REW Help - how to measure with EQ applied?

[airs]

I’m sure this is super simple, but after I measure and create EQ filters in REW, how do I check the result of those filters? I’d like to turn the filters “on” and get a real measurement. Hope that makes sense.

 

[RayDunzl]

REW can't "apply" the filters.

You need other software (or hardware) for that, sepending on your setup.

Me:

Digital source -> miniDSP -> DAC

Set the filters in the miniDSP, "filtering" the data stream going to the DAC.

Others:

PC Music -> PC equalizer software -> analog output or DAC

 

[airs]

My setup is win10 laptop running Roon and REW connected to ADI-2 DAC, which feeds two NC400 amps.

What would be a good way to check the results of the REW filters?

 

[RayDunzl]

I suppose you can set up the filters in Roon:

https://kb.roonlabs.com/DSP_Engine:_Parametric_Equalizer

Others can probably elaborate, I don't have Roon.

 

[RayDunzl]

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/a-guide-how-to-do-room-correction-and-use-it-in-roon/23800

 

[stunta]

This was my biggest frustration with REW - it doesn't let you validate the filters it generates. There are other things that novices like me can easily do wrong so I went with Dirac Live.

You can apply the filters in Roon, but you need a track that will generate the same/similar thing that REW generates - what is that, pink noise?

 

[RayDunzl]

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/using-rew-to-do-room-correction/19742

 

[matt3421]

I use Equalizer APO to apply the curves. and then i measure again for verification

 

[stunta]

I use Equalizer APO to apply the curves. and then i measure again for verification

Where were you when I asked this question all over the internet?? Thank you.

 

[Chrispy]

Yeah once you get a device that can apply the REW suggested eq, should be no problem to then use REW separately to measure again....

 

[matt3421]

What I would like to know is how i add the calibration text file to Peace GUI so i can easily switch between my headphone profile and my speaker profile.

 

[zermak]

Be aware. You can't use any exclusive mode APIs (WASAPI, ASIO or else) if you want to use your curves (or any EQ) in Equalizer APO.
Plus you can make an impulse filter response (an audio file) in REW and use it in the advanced settings in Equalizer APO with the convolution option (very useful if you wanna use any for the headphones of the ones available from Oratory1990, crinacle, RTings and so on available on the AutoEQ sourceforge site).
If you use Foobar2000 you can load the impluse response files directly on it with the convolution filter/plugin and in this case take advantage of the exclusive mode if you are interested.

 

[DJBonoBobo]

You can also simply transpose the filters into the RME. That means: read the values (gain, frequency and Q) from REW and create filters using the RME´s EQ-functionality. This avoids all sorts of software-problems.

 

[zermak]

That is sure but I don't know how many filters you have/can use on the RME. On PC it is unlimited teoretically and limited by your machine CPU power (and well REW uses 20 filters max so there is that too).

 

[amirm]

Turn on the Roon DSP/EQ settings (for the DAC you are using). Go in there and starting with lowest frequency filter, put them in one by one and listen. Turn it on and off and see if you like it. Then go to the next one. I wouldn't put more than a few in there.

 

[Daverz]

This was my biggest frustration with REW - it doesn't let you validate the filters it generates. There are other things that novices like me can easily do wrong so I went with Dirac Live.

You can apply the filters in Roon, but you need a track that will generate the same/similar thing that REW generates - what is that, pink noise?

REW will write the sweeps to a wav file that can be played back from the music server. Go to "Generator -> Sweeps", set your sweep parameters and click "Save to file" then "WAV". Generate separate left and right sweep files, making sure you "Add Timing Ref". I always use the Left channel for the timing ref signal for consistency. Copy the files to your music server and add them as you would any other files. Now when you do measurement sweeps, you'll click Start in REW and then play a sweep file from the music server (making sure sound on the machine running REW is muted). You may have to adjust the volume until REW "hears" the timing ref and starts recording.

 

[DJBonoBobo]

That is sure but I don't know how many filters you have/can use on the RME. On PC it is unlimited teoretically and limited by your machine CPU power (and well REW uses 20 filters max so there is that too).

You are right to point that out.
RME ADI-2 DAC supports 5 filters with some more limitations (highest Q is 9.9, for example). But it´s a good option that can be the most comfortable. For example, if you use EQ for room correction only, you wouldn´t have to deactivate them if you want to use headphones, because in the RME filters are assigned to outputs. Filters for xlr-outputs don´t affect headphone-output. Also it would be possible to use different eq-settings and control them with the remote. Just another option to consider.

 

[zermak]

@DjBonoBobo
That is a nice feature indeed. As you said I was just pointing out the possible limits you could encounter while using the RME or similar product (NB: I know there are many good dedicated, and expensive, DSPs but this is another story).

 

[Pio2001]

Some important points :
The definition of filters is different from a software to another. You can't just copy the filters coefficients in order to export a given correction. You also have to check that both REW and your equalizer use the same definition for "Q" values.
The only way to do that if to compare the shape of the curve that are displayed.

Also, Foobar2000's convolver doesn't feature any resampler. Thus you must load a resampler DSP before the convolver DSP so that the audio data fed into the resampler are at the same sample rate as your impulse response. Otherwise, if your impulse response is 48000 Hz and your audio files are 44100 Hz, for example, all the corrections are going to be shifted.

 

[Soundstage]

Should I want AB test my REW/Dirac filter with the unfiltered sound, is there an easy way level match the two sounds? Like a global sound reduction on the unfiltered curve to match the filtered curve? I would like to store the two filters in a minidsp a compare them easily.
Thanks.