The ultimate low cost solution for room correction?

[Timcognito]

True.

Nevertheless, it’s hard to imagine to make good use of »IK Arc Studio« or even more »Trinnov Nova« without a computer.

Well my use case is I am using a computer with Roon DSP and Bluesound but want something better and I am finding my lifetime Roon not so important anymore, except DSP. I have so much music and tastes very eclectic that don't even use it to find new music much anymore , which is why I bought it. My computer has too much stuff on it and when using SolidWorks other things bog down like my music. MiniDSP is an option but it is more expensive and more like a preamp which I don't want to change so a couple of these IK boxes seemed like the ticket for two of my music setups, set and forget.

 

[Count Arthur]

I've been a long time user of JRiver Media Centre. I knew that you can add VST plug-ins: https://audiointerfacing.com/what-are-vst-plugins/ to JRiver, I imagine in a similar fashion as you would with a DAW, Digital Audio Workstation.

And here is ARC 4 as a plug-in within JRiver:

I've only installed it, and I'm not sure how you get your measurements into it, but it should be possible to use ARC 4 within JRiver, without the separate hardware box, if you wanted.

 

[Xibal]

The "box" operates at line level, so it can't be used on the speaker outputs of an amplifier.

View attachment 353550

It could go between a DAC and a preamp or integrated amp, or between a preamp and a power amp if you wanted.

So you can't use it as a Dac and a Dsp at the sams time, right?

 

[Overseas]

Well, it uses an internal Dac to be a Dsp.

 

[Xibal]

Well, it uses an internal Dac to be a Dsp.

I meant that you get signal to be converted into analog, then digital and analog again, from what i red you can't feed it with a digital, unprocessed signal, and let it dsp and dac it at the same time, in order to spare money, space, and processing, especially if the dac chip on it is a good one (on site it reads it is an AKM velvet series, so presumably a good one). My idea was to use a Wiim Pro as a source, and let it be the dac/dsp, it would have been a very cheap and rational solution. I think dirac minidsp coul do the trick, it costs more, but always less than a source-dac-dsp chain of separates, not only economically, but i suppose sonically either...

 

[Count Arthur]

I meant that you get signal to be converted into analog, then digital and analog again, from what i red you can't feed it with a digital, unprocessed signal, and let it dsp and dac it at the same time, in order to spare money, space, and processing, especially if the dac chip on it is a good one (on site it reads it is an AKM velvet series, so presumably a good one). My idea was to use a Wiim Pro as a source, and let it be the dac/dsp, it would have been a very cheap and rational solution. I think dirac minidsp coul do the trick, it costs more, but always less than a source-dac-dsp chain of separates, not only economically, but i suppose sonically either...

Yes, analogue in, which is converted to digital, DSP applied, then converted back to analogue and out.

The USB connection, is only for storing or retrieving the settings.

 

[Count Arthur]

I managed to load my measurements into the JRiver plug-in:

Using the plug-in within JRiver I can actually leave the hardware box powered off, but in place between the output of my DAC and the input of my subwoofer. As such, the hardware box itself is acting as a completely passive pass through, and demonstrates that when the correction is switched off, either by the button on the front of the box, or the "CORRECTION" button within the app, it is triggering a relay, which completely bypasses any active circuitry and the AD -> DSP -> DA process within the box and not just disabling the DSP process.

I could also completely remove the box, and still use the correction from within JRiver, but that would obviously mean that correction is not available for sources outside JRiver, like YouTube, Spotify, etc..

I also compared using the correction within the box and within JRiver with the box bypassed:

PC -> DAC -> AD -> DSP -> DA -> Sub -> Monitors ---- Versus ---- PC -> DSP -> DAC -> Sub -> Monitors

If there is a difference, it's too subtle for me to hear, so, for me at least, the extra AD -> DA step, doesn't appear to have any detrimental effect. As such, for me, it makes sense to leave the box in place and have the correction active so that it works with everything.

 

[TheZebraKilledDarwin]

IMO for stereo at 0 $ systemwide solution: Voicemeeter Banana 6band EQs.
Another benefit: manual correction and measured, not estimated, feedback of the corrected soundfield in realtime, if a RT-analyzer (like in REW) is used.

 

[Timcognito]

IMO for stereo at 0 $ systemwide solution: Voicemeeter Banana 6band EQs.
Another benefit: manual correction and measured, not estimated, feedback of the corrected soundfield in realtime, if a RT-analyzer (like in REW) is used.

Show some before and after plots. I think some here have an interest or have contemplated this. My interest is room correction with no computer in playback system.

 

[TheZebraKilledDarwin]

Show some before and after plots. I think some here have an interest or have contemplated this. My interest is room correction with no computer in playback system.

Not because you asked so nicely, but because others may be able to save a few bucks:

 

[Timcognito]

Not because you asked so nicely, but because others may be able to save a few bucks:

View attachment 356879View attachment 356880

Thanks. You used REW and did it show you where apply the EQ or did you wing it?

 

[TheZebraKilledDarwin]

Thanks. You used REW and did it show you where apply the EQ or did you wing it?

I simply used the noise generator in REW and the RT analyzer and adjusted the noise in realtime with the Banana EQ until its steady state looked good (EQing in such a manner with the least amount of bands, only cutting and lowest possible filter Qs).

 

[Count Arthur]

Not because you asked so nicely, but because others may be able to save a few bucks:

View attachment 356879View attachment 356880

What speakers are they, a single full range, Fostex or similar, type driver?

 

[TheZebraKilledDarwin]

What speakers are they, a single full range, Fostex or similar, type driver?

iLoud Micros.

 

[Count Arthur]

iLoud Micros.

That's funny, I have a pair of those:

I did measure them once, just for fun:

I don't bother with EQ for them, as I predominantly use them when I'm listening to the news or podcasts, so mainly speech. They do sound nice with music though.

Looking at your measurement, the low end looks OK, you're not going to get much below 100Hz out of a 3" woofer, but I'm not sure what's going above ~8kHz, you seem to have a sharp roll-off there.

 

[Snarfie]

REW might be free but it is simply for measurement. MathAudio does much more. Check it out.

It's REW an APO in one solution totally for free using Foodbar2000 specific for tech dummies like me that want a quality measurment in 1 hour without needing a bachelor in audio sceince. Quite underestimated piece of software. https://mathaudio.com/room-eq.htm

 

[TheZebraKilledDarwin]

That's funny, I have a pair of those:

Hey cool! I also have Neumanns.

I did measure them once, just for fun:

View attachment 356892

I don't bother with EQ for them, as I predominantly use them when I'm listening to the news or podcasts, so mainly speech. They do sound nice with music though.

Looking at your measurement, the low end looks OK, you're not going to get much below 100Hz out of a 3" woofer, but I'm not sure what's going above ~8kHz, you seem to have a sharp roll-off there.

Yes, that's the Audyssey mic I used. Mine has a significant drop off in the treble range.

 

[Count Arthur]

Hey cool! I also have Neumanns.



Yes, that's the Audyssey mic I used. Mine has a significant drop off in the treble range.

Does it have a calibration file?

REW can use this to compensate for the microphone's frequency response characteristics.

This is my UMK-1:

This is the MEMS microphone that came with the ARC Studio:

Apologies if you know all this.

Also, if the microphone didn't come with a calibration file, it might be worth asking Audyssey. The ARC Studio didn't come with a file, but I contacted IK Multimedia and they sent me one.

 

[EJ3]

Show some before and after plots. I think some here have an interest or have contemplated this. My interest is room correction with no computer in playback system.

No computer in the playback system. YES!

 

[Cbdb2]

Read this and liked what I read. Thanks Eliopolis and Arthur for finding this. So the device seems simple but geared towards someone using a recording room workstation with speakers 1 m from a chair and not speakers in a large room. So would one use both the settings for their listening chair 3 m away and the HT room settings or what? I just use Roon and want to get something more sophisticated. The price, flexibility and simplicity without having to change any audio gear seems very attractive because it goes between amp and speakers.

They show how to measure many rooms including a HT in the manual, but its only 2 channels. It goes right before the Amp.