If you don't like the power alley that results from uncoupled subwoofer arrays and you do have six or more subs and enough real estate, you can try a compromised approach by aiming the left and right energy away from the center, improving isolation and lowering variance across the audience. I should make it clear that the result appears to reduce the power alley only in contrast to the rest of the audience. There is still interaction in the middle, it's just lower in level compared to … [Read more...]
How to phase align main to sub in Smaart, REW, Open Sound Meter, SATlive, and Crosslite
The audio analyzer functions primarily as a verification tool. For this reason this article will focus on creating alignment presets, which can then be modified in the field using simple distance measurements. To fit this into a single article I will offer an overview of a single method for each software. Although the steps with each tool might differ slightly, in general they follow this pattern: Measure each source solo.Do whatever is necessary to achieve alignment.Measure sources … [Read more...]
How do you calculate cardioid subwoofer spacing? (gradient array)
First, the wrong way: forward maximum summation using geometric mean. ¼c/(√(F1 * F2)) It works, but it's not the most efficient method. After a discussion with Merlijn van Veen I learned to space the gradient subwoofer array (commonly known as a cardioid array) using arithmetic mean to match the region of greatest summation to the operating range. Now, the right way: forward maximum summation across the entire operating range. Find the center of the operating range using arithmetic … [Read more...]
Subwoofer Alignment at The Redmoor Cincinnati
Recently I had the opportunity to help my friend Nick work on the calibration of some new components at a great looking venue in Cincinnati called The Redmoor. We met on TeamViewer and recorded the entire thing so that it could serve as a combination of consultation and training. If you'd like my help on your project, you can schedule an appointment here. In this post I'll walk you through some of the EQ and crossover alignment steps we took. Pre-production First, gather materials. I … [Read more...]
Single channel RTA targets to improve your mixes
How good is your live stream mix? What does it sound like on the audience end? How do you quantify that? Loudness metrics are helpful. I discovered YouLean meter like a lot of other sound engineers who have been doing more broadcast gigs during the pandemic. I monitor the live stream on a mobile device on ear buds to experience what the target audience might be hearing. I still found myself wishing I had another form of reference. For live in-person events I normally leave Smaart … [Read more...]