ECM3000 vs RS SPL Meter, worth it?

[AngelEyes]

Hi Chaps,

It is years since I used REW and a BFD in anger (SMS-1 for the last few years) but whilst I wait for some availability for the AS-EQ1 I thought I might have another play.

I will have to buy an external sound card so would obviously prefer one that has a proven track record with REW as my HTPC onboard sound and HDAV1.3 have never worked reliably with REW.

I am weighing up whether or not to buy an ECM3000 or just use my RS Digital SPL meter with a cal file.

1. What real world benefits will I gain from using the ECM3000?
2. Do I need to get it calibrated or is it already calibrated?
3. Assuming I stick with the RS SPL meter, what usb soundcard would you recomend?
4. Assuming I decide on an ECM3000 is this sound card with Mic Amp going to be a good idea? M-Audio Mobile Pre http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MobilePreUSB.html Other suggestions very welcome.

Thanks very much.

Adam

[brucek]

What real world benefits will I gain from using the ECM3000?

I trust you mean ECM8000 microphone. A microphone also requires a preamp to be used with REW. With an ECM8000 you can measure full range. With a Radio Shack meter, you can measure to about 3KHz.

Do I need to get it calibrated or is it already calibrated?

If you want more accuracy, you can get it calibrated. For general use, our calibration file from our download site is fine.

Assuming I stick with the RS SPL meter, what usb soundcard would you recomend?

Most any card is satisfactory if it has a line-in and line-out and uses WDM drivers.

Assuming I decide on an ECM3000 is this sound card with Mic Amp going to be a good idea? M-Audio Mobile Pre

It's fine, and it means you don't need to purchase a mic preamp.

brucek

[AngelEyes]

Thanks, yes I did mean ECM8000

It is only for Subwoofer setup at the moment, although I have been considering doing some full range testing to help identify the best positions for various room treatments.

I have been dabbling a little lately with hardware reviews and I suppose maybe a more accurate rig might be a good idea.

Thanks for you quick reply.

Adam