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EMM-6 need calibration?

12K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  Phillips  
#1 ·
I came across lot of discussion about measurement mic and their calibration. Dayton EMM-6 provides calibration file if you enter the serial at their website.
Cross-spectrum charges the 30$ extra for mic to get it calibrated.
There is also a calibration value file at download area of this forum.
I am planning to use my mic for room modes measurement and frequency response of my speaker systems.
Can someone clearly define the advantage of getting calibrated from cross-spectrum vs using values from Dayton?
Parts express assures it is calibrated for each individual unit and not even for the same batch. There are some trust issues here.:gulp:
 
#11 ·
I was commenting on your post 7 regarding whether the Behringer mic would be inherently better. It would not be inherently better. It would be similar for SPL uniformity.

I mentioned that an "accurate" cal file is needed to accurately correct the SPL response of any low cost mic. If your going to EQ the HF then an accurate cal file is needed. I didn't initially comment on the source of an accurate file as I thought the charts posted made it clear which ones were not accurate.

I have seen several of mic cal files from top line manufacturers. A consistent characteristic is that the cal curve is relatively smoothly changing. It does not seem feasible that one could rapidly change up and down 1-3 dB with a small change in frequency. My overall conclusion regarding the Dayton cal files posted above is similar to JohnM's. I would recommend that they are not used. They just bounce up and down much more than any real mic response would.

For LF measurements only, the generic calibration file in the download area, or even using no cal file, is probably acceptable. Many people here that are EQ'ing the SW are not targeting a flat house curve anyway. I don't think that even a 2-3 dB error at 30 Hz is a practical issue, but others may disagree. The error is not likely to be greater than that for most mics. There may be a few however! Going lower than 30 Hz increases the possible error significantly so a good calibration curve is then a good idea.

I am using the CSL cal files for the Dayton mic I purchased. I have not seen any evidence to suggest that they are not accurate. I have confidence that this is a well controlled lab that offers a very affordable calibration services. I got this impression by reading all Herb's (Anechoic) comments in the various threads. He seems very knowledgeable and committed to providing a quality service.