" So please share your story on what procedures or what steps you go through when you set up your system. "
Here goes . . .
> the room accounts for at least 50 percent of our sound quality so don't ignore it, Either sit near field to minimize needed acoustical treatments or be prepared to treat as much as is needed for far field listening
> you need measurements but use your ears for final tuning. I go around and place tape on the floor for every possible spot where a sub could go and take about a 15 sample avg of its freq sweep response measurements per spot, I then review all to find the best 2 spots for my pair of subs. Then I use the 1/3rd guidelines to place the main stereo speakers away from the front wall and I sit 1/3rd from the rear wall. Again use measurements to find the most even freq response measuring just one main speaker at a time and be sure to mark the floor with tape and include the tape number in your file name so you can match the freq response chart with the positioning, Look for the smoothest response above about 100Hz as your subs will play below this mark,
> play the left main and left sub only simultaneously to integrate the sub Use an assistant to turn the sub's dials as your watch real time freq response, assuming you are not using an active digital crossover or FIR convolution files for digital room correction. Personally I use a 8 channel DAC so I have the flexibility to control each speaker and sub individually via FIR correction filter. Repeat for right channel
> use impulse response of only the main speakers to time align them at the mic position. If one speaker is slightly ahead of the other then you'll see two impulse response peaks, so move one speaker fwd and/or the other backward such that the two peaks become a single peak
> identify frequency response problem areas using at least 1/24th octave smoothing on your freq chart. Play with acoustical treatment locations and take before and after measurements. Very iterative and time consuming however. Take RT60 decay measurements to see if your room is too alive or too dead and use absorption or diffusion accordingly. Make sure you sit far enough away (i,e, 3 wavelengths from the lowest note it diffuses effectively to) from a diffuser and in smaller rooms use 2dimentional diffusors like Skylines as just about 50 percent of the diffused reflections will be scattered horizontally
> Use DSP parametric EQ to cut peaks and use as few filters as possible as it messes up the phase. Better yet use a tool like Audiolense XO to generate a FIR correction filter for your digital sources as it really works wonders.
> work with music on time aligning subs with each other first then with main speakers. I use reggae music with a very pronounced downbeat from the drum and equally strong upbeat from the guitars or other instruments. Listen to just the closest sub first to familiarize yourself with the bass beat then add the second sub and when its delay is best they both sound like the single sub did. The time aligned subs are your baseline to then introduce your mains and add delay to the mains such that their upbeat is in beat with the sub's downbeat.
phew , , , that took a while to write, Hope it's helpful to someone , , ,