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#1
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speaker testing software
Sorry if this is a repeat question, but I can't seem to find what I'm
looking for. I need a cheap, easy to use, but effective software to test some speakers I've built. I need to test the frequency response, the cross over, distortion, phase. . . that sort of thing. Can anyone recommend some software? Better yet. . . if there is a member in the San Francisco Bay area who is willing to help me test the speakers I could use the help. Thanks, JH |
#2
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
"Jim" wrote in message
oups.com... Sorry if this is a repeat question, but I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. I need a cheap, easy to use, but effective software to test some speakers I've built. I need to test the frequency response, the cross over, distortion, phase. . . that sort of thing. Can anyone recommend some software? Better yet. . . if there is a member in the San Francisco Bay area who is willing to help me test the speakers I could use the help. Thanks, JH The most important testing that you can do at home is done before you build the speakers. You can find the T/S parameters of the woofers and make the right box for them. I wrote software that uses a sound card to measure frequency vs. voltage. With this you can also read frequency vs. impedance. You can measure all of the T/S parameters and also the individual and summed outputs of the crossovers. There are a number of other doohickeys out there that can do the same thing. http://www.akrobiz.com/speakers/metal-graphs.html None of this will tell you how the speakers will actually sound. That is a matter of choosing the right combination of drivers and putting them together into a good design. James. ) |
#3
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
Thanks for the information. James Lehman wrote: "Jim" wrote in message oups.com... Sorry if this is a repeat question, but I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. I need a cheap, easy to use, but effective software to test some speakers I've built. I need to test the frequency response, the cross over, distortion, phase. . . that sort of thing. Can anyone recommend some software? Better yet. . . if there is a member in the San Francisco Bay area who is willing to help me test the speakers I could use the help. Thanks, JH The most important testing that you can do at home is done before you build the speakers. You can find the T/S parameters of the woofers and make the right box for them. I wrote software that uses a sound card to measure frequency vs. voltage. With this you can also read frequency vs. impedance. You can measure all of the T/S parameters and also the individual and summed outputs of the crossovers. There are a number of other doohickeys out there that can do the same thing. http://www.akrobiz.com/speakers/metal-graphs.html None of this will tell you how the speakers will actually sound. That is a matter of choosing the right combination of drivers and putting them together into a good design. James. ) |
#4
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
James Lehman wrote:
"Jim" wrote in message oups.com... Sorry if this is a repeat question, but I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. I need a cheap, easy to use, but effective software to test some speakers I've built. I need to test the frequency response, the cross over, distortion, phase. . . that sort of thing. Can anyone recommend some software? Better yet. . . if there is a member in the San Francisco Bay area who is willing to help me test the speakers I could use the help. Thanks, JH RMAA seems like it will fit your needs http://audio.rightmark.org/index_new.shtml assuming you have adequate sound cards, measurement mic, etc. |
#5
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
The more I read about this the more I wonder if I can get any useful
data running these test at home with a pc, even with a descent mic, etc. This is my problem: I built a pair of MTM 2 way speakers using a kit from Zalytron. I bought a kit because I am a novice speaker builder at best. I've never been able to test the speakers after I put them together and I've always wondered if I am getting the optimum performance out of them. I'd like to test them to get some sort of objective "opinion" of their performance. Subjectively, they sound very good to me but there is "something" missing. I realize that testing them in my living room with a pc is not the best condition but can I get some usable data? Of course, once I get the data I need to know what to do with it. Maybe the speakers will be just fine and its my ears that need tweeking (after all they are more than 50 years old), but I wouldn't be surprised to find that the crossovers need a bit of work. So, if there is some kind sole out there who wouldn't mind giving me the benefit of his or her vast knowledge, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks, Jim TimPerry wrote: James Lehman wrote: "Jim" wrote in message oups.com... Sorry if this is a repeat question, but I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. I need a cheap, easy to use, but effective software to test some speakers I've built. I need to test the frequency response, the cross over, distortion, phase. . . that sort of thing. Can anyone recommend some software? Better yet. . . if there is a member in the San Francisco Bay area who is willing to help me test the speakers I could use the help. Thanks, JH RMAA seems like it will fit your needs http://audio.rightmark.org/index_new.shtml assuming you have adequate sound cards, measurement mic, etc. |
#6
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speaker testing software
Speaker Tests are usually done in an anechoic chamber. This is a room
on huge springs in another room and all the walls, incl floor and ceiling are made of absorbing materials so that no reflections bounce of them. They are completely silent (you'll hear your heart beat and nervous system sing if you're in them and listen carefully) and try to sound like an 'open field', that is to say, not sound at all. Perfect anechoic chambers do not exist but are the closest you can come to forming an 'objective' opinion about your speakers. Running tests at home that involve playing sound over the speaker and using a measurement mic to analyze its output are completely ridiculous for they are very much influenced by acoustics. Stick to the multimeter and just play music you know very well and judge their quality subjectively. Even then there is a lot you can tell about their imaging and freq response etc. If you want to experience your room's acoustic coloration just connect one speaker, play a sinesweep through it and listen to all the changes in loudness; then realize that all the changes in loudness are different for every position of the loudspeaker and the listener/measurement mic. Loudspeaker placement is very important and you can change its sound drastically. There are certain simple guidelines for setting up speakers in a 'colored' room to get a nice sound. Let me know it you want to hear. regards Henk |
#8
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
"Jim" wrote in message
oups.com Sorry if this is a repeat question, but I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. I need a cheap, easy to use, but effective software to test some speakers I've built. I need to test the frequency response, the cross over, distortion, phase. . . that sort of thing. Can anyone recommend some software? There's a simple and surprisingly effective loudspeaker test facility in this free softwa http://audio.rightmark.org/downloads...d-2.2-xram.exe Eventually you might want something better, but experience with this software will get you started. |
#9
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
"Jim" wrote in message
oups.com Tim Perry wrote: RMAA seems like it will fit your needs http://audio.rightmark.org/index_new.shtml assuming you have adequate sound cards, measurement mic, etc. The more I read about this the more I wonder if I can get any useful data running these test at home with a pc, even with a descent mic, etc. This is my problem: I built a pair of MTM 2 way speakers using a kit from Zalytron. I bought a kit because I am a novice speaker builder at best. I've never been able to test the speakers after I put them together and I've always wondered if I am getting the optimum performance out of them. I'd like to test them to get some sort of objective "opinion" of their performance. Subjectively, they sound very good to me but there is "something" missing. I realize that testing them in my living room with a pc is not the best condition but can I get some usable data? Yes, by all means. Of course, once I get the data I need to know what to do with it. Among other things the recommended Audio Rightmark program will provide a frequency response curve generation facility. You need to look at both on-axis and off-axis response. There are lots of sites online that have posted frequency response test results for speaker projects. Compare your speakers to them. Also, beg or borrow comparable commercial speakers and test them. IMO Tim Perry gave you really good advice. The Audio Rightmark program can give you insights into your situation. This software uses a measurement methodology that gives some immunity to irrelevant room effects. To complete the test setup, you need a windows PC with a halfways-decent audio interface, a mic preamp, and a measurement mic. The mic preamp can be a cheap Behringer mixer such as the UB502 or Xenyx 502. The measurement mic can be the inexpensive but widely-respected Behringer ECM 8000. A good PC and $100 or so will set you up. |
#11
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
"Jim" wrote: Sorry if this is a repeat question, but I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. I need a cheap, easy to use, but effective software to test some speakers I've built. I need to test the frequency response, the cross over, distortion, phase. . . that sort of thing. Can anyone recommend some software? ARTA http://www.fesb.hr/~mateljan/arta/index.htm Rudi Fischer -- ....and may good music always be with you |
#12
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
Jim wrote: The more I read about this the more I wonder if I can get any useful data running these test at home with a pc, even with a descent mic, etc. This is my problem: I built a pair of MTM 2 way speakers using a kit from Zalytron. I bought a kit because I am a novice speaker builder at best. I've never been able to test the speakers after I put them together and I've always wondered if I am getting the optimum performance out of them. I'd like to test them to get some sort of objective "opinion" of their performance. Subjectively, they sound very good to me but there is "something" missing. I realize that testing them in my living room with a pc is not the best condition but can I get some usable data? Of course, once I get the data I need to know what to do with it. Maybe the speakers will be just fine and its my ears that need tweeking (after all they are more than 50 years old), but I wouldn't be surprised to find that the crossovers need a bit of work. I guess if you could show simulated results then measure and compare, that would work out nicely. While these all these other instruments are very valuable, one should first start out by using pink noise and a basic spectrum analyzer. Listening to pink noise is invaluable. It also trains you for things to listen for. Listening to pink noise at all angles from the speaker is also a necessary step. Comparison is also a good step. Use other speakers for reference. After doing instrument testing one should go back to the beginning and listen. greg |
#13
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
Whoa . . . lots of great replies. Much to mull over. Since I don't
have access to a chamber I'll try the next best thing: some software and a descent mic set up. Thanks for the advise. Jim Rudi Fischer wrote: "Jim" wrote: Sorry if this is a repeat question, but I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. I need a cheap, easy to use, but effective software to test some speakers I've built. I need to test the frequency response, the cross over, distortion, phase. . . that sort of thing. Can anyone recommend some software? ARTA http://www.fesb.hr/~mateljan/arta/index.htm Rudi Fischer -- ...and may good music always be with you |
#14
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
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#15
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
Jim wrote: Whoa . . . lots of great replies. Much to mull over. Since I don't have access to a chamber I'll try the next best thing: some software and a descent mic set up. Thanks for the advise. That all being said, let me point out that as one who has spent the last 30 or so years measuring hundreds and thousands of loudspeakers in and out of chambers, using pretty much all of the techniques outline here and more, that measuring loud- speakers consistently, reliably and well is a VERY difficult task. That's why, after reviewing all the replies, including my own, I would recommend that you take some else's advice and consider getting a pink noise source and a 1/3 octave real- time analyzer. YOu can do it entirely in software on a PC equipped with a decent microphone and soundcard using John Murphy's TrueRTA (www.trueaudio.com). It's inexpensive for the full-featured version, has settable bandwidth from 1/1 octave to 1/24 octave, and has a built in sine, sweep, white and pink noise generator. It;s not going to give you detailed phase information or anything like that, but what would you do with it if you had it? Simple to use, reliabl;e, foolproof, and even though it's a relatively low resolution tool, it avoids many of the pitfalls of using far more sophisticated, far higher resolution, far more difficult to use and interpret tools. |
#16
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
Jim wrote:
The more I read about this the more I wonder if I can get any useful data running these test at home with a pc, even with a descent mic, etc. This is my problem: I built a pair of MTM 2 way speakers using a kit from Zalytron. I bought a kit because I am a novice speaker builder at best. I've never been able to test the speakers after I put them together and I've always wondered if I am getting the optimum performance out of them. I'd like to test them to get some sort of objective "opinion" of their performance. Subjectively, they sound very good to me but there is "something" missing. I realize that testing them in my living room with a pc is not the best condition but can I get some usable data? Of course, once I get the data I need to know what to do with it. Maybe the speakers will be just fine and its my ears that need tweeking (after all they are more than 50 years old), but I wouldn't be surprised to find that the crossovers need a bit of work. So, if there is some kind sole out there who wouldn't mind giving me the benefit of his or her vast knowledge, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks, Jim based on the above i think the very best thing you could do is invest in or build a stereo A/B switch (if your amp does not already have one.) you hook you kit up to 'A' and you buddies speakers (which he paid megabucks for) to 'B'. then while consuming the beverages of your choice and listening to you favorite tunes you THINK "wow my hand made speakers sound better then his expensive boxes" while you SAY: "mine sounds pretty good to me but yours sound way better" then you do the same thing next week as HIS place only this time HE buys the beverages. you still may be confused as to exactly how good you speakers are but you will have LOTS more fun. |
#17
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
Arny Krueger wrote:
To complete the test setup, you need a windows PC with a halfways-decent audio interface, a mic preamp, and a measurement mic. The mic preamp can be a cheap Behringer mixer such as the UB502 or Xenyx 502. The measurement mic can be the inexpensive but widely-respected Behringer ECM 8000. A good PC and $100 or so will set you up. As the Behringer ECM 8000 mic requires phantom power, use the Behringer UB802... |
#18
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
I may take your advise. However, I doubt that I'll be in any shape to
evaluate anything before too long. JH TimPerry wrote: Jim wrote: The more I read about this the more I wonder if I can get any useful data running these test at home with a pc, even with a descent mic, etc. This is my problem: I built a pair of MTM 2 way speakers using a kit from Zalytron. I bought a kit because I am a novice speaker builder at best. I've never been able to test the speakers after I put them together and I've always wondered if I am getting the optimum performance out of them. I'd like to test them to get some sort of objective "opinion" of their performance. Subjectively, they sound very good to me but there is "something" missing. I realize that testing them in my living room with a pc is not the best condition but can I get some usable data? Of course, once I get the data I need to know what to do with it. Maybe the speakers will be just fine and its my ears that need tweeking (after all they are more than 50 years old), but I wouldn't be surprised to find that the crossovers need a bit of work. So, if there is some kind sole out there who wouldn't mind giving me the benefit of his or her vast knowledge, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks, Jim based on the above i think the very best thing you could do is invest in or build a stereo A/B switch (if your amp does not already have one.) you hook you kit up to 'A' and you buddies speakers (which he paid megabucks for) to 'B'. then while consuming the beverages of your choice and listening to you favorite tunes you THINK "wow my hand made speakers sound better then his expensive boxes" while you SAY: "mine sounds pretty good to me but yours sound way better" then you do the same thing next week as HIS place only this time HE buys the beverages. you still may be confused as to exactly how good you speakers are but you will have LOTS more fun. |
#19
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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speaker testing software
"bear" wrote in message
ups.com Arny Krueger wrote: To complete the test setup, you need a windows PC with a halfways-decent audio interface, a mic preamp, and a measurement mic. The mic preamp can be a cheap Behringer mixer such as the UB502 or Xenyx 502. The measurement mic can be the inexpensive but widely-respected Behringer ECM 8000. A good PC and $100 or so will set you up. As the Behringer ECM 8000 mic requires phantom power, use the Behringer UB802... Thanks for the correction - I didn't realize that the 502 lacked phantom power. But the online doc for the 502 and 802 make that fact quite clear. |
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