Found this yesterday. I was looking for some equipment to tune my car stereo and found this web site. I bought the DIY kit for $45. Looks like a fun new toy for me. http://www.testaudio.com/testaudio/default.asp The kit consists of a "flat" microphone for listening to the sound, software for analyzing the sound on your computer, and a test CD for playing tones through your car stereo. Then if you have some sort of equalizing device on your car stereo you can "flatten" the frequency response. Seems like a bargain to me.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Winston @ Nov 14 2007, 10:48 AM) [snapback]539428[/snapback]</div> After you get a chance to play around with it, let us know how well it works. Considering how expensive real RTA's are, this is definitely worth the money if you can actually tune a flat curve with it! jonas.
The real problem there is getting a microphone that's actually flat, or at least a DSP frontend that knows all about its curve and can compensate. The former is rarely if ever achievable, and the latter obviously requires a mic matched to the device. . A chicken-n-egg to consider: What do you use to measure the flatness of a speaker or mic? How do you know the characteristics of the measurement devices used on your DUT, and the characteristics of the devices used to measure the measurement devices, etc etc? Where do you start? . _H*
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Nov 17 2007, 05:49 AM) [snapback]540892[/snapback]</div> Read the link Hobbit. They have measured the response of the mic and it is very flat. I am not expecting perfection, but it looks pretty good.
You may have missed the theory-discussion point. What did they measure the flatness WITH, and how do "they" know how flat *that* device is in the first place? What was used to generate the sound for the mic under test to hear, and how flat is that? See? . _H*
No, I got it. Granted I am taking their measurements on "faith" to some extent, but they have put some time into putting these test sounds and devices together. I trust that they know enough to prevent the problems you describe. You are coming from the end of the argument like this. It is very hard to do what the claim, so it is probably not right. I am coming from the end of the argument, they are going through the trouble develope an RTA device, they probably know enough to prevent the obvious pitfalls you are describing. Of course, the only real way to know to ask them. Ill send them an email to ask how they measured the flatness of the mic. However, I doubt the answer will be " we just played pink noise on my portable stereo and plotted the response".
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Nov 17 2007, 05:49 AM) [snapback]540892[/snapback]</div> ...with a very expensive setup such as http://www.bksv.com/2981.asp or http://www.bksv.com/4069.asp
Another thing to consider is that generally speaking, flat dos not always sound very good. In fact many would argue that it never sounds good completely flat. In IASCA events people would tune with an AudioControl RTA machine and 31-band EQs (per channel) then create a template for a FLAT response and then retune it to their ear for Sound Quality and make a new template. This would allow them to quickly retune between judging sessions. Two of the guys at my shop judged the IASCA finals for a few years and this is where I get my info from. I only judged one show in my life and that was using the RTA but I was nothing more than the mic boy as this was back in 1996. lol That being said I'm sure you know it is a rough tuning device but for some others that are not car audio savy, I'm hoping this information helps before they spend money expecting big things.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(F8L @ Nov 22 2007, 08:55 AM) [snapback]542913[/snapback]</div> Finally something from F8L I completely agree with! I knew we couldn't be totally opposite on EVERYTHING. In my youth I worked and even managed pro sound studios. After listening to measurably "flat" high-powered systems for an hour or two behind the console, I was physically fatigued. To fix this we rolled off the top end sometimes dramatically or did final mixing using small unequalized speakers. Believe me, it's all relative anyway. Winston has invested in a tool that will help him measure "relative" points and adjust until he likes the sound. Nothing wrong with that approach. I've used $1000+ B&K calibrated mics and $50 mics with very similar results all things considered. The key is being able to come back to a previous point and start again until you like the sound. You don't need an expensive mic to do that.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(banjoman @ Nov 22 2007, 12:29 PM) [snapback]542974[/snapback]</div> :lol: and I agree with the second part too.
Someone has the expectation that every sound card is flat and is as good as any other sound card? I guess with increasing world population, there's even more than one born every minute.
