If you’re getting feedback, to me that suggests your speakers are playing back what the mic is picking up. Why do you need to do that?
Disclaimer: I’ve never used sonarworks, but I’ve considered getting it, so maybe what you’re doing is correct… but that seems backwards. You need the mic to send a signal back into the computer but there’s no reason you need the speakers to be playing what the mic picks up, that will mess up calibration.
The speakers emit a sound for the mic to pick up from different positions and will come up with an adjustment EQ curve in the plugin to use at the end of your signal chain to give a more accurate representation. You can’t not have the speakers making the sound. That’s the whole point.
Yes I realize that
But if you’re getting feedback that implies that your speakers are ALSO playing back whatever the mic is picking up. To do the calibration you do NOT need the speakers to be playing what the mic is picking up. You only need the speakers to play the reference.
(EDIT: fixed the last sentence, originally I accidentally wrote “you need the speakers to play back the mic” which, my whole point, is not true)
I’ve been using SW for quite a while - it takes 20 minutes at most to create a profile for monitors. When you measure your monitors with a mic, it explicitly tells you that your mic should NOT be routed to your speakers in any way. There should not be any feedback, if there is, you’re measuring it wrong. I suggest you get in touch with Sonarworks customer support, they can guide you through the process carefully.
To your earlier comment, the sound speakers make is produced by software, and not by what microphone pics up. All the measuring software does is produces clicking sounds to help you position your mic correctly, and produces a sweep through frequency range to measure energy response from the mic. What it picks from the microphone should not be played back from speakers.
I think that’s why the voice in the programs says the volume should be at normal conversation level - to avoid feedback. But it doesn’t start the calibration.
Got it. That makes sense. I guess they explained it in a way that didn’t make sense to em before. Thanks.
You’re able to do this with the clicking sound being similar in volume to a normal conversation?
It is all relative and very much depends on your mic preamp. It’s the relationship between the gain on your preamp and the volume output of your speakers. I think the reference to normal conversation level is to make sure the sound doesn’t die out too quickly from reflections and such. At some point it becomes increasingly hard for the software to catch your room “problems”. If the sound is not loud enough and you already cranked your preamp all the way up - then you need to make your speakers louder. Personally, it feels a bit louder then a normal conversation when I do it. So in order to avoid getting tired of all the clicking and sweeping sounds, I just put a pair of closed back headphones or earplugs (whichever is closer) and just do the the measurements this way.
Yes that’s what I do but no matter how loud I go it doesn’t start the calibration. I’ll blow my speakers if I go louder. I’ve reached out to SW support and demanded a mic replacement or a refund.
I’m using the mic provided by SW with a new Tascam Model 12 digital mixer / recorder / interface. I have the mic on one of the 10 mic-pre inputs. I selected the input channel on SW software and selected the output which produced any sound. The outputs on my interface are routed to the 1/4” SUB OUT because I don’t have XLR speaker cables for the main outs. I don’t understand this issue of no direct monitoring or setting it up so there’s no feedback. Not sure what I’m doing wrong or if there’s a problem with my routing or the mic.
I’m using the mic provided by SW with a new Tascam Model 12 digital mixer / recorder / interface. I have the mic on one of the 10 mic-pre inputs. I selected the input channel on SW software and selected the output which produced any sound. The outputs on my interface are routed to the 1/4” SUB OUT because I don’t have XLR speaker cables for the main outs. I don’t understand this issue of no direct monitoring or setting it up so there’s no feedback. Not sure what I’m doing wrong or if there’s a problem with my routing or the mic. They don’t even provide a manual or an online video tutorial.
Have you enabled phantom power for the reference mic?
Yes phantom power is on. I can hear myself talk into it and have it come out of either my headphones or speakers. It’s definitely getting a high enough signal according to the meter on my interface
Hmmm. I use sonarworks and doing the calibration took about 15-20mins all told. No issues.
All I can think is the mic input is being fed into the main outs. You don’t want to hear anything from the mic through your speakers for this. In the audio interface control software make sure the direct monitoring fader for the mic input is at zero, then use the gain/trim control to set the level/sensitivity as required by sonarworks. That should do it.