Still Tuning my System - Real Time Analyzer
06-23-2002, 09:04 AM
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After having investing more $'s than I care to admit and changing components several times, and after having lived with the current system for some six months now, I was still less than satisfied with my S2K system (Focal Utopia 6" component 165-w's, PPI 4125, Pioneer 9300, Polk 4" rear fills, Pioneer 12 disc changer, etc). By this, I mean I still preferred the Kenwood / Polk system in my Miata to my S2K for critical listening. Not good.
Recently, I bought a Terrasonde (portable pro audio test device) which includes a Real Time Analyzer. When I used it to check my system, I was blown away by the visible lack of balance present, even more so knowing the Pioneer has a 13 band graphic built in with which I could have been correcting at least some of these imbalances.
OK. So finding these imbalances in a car audio system is not so surprising. Even so, the difference I was able to make EQing the system was nothing short of miraculous, virtually like I had installed a whole new system.
The theoretical down side?: phase anomolies. Thus, sound engineers, me included, used to EQ monitors in studios back in the 70's but stopped as the EQ would often cause phase problems. Because of this, today most studios EQ their rooms rather than their monitors.
Still, after testing my car a bunch of times with a bunch of different components, and after checking the response curves of other cars with a bunch of different stuff as well, I haven't found a single car in which the factory frequency balance is not the typical "smiley face curve"; overly boosted low bass & highs, along with a very noticeable dip in the upper bass & low mids.
The point: the smaller but just as usable Terrasonde analyzer is not much over $1k, too much for an average person surely but split among a few enthusiasts; maybe the best investment they could make in getting good sound.
Do ears still count more than test gear? Damn right. Even so, I've been doing pro sound for many years, and despite my experience and ears, hadn't even come close to how good my system sounds now even with all the $'s I'd spent.
Makes me wonder how many people spend the big $'s and get a great system which is playing back at no where near its real potential.
regards to all,
Steven
Recently, I bought a Terrasonde (portable pro audio test device) which includes a Real Time Analyzer. When I used it to check my system, I was blown away by the visible lack of balance present, even more so knowing the Pioneer has a 13 band graphic built in with which I could have been correcting at least some of these imbalances.
OK. So finding these imbalances in a car audio system is not so surprising. Even so, the difference I was able to make EQing the system was nothing short of miraculous, virtually like I had installed a whole new system.
The theoretical down side?: phase anomolies. Thus, sound engineers, me included, used to EQ monitors in studios back in the 70's but stopped as the EQ would often cause phase problems. Because of this, today most studios EQ their rooms rather than their monitors.
Still, after testing my car a bunch of times with a bunch of different components, and after checking the response curves of other cars with a bunch of different stuff as well, I haven't found a single car in which the factory frequency balance is not the typical "smiley face curve"; overly boosted low bass & highs, along with a very noticeable dip in the upper bass & low mids.
The point: the smaller but just as usable Terrasonde analyzer is not much over $1k, too much for an average person surely but split among a few enthusiasts; maybe the best investment they could make in getting good sound.
Do ears still count more than test gear? Damn right. Even so, I've been doing pro sound for many years, and despite my experience and ears, hadn't even come close to how good my system sounds now even with all the $'s I'd spent.
Makes me wonder how many people spend the big $'s and get a great system which is playing back at no where near its real potential.
regards to all,
Steven
06-23-2002, 03:45 PM
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something to consider... RTA's don't always give you the best sound - they give you the ability to complete your frequency spectrum. this doesn't always result in the best sound quality, but does give you ideal equalization. ideal EQ and "good sound" aren't always synonomous.
06-23-2002, 05:20 PM
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Actually, contrary to what you suggest, doing RTA in this case has helped me to see and modify gross distortions which were and are hard to identify in an environment like the S2K, this despite my experience and training. And my point for the post was to make a suggestion which might help those with less experience and less educated ears to optimize systems on which they may have spent thousands only to be guessing at what it can really do.
Have you ever tried using a pro RTA to set up a car? Have you ever not liked the results? Perhaps you could share your experiences with this. I for one would certainly be interested in hearing them.
Steven
Have you ever tried using a pro RTA to set up a car? Have you ever not liked the results? Perhaps you could share your experiences with this. I for one would certainly be interested in hearing them.
Steven
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