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Room Setup .... REW .... Umik-1 ......Advice Please

I have a Umik-1 microphone on it’s way and I want some advice on the order to tackle things. I have already watched lots of videos and feel comfortable on setup and taking measurements. My question is more in the order to tackle the setup.

My system is a Goldnote DS-10 to a Coda 8 amplifier to Sopra 2 speakers. I have a Rel S510 sub-woofer and 2 large burlap bags filled with Rockwool Safe’n’Sound insulation I use as base traps.

This is my plan.

1. Set up the sub-woofer 1st at maximum crossover finding the best location (speakers off). Try to find the flattest curve. Move the Rockwool around to fine tune.

2. Turn off the sub and now move the Sopra’s around to find the best location.

3. Turn on everything and adjust the subs crossover and level to find the flattest curve.

My Goldnote has an adjustable DAC but I don’t believe it would have much of an affect. I am trying for best sound in a dedicated chair not as worried about overall room.

Is that a good order? Any other advice you can share?

Thanks

tundratoad
erik_squires
16,049 posts
 

I would keep the bass traps out until you have everything as flat as you can/like, then add the traps and place then where you need them to finetune your setup.

 

With 2 traps it's really hard to over dampen the bass in an average room, and they help you get to flat a great deal.  Any EQ you do without them you'll have to redo after so at most I'd suggest:

  • Measure without
  • Put traps in
  • Measure
  • Flatten
astolfor's avatar
astolfor
317 posts
 

@tundratoad no problem and you can message me privately if you want to discuss this further.

I understand that the process "looks" tedious and long, but it is not, to the contrary it is a lot of fun to listen how the sound changes shape.

I learned this process/sequence from 2 of the best sound engineers there are in the EU, they both have a PhD in the sound physics field, and own 2 different companies that all what they do is room acoustics, from residential, to concert halls like the new Munich Symphony Hall.

I hired them to do all my 3 listening rooms in my primary home in Spain and the results are nothing sort of magical. I have been working with them for years, each time I change a component like speakers, amps, pre-amps I call them back to re-tune the rooms. I have been doing this for years, so by now we have become more friends than customers.

So I tried to do the same in the living room in my house in the USA. Granted I do not have the same gear they do, I have REW and 1 microphone, they have different hardware and software and use ~20-30 microphones in my rooms, but the process is similar and I believe that I have done a decent job. I still have to do some changes before where I need treatment if I end up needing it without overwhelming the living-room.

I have all my REW measurements, which I gave to one of them and they will let me know what to do next.

Is your system solid state?

Sorry if my English is not appropriate.

tundratoad OP
7 posts
 

My equipment is solid state. I have a poor room, "L" shaped with the speakers shooting down the length of the room (just over 7 meters). Currently the speakers are about 100cm from the back wall, I do have room to move them another 50cm further out if needed so I do have some room to play. One speaker does not have a side wall. I don't expect miracles, just want to make sure I'm doing the best I can. I have very limited wall area for any kind of treatment. I'm looking at this as a fun experiment and after the cost of my system the cost of a microphone was minor.

 

Thanks again and your English is great.

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