Mathaudio Room EQ users (tips & tricks)

[Golf]

Alright, did never ending fine-tuning and tweaking through the past weeks. Did some heavy manual tuning to the »frequency response« curves lately, with the current result as shown below:

 

[Sokel]

Alright, did never ending fine-tuning and tweaking through the past weeks. Did some heavy manual tuning to the »frequency response« curves lately, with the current result as shown below:

View attachment 245129

Why did you do that?
That's really heavy EQ and can't follow the logic behind it...
The most I would do would follow a line like below (the red one) or something similar according to taste:

 

[Golf]

My listening room is kind of complicated, which may be the reason why I was never satisfied with MathAudio’s »reference line« correction too long. Especially a heavy »balance shift« to the right speaker nearly drove me nuts.

Eventually I began to try to correct that heavy right speaker tendency by manually shifting the curve of the left channel up. This is, because I mistrust MathAudio’s Stereo balance slider.

Anyway, this made me a fan of manually editing the »frequency response« curves after a while

The curves you see now are results of some change/check cycles I did with the help of »Equalizer APO« and »foobar2000«.

 

[Sokel]

My listening room is kind of complicated, which may be the reason why I was never satisfied with MathAudio’s »reference line« correction too long. Especially a heavy »balance shift« to the right speaker nearly drove me nuts.

Eventually I began to try to correct that heavy right speaker tendency by manually shifting the curve of the left channel up. This is, because I mistrust MathAudio’s Stereo balance slider.

Anyway, this made me a fan of manually editing the »frequency response« curves after a while

The curves you see now are results of some change/check cycles I did with the help of »Equalizer APO« and »foobar2000«.

Yes,but as it seems you have eliminated lows.
This must sound thin and stringent,except you have small speakers that can't go low or huge room modes that fill that gap.
Something that is not evident in the measurement which other than the dip at 100Hz looks pretty normal.

Edit:And you must decide to use oneEQ,EQ APO on top of Mathaudio will mess things up.

 

[Golf]

EQ APO on top of Mathaudio will mess things up.

Yes, I was worrying about that a bit. But I am pretty sure now that my player app (Audirvana) »grabs« the sound data before Equalizer APO would.

 

[Sokel]

Yes, I was worrying about that a bit. But I am pretty sure now that my player app (Audirvana) »grabs« the sound data before Equalizer APO would.

If you use ASIO output that is correct,at least with foobar (measured and confirmed)

 

[Golf]

If you use ASIO output that is correct

I’m using WASAPI.

 

[Sokel]

I'm not sure but I think WASAPI exclusive also overrides EQ APO.

 

[escape2]

I'm not sure but I think WASAPI exclusive also overrides EQ APO.

I'm using WASAPI (Event) on mine, and it bypasses EQ APO as well.

 

[Golf]

Uh oh ... Guess that is the end for my »latest best setting«:

I tested it today by listening to a mono tune – and I was totally baffled as it really sounded like a stereo tune!

I double-checked by switching from speakers to my head phones and selecting the bypass button in MathAudio: sure enough, it indeed was (and now sounded like) a mono tune.

Not quite sure what to make out of this »finding« yet ...

 

[Golf]

My assumption is that a well EQ-ed system should produce a clearly centered and »concentrated« sound spot just in the middle between the two speakers when playing back a mono tune – regardless of what that mono tune may feature actually (e-bass, vocal, sharp hi-hat, strings orchestra, male or female choir, what ever). Which wasn’t the case with my system at all ...

So I will continue my system EQ optimizing by focusing on that »mono task«.

 

[Sokel]

My assumption is that a well EQ-ed system should produce a clearly centered and »concentrated« sound spot just in the middle between the two speakers when playing back a mono tune – regardless of what that mono tune may feature actually (e-bass, vocal, sharp hi-hat, strings orchestra, male or female choir, what ever). Which wasn’t the case with my system at all ...

So I will continue my system EQ optimizing by focusing on that »mono task«.

Not strange given that you have different settings in each channel.
Try to EQ them both with the same target line and use the balance slider if you want to adjust any image shifting right or left.

 

[Sokel]

My assumption is that a well EQ-ed system should produce a clearly centered and »concentrated« sound spot just in the middle between the two speakers when playing back a mono tune – regardless of what that mono tune may feature actually (e-bass, vocal, sharp hi-hat, strings orchestra, male or female choir, what ever). Which wasn’t the case with my system at all ...

So I will continue my system EQ optimizing by focusing on that »mono task«.

You can find a lot of imaging tests here,very useful in every aspect:

Audio Tests

Test your audio equipment online. Check for frequency response, dynamic range, stereo imaging and more!

www.audiocheck.net

 

[Golf]

Not strange given that you have different settings in each channel.

But aren’t different settings for left/right an obvious consequence of not having a totally symmetric listening room situation? At least this was my believe up to now.

 

[Sokel]

But aren’t different settings for left/right an obvious consequence of not having a totally symmetric listening room situation? At least this was my believe up to now.

Not entirely,as it's not only FR or level into account but also phase,time,etc.
Stuff that EQ alters sometimes.
I wouldn't touch anything above 300-400Hz if I were you (i don't anyway in my set-up) except balance and would focus in a nice tilted line like the one I drawn for you above for a start.
I doesn't have to be ruler flat or nice to look.
Try,do the tests I linked and adjust to your liking.

Edit:
Note that the frequency response shown by Math is not as detailed or precise as REW for example.
So it would be useful to measure with REW to be sure.

 

[Sokel]

Here's a quick and dirty measurement regarding Mathaudio

DSP Measurements and Rising Noise Floor

As a result of this thread Tony from miniDSP reached out to me unprompted and gave me an updated firmware for the 2x4HD to test out. This firmware implemented two improvements: 1) changed the gain structure so volume control acts before ASRC meaning you can use attenuation in the miniDSP to...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Steen5]

Hi, I'm new to the forum. I have been using math Audio for a couple of years in my foobar200 player, and can't and willl not listen without it!

I have asked Math Audio about how I can use the correction on frequencies under 400 Hz only, with the band above that frequency without any correction, even the curve does not look nice. The purpose is to only correct in the lower frequencies and bass region.

I got this answer:

"If I understand you correctly you wish to correct the frequency band 20-400 Hz and you don't wish to correct the frequency band 400-20000 Hz.
1. Move down the vertical slider to properly correct the frequency band 20-400 Hz.
2. Move the mouse cursor to the upper edge of the 'left' plot near the frequency of 400 Hz, press and hold the left mouse button and move the cursor horizontally to the right edge of the plot, then release the mouse button. The target curve will look like _________----------------
The frequency band 20-400 Hz will be corrected and the frequency band 400-20000 Hz will be left "as is".

If you wish to suppress the frequency band above 400 Hz, you can draw the target curve like -----------_______________ where the right part of the target curve lies near the bottom of the plot."


I have tried to follow that procedure, and it is probably easy to do, but I'm not getting it right. I have done step 1, but it is step 2 where I don't get it. Can someone explain for dummy as me, how I set the curser? On the curve, or on top of the chart or?

 

[Sokel]

Hi, I'm new to the forum. I have been using math Audio for a couple of years in my foobar200 player, and can't and willl not listen without it!

I have asked Math Audio about how I can use the correction on frequencies under 400 Hz only, with the band above that frequency without any correction, even the curve does not look nice. The purpose is to only correct in the lower frequencies and bass region.

I got this answer:

"If I understand you correctly you wish to correct the frequency band 20-400 Hz and you don't wish to correct the frequency band 400-20000 Hz.
1. Move down the vertical slider to properly correct the frequency band 20-400 Hz.
2. Move the mouse cursor to the upper edge of the 'left' plot near the frequency of 400 Hz, press and hold the left mouse button and move the cursor horizontally to the right edge of the plot, then release the mouse button. The target curve will look like _________----------------
The frequency band 20-400 Hz will be corrected and the frequency band 400-20000 Hz will be left "as is".

If you wish to suppress the frequency band above 400 Hz, you can draw the target curve like -----------_______________ where the right part of the target curve lies near the bottom of the plot."


I have tried to follow that procedure, and it is probably easy to do, but I'm not getting it right. I have done step 1, but it is step 2 where I don't get it. Can someone explain for dummy as me, how I set the curser? On the curve, or on top of the chart or?

Correct whatever you want below 400Hz.
Point your mouse at 400Hz ABOVE the measured response (higher than the corrected lows),hold and drug the line until the end (20Khz) without touching the measured response.

In general,you can do whatever you like with your mouse to the line.
Press and hold to draw line,stop,press again and you can create a new line (at whatever angle you like).
Mouse wheel can correct small areas of each channel.

Practice a little and you will get the hang of it.

 

[HDavidson]

It should look something like this. Practice on an empty window without measurements.

 

[Snarfie]

Hi, I'm new to the forum. I have been using math Audio for a couple of years in my foobar200 player, and can't and willl not listen without it!

I have asked Math Audio about how I can use the correction on frequencies under 400 Hz only, with the band above that frequency without any correction, even the curve does not look nice. The purpose is to only correct in the lower frequencies and bass region.

I got this answer:

"If I understand you correctly you wish to correct the frequency band 20-400 Hz and you don't wish to correct the frequency band 400-20000 Hz.
1. Move down the vertical slider to properly correct the frequency band 20-400 Hz.
2. Move the mouse cursor to the upper edge of the 'left' plot near the frequency of 400 Hz, press and hold the left mouse button and move the cursor horizontally to the right edge of the plot, then release the mouse button. The target curve will look like _________----------------
The frequency band 20-400 Hz will be corrected and the frequency band 400-20000 Hz will be left "as is".

If you wish to suppress the frequency band above 400 Hz, you can draw the target curve like -----------_______________ where the right part of the target curve lies near the bottom of the plot."


I have tried to follow that procedure, and it is probably easy to do, but I'm not getting it right. I have done step 1, but it is step 2 where I don't get it. Can someone explain for dummy as me, how I set the curser? On the curve, or on top of the chart or?

Interesting i correct full 20 to 20khz
I did draw several target curves for 5 years now an always the White flat target curve (if you can speak of a target curve) sound by far the best an not only for me audiophiles musicians that heard the difference in my room all had the same conclusion the flat target curve did the job sounding the most balanced. yes i know that the theory ( also here on ASR) that it only make sense to correct till 400hz. Could have to do with my attic acoustics with saddle roof. Still!