HELP! totally confused

**spudbudy** · **11-14-07, 11:27 PM**

Hi everyone, listen I know that I'm not real good with all things electronic but after buying a new sound card installing it and downloading all the latest updated drivers. after starting REW and attempting to go through the process of calibrating a sound card and importing the RS CAL file into REW. IO can tell you that I'm about to pull out my hair or whats left of it. I can seem to get this program to work for me. I followed the setup of the sound card with the loopback no problem calibrated the RS SPL with the tone through the sub to 75 db. once again no problem so why doesn't it work when I try and run the measurement. sound comes out of the sub like its supposed to but when I look at the results its a straight line. tried changing the crossover didn't change anything. so now here is the fun part I unhooked the RS SPL meter from the sound card and ran it again the same result came back. its like the RS SPL meter was never in the loop to begin with.So being the smart guy that I am I moved to another computer with a different sound card same end results even without the RS SPL hooked up I am getting a phamtom result. PLEASE tell me whats wrong with my setup. I can't believe that I am the only one who can't figure this out

**brucek** · **11-15-07, 09:42 AM**

Quote:

PLEASE tell me whats wrong with my setup

You were able to go through the soundcard calibration with a loopback cable and get a good result. I'd like to see the graph of your soundcard calibration response if possible. Use the same axis as I have in the example below.

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You didn't mention going through the Check Levels routine to set up the output and input levels. I'd like to see a jpg of that if possible. It should look something as I show below.

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Name: check levels.jpg
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brucek

**brent_s** · **11-15-07, 09:45 AM**

What type of adapter are you using to connect the RS meter signal into the sound card? You could simply be connecting the meter to the wrong channel...I think by default, REW monitors the left channel for input. If you're using a RCA-1/8" Y adapter like mine, the white RCA jack should be the left channel.

**spudbudy** · **11-15-07, 11:42 AM**

thanks for the help yes i did check levels and set them up as directed with the input @ -18db and the output @ -12db. i am beginning to think that the output on my RS SPL meter is not working

**brucek** · **11-15-07, 12:07 PM**

Quote:

i am beginning to think that the output on my RS SPL meter is not working

Easy to check, Plug it into the AUX or CD input of your receiver and sing. It's a microphone.....

What scale were you using on the SPL meter?

You were using an RCA connector at the SPL meter end?

brucek

**Blaser** · **11-15-07, 02:57 PM**

Brucek, it could be a matter of stereo jacks....People often people do this error, and they will never get a reading from the RS meter

**spudbudy** · **11-15-07, 03:21 PM**

ok just checked the mic on the RS SPL hooked up to aux on my avr and it does work. i was using a rca jack and the scale was set to 80.

**brucek** · **11-15-07, 03:31 PM**

OK, then how about what blaser has suggested, in that the soundcard has stereo plugs and so you require a stereo to mono adapter at the soundcard to 'break out' the left and right input so that the mic can feed left or right only.......

brucek

**spudbudy** · **11-15-07, 04:32 PM**

making small progress on that front.started over from scratch hooked up eveything according to what you have suggested. with the wrong input selected i get a straight line for the soundcard cal and when hooked up to the proper choice the soundcard cal is straight til @ 20 hz and drops off there. so far have got the soundcard cal done right i think. and have inported the RS SPL cal next cal the input of the RS SPL done no problem here either.now whats going on is after i check levels on the settings page and adjust for @ -18db all should be good that thats not whats going on now. when i goto take a measurement and check levels the output VUI meter goes to the top and the readout says level is low. any ideas now?

**spudbudy** · **11-15-07, 04:39 PM**

and to top things off after redoing the soundcard cal the results don't make sense let me know what going on pleas.

**spudbudy** · **11-15-07, 05:56 PM**

tried changing so of the settings on the sound card and got this result for the sound card calibration

**brucek** · **11-15-07, 06:34 PM**

As far as the measurement is concerned, be sure that the End Frequency is set properly in the Measurements routine. This is the sole reason why a Settings Check Levels and a Measurement Check Level are different.

I have to say that the last soundcard cal file looks more realisitic than the ones you've shown so far. The others show a perfect flat response down to 2Hz.. Must be an awful good card. The last soundcard cal file drops off as would be expected.

The upper frequencies of the last soundcard cal file is simply oscillating a bit. You may have the levels a bit high or possibly an effects turned on. Be sure the card is in Stereo only and no effects or soundfields..

brucek

**spudbudy** · **11-15-07, 07:25 PM**

ok well here goes nothing after rereading everything that i caould find it turns out that i was not getting any output from the RS SPL to the input problem solved changing the default input device to my audio card and stepping thru the choices until i found the one that controlled the input for the RS SPL now it appears to be working i think will upload a screen shot soon

**spudbudy** · **11-15-07, 07:58 PM**

ok once again the next problem appears depending upon with recording device is checked i cannot get results one will get me the actual reading but i have to turn up the volume to get within the 12-24db if the other recording device is checked i can get to the 18db setting however the results are not expected. so either i have to find a way to make this work or perhaps try and install a new sound card and do it all over again.here is a copy of both results

**brucek** · **11-15-07, 08:22 PM**

The upper graph is a correct response, but the bottom one shows you have an internal monitor turned on in the soundcard. Notice that this second graph shows a mirror of the microphone calibration file? Monitor mode is a feature of a soundcard that allows a person to listen to a CD while it's being recorded. It needs to be off for REW use . Look in the soundcard application to see where to do that.

When you display a graph, use a vertical scale of 45dB-105dB and a horizontal scale that starts at 15Hz and ends where you want it. This would be consistent with the standard we use to keep consistency between everyones graphs..

brucek

**spudbudy** · **11-15-07, 08:31 PM**

ok great sorry to be such a PITA with all the questions i will consider this a starting place to work from. as yet i will only be using my denon 4306 avr to work with and will add a BFD 1124 some time in the future if it is called for. I will be posting graphs looking for help/suggestions in the near future now that I got it working thanks all for your help.

**spudbudy** · **11-15-07, 11:54 PM**

ok real quick not much time i just did 4 different modes on my sub which one is the best one to go off of to start?

**brucek** · **11-16-07, 07:22 AM**

The first one appears about the best, although they're all quite close.

When trying to compare different measures, the All Measured tab is convenient to use...

brucek

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