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How to make your RTA with $100 dlls.

119K views 260 replies 93 participants last post by  poormansporsche 
#1 ·
Hi guys
Just got my RTA going.
$100 for all the pieces new.
Want to know how?
Paypal me $100 and I'll let you know.:eek:
j/k

Behringer ECM8000 $49.95 at Amazon.



MXL Usb Mic Mate payed $49 at my local Guitar Center. Cheapest I've seen online $79.99
This thing has phantom power and you plug it directly to the mic and then to a USB port on your computer. It detects it automaticly.





TrueRTA free. (http://www.trueaudio.com/) the 1 octave is free and there are several versions 1/3 octave ($39.95), 1/6 octave ($69.95) and 1/24 octave ($99.95).



I know there are several programs to do it.
That's not my car's graph by the way, just measuring my office noise.
I think I need to eq my office. :eek:
Well that's it, $100 dollar totally portable, RTA and SPL meter.

Jorge.
 
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#44 ·
Draw your own conclusions:



MicMate

Scarborough, ON, MXL Microphones, the professional audio division of Marshall Electronics, is pleased to announce the introduction of their new MicMate Universal USB Microphone Interface. Designed as an incredibly easy-to-use tool that enables any dynamic or condenser microphone to be connected to a personal computer, the new MicMate opens up the world of recording to anyone with a desire to capture crystal clear, professional quality audio. This versatile, compact interface makes capturing audio for podcasts, adding dialog to presentations, recording live performances , and a host of similar applications as simple as connecting any other USB peripheral.

Working with the new MXL MicMate is a pleasure. As a plug and play device for both Windows and Macintosh, it requires no special drivers whatsoever. Simply connect the MicMate’s USB cable to a computer’s USB port, and installation is quick and effortless. The new MicMate is a USB 2.0 high-speed device that is backward compatible with USB 1.1. With a cylindrical form factor roughly equal in size to a Cuban cigar, the MXL MicMate’s operation couldn’t be more intuitive—and as for its performance, let’s just say it ‘smokes’ the competition.

The MXL MicMate is sonically transparent and adds no coloration to the sound of the attached microphone. The analog section of the new MicMate features a 20 Hz-20 kHz frequency response, and a 3-position, switchable attenuation pad with settings for Hi (0 dB), Medium (-5 dB), and Lo (-10 dB), making it easy to configure the attached microphone to virtually any sound source. The digital section features a 16-bit Delta Sigma A/D converter with a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz. For use with condenser microphones, the MicMate supplies 48V Phantom power.

Wayne Freeman, MXL’s Director of Sales and Marketing, commented on the company’s new offering, “The new MXL MicMate Universal USB Microphone Interface makes interfacing both dynamic and condenser microphones into the desktop recording environment an effortless, completely seamless process. Now, amateurs and professionals alike have a plug and play solution for integrating high quality audio into a wide range of recording applications. I’m confident customers will be pleasantly surprised by its easy operation.”

The MXL MicMate Universal USB Microphone Interface carries an MSRP price of $99 and will be available in Q3 of 2007.
 
#52 ·
No.
The MicMate is to power "bigger" mics that need phantom power to operate.
You can plug that mic directly to the computer and it should work, but it would be better to have a "measurement mic" to get better results.
That's why the Behringer is used. It's "cheap" and works great.

Jorge.
 
#53 ·
Thanks Jorge. I am sure I would need an external sound card then, as the sound chip in my laptop would probablt not be adequate. I think I read something about this here before but I cannot find it. What sort of sound card do you guys recommend?

BTW, I think it has been determined that the mic for the Alpine imprint kit is of relatively high quality, not sure though how it would compare to the Behringer.
 
#54 ·
One of the advantages of the MicMate is that you plug the mic to the computer via USB, and that way you dont need and external soundcard.
If all goes well I will put the "$100 RTA" against a real one (Audiocontrol) and will post results here, to see how accurate it is.

Jorge.
 
#58 ·
Yes he is.:)
And also add a certain H900 to the list.:eek:
But don't spoil the surprise.
H701 vs H900 vs P9 thread also comming soon.

Jorge.
 
#60 ·
david got a sweet deal on that rta. kevin keeps his stuff in prestine condition and takes very good care of his stuff :)

Good luck Doiter :)
 
#61 ·
Did a little testing today with my setup connected to an IBM T60p thinkpad.

I had the Behringer ECM8000/MicMate combo (with a 15' Canare Mic cable) doing some RTA via TrueRTA. I then took some known good 0db test tones on my OTHER PC (desktop) and played them to see what the Behringer/MXL combo measured. No matter which tone I tried (between 20hz and 20khz), the corresponding peak on the RTA was identical to what was suspected. No shift at all.

Today I received an Onstage Kick Drum/Amp mic stand w/boom. This thing is the perfect height for what we're trying to do in my opinion. It'll easily sit in the back seat with the boom centering the microphone at ear level.
 
#63 ·
Wish I had known to order an xlr mic cable, stand and usb cable. Got the mic mate and mic in hand, but didn't get any cables. Not sure if the mic mate should have come with one, but mine didn't. I'll have to go dig around in the garage for an unused printer cable when I get a chance, but want to also get an xlr mic cable and stand at some point to.
 
#64 ·
The Micmate connects to a PC via a standard sided USB cable. It doesn't come with one but these are the standard sized USB so I'm sure you have one lying around or can get one cheap at a computer store.

You do need an XLR cable though to plug your mic in. I don't think that was mentioned. Luckily I have some lying around. Your local Guitar Center or other music store will have some.

Incidentally, I ordered the Micmate and Behringer from Musican's Friend and got both for $49 each with free shipping. The Behringer is on back-order but I might just use one of my existing mics.
 
#66 ·
Do you guys think it's worth the $100 to build your own RTA to tune your system even if you don't have all the processing power of say an H701 or similar? I have a CD7200mkII and will soon be running fully actively, but will it be worthwhile to buy an RTA system to tweak or is it not enough difference to care about?

TIA!
 
#69 ·
I think it is worth it because you can at least find out where the issues are. If you have a good eq, you can even address the major problem areas as well.

Do you guys think it's worth the $100 to build your own RTA to tune your system even if you don't have all the processing power of say an H701 or similar? I have a CD7200mkII and will soon be running fully actively, but will it be worthwhile to buy an RTA system to tweak or is it not enough difference to care about?
TIA!
 
#73 ·
@bikinpunk
Whats the RTA you compared yours to? Thats really great news!
 
#79 ·
MicMate

Studio-quality USB Microphone Preamp
Supplies 48V Phantom Power for condenser microphones
Plug and record with your favorite software
No special drivers required
Fully balanced low noise analog front end
Analog gain control
Compact travel size 0.85" OD x 5.75" Long
Heavy duty diecast metal construction


MicMate Pro

Supplies 48V phantom power
Studio-quality microphone preamp
Zero latency monitoring
1/8-inch Stereo headphone jack
Fully balanced low-noise analog front-end
Gain and headphone controls
44.1 kHz and 48.0 kHz/16-bit
USB Powered
Less than 6 inches long
USB 1.1 and 2.0 Compatible

The only differences I can find are the jack out, gain and headphone control.

Jorge.
 
#81 ·
Thanks for the suggestion of the Mic Mate Jorge. I now have one on the way to replace the Behringer UB802 mixer I was using to phantom power my mic and transmit the data via a phono cable.

Now I don't have to worry about the extra wires and power supply to plug in.

I also have the TrueRTA program as well. I'm not sure of some settings though. Especially the input settings. L+R. L-R. R-L. ??? Which one would be ideal for a one mic RTA setup.

(I have full access to all the levels as well, which I may be able to assist others to obtain it as well for free)


One thing I find helpful on the program, is being able to save the curves on memory. It also brings a question. for saving curves to compare left and right sides, should I use the PEAK HOLD feature before I save, or should I use a very wide average?
 
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