DavidRam's 1st Audio Build... EVER! :)

[DavidRam]

Here is the link to the thread. I don't have any pictures yet but will be adding them as I get some.

http://http://www.ramforum.com/f51/brody57s_rcsb_sub_build-89139/

I'll have to check it out! I appreciate it!

Thanks for the link, I'll be following...

 

[DavidRam]

Alright guys, so I have finally begun to learn how to use REW... I'm really not the type of guy who likes to do this kind of thing, and I have resisted it for a while now.

With the new digital connection, I decided I really want to get the most out of it and really tune this system to be top notch.

I have watched all of Kyle Ragsdale's Youtube videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeQE4qwwDF4) at least once, and read numerous threads on DIYMA.
I bought a second Dayton audio UMM-6 mic, because I sold my first one after I decided I won't be learning hot to use REW.

The MiniDSP has the ability to upload REW files, but I have no idea how that works yet...

I am REALLY enjoying this new set-up and I don't miss my head unit at all! Lol.

 

[troutspinner]

I have watched Kyle's videos, he does a good job. I would deviate from the waving of the mic around the head with noise and use Hatatsu from DIYMA mic placement method with sweeps rather than noise. The mic placement method is actually from real scientific studies and I believe gives you a better outcome as you are doing many sweeps and averaging.

Kyle displays some good experience in tuning, experience that the average tuner just learning REW does not have. Sticking with a methodical method and averaging is going to give you the best results. You are correcting speakers / space, let science do that to get them to flat. Your ear can play with overall EQ in the end.

As for the file to import from REW. After you do your averages and correct to flat, the values will come up in a window. Those values you can manually enter into your DSP or export from that window and then import into the MiniDSP's specific channel. Once you see it, it will be self-explanatory.

One other word of advice, level, level, level! before you do speaker corrections. You'll want to do dB sweeps on each speaker and get them matched as closely as possible before you do speaker correction. You'll also want to make sure that your volumes across the board are consistent from laptop, HU or input, DSP and amp(s) for every sweep, every speaker. If you take a break between speakers, make sure volume settings are still the same.

When finished, do another dB level sweep of each speaker and adjust the gains again to match overall dB from speaker to speaker. Your ear may tell you to turn down your tweets even further, do overall sweeps with all speakers on to confirm that the results show what your ear is hearing, this is a great learning method.

It seems daunting in the beginning but I actually find it fun because you can tune a system with the best ear in the world, a mic. Afterwards you will have confidence that you can make anything sound good.

Oh, one last thing, wear ear protection when tuning! Listening to sweeps or noise can wreck your ears for days and who knows the damage it could do long term.

 

[DavidRam]

I have watched Kyle's videos, he does a good job. I would deviate from the waving of the mic around the head with noise and use Hatatsu from DIYMA mic placement method with sweeps rather than noise. The mic placement method is actually from real scientific studies and I believe gives you a better outcome as you are doing many sweeps and averaging.

Kyle displays some good experience in tuning, experience that the average tuner just learning REW does not have. Sticking with a methodical method and averaging is going to give you the best results. You are correcting speakers / space, let science do that to get them to flat. Your ear can play with overall EQ in the end.

As for the file to import from REW. After you do your averages and correct to flat, the values will come up in a window. Those values you can manually enter into your DSP or export from that window and then import into the MiniDSP's specific channel. Once you see it, it will be self-explanatory.

One other word of advice, level, level, level! before you do speaker corrections. You'll want to do dB sweeps on each speaker and get them matched as closely as possible before you do speaker correction. You'll also want to make sure that your volumes across the board are consistent from laptop, HU or input, DSP and amp(s) for every sweep, every speaker. If you take a break between speakers, make sure volume settings are still the same.

When finished, do another dB level sweep of each speaker and adjust the gains again to match overall dB from speaker to speaker. Your ear may tell you to turn down your tweets even further, do overall sweeps with all speakers on to confirm that the results show what your ear is hearing, this is a great learning method.

It seems daunting in the beginning but I actually find it fun because you can tune a system with the best ear in the world, a mic. Afterwards you will have confidence that you can make anything sound good.

Oh, one last thing, wear ear protection when tuning! Listening to sweeps or noise can wreck your ears for days and who knows the damage it could do long term.

Thanks, and as always, great advise! I am not sure if I understood what you meant by Hanatsu's mic placement???
Funny thing is, I planned on not moving the mic around like that because it seemed to me that it could introduce a little noise, if only the air movement and my t-shirt brushing against itself... What do you suggest?

I learned the hard way what a mere 75db of pink noise can do to the ears, and I always use protection now. Where do I get sweeps???

As far as volumes, I only have one single volume control because the digital connection does not allow for the volume to be adjusted on the player... So I'll just have to pay attention to the dsp's volume.

The dB levels are pretty even right now, I have checked and re-checked it with the new set-up. But I'll triple check it with the UMM-6 and REW, because the other ones were done with the little IMM-6 mic on my phone.

I think the daunting-ness has gone away with all of the learning I have done on the topic, but I am not sure how "fun" it's gonna be... Lol. I think the fun will be in it sound good after hours of work!

 

[DavidRam]

As for the file to import from REW. After you do your averages and correct to flat, the values will come up in a window. Those values you can manually enter into your DSP or export from that window and then import into the MiniDSP's specific channel. Once you see it, it will be self-explanatory.

What should my RTA settings be, I don't seem to be getting the same functionality that Kyle is getting on his screen???

Here is mine:

 

[troutspinner]

This is a link to Hanatsu's guide. First-timers guide to measuring your system - Car Audio | DiyMobileAudio.com | Car Stereo Forum

Post 16 will show you how to place the mic and why.

Sweeps are built into REW. I would highly recommend connecting your computer's audio out directly to your DSP. REW will initiate the sound and measure at the same time, when the sound is finished, it will save the measurement.

 

[troutspinner]

I am not sure of what screen you are referring to of Kyle's so I am drawing a blank.

One of the issues people have with REW is setting up their mics and such. With a UMM, it's a piece of cake. Plug it into the USB port, start REW, it will say mic detected, do you have a calibration file, answer yes and double click on the calibration file you downloaded after you received your mic. You are now ready to measure.

 

[DavidRam]

This is a link to Hanatsu's guide. First-timers guide to measuring your system - Car Audio | DiyMobileAudio.com | Car Stereo Forum

Post 16 will show you how to place the mic and why.

Sweeps are built into REW. I would highly recommend connecting your computer's audio out directly to your DSP. REW will initiate the sound and measure at the same time, when the sound is finished, it will save the measurement.

Ok cool, thanks for the tips!! I think I'll purchase some high-res pink noise and sweeps for the digital audio player, I would feel much better tuning it based on the sound coming from the DAP... My laptop's sound quality is not good at all (it may be due to having played with all the settings and ****** something up).
Not to mention, using my laptop to the DSP would require using my cheap ebay DAC, which in term would cause a dual D/A conversion, too.

This site has some free downloads: http://www.audiocheck.net/testtones_highdefinitionaudio.php

I am not sure of what screen you are referring to of Kyle's so I am drawing a blank.

One of the issues people have with REW is setting up their mics and such. With a UMM, it's a piece of cake. Plug it into the USB port, start REW, it will say mic detected, do you have a calibration file, answer yes and double click on the calibration file you downloaded after you received your mic. You are now ready to measure.

Yep, I did the mic install calibration file thingy, piece of cake like you said... I think I got it mostly figured out, except Kyle is running over 100 averages very quickly and mine is giving me up to 32 averages and it literally takes about 32 seconds to get them... Is there something wrong with my settings??

 

[troutspinner]

I don't measure the way he does but what he is doing is capturing measurements in small clips. I am sure it is just a setting in REW on how quickly to create a capture. Unfortunately I can't point you to that setting.

FYI, I believe REW has the sound files stored in one of its folder. Do a file browse. You can just copy those clips to your device.

 

[DavidRam]

I started reading through Hanatsu's thread, and by the bottom of page one I nearly listed my new microphone in the classifieds and gave up on the idea of tuning! Lol

That **** is waaaaaay to complicated for me at this point... I am going to have to follow Kyle's beginners way and graduate up to the complicated **** later.

 

[DavidRam]

I don't measure the way he does but what he is doing is capturing measurements in small clips. I am sure it is just a setting in REW on how quickly to create a capture. Unfortunately I can't point you to that setting.

FYI, I believe REW has the sound files stored in one of its folder. Do a file browse. You can just copy those clips to your device.

That's a great idea!!

 

[troutspinner]

It does get way into it, I used it as more of a reference along with some videos I found on YouTube. I can't recall the guy's name and he was kind of long winded and boring but he is a musician who really explained tuning well with REW as a concept and not part of the car tuning world. After seeing that video "I got it" and then adding Hanatsu's method to the flow of things brought it all together for me. If I remember it, I'll post a link.

 

[DavidRam]

Since I am using my DSP's volume as the main volume, I decided to make it a little bigger and easier to reach for and turn. Also, my Jeep's interior has a little bit of an old-school look with lots of brushed aluminum...

Found some nice CNC aluminum knobs and then made some aluminum trim pieces to make it look cohesive. The knobs have a little bit of an old-school home audio receiver look which goes well with the interior, imho (note the grab handles).

 

[DavidRam]

I got sick and tired of lugging my big clunky laptop to the Jeep for tuning so I picked up this *** little thing! Lol

Actually, so far I am amazed by it's performance considering the price. It's tiny compared to my old laptop, very quick, light as feather, battery last a long time and perfect for tuning!

Hell of a deal: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I4H0OXI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[DavidRam]

In my last couple builds, I haven't had the space to build a cool amp rack, so I decided to build one just for fun.

The goals were to use as many different materials as I could, and do some things I have seen done yet...

Here are the humble beginnings of my amp rack just-for-fun:

Gallery --> https://postimg.org/gallery/2qo5pbe46/

 

[DavidRam]

More pics

 

[DavidRam]

And then there was this...

 

[papasin]

What happened?

 

[DavidRam]

What happened?

Long story, but things got a little heated in a thread and I was a little less diplomatic that I usually am...

 

[moregrip]

VERY nice stuff man!! top notch install!