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Sub Alignment: L-Acoustics, d&b, NEXO, Coda, RCF, Funktion-One & dB Technologies

By Nathan Lively

facebook post about nexo

My most popular Facebook post from the last 4 months is this one where I simply point out that NEXO’s recommended subwoofer alignment method is the relative/absolute method. People were surprised.

If that fact surprises you then this is going to be a bombshell: L-Acoustics, d&b audiotechnik, Coda Audio, RCF, Funktion-One and dB Technologies all recommend the same sub alignment method.

I have published several articles discussing this method already, but here’s a quick refresher:

  1. Create an alignment preset for two sources that are equidistant.
  2. Modify that alignment in the field, using delay to equalize any distance offset.

With each of these manufacturer guides there are several commonalities:

  1. Alignment is important. Of course they want you to get all of the decibels that you paid for.
  2. If an audio analyzer is unavailable or inappropriate, use the relative/absolute method instead. Some people don’t own an audio analyzer, have not invested the years of practice to master its operation, or don’t have time to set it up. Some circumstances are not appropriate for an audio analyzer, like when the reflections in an arena make the data inactionable.

Interestingly, d&b would like you to start with their modeling software to find alignment, while L-Acoustics eliminates the possibility of LF alignment in their modeling software, preferring to provide you with explicit pre-alignment values in their documentation.

L-Acoustics

L-Acoustrics Prest Guide v18.0

What follows are pages and pages of pre-alignment delay values depending on which speakers you are attempting to combine. This is exactly what SubAligner does, except it is not limited to a single manufacturer.

d&b audiotechnik

TI 385 d&b Line array design 10.6

NEXO

NXAMP Manual v3.1

Consequences of a badly aligned system
Precautions
delay
nexo alignment

Coda Audio

LINUS Control v2.2.33 Time Alignment

coda audio max perforamance
Flown systems
coda audio tiray

RCF

Pre-Alignment Delays v.1.1 – Guide EN

Funktion-One

Crossover Settings

dB Technologies

VIO series

This video should start at 2:31.

What about you? Have you tried using the relative/absolute method? What were your results?

Loved this post? Try these:
  1. SubAligner vs. L-Acoustics Preset Guide (K2 + SB28, Kiva + SB15m)
  2. 3 Phase Alignment Hacks to Make Your Sound System Tuning Easier
  3. Do subwoofers need time alignment?

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Comments

  1. Engr.Roland says

    April 23, 2022 at 00:41

    I love this topic

    Reply
    • Nathan Lively says

      April 26, 2022 at 14:02

      Me, too! 🙂

      Reply

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