until that didn't occur. Then to compensate you would turn up the subwoofers own power amplifiers volume control. See what I'm getting at?

There's a nice section written on Setting Input Level in the BFD Guide. Take a look and I think you'll understand...

Quote:

How to get FBQ to take filter settings from REW via midi.

OK, here's a confession. I have had two BFD's for over eight years and have been involved with dispensing advice about them and co-wrote the BFD Guide and have never used a midi hookup to a BFD yet. Why bother. You can enter the recommended filters from REW faster than you can hook up a midi cable.

brucek

**Sonnie** · **08-25-07, 01:25 PM**

Quote:

mightyoakbob wrote:

T

How to get FBQ to take filter settings from REW via midi.
REW has seen the usb-midi connection and will allow it to be selected. It will not allow me to unselect com1 RS232 port so both are selected.

How to get FBQ to save those settings.

Have you read over the HELP files concerning MIDI? There may be something there that would address your issue.

**mightyoakbob** · **08-25-07, 01:39 PM**

Thanks. Yes I have seen and read that article. It does help but I suspect I've found a bug in REW that will not let me select Midi-usb and not com1. Maybe this cannot be done with current software.

Bob.

**brucek** · **08-25-07, 01:58 PM**

Quote:

I suspect I've found a bug in REW that will not let me select Midi-usb and not com1. Maybe this cannot be done with current software.

Mmmm, lots of people using the midi-usb connection with BFD's and FBQ's, so I question whether it's a bug, but maybe.

I'll tell John (author of REW) and if he's available he'll respond to your concerns on that issue.

brucek

**mightyoakbob** · **08-25-07, 03:14 PM**

Thanks again brucek. Here's a daft question for you I know its daft but the web does not reveal an answer. The two midi plugs are labeled in and out, but what does that mean? Does it mean in to the FBQ or in to the PC behind it? So do i connect the lead marked "in" to the FBQ's input or output. Can't find an answer to this simple question aftyer more than an hour searching the net.

Thanks again

Bob.

**brucek** · **08-25-07, 03:42 PM**

My understanding is that the usb/midi cable is marked IN and OUT, so the Midi OUT on the cable would connect to the FBQ Midi IN and the opposite for the other.

Of course, this is one area I have never tried. Others, may add their voice here.....

brucek

**mightyoakbob** · **08-25-07, 04:08 PM**

Thanks for that. yes that's makes sense.

**mightyoakbob** · **08-27-07, 06:15 AM**

Hi everyone, still trying, several days now, still getting nowhere.

I'm really puzzled by the "setting the target level". I have a graph for my sub in my room and wish to try to correct it. The manual says the target is usually set too high and tell me to get it right. It does not say how I recognize right and it is not obvious to me at all. What does right look like?

Someone on another forum looked at my graph and said he thought the sub was running 8db too low to compensate for massive room peaks. I took that to mean I should lower the taget by 8db to push more of my graph above the line where it could be cut by the BFQ. I tried to move it down expecting the graph to move which it did.

Then I got a message about connections and dates and processors I didn't have - no sense at all.

I pressed on and then got a message that my levels were too low. I then realized that it was not just on paper, it was trying to use my system, so I switched the amp back on and tried again. It then told me my target was 75.6db which is 0.6 higher than I started - what is going on?

What does a correct target level level look like. the notes just don't say?

Cheers,

Bob.

**mightyoakbob** · **08-27-07, 08:08 AM**

Okay, I pushed ahead and ignored the taget level as I do not understand it all. I sent the filters to the BFQ via midi, this was the first thing that has worked without a problem. I then did another sweep and looked at the graph. The new graph is only slightly different from the original with massive peaks still there.

I don't understand what should be on and off in the BFQ. It has buttons "on" like speech and freeze should these be on? what settings should it have? Yes, I have read the manual but it talks in PA terms I don't understand I'm from the Hi-Fi world.

I,m taring my hair out with this, there is just no documentation that I can find that answers the basic questions in this context.

Please help.

**brucek** · **08-27-07, 08:38 AM**

Quote:

I pushed ahead and ignored the taget level as I do not understand it all.

The target level is presented as a line on your plot that can be easily moved up or down with the target level thumbwheel control after you take a measurement. Any portion of your response that is above the target will be considered for filter recommendation. When you press Find Peaks, it will display the peaks it is considering. If you don't think you have enough peaks, then Delete the peaks, lower the target and click Find Peaks again. Now you'll see more. The more peaks, the more aggresive the filters will be. That's it.

Quote:

I don't understand what should be on and off in the BFQ. It has buttons "on" like speech and freeze should these be on?

You'll have to spend time with the FBQ manual to understand how to operate it.

brucek

**mightyoakbob** · **08-27-07, 08:54 AM**

What you say about lowering the target makes sense it was what I expected but in practice when you do this REW starts taking measurements again automatically and sets the target back where it was regardless of where you want it. Why does it do this? How do you stop it?

As for the manual it tells me what freeze does it doesn't tell me if I should have it switched on or off - I have no clue. It says "RUN" in the panel but the manual does not mention this anywhere, I don't know what it means.

I also can't find anyone anywhere in the world who claims to have the FBQ working with a sub, it seems to work in theory only.

**brucek** · **08-27-07, 09:33 AM**

Quote:

What you say about lowering the target makes sense it was what I expected but in practice when you do this REW starts taking measurements again automatically and sets the target back where it was regardless of where you want it. Why does it do this? How do you stop it?

The proper sequence of events is to set up REW (takes a few seconds), then take a measurement. Then, if you want the target higher or lower with respect to that measurement, then adjust it up or down with the thumbwheel and then press Find Peaks etc to get your filters for that measurement and that new target.

If you want to take another measurement you press measure - it doesn't really do it automatically until you press Measure.

Quote:

I also can't find anyone anywhere in the world who claims to have the FBQ working with a sub, it seems to work in theory only.

There's evidence to refute that. Perhaps someone who owns one can advice you better. I think the problem is that people don't come here unless they have trouble. All the owners of an FBQ that use it with success have no reason to post - only those with a problem

brucek

**JohnM** · **08-27-07, 04:30 PM**

Quote:

mightyoakbob wrote:

I suspect I've found a bug in REW that will not let me select Midi-usb and not com1.

The Midi and RS232selections are independent of one another, it doesn't matter if both are selected. For REW to work with the FBQ2496 over Midi you just need to have your Midi output selected and to set your Equaliser type to BFD Pro FBQ2496 in the Equaliser menu. The FBQ2496 works just fine for Sub EQ, when you transfer a filter set from REW via Midi it will set up all the filter positions for parametric EQ.

**subby** · **09-01-07, 10:25 AM**

There is something I don't understand about setting the parametric filters up on the BFD. If you scroll through all the frequencies you find all kinds of frequenties in between. Not just 20Hz, 21Hz,...
You also Have 20.2Hz, 20.7Hz, 20.9Hz, 21.1Hz,...

for example: If you have a peak between 20Hz and 27Hz, do you also have to set filters for those frequenties in between or only for a few. Because there are about 4 defferent frequenties between every regular frequenties and your 20 filters per channel will be used quit quickly. I hope you understand my question because I can't explaine it very easy.

I also don't know what those 1/60 octaves on the bandwith button mean and for what you need to use them.
And is there a way to set the BFD in standby mode?
Because I allways have "run" on the display and the leds are quit bright, and for my HT room also being my bedroom it's quit irritating to have these bright leds on all night.

**brucek** · **09-01-07, 11:48 AM**

Quote:

If you have a peak between 20Hz and 27Hz, do you also have to set filters for those frequenties in between

REW will define the filters for you to enter. The FBQ allows adjustment of each filters bandwidth from 1/60th to 10 octaves wide (that's what the bandwidth button does). Play around with REW and adjust a few test filters on the screen and see how you have a center frequency and a gain and width adjustment to cover as wide or as narrow an area as you like.

Here's a typical cut filter. It has a center frequency of 1KHz. The bandwidth can be adjusted in 1/60th increments wider and narrower. If I had a peak at 1KHz, I would try and match the filter to the peaks center frequency and adjust the bandwidth and gain to eliminate it. REW does that for you. There would be no reason to enter a filter at 950Hz, since the filter at 1KHz would have it covered.

filter.jpg

Some people cover the lights on the BFD with a tinted plastic.

brucek

**Nate** · **09-03-07, 05:41 AM**

Quote:

brucek wrote:

Some people cover the lights on the BFD with a tinted plastic.

Does anyone have a link to such a product that can be purchased online?

Advertisement