Testing component frequency response?

**redliner** · **02-14-09, 05:04 AM**

How do you test the frequency response of amps, preamps, cd players, sound cards, ect? What equipment/software is needed/recommended? Thanks.

**thewire** · **02-14-09, 06:08 AM**

I wrote a simple tutorial on using REW to do so here.

**brucek** · **02-14-09, 07:48 AM**

Quote:

How do you test the frequency response of amps, preamps, cd players, sound cards, ect? What equipment/software is needed/recommended?

Testing preamps and soundcards is relatively simple, since they are line-level devices and REW software is available.

Testing an amplifier is impractical and costly, since this is a device that requires high power loads to perform the test.

brucek

**Ricci** · **02-15-09, 12:56 PM**

You can do an amplifier fr in a very rigged up way, but at very low power levels only. Any good amp should maintain it's FR at higher power levels though. It is semi dangerous and you can fry equipment easily. I've fried a soundcard and shorted out and sparked off of my mixer board when something accidently got unplugged. I run REW out into the amp and then rig up a cable to run from the amplifier outputs back into a mixer board. I would not try it with anything else. Mixers are made to handle moderate high voltage levels, so you can then use it to control the voltage back out into your SC and laptop. You also have to calibrate for your mixer and SC. Overall it's risky and really easy to damage something so I don't recommend trying this.

**brucek** · **02-15-09, 01:28 PM**

Quote:

It is semi dangerous and you can fry equipment easily. I've fried a soundcard and shorted out and sparked off of my mixer board when something accidently got unplugged

And the exact reason that I didn't mention it......

brucek

**Ricci** · **02-16-09, 02:05 PM**

Understandable... Short of getting a professional rig or test done it's what you've got though. I did stress the "proceed at your own risk" portion.

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