Test Tone & DB Meter Equalization/tuning

[mjgonegm]

Test Tone & DB Meter Equalization/tuning

So after seeing this around the net, I thought I would try it. This does take serious patience, but imho it is worth it. I picked up a Radio Shack dB Meter, I tried this on my home System it is a windows media center set up.

My equipment

Scott A110 Media Receiver (7-band EQ.)
Realtek HD sound card (10-band EQ.)
I also took advantage of media centers EQ.
Pioneer 3-way S-HF41-LR (Front)
And Home Made Speakers, 5-1/2 and a 1in tweeter. (Rear)
Radio Shack Sound Level Meter (33-2055)
1/3 Octave Test tone CD

Ok first I turned everything off, closed all the windows and doors, removed all clocks and unnecessary items that could make noise, and finally kicked all people out. I got below 50 Db on ambient noise I could not get a reading on the meter it was so quiet


I then rigged up a set-up with the db meter in the direct center of the room. I then set my meter to C-Weighted mode, slow response and Avg. sound level. I then I zeroed all my EQ. settings. and popped in the test tone CD and proceeded to write down all my readings.

20Hz 63db
25Hz 71db
31.5Hz 69db
40Hz 88db
50Hz 85db
63Hz 81db
80Hz 80db
100Hz 70db
125Hz 75db
160Hz 77db
200Hz 77db
250Hz 59db
315Hz 69db
400Hz 67db
500Hz 58db
630Hz 61db
800Hz 72db
1,000Hz 70db
1,250Hz 71db
1,600Hz 68db
2,000Hz 66db
2,500Hz 77db
3,150Hz 74db
4,000Hz 72db
5,000Hz 65db
6,300Hz 65db
8,000Hz 65db
10,000Hz 64db
12,500Hz 57db
16,000Hz - ignored
20,000Hz - ignored

Pink noise - 72db
Ambient noise >50db

Overall goal 60db

As you can see I had large amount of bass gain in the lower freq. That alone took the most time to eq. out. I found it easier to completely zero out the freq. in question and raise it to my goal. To be honest if I had a more dedicated EQ. it would have been a lot easier but since some of the eq. freq. . were raise or lowered in some of the next freq.'s it took a while to everything right.

Here are my results.

20Hz >50db
25Hz 52db
31.5Hz >50db
40Hz 61db
50Hz 60db
63Hz 61db
80Hz 63db
100Hz 60db
125Hz 61db
160Hz 61db
200Hz 62db
250Hz 54db
315Hz 61db
400Hz 61db
500Hz >50db
630Hz 52db
800Hz 60db
1,000Hz 58db
1,250Hz 61db
1,600Hz 57db
2,000Hz 59db
2,500Hz 60db
3,150Hz 52db
4,000Hz 58db
5,000Hz 59db
6,300Hz 60db
8,000Hz 61db
10,000Hz 59db
12,500Hz 59db
16,000Hz - ignored
20,000Hz - ignored

As you can see I got everything pretty even there was still however a few lows and high's but this was due to a lack of Eq. I simply not could fix those few. AND yes nothing was boosted past zero everything is cut.

I am EXTREMLY pleased with my settings. Everything sounds so much better, from music to movies.

Hopes this helps you guys and gals!

[Lash]

Very cool, you might try posting this in the other forum.

[donkeypunch22]

cool. In the car it you may want to use filtered pink noise instead of tones. The tones, from what I've read from others as well as personal exp, in the car suffer from reflections once you get to the middle octaves.

[mjgonegm]

Here is the link to the proper test tones

Subwoofer Test - Bass Test mp3 - Subwoofer Test mp3

[DanMan]

I am interested in trying this type of method in my car. I am a bit overwhelmed by TrueRTA and the Radio Shack meter w/ some graph paper suits me better.

Anybody have an idea how parametric eq would work with this method? I would think that a graphic eq also has a "q" value at each band, just not a variable one. Come to think of it, maybe I should search and see what I can find out about graphic eqs.

Thanks for the post!

[gijoe]

Originally Posted by mjgonegm

Here is the link to the proper test tones

Subwoofer Test - Bass Test mp3 - Subwoofer Test mp3

This sounds like a good place to start from. Buy are you sure you really want a flat response curve? I know it's nice to be able to get a flat curve, but that's usually just that starting place right? From what I understand a truly flat curve sounds pretty bad.

Just wondering. I've never really heard a good flat response in a home setup. But I always thought that getting a flat curve was just the beginning.

[mjgonegm]

Try it sounds damn good to me, way better than before from when I tuned it from my ear. Truth be told I wanted kill more of the bass(which I did) but then if the rest of the curve is not lowered there would have been not enough bass., They only problem I have is that, it has exposed the weak point in my system, and I need to find some more 9in woofers (8.75in to be exact).

Adding more on flat response curve.

I feel if your system can play all sounds at the same volume, it will play music the way it is meant to be heard, for example, you have a song that has three distinct sounds and the one in the middle can be barley be heard. All because your system is badly tuned, but after a good tuning session you fix it, and it all works out and you finally hear that sound and you come to discover it was a trumpet and it sounds great.

I'm sure the tuning & RTA experts will chime in real soon if I am way off.

[gijoe]

Originally Posted by mjgonegm

Try it sounds damn good to me, way better than before from when I tuned it from my ear. Truth be told I wanted kill more of the bass(which I did) but then if the rest of the curve is not lowered there would have been not enough bass., They only problem I have is that, it has exposed the weak point in my system, and I need to find some more 9in woofers (8.75in to be exact).

Adding more on flat response curve.

I feel if your system can play all sounds at the same volume, it will play music the way it is meant to be heard, for example, you have a song that has three distinct sounds and the one in the middle can be barley be heard. All because your system is badly tuned, but after a good tuning session you fix it, and it all works out and you finally hear that sound and you come to discover it was a trumpet and it sounds great.

I'm sure the tuning & RTA experts will chime in real soon if I am way off.

I'm glad it sounds good to you, I guess it depends on a few things. I'm no expert and tuning is definitely a weakness of mine but here are my thoughts. If you tune your system to a flat response, a well recorded album should sound really good, if the levels in the recording were set to be played on a system with a flat curve. In this case, you would get a much better representation of how the album was intended to sound by the person who mixed it. However, I don't think most albums are recorded this way. I think most of them are recorded with the expectation that the listener will use a smiley face EQ curve. With these recordings, and a flat response curve, the music is going to sound dull, no bass and no top end. So I guess I don't know what the right answer is. I do think that having a combination of drivers that can be balanced to have a flat curve is a good thing, but I don't know if tuning the system that way will give you the best results.

I hope you don't think I'm doggin you on this, it just got me thinking. Really I'm looking to hear from some more knowledgeable people to get their opinions.

Either way, great project, I'm glad you are happy about what you've been able to accomplish!

[mjgonegm]

it's not a problem, But the reasons you stated above is the one reason why you want an eq not many songs are recored the same same each may or may not need its own tweak.

[mjgonegm]

EXPERTS HELLO!!!!!................ Where are you???

[mjgonegm]

EXPERTS HELLO!!!!!................ Where are you???

[mjgonegm]

Bump