It all started so innocently. A bit of fun. Learn a new language. Make something useful. No big deal, I could stop whenever I wanted. But all these years later I admit I may have a problem.
A little after the turn of the millenium, whilst I was Technical Director of TAG McLaren Audio (TMA), I wrote a little Java application as a spare time activity. It was called TMREQ Wizard, aimed at assisting owners of TMA AV processors in setting up those units' TAG McLaren Room EQualisation (TMREQ) filters to tackle modal resonances. It wasn't much, but it sowed a seed.
Following the demise of TAG McLaren Audio early in 2004, with audio back to being a hobby rather than a profession, I decided to write a new application that would combine equaliser filter response visualisation and adjustment with audio measurement. I wasn't that happy with the 3rd party packages I had been using for measurement at the time and thought an integrated solution would be easier to use. That was the birth of REW.
I added support for the BFD1124P, popular for subwoofer EQ at the time, which brought REW to the attention of a wider community using the BFD and similar products. The original version used stepped sine for measurement, but I soon changed it to use log sweep. Further equalisers were added. More measurement features followed. The little hobby activity started consuming most of what I now wistfully refer to as 'spare time'.
Over the years the range of equalisers supported by REW has grown, but the EQ features have been far outstripped by the measurement capabilities - these days REW is primarily a measurement system.
Fourteen years after starting work on REW I admit that I don't think I can stop after all. In fact I still enjoy adding new features and capabilities to REW and the ToDo list just keeps getting longer. I guess I'm a lost cause.
A little after the turn of the millenium, whilst I was Technical Director of TAG McLaren Audio (TMA), I wrote a little Java application as a spare time activity. It was called TMREQ Wizard, aimed at assisting owners of TMA AV processors in setting up those units' TAG McLaren Room EQualisation (TMREQ) filters to tackle modal resonances. It wasn't much, but it sowed a seed.
Following the demise of TAG McLaren Audio early in 2004, with audio back to being a hobby rather than a profession, I decided to write a new application that would combine equaliser filter response visualisation and adjustment with audio measurement. I wasn't that happy with the 3rd party packages I had been using for measurement at the time and thought an integrated solution would be easier to use. That was the birth of REW.
I added support for the BFD1124P, popular for subwoofer EQ at the time, which brought REW to the attention of a wider community using the BFD and similar products. The original version used stepped sine for measurement, but I soon changed it to use log sweep. Further equalisers were added. More measurement features followed. The little hobby activity started consuming most of what I now wistfully refer to as 'spare time'.
Over the years the range of equalisers supported by REW has grown, but the EQ features have been far outstripped by the measurement capabilities - these days REW is primarily a measurement system.
Fourteen years after starting work on REW I admit that I don't think I can stop after all. In fact I still enjoy adding new features and capabilities to REW and the ToDo list just keeps getting longer. I guess I'm a lost cause.