Is it okay to use UMIK-1 for REW with 25' USB cable???

[SPOautos]

I'm running PlexAmp on a Windows desktop that has toslink out to a preamp and I control PlexAmp with the phone app or with a laptop that also has PlexAmp.

It seems like I will need to install REW on the desktop, but the room is 18' wide and 38' long with seating 25' away from where the desktop sits. Since I will have to take measurements at that seating area 25' away, I'll need a huge extension cord for the UMIK-1. Is that going to be okay?

Id prefer to use my laptop with the mic, but I don't think it'll work. I'm not yet sure how the software operates but I'd imaging it's going to play test frequencies and I don't have a way to send audio to the desktop except through PlexAmp. I'm pretty sure that means I'll have to install REW on the desktop to play from there.

Thoughts??? If the 25' USB is a issue let me know and I'll figure out something else.

 

[danadam]

25' is 7.6 m. According to this Anker article, the limit for USB 2.0 is 5 m and the consequence of going over the limit is reduced data transfer (at least at first):

USB 2.0 cables can maintain their maximum speed of 480 Mbps up to 5 meters. Beyond this length, the signal quality diminishes, resulting in reduced data transfer rates.

This may still work, though I haven't tried it myself.

https://www.anker.com/blogs/cables/usb-cable-max-length

 

[staticV3]

t seems like I will need to install REW on the desktop, but the room is 18' wide and 38' long with seating 25' away from where the desktop sits. Since I will have to take measurements at that seating area 25' away, I'll need a huge extension cord for the UMIK-1. Is that going to be okay?

You can export test tones from REW as .WAV files, then play them back via a thumb drive or streaming App while you record the output on a phone, tablet, or laptop with the UMIK connected via USB.

Then load the recordings back into REW and bob's your uncle.

 

[voodooless]

You can buy active USB cables that are longer than 5 meters. The use either active repeaters or fiber technology. Slightly more expensive but more convenient than the solution above

 

[SPOautos]

You can export test tones from REW as .WAV files, then play them back via a thumb drive or streaming App while you record the output on a phone, tablet, or laptop with the UMIK connected via USB.

Then load the recordings back into REW and bob's your uncle.

Ohhh okay, so I can export the REW test tones, put them in PlexAmp like music and play them from the laptop. So REW doesn't have to be playing the test tone itself in order for it to work right?

If not, that's great news!

 

[staticV3]

Ohhh okay, so I can export the REW test tones, put them in PlexAmp like music and play them from the laptop. So REW doesn't have to be playing the test tone itself in order for it to work right?

Correct.

Though if you have a laptop, then naturally you could plug it into your preamp and run REW on that, without juggling audio recordings around.

It shouldn't matter which of your PCs you run REW on.

 

[terryforsythe]

I'm running PlexAmp on a Windows desktop that has toslink out to a preamp and I control PlexAmp with the phone app or with a laptop that also has PlexAmp.

It seems like I will need to install REW on the desktop, but the room is 18' wide and 38' long with seating 25' away from where the desktop sits. Since I will have to take measurements at that seating area 25' away, I'll need a huge extension cord for the UMIK-1. Is that going to be okay?

Id prefer to use my laptop with the mic, but I don't think it'll work. I'm not yet sure how the software operates but I'd imaging it's going to play test frequencies and I don't have a way to send audio to the desktop except through PlexAmp. I'm pretty sure that means I'll have to install REW on the desktop to play from there.

Thoughts??? If the 25' USB is a issue let me know and I'll figure out something else.

As voodooless said, an active cable works. I can confirm the following cable works with a UMIK and REW: https://a.co/d/1qTZW3T

 

[Sir Sanders Zingmore]

25' is 7.6 m. According to this Anker article, the limit for USB 2.0 is 5 m and the consequence of going over the limit is reduced data transfer (at least at first):

This may still work, though I haven't tried it myself.

https://www.anker.com/blogs/cables/usb-cable-max-length

I’m interested in this topic too. Is “working” an all or nothing thing? Or can it mean that REW still takes measurements but they are of poor quality?

 

[Daverz]

You can export test tones from REW as .WAV files, then play them back via a thumb drive or streaming App while you record the output on a phone, tablet, or laptop with the UMIK connected via USB.

Then load the recordings back into REW and bob's your uncle.

The way I usually did it was to create the left and right sweep files complete with timing chirps ("Add Timing Ref" always in one channel, usually the left) in REW as a 24-bit, 48-kHz WAV file, copy it to my Lyrion music server, convert the wav to FLAC and tag it (both conversion and tagging optional and for convenience only, since you can just play back the wav file). Then from the REW measurement window, start the measurement as if you were playing back directly with a timing ref, but then play the sweep from the server. Make sure that the sound output on your REW machine is muted. You may have to increase the system volume until REW picks up the initial timing chirp.

 

[BillH]

I use a 25 foot passive usb extension cable with my Umik - works just fine for me

 

[terryforsythe]

I use a 25 foot passive usb extension cable with my Umik - works just fine for me

I had the opposite experience. Perhaps it was the cable I was using or my laptop. I don't know. Also, I don't remember whether the cable was 25 ft. or 30 ft. Using an active cable cured my issue, though.

 

[SPOautos]

The way I usually did it was to create the left and right sweep files complete with timing chirps ("Add Timing Ref" always in one channel, usually the left) in REW as a 24-bit, 48-kHz WAV file, copy it to my Lyrion music server, convert the wav to FLAC and tag it (both conversion and tagging optional and for convenience only, since you can just play back the wav file). Then from the REW measurement window, start the measurement as if you were playing back directly with a timing ref, but then play the sweep from the server. Make sure that the sound output on your REW machine is muted. You may have to increase the system volume until REW picks up the initial timing chirp.

Perfect info, thank you!

 

[SPOautos]

As voodooless said, an active cable works. I can confirm the following cable works with a UMIK and REW: https://a.co/d/1qTZW3T

Awesome, thank you!

 

[danadam]

I’m interested in this topic too. Is “working” an all or nothing thing? Or can it mean that REW still takes measurements but they are of poor quality?

I don't really know. I'd expect that if there are any packet drop outs, then it will be clearly visible in the recorded data. But then the UMIK also works in Isochronous/Synchronous mode, so maybe some timing could be affected and produce less obvious errors.

 

[SPOautos]

Correct.

Though if you have a laptop, then naturally you could plug it into your preamp and run REW on that, without juggling audio recordings around.

It shouldn't matter which of your PCs you run REW on.

I don't have a good way, my preamp doesn't have a USB input. I suppose I could use a aux to rca cables or something like that. But I think if possible, rather play audio from the desktop since that's the same as when listening to music.

I appreciate your help! The info about exporting the tones is perfect, big help!

 

[Berwhale]

I've used a UMIK-1 in my lounge connected to a PC running REW in my study with a UGreen 10m USB 2.0 extension cable...

I bought this one in 2019 from Amazon UK, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be available anymore.

 

[staticV3]

The way I usually did it was to create the left and right sweep files complete with timing chirps ("Add Timing Ref" always in one channel, usually the left) in REW as a 24-bit, 48-kHz WAV file, copy it to my Lyrion music server, convert the wav to FLAC and tag it (both conversion and tagging optional and for convenience only, since you can just play back the wav file). Then from the REW measurement window, start the measurement as if you were playing back directly with a timing ref, but then play the sweep from the server. Make sure that the sound output on your REW machine is muted. You may have to increase the system volume until REW picks up the initial timing chirp.

Nowadays in REW you can set sweep source to external when doing a measurement and once you click start, REW will wait indefinitely for you to start the external playback, pick up the timing reference, and do the measurement like normal.

In other words, you no longer have to trick REW and make sure that its own output is muted - the functionality is built-in natively.

 

[Daverz]

Nowadays in REW you can set sweep source to external when doing a measurement and once you click start, REW will wait indefinitely for you to start the external playback, pick up the timing reference, and do the measurement like normal.

In other words, you no longer have to trick REW and make sure that its own output is muted - the functionality is built-in natively.

Where do you select external sweep source?

 

[staticV3]

Where do you select external sweep source?

In the Measure dialog, though admittedly I have not checked whether that setting is present in the Release version of REW.

I'm using the Beta version:

REW Beta Release - REW API beta releases

This thread is for V5.40 beta releases, which include the REW API. Here are the download links (updated 8th February 2026): Windows 64-bit Windows 32-bit MacOS Linux AMD 64 Linux no JRE For other changes in these V5.40 beta builds see What's new in REW V5.40. The API is REST(ish) with...

www.avnirvana.com

 

[Daverz]

In the Measure dialog, though admittedly I have not checked whether that setting is present in the Release version of REW.

I'm using the Beta version:

REW Beta Release - REW API beta releases

This thread is for V5.40 beta releases, which include the REW API. Here are the download links (updated 8th February 2026): Windows 64-bit Windows 32-bit MacOS Linux AMD 64 Linux no JRE For other changes in these V5.40 beta builds see What's new in REW V5.40. The API is REST(ish) with...

www.avnirvana.com

I'm using beta 112. I don't see the option.