[hella356]

I'm curious about how you connect XLR mics to a laptop. I've seen XLR to USB adapter cables, but it seems some sort of interface box connected to laptop analog inputs is more usual?

 

[hella356]

Go buy the cross spectrum umik2

if anyone doesn’t have a $600 microphone, but wants absolute superb performance

GET THE CROSS SPECTRUM UMIK2 for DIRAC!!

you will not be disappointed

finally finally finally I have a microphone that I can say performs really really good!!

The Cross Spectrum site doesn't have a lot of info. It seems they take mics & do individual calibrations, as opposed to the generic cals that come with the mics?

 

[hella356]

I had noticed that the price for both UMIK 1 & 2 was basically the same as miniDSP's pricing. I assume miniDSP sells to CS for cheap enough to allow them to charge very little for the service. That's amazing, good find, man.

 

[hella356]

the capsule size and axis isn’t a issue…. It’s a over blown thing said by some that are just looking to find a downside and ignore the upside

minidsp knew what they were doing ……. If you point mic at the celieng then sure but we’re not doing that…… we’re pointing 45deg up

but it will work for u just fine

I've always done 90°, aimed at the ceiling with my standard UMIK-1. Am I doing it wrong? If going 45°, should I use the 0 or 90 degree cal file?

 

[hella356]

Great, I'll try that. Unemployed, so can't currently justify the $200 for the calibrated UMIK-2, but I'm going to once I start working again. I think I'll do my next tune the way I have been doing it, then run one at 45 degrees & compare them.

 

[hella356]

At this point I'm excited to try both 45 degree approach and the APF method. I'm assuming (hoping) that between those and the new sealed box door midbass and upgrade from 1st gen SI M3 to M3 Carbon I'm installing this week, my rig will be at its best yet. But I do see one of those new mics in my future.

 

[hella356]

I'm actually really liking the results using a standard UMIK-1 and multi channel Dirac tune. The M3 is being upgraded because I've heard the Carbon is a fair bit better than the original, and I have Valicar pods I'm no longer using, so I'll be looking to sell the old mids + pods as a package deal. It seems my doors cavities aren't great enclosures despite being deadened no matter what midbasses I've tried & the results people have reported with sealed boxes sound like just what I'm looking for. And it's fun to geek out building. But any extra I can also squeeze out with Dirac methods will also be welcome.

 

[hella356]

The fact that two different people said my car rocked their world in a similar way to how a 3rd friend's Martin Logan electrostatic home speakers did was confirmation that I'm on the right track. Hoping that I'm closing in on an end point with the front stage hardware-wise, although the obsession never ends, I suppose. I will try your more straight-ish line approach with the curve, as well. Thanks, you've been a huge help in moving my rig along!

 

[hella356]

I should have everything installed by this evening, tune tomorrow morning. I'm confused - in Dirac, when the tweeters are playing their tones, I should ensure the mic is tilted to 90 degrees towards each tweeter, but doesn't matter for the other drivers?

 

[hella356]

Excellent, thanks!

 

[hella356]

Great info guys, much appreciated!