REW and RME: How to Generate EQ tailored for RME ADI-2 using REW?

[Mehdiem]

I have performed my first measurement with UMIK-1 and REW. I need your help to understand how to generate & translate my EQ measurements into RME parameters.

I could not find a way to generate EQ according to RME parameters and capabilities. I tried using Generic EQ with 7 filters but didn't work out well. Please note that: RME has 5 EQ + 2 (Bass/Treble)

- Please see my measurement as attached
- I measured with sub-on crossover 60hz
- I use a custom Herman house curve, that I found online as follows:

• 31.5 6
• 40 5.9
• 50 5.5
• 63 4.9
• 80 3.7
• 100 2.5
• 125 1.3
• 160 0.6
• 200 0.2
• 250 0
• 1000 -1
• 32000 -6

Please let me know if there is any recommended setting for generating EQ.

 

[RickSanchez]

Good question. Unfortunately I don't know the answer. Does the Generic EQ export in REW have a 5 filter output option? (i.e., ignoring the 2 tone controls that the RME is asking for.)

 

[Mehdiem]

Good question. Unfortunately I don't know the answer. Does the Generic EQ export in REW have a 5 filter output option? (i.e., ignoring the 2 tone controls that the RME is asking for.)

Yes, I can limit the calculation to 5 filters. But I don't know what to do with base and treble then? Please see the sample 5 line calculation

 

[storing]

Add an LSQ for bass and HSQ for treble, rest are 5 PK filters. With the last ADI firmware update there's an otpion to control all 7 filters from the EQ screen, you'll want that, also allows setting Q for B/T. I found manually tuning to match curve beats the automatic EQ in REW (also because the automatic process doesn't use shelf filters). Start from the 'Generic' equalizer, tune until close enough, then enter everything in the ADI.

 

[Mehdiem]

Add an LSQ for bass and HSQ for treble, rest are 5 PK filters. With the last ADI firmware update there's an otpion to control all 7 filters from the EQ screen, you'll want that, also allows setting Q for B/T. I found manually tuning to match curve beats the automatic EQ in REW (also because the automatic process doesn't use shelf filters). Start from the 'Generic' equalizer, tune until close enough, then enter everything in the ADI.

When I start with Generic, at what step should I add LSQ and HSQ? This is what I did;
- set generic
- open Eq filter, select 7 items
- I change the item 6/7 to LSQ and HSQ respectively
- close the filter menu
- clicked on Match Response Target

This messed up all the calculation. REW seems to forget that I set HSQ and LSQ. It brings everything back to pre adjustment

 

[JohnPM]

Set the LSQ and HSQ filters to "Manual" instead of "Auto", so REW knows it shouldn't use those positions itself.

 

[Mehdiem]

Set the LSQ and HSQ filters to "Manual" instead of "Auto", so REW knows it shouldn't use those positions itself.

I just did, does it look right to you? I have a few questions as well?

(1) It gave me 17,500 for HSQ, while the max I can do with RME is 9khz. Can you explain why this is happening and what should I do? (2) Is there any particular adjustment (or change defaults) before generating EQ?
(3) can you take a look at my target curve and see if that looks ok? (It's based on Herman Curve)
(4) should I keep the sub on, while performing measurement?

 

[storing]

It makes little sense putting EQs at frequencies so high you'll likely won't hear them anyway. Better put them to use to flatten the curve in lower parts.

 

[Matias]

In the EQ section I would leave 7 positions in Auto and the remaining disabled, so that the optimization is going to use these 7 only, which you can store all 7 as an EQ settings with the latest version of the ADI-2 firmware.

 

[Mehdiem]

In the EQ section I would leave 7 positions in Auto and the remaining disabled, so that the optimization is going to use these 7 only, which you can store all 7 as an EQ settings with the latest version of the ADI-2 firmware.

If I leave 7 EQ (as auto) then the 7th filter will be 17,500 which is more than RME allows for the treble. Please see the picture I posted. My RME is updated already.

 

[Matias]

If I leave 7 EQ (as auto) then the 7th filter will be 17,500 which is more than RME allows for the treble. Please see the picture I posted. My RME is updated already.

The right hand side bar has an option what range you want it to optimize. Choose up to the limit of the ADI-2 and you should get the 7 EQ bands up to that point.

 

[Frgirard]

If I leave 7 EQ (as auto) then the 7th filter will be 17,500 which is more than RME allows for the treble. Please see the picture I posted. My RME is updated already.

Are you sure the two shelvings can not be turn in peq (it's the case on the babyface.)
On my babyface, the Q factor is 0,7 to 5.

What tells the manual?

If you really have 5 peq, you will have to deal with it. That's life.

The use of a computer and a software can change your life.

 

[JohnPM]

(1) It gave me 17,500 for HSQ, while the max I can do with RME is 9khz. Can you explain why this is happening and what should I do?

Setting the frequency, gain and Q for shelf filters is for you to do, REW won't set them. The frequencies are probably from whatever PK filters were in those positions before you changed them to LSQ & HSQ.

The low end of the target looks pretty optimistic for that measurement, you would need to increase the sub level about 5 dB.

 

[radix]

I've had success using VituixCAD for generating the RME 5+2 filters. I can setup a LS+5xPEQ+HS chain and put in all the RME-specific limitations and then run the vituixcad optimizer against the compensated FR (actual FR - target FR). And by "success" I mean it appears to work and it gives me a good-sounding headphone EQ. I cannot speak to the mathematical correctness of it.

Designing headphone EQ with VituixCAD

I'm not active on this forum, so I apologize if this is old news, but I wanted to share an easy method to provide some EQ insight using the measurement data from ASR in VituixCAD. I started down this path having a few pairs of headphones that have been reviewed here or at least very similar to...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[5omeone]

I had a similar "problem" with the ADI-2 DAC FS and REW. I noticed that the frequency values do not match 100% between the RME and REW. I mean with e.g. a REW EQ value of 320Hz I had to adjust the EQ with the RME at 310Hz or 300Hz. A separate software I did not want to use. I could determine the best result so far with the following procedure:

1. Activate Treble and Bass as EQ component (RME owners know what I mean) and if desired also activate Dual EQ (why, see below).
2. Perform first measurement with REW.
3. Adjust the loudspeakers on the hardware side as far as possible to the desired frequency response (position, DIP switches, gain, crossover etc.); measure again and again, ideally measure left and right channel separately (with my studio monitors I had to use different bass tilts on left and right)
4. Based on the measurement with the best hardware setup of the monitors now adjust treble and bass; measure again after each correction on the RME.
5. Now run the best result through the REW EQ; it may be necessary to select 6 instead of five bands in the EQ settings of REW, depending on the calculation, sometimes only 4 determined EQ values appeared with 5 selected bands.
6. Now proceed band by band and adjust the EQ settings one by one in the RME; each EQ adjustment has an effect on bordering frequencies, which can be seen better by proceeding step by step (play with F, Q and Gain a bit)

If you use the Dual EQ, it is again much more complex, because you basically double the number of adjustment possibilities. But in the end you get a very very fine result. The ADI-2 DAC is a fantastic device and with REW and the UMIK-1 you already have an incredibly powerful setup.

 

[Willem]

My second subwoofer is currently being repaired, but when that will have been done I am planning to get more serious about dsp eq. My DAC/preamp is an RME ADI-2 DAC. The balanced output goes to the power amplifier and the main speakers, while the rca output goes to the subs. My idea was to use MSO to create filters for the main speakers and the subs, and equalize the main speakers using my RME ADI-2 (setting the filters suggested by MSO manually, separately for each channel), and use a Minidsp 2x4HD for the subs. My idea is to avoid the lacklustre minidsp for the main speakers, and only use it for the subs where it does not matter quite as much that the mindsp 2x4HD is not that good. My main speakers are highpassed from around 80Hz with an inline passive filter before the power amplifier, and I would only equalize the main speakers for perhaps the range 60-200 Hz, for which the 5+2 filters in the RME will probably be enough. However, when I equalize the main speakers those filters will also affect the subwoofer output. So should I limit the equalization of the main speakers to say, 100 Hz and above, where the subs will not be doing much anymore?

 

[Willem]

Or should I just keep it simple: use MSO for the subs, subsequently measure the combined response of subs and main speakers and manually set some filters for the frequencies above the subwoofer range?

 

[Music1969]

Set the LSQ and HSQ filters to "Manual" instead of "Auto", so REW knows it shouldn't use those positions itself.

Hi @JohnPM

How to do 2nd order high pass filter in REW at 1Hz , for DC content blocking ?

Is this 2nd order?

Filter 3: ON HP Fc 1.0 Hz

 

[JohnPM]

Yes, but REW doesn't allow filter centre frequencies below 10 Hz in equalisers. There is a high pass option on the Soundcard preferences, that applies a 2 Hz first order filter.

 

[Leeken]

Is there a easy tutorial anywhere for how to add the harman curve? Had a nightmare tonight trying to work it out,many thanks to anyone who can help,and to John the creator.