Dirac Live Bass Control coming to Dirac Live Stereo This YEAR!!

[DJBonoBobo]

I asked about the pricing in this thread a couple of months ago and that was the answer I got:

That was not a statement by Dirac, though, but from the OP of this thread.

 

[juliangst]

That was not a statement by Dirac, though, but from the OP of this thread.

Yes I know. The statement just made so much sense to me that I took it for granted

 

[Sieniek]

Guys is there a possibility to set different crossovers for each of two or four subwoofers with DLBC stereo or multichannel ?

 

[jhaider]

Bass control is less powerful than full spectrum stereo correction in my opinion so I was really surprised to see that it costs $500.

The opposite is true.

With good speakers, full spectrum EQ (not “room correction”) is overrated at best and often deleterious.

However, good automated mains-subs crossover and room correction is an incredibly useful and powerful tool.

 

[juliangst]

The opposite is true.

With good speakers, full spectrum EQ (not “room correction”) is overrated at best and often deleterious.

However, good automated mains-subs crossover and room correction is an incredibly useful and powerful tool.

Not everyone has perfect speakers and most people will benefit from full spectrum correction.
To me, room correction (with additional speaker correction if needed) is way more powerful than an automated subwoofer setup.
You can achieve good results without Dirac bass control by using the sub‘s settings but you will always need some software like Dirac to correct the whole setup.

Bass Control is an add-on for people who already have Dirac so doing this comparison doesn’t make sense anyway.
Bass control is an incredibly powerful tool with an incredible price tag.

 

[n1rvana]

The discount works now! Thanks!

I purchased the bundle at a discount.

 

[jhaider]

Not everyone has perfect speakers and most people will benefit from full spectrum correction.

What makes you so convinced? At best the evidence is mixed. It’s an interesting topic. I think there's way too much stock put in "in room" measurements (predicted or measured) in the mids and highs. In the bass, that does seem to be what matters.

You can achieve good results without Dirac bass control by using the sub‘s settings

Define “good” in context here. I define it to mean smooth modal region response of the whole system that conforms reasonably well to the intended target curve, including and especially in the crossover region. Often manual techniques will get the subs working ok together and the mains looking reasonable, but ignores the significant interaction between them.

Bass control is an incredibly powerful tool with an incredible price tag.

My take is different. Compared to the cost of doing what it does manually (either the hourly rate for a competent consultant, or one’s own opportunity cost for DIY) DLBC is at worst priced fairly. I know that because I've done it. I've also thrown up my hands at the lack of time to do it properly and spent too much money to buy a second AVP with DLBC just to run a 2-channel + multisubs system. The problem is there's too much ignorance about acoustics in small rooms to build actual demand for systems that truly solve acoustic problems, because it's not flashy. Dirac may not have the marketing budget to move the needle there.

 

[DWPress]

I got an email from Dirac today offering me a discount on DLBC for being a beta tester. Looks like they think they've figured out all the bugs but so far still no joy for me but I've got a rather complicated routing scheme I'm trying to make it work with.

Anyone else get the email? Any sort of change log from previous iterations?

 

[MixMonkey]

I got the beta email with a discount offer, which I accepted. Haven't had a chance to try the release version yet, but if it's the same as the final beta, it's usable (just) in my set up.

Oh and btw, hi everybody, long time lurker, first time poster here

 

[theREALdotnet]

I haven’t received any emails, but I’m using the latest version of Dirac Live Processor (1.7.4) with the beta license for bass control.

 

[Sieniek]

Can anyone explain to me what is the difference between Dirac Live Bass Control on windows and Dirac Live on Minidsp SHD where you also have an option to set crossovers and make a 2.2 system.

What advantages are we getting with DLBC on windows compared to DL from SHD ?

 

[MixMonkey]

Dirac Live Bass Control automates the process of integrating one or subs with your main speakers, at a crossover frequency of your choosing. The integration includes both time alignment and frequency response correction of the entire sub+mains system. The fundemental difference between Dirac Live on a MiniDSP SHD and DLBC on a computer is that Dirac has independent control of the sub(s) with DLBC. On an SHD, the subs and main are seen (by Dirac) as a single unit and are corrected as such.

 

[Sieniek]

Dirac Live Bass Control automates the process of integrating one or subs with your main speakers, at a crossover frequency of your choosing. The integration includes both time alignment and frequency response correction of the entire sub+mains system. The fundemental difference between Dirac Live on a MiniDSP SHD and DLBC on a computer is that Dirac has independent control of the sub(s) with DLBC. On an SHD, the subs and main are seen (by Dirac) as a single unit and are corrected as such.

Thanks for explanation.

What in a case where for example speakers are on top of both subwoofers so their drivers are with the same distance from the listener with only difference obviously being height of each of the driver ?

Wouldn't that make DLBC unnecessary ? Or still I could benefit from it in some ways ?

 

[MixMonkey]

Thanks for explanation.

What in a case where for example speakers are on top of both subwoofers so their drivers are with the same distance from the listener with only difference obviously being height of each of the driver ?

Wouldn't that make DLBC unnecessary ? Or still I could benefit from it in some ways ?

My setup is very similar to this (although I no longer have the mains sitting on top of the subs, but alongside).

I found the system to be much improved by the correction that DLBC set, although I certainly wouldn't claim any expertise in aligning subs manually. I did go through the REW procedure as outlined on the MiniDSP site for integrating subs using an SHD. The DLBC results were much better and took a fraction of the time.

One of the advantages of DLBC is that it allows you to place subs in areas of the room best suited to them and then takes care of the time alignment and frequency response of the system as a whole. It relies on low frequencies (below about 100Hz) being omnidirectional and so it essentially "monos" the system below the sub crossover frequency (mine's set at 75Hz) and then routes "corrected" bass to the various subs to produce the best response at the listening position.

 

[Sieniek]

My setup is very similar to this (although I no longer have the mains sitting on top of the subs, but alongside).

I found the system to be much improved by the correction that DLBC set, although I certainly wouldn't claim any expertise in aligning subs manually. I did go through the REW procedure as outlined on the MiniDSP site for integrating subs using an SHD. The DLBC results were much better and took a fraction of the time.

One of the advantages of DLBC is that it allows you to place subs in areas of the room best suited to them and then takes care of the time alignment and frequency response of the system as a whole. It relies on low frequencies (below about 100Hz) being omnidirectional and so it essentially "monos" the system below the sub crossover frequency (mine's set at 75Hz) and then routes "corrected" bass to the various subs to produce the best response at the listening position.

Thanks for your feedback.

I think I will upgrade to DLBC at some point as it looks like it's worth it in the end.

 

[MixMonkey]

Thanks for your feedback.

I think I will upgrade to DLBC at some point as it looks like it's worth it in the end.

I've been running the beta for a couple of months now and whilst there are some issues (possibly resolved in the release version), they are more to do with switching between filters in the plugin version of DLBC. The sound quality has been excellent since I started using it.

The only drawback with using the demo version is that you will have to set up a system that allows more than two channels of audio to be routed out of DLBC, which rules out MiniDSP hardware (my SHD Studio will be going on ebay shortly)

 

[phoenixdogfan]

I got the email. It's my understanding the beta version is mine to keep and use, and I would like to know the advantages of buying the final production version, now that I've figured out how to make the beta work with some admitteddly convoluted routings. If the beta turns into a pumpkin at midnight on some future date that's another matter, though.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

The only drawback with using the demo version is that you will have to set up a system that allows more than two channels of audio to be routed out of DLBC, which rules out MiniDSP hardware (my SHD Studio will be going on ebay shortly)

Works just fine with my Octo DAC 8 Pro and would probably work fine with my Motu M4 if I were to put it to use that way and had a way to control volume in all four channels from the PC (Motu's volume control only controls the front two channels).

 

[DWPress]

Since I was having issues with the beta it would be nice if someone else who was beta testing and now purchased to let us know what changes are in the release version. Even with the discount it's a chunk of money to throw at something that wasn't really working well before.

 

[dlaloum]

Not everyone has perfect speakers and most people will benefit from full spectrum correction.
To me, room correction (with additional speaker correction if needed) is way more powerful than an automated subwoofer setup.
You can achieve good results without Dirac bass control by using the sub‘s settings but you will always need some software like Dirac to correct the whole setup.

Bass Control is an add-on for people who already have Dirac so doing this comparison doesn’t make sense anyway.
Bass control is an incredibly powerful tool with an incredible price tag.

Floyd Toole made some interesting points in one of the other threads on here...

The RoomEQ "Curve" is an outcome - it should not be a "goal".

In most rooms the typical slanted "target curve" is the outcome of a speaker with a flat "direct" frequency response.

If the speakers are good, then the best results are typically obtained with absolutely minimal EQ...

The rest of the "room EQ" is a result of the sum of the reflections with the main direct signal - but our ear/brain, differentiates between the reflections and the direct sound - the Room Curves don't!

In a perfect world, your speakers would measure flat on direct sound, and your Room EQ outcome would be the typical Harman Target Curve...

Unfortunately none of the integrated software (such as Dirac) provides a seperation between the RoomEQ outcome and the direct sound measured.

So the best advice is probably to edit the default response of your speakers with as light a hand as possible - if you are making major adjustments, it indicates major issues either with the room or with the speakers