Learning about my room and my sound..

Chadnliz, in response to 'what do I do' with a reading. I assume that you mean that once you have moved your speakers and listening position about and have smoothed out the frequency response as much as possible by doing so, then you should consider how to smooth it out further. Bass is tough to deal with and treatments are frequency dependent so you need to chart the exact frequency you have problems with and then ask for specific advise. Highs typically can be smoothed out by treating reflection points. You can use furnishings or you can get professional treatments, I prefer the former. Keeps it looking like a real room. But, be warned. This is a slow and evolving process. It can take weeks or months of moving and listening before you dial in the optimum set up.

Eldartford, I don't know if you have actually listed to the Rives disc but when I used it in my system I found many of the individual test tones were not steady and because of that were difficult to track. Not so with the Stereophile disc. Is that problem unique to me? What did you experience?

Newbee...Yes I used the Rives disc, but only briefly because I got myself a spectrum analyer that is much easier to use. I don't recall the problem you mention, but I will put the disc on again and look for it. I will also look (with the analyser) at the electrical signal to see if it is stable. What I did notice is that with the higher frequencies quite small movement of the mic causes large SPL variation. You can also hear this when you move your head around.

Thanks again, I will report results and see how to make use of them, and I did find Sean's correction chart....will keep in touch..cheers all!

Eldartford, I think what you described could well be what I experienced. I was hand holding the meter.

Just some random related thoughts... I am in the process of tuning a listening room I put together, and the speakers are Quad 988's. With the radio shack meter, the frequency response is all over the board. A friend is sending me a spectrum analyzer. Has anyone compared a spectrum analyzer vs. the RS meter? If so, I'd be interested in any findings.

Also, I am looking for some advice. I believe I can set up a spectrum analyzer with my laptop. I've got an Edirol A/D converter that takes a microphone input, and outputs to USB. I've got a computer program that shows the spectrum on it. I think all I need is a decent microphone that has either a flat response or a response I can compensate for with my computer program. Anyone have any suggestions for such a microphone - something fairly flat but not too expensived?

Thanks, Peter