If you came from PART 3 of my miniDSP tutorial series, or if you're interested in refining and smoothing out your house curve manually, here is the link to PART 3 (chapter markers are in the video): 👉ruclips.net/video/xxYBpVsldaY/видео.html.
I just had to pause watching this to say -- thank you thank you thank you -- for doing such a great job on these videos, for explaining things clearly and meticulously, for having a nice sense of humor, for editing things carefully, for making everything in the video look and sound good. I am trying my best to learn this tool and it's really hard to get clear about this. A video like this is really fantastic, and your talent is deeply appreciated.
Just ordered miniDSP an hour ago, I've had the mic for over a year. Last weekend I watched HTG's overview + walkthrough and felt ready to try and do this.
Another awesome vid Brad and thanks for making it. I found this method far better in the final result because when you re-eq your outputs tab peq, rew eq function has far better Q factor patience. Lol. Doing it manually in the inputs tab, setting a filter freq is easy, gain is easy but with Q, rew has widely varying results upto three decimal places, something infinitely impossible to find as a human. This factor for me made the input peq flatter. 😁
I'm going to stick to the method you showed in the series, I got a great EQ result with it, thank you very much! Something you might try to fix that last null you have (and you may have tried this already) When time aligning my subs (I have 3) I tried your method first - I muted one sub and aligned the other two by adding delay to the closest sub. Once I got them as aligned as possible, I then unmuted the third and did the same. Doing this I had a pretty good alignment but just a few little nulls. So just out of curiosity, even though it doesn't make sense, I went back to the second sub that had no delay and I added just a little bit. I tried a few different settings and was able to get the last few nulls gone. You would think that adding delay would mess up the alignment from the first sub, but I actually improved my results. Anyway, thanks for the tutorials as I now have a great EQ and house curve for my subs and the room sounds great. If you want to see the results I made a fb post on the home theater group.
Brad, I love your videos. I find them engaging, educational, and overall excellent. Thank you for taking the time to put these together. I have a quick question about the MiniDSP. I followed all of your steps in your previous videos (parts 1-5) and everything was good (loaded REW and MiniDSP software, set up UMIK-1 (pronounced "you-MIKE One"), level matched two subs, took measurements, applied a house curve, saved the REW file and imported it to the MiniDSP). The issue is that once I went to apply the house curve and took measurements to confirm, nothing changed. Is there some sort of "import" feature? I used the advanced tab and can see all of the cuts the EQ is projected to take. Regardless, thanks for the tips. I wonder if it has to do with my placement of my subs as I have them a few feet from the main listening positions (behind the couch).
Hey Brad, love your videos. However, I was wondering if your results would change if you adjust the graph only from 10-100 Hz instead of 10-200hz? I personally think it would help when applying the filter to the PEQ.
Thanks for the comment! When I’m at the step when I calculating the EQ, I’m setting REW’s EQ tool to only make adjustments from 15Hz to 105Hz, not anything outside of that. You’ll notice that when previewing the EQ in the window and when taking a measurement free applying it to the MiniDSP; nothing above 105Hz is corrected. If you’re referring to the measurement window that shows 10Hz-200Hz, then that has no effect on the EQ.
Thanks Brad.... I made it step by step through part 3. In this new video you mentioned to delete the nulls we fixed manually on the PEQ input tab...Should I delete the PEQ on the outputs on each one of my 3 subs also or keep those ? Looks like having 2 house curves on the inputs and outputs at the same time running?
You’ll want to keep the EQs applied to the outputs. You will end up with 2 house curves essentially, one is the baseline EQ that’s doing most of the work (the one applied to all the outputs) and a refinement EQ to tighten things up (the one applied to the input).
I have a subwoofer with built-in DSP and one without. Now I would like to align them with a minidsp according to these instructions. Should I let the sub with built-in DSP do its work and then adjust everything with the miniDSP? or do I leave the built-in dsp turned off? Greets Chris
Thanks for the guide. How would you connect the MiniDSP to passive subwoofers? Will it go between the sub and the amplifier or between the amplifier and the processor?
home theater gamer, question, im a total newbie when it comes to knowing all things REW / minidsp stuff. i recently finished my modest 12 x 12 x 9 dedicated HT room. It's a 5.2.4 setup with front projection 106" Apex Screen. I love it and it looks amazing, but after calibrating the audio, my dual SVS PB1000 pros are underwhelming at best.... i have them sitting up front between the center and towers. I've only done the minimal Pioneer MMACPro calibration from my receiver, and channel DB'd all of my channels @ 75db, but my subs are just almost non-existent! These should be slapping me in the face and gut!! Am I going to have to do something like this where I or someone else comes in and actually measures my room for nulls and peaks in the bass department ? Will measuring the room using REW do the job in itself ?? or ...... will there have to be some relocating of the subs themselves in order to dial them in exactly and get the most out of them working together in the room? what are your thoughts? Based on my size small room, there could be possibly 3 more locations that "could" work where one or both could be relocated to a different part of the room either the side walls or 1 corner in the back behind my 4 chairs. please advise !!!! THANKS!!!
Hi. Thanks for sharing this video. Why did you chose 85dB for the low frequencies and lower volumes for the mid rather than a flat curve? Is it because you enjoy listening with more bass, or another reason? Thanks!
Great question! The main reason is because I listen often at lower volumes, adding a +10dB boost to those low frequencies helps with making sure the bass is still mostly intact at lower volumes levels. If they were flat then the bass would end up sounding pretty anemic and lifeless at -30dB. Then again, listening at -10dB with that same boost (most commonly referred to as the Harman curve or house curve) is pretty impressive with lots of impact and slam without sounding bloated or boomy. So it’s a win-win for me. Haha.
Brad, I have a Dayton Ultimax 18 for my Low end and a PA460 in a nearfield setup. How can I get the most from each sub because they are mainly used for 2 different purposes? Is there a way I could get in touch with you for some more in depth help?
Hi Brad, great vid again thanks. I have a miniDSP 2x4HD for my dual SVS PB-3000. If you have the MultEq Audyssey editor app, and you use Audyssey in every day listening can you just apply a curtain down to 20hz (in MultEq) for the sub so Audyssey settings do not change your hard work? Thanks, Will
Absolutely! I do this every time I need to re-run Audyssey or I'm messing around with the Editor app. It's honestly one of the biggest reasons to buy the app in my opinion.
Hello I got a question. After you EQ something in REW, if you take those filters in Equalizer APO, probably you will see that overall db go over the 0 (if you boosted something in EQ) and you have to apply a preamp filter and decrease gain to match 0 again, or you risk to blow your speakers. The question is, if you export the EQ filters directly in minidsp or an other dsp, how can you know if you need to fix this db issue? Thanks
I’ve really enjoyed your Mini DSP videos, Brad. 👍🏻 Could I ask, were all of your measurements from the MLP (main listening position)? Or did you take various? Thank you. ☺️
Thanks for the comment! For simplicity and due to time restraints, I only measured the MLP. On a personal note, I typically will focus on the MLP for my system as that’s the one I care about the most. Once I get that dialed in, I will measure the other seats to make sure there aren’t any serious issues (outside of room modes). If there are, I will try a few tweaks to try and fix them until I’m happy with it.
@@HomeTheaterGamer super. Thanks, Brad. That makes good sense. I’m hoping to purchase the Mini DSP 2x4 HD later this year as I’m pretty confident that I’m missing out on a lot of bass evenness at the moment. Just standing up from my MLP and taking a step forward hits me with bass that is non-existent in my MLP. Anyway, thanks again for the step by step guide. Very helpful. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🤩
so after you have added the +3db in output 1, when you then afterwards check with spl meter and you need to add some volume in order to get lets say 77db . do I add that in the AVR or in output 1?
I have a separate (processor and an amplifier set up). My subs are passive ans are DIY 18 inch. In total i have 2 of them. My onkyo Pre and the amp are connected on a balanced (xlr) output inputs. I dont have the rca ports on my amp. I am planning on getting a mini dsp but not sure how to connect in my setup. Please advise.
the time alignment for the subs to speakers I can never get right. For whatever reason, no matter what the Crossover, it always looked f'd uo. But without it, it looks fine.
You turn the volume up until it hits 75dB on the SPL Meter. Typically, you'll probably be around -16.5 to -17.5 on the receiver. 85db is the house curve whereby 20hz-30hz hits 85db (with the same receiver volume setting) and then it slopes down to 75dB around 90 Hz
@@cafiveohsrockbandremix9254 Thanks for the answer! When using REW and do I choose the L, L+R, or R for output? When using L+R the volume of the subs increase. So which one is the go to?
Sub cal is boosted by +10dB and that needs to be factored in when doing measurements/calibrations, which at the time I recorded this video I couldn’t explain why that was. So I decided to take the most straightforward approach here which is also what I knew at the time. I’ll be posting an updated subwoofer calibration tutorial video sometime soon and actually use the sub cal instead of speaker cal.
@@HomeTheaterGamer I'm subscribed, so I'll get updated whenever you come out with that video. In the meantime, if I take measurements at 75, does that mean I need to measure subs at 85 if I use sub cal?
Correct. If you have a Denon or Marantz, you can also go into the Surround Parameters menu and set “Low Frequency Effects” to -10 while measuring and calibrating and then the level will be the same as all other speakers (75dB). Just make sure to return that setting to 0 when done and crossovers are re-enabled (if you disabled them for calibration).
@@HomeTheaterGamer thank you! I watch your channel as well as Michael's (Youthman). I hope he gave you your $500, and charge him extra for all those times he said youmeek-1! 🤣
I could see that being an issue for some. I don’t have my miniDSP hooked up to a computer unless I’m tweaking the bass response or fiddling with multi-sub optimizer, so it makes it a chore to load up the BEQ file.
@@HomeTheaterGamerlate reply but if you didn’t set it up yet you really should give it a try. Just need a raspberry pi. It made one of the biggest improvements in my HT - especially if you go 20hz and lower. Many movies cut frequencies nowadays.
How is this EQ process different then video 3 it seems like you used the same process just have different DB house curve where this needs 3db gain added and in video 3 you only had 1 db gain added back in.
If you came from PART 3 of my miniDSP tutorial series, or if you're interested in refining and smoothing out your house curve manually, here is the link to PART 3 (chapter markers are in the video): 👉ruclips.net/video/xxYBpVsldaY/видео.html.
I just had to pause watching this to say -- thank you thank you thank you -- for doing such a great job on these videos, for explaining things clearly and meticulously, for having a nice sense of humor, for editing things carefully, for making everything in the video look and sound good. I am trying my best to learn this tool and it's really hard to get clear about this. A video like this is really fantastic, and your talent is deeply appreciated.
Just ordered miniDSP an hour ago, I've had the mic for over a year. Last weekend I watched HTG's overview + walkthrough and felt ready to try and do this.
Another great video Brad! Keep up the great videos man!
Thank you!
Great video Brad, I'll try it! Greetings from Austria 🇦🇹 Europe!
Another awesome vid Brad and thanks for making it. I found this method far better in the final result because when you re-eq your outputs tab peq, rew eq function has far better Q factor patience. Lol. Doing it manually in the inputs tab, setting a filter freq is easy, gain is easy but with Q, rew has widely varying results upto three decimal places, something infinitely impossible to find as a human. This factor for me made the input peq flatter. 😁
Thanks for watching! Yeah, I feel like this method can help a lot of people out there who don't want to spend the extra time to do it manually.
Really good video! I need to check the others you mentioned also.
I'm going to stick to the method you showed in the series, I got a great EQ result with it, thank you very much! Something you might try to fix that last null you have (and you may have tried this already) When time aligning my subs (I have 3) I tried your method first - I muted one sub and aligned the other two by adding delay to the closest sub. Once I got them as aligned as possible, I then unmuted the third and did the same. Doing this I had a pretty good alignment but just a few little nulls. So just out of curiosity, even though it doesn't make sense, I went back to the second sub that had no delay and I added just a little bit. I tried a few different settings and was able to get the last few nulls gone. You would think that adding delay would mess up the alignment from the first sub, but I actually improved my results. Anyway, thanks for the tutorials as I now have a great EQ and house curve for my subs and the room sounds great. If you want to see the results I made a fb post on the home theater group.
Brad, I love your videos. I find them engaging, educational, and overall excellent. Thank you for taking the time to put these together.
I have a quick question about the MiniDSP. I followed all of your steps in your previous videos (parts 1-5) and everything was good (loaded REW and MiniDSP software, set up UMIK-1 (pronounced "you-MIKE One"), level matched two subs, took measurements, applied a house curve, saved the REW file and imported it to the MiniDSP). The issue is that once I went to apply the house curve and took measurements to confirm, nothing changed.
Is there some sort of "import" feature? I used the advanced tab and can see all of the cuts the EQ is projected to take.
Regardless, thanks for the tips. I wonder if it has to do with my placement of my subs as I have them a few feet from the main listening positions (behind the couch).
Hey mate, which vid was your main to sub alignment in? Part 2? Love your help, cheers
Hey Brad, love your videos. However, I was wondering if your results would change if you adjust the graph only from 10-100 Hz instead of 10-200hz? I personally think it would help when applying the filter to the PEQ.
Thanks for the comment! When I’m at the step when I calculating the EQ, I’m setting REW’s EQ tool to only make adjustments from 15Hz to 105Hz, not anything outside of that. You’ll notice that when previewing the EQ in the window and when taking a measurement free applying it to the MiniDSP; nothing above 105Hz is corrected.
If you’re referring to the measurement window that shows 10Hz-200Hz, then that has no effect on the EQ.
Thanks Brad.... I made it step by step through part 3. In this new video you mentioned to delete the nulls we fixed manually on the PEQ input tab...Should I delete the PEQ on the outputs on each one of my 3 subs also or keep those ? Looks like having 2 house curves on the inputs and outputs at the same time running?
You’ll want to keep the EQs applied to the outputs. You will end up with 2 house curves essentially, one is the baseline EQ that’s doing most of the work (the one applied to all the outputs) and a refinement EQ to tighten things up (the one applied to the input).
@@HomeTheaterGamer AH! That was not clear to me in the beginning :)
I have a subwoofer with built-in DSP and one without. Now I would like to align them with a minidsp according to these instructions. Should I let the sub with built-in DSP do its work and then adjust everything with the miniDSP? or do I leave the built-in dsp turned off?
Greets
Chris
Thanks for the guide. How would you connect the MiniDSP to passive subwoofers? Will it go between the sub and the amplifier or between the amplifier and the processor?
Processor->miniDSP->amplifier. Just as on an active subwoofer...
home theater gamer, question, im a total newbie when it comes to knowing all things REW / minidsp stuff. i recently finished my modest 12 x 12 x 9 dedicated HT room.
It's a 5.2.4 setup with front projection 106" Apex Screen. I love it and it looks amazing, but after calibrating the audio, my dual SVS PB1000 pros are underwhelming at best.... i have them sitting up front between the center and towers. I've only done the minimal Pioneer MMACPro calibration from my receiver, and channel DB'd all of my channels @ 75db, but my subs are just almost non-existent! These should be slapping me in the face and gut!! Am I going to have to do something like this where I or someone else comes in and actually measures my room for nulls and peaks in the bass department ? Will measuring the room using REW do the job in itself ?? or ...... will there have to be some relocating of the subs themselves in order to dial them in exactly and get the most out of them working together in the room? what are your thoughts? Based on my size small room, there could be possibly 3 more locations that "could" work where one or both could be relocated to a different part of the room either the side walls or 1 corner in the back behind my 4 chairs. please advise !!!! THANKS!!!
Hi. Thanks for sharing this video. Why did you chose 85dB for the low frequencies and lower volumes for the mid rather than a flat curve? Is it because you enjoy listening with more bass, or another reason? Thanks!
Great question! The main reason is because I listen often at lower volumes, adding a +10dB boost to those low frequencies helps with making sure the bass is still mostly intact at lower volumes levels. If they were flat then the bass would end up sounding pretty anemic and lifeless at -30dB.
Then again, listening at -10dB with that same boost (most commonly referred to as the Harman curve or house curve) is pretty impressive with lots of impact and slam without sounding bloated or boomy. So it’s a win-win for me. Haha.
Right on time
Brad, I have a Dayton Ultimax 18 for my Low end and a PA460 in a nearfield setup. How can I get the most from each sub because they are mainly used for 2 different purposes?
Is there a way I could get in touch with you for some more in depth help?
Hi Brad, great vid again thanks. I have a miniDSP 2x4HD for my dual SVS PB-3000. If you have the MultEq Audyssey editor app, and you use Audyssey in every day listening can you just apply a curtain down to 20hz (in MultEq) for the sub so Audyssey settings do not change your hard work? Thanks, Will
Absolutely! I do this every time I need to re-run Audyssey or I'm messing around with the Editor app. It's honestly one of the biggest reasons to buy the app in my opinion.
I’m not sure I fully understand. Can I have four subs using the dsp and calibrate my 7 ear levels at the same time? Or at least. Up to four at a time?
Would there be value in room EQ'ing each individual sub, before doing multi sub anything?
Hello I got a question. After you EQ something in REW, if you take those filters in Equalizer APO, probably you will see that overall db go over the 0 (if you boosted something in EQ) and you have to apply a preamp filter and decrease gain to match 0 again, or you risk to blow your speakers. The question is, if you export the EQ filters directly in minidsp or an other dsp, how can you know if you need to fix this db issue?
Thanks
I’ve really enjoyed your Mini DSP videos, Brad. 👍🏻
Could I ask, were all of your measurements from the MLP (main listening position)? Or did you take various?
Thank you. ☺️
Thanks for the comment! For simplicity and due to time restraints, I only measured the MLP. On a personal note, I typically will focus on the MLP for my system as that’s the one I care about the most. Once I get that dialed in, I will measure the other seats to make sure there aren’t any serious issues (outside of room modes). If there are, I will try a few tweaks to try and fix them until I’m happy with it.
@@HomeTheaterGamer super. Thanks, Brad. That makes good sense. I’m hoping to purchase the Mini DSP 2x4 HD later this year as I’m pretty confident that I’m missing out on a lot of bass evenness at the moment. Just standing up from my MLP and taking a step forward hits me with bass that is non-existent in my MLP.
Anyway, thanks again for the step by step guide. Very helpful. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🤩
so after you have added the +3db in output 1, when you then afterwards check with spl meter and you need to add some volume in order to get lets say 77db . do I add that in the AVR or in output 1?
I have a separate (processor and an amplifier set up). My subs are passive ans are DIY 18 inch. In total i have 2 of them. My onkyo Pre and the amp are connected on a balanced (xlr) output inputs. I dont have the rca ports on my amp. I am planning on getting a mini dsp but not sure how to connect in my setup. Please advise.
the time alignment for the subs to speakers I can never get right. For whatever reason, no matter what the Crossover, it always looked f'd uo. But without it, it looks fine.
What’s your volume on the reciever while doing This?
At the end u say around 85dB But is that when the reciever is at ref. Volume (aka 0.0)
You turn the volume up until it hits 75dB on the SPL Meter. Typically, you'll probably be around -16.5 to -17.5 on the receiver. 85db is the house curve whereby 20hz-30hz hits 85db (with the same receiver volume setting) and then it slopes down to 75dB around 90 Hz
@@cafiveohsrockbandremix9254 Thanks for the answer! When using REW and do I choose the L, L+R, or R for output? When using L+R the volume of the subs increase. So which one is the go to?
@@Jens3304 for aligning and EQ'ing, use just the L output. Each channel (eg. L, C, R, Surround L & R, LFE) should be ~75 dB
I have that same dip around 80hz. But mine is wider. Not sure how to fix it.
Around 5:40 of the video, why use speaker cal instead of sub cal to measure SPL of subwoofer?
Sub cal is boosted by +10dB and that needs to be factored in when doing measurements/calibrations, which at the time I recorded this video I couldn’t explain why that was. So I decided to take the most straightforward approach here which is also what I knew at the time. I’ll be posting an updated subwoofer calibration tutorial video sometime soon and actually use the sub cal instead of speaker cal.
@@HomeTheaterGamer I'm subscribed, so I'll get updated whenever you come out with that video. In the meantime, if I take measurements at 75, does that mean I need to measure subs at 85 if I use sub cal?
Correct. If you have a Denon or Marantz, you can also go into the Surround Parameters menu and set “Low Frequency Effects” to -10 while measuring and calibrating and then the level will be the same as all other speakers (75dB). Just make sure to return that setting to 0 when done and crossovers are re-enabled (if you disabled them for calibration).
@@HomeTheaterGamer thank you! I watch your channel as well as Michael's (Youthman). I hope he gave you your $500, and charge him extra for all those times he said youmeek-1! 🤣
I’m still waiting on that $500… 😁
What about the main speakers? this is all about subwoofers
Was your house curve without EQ from running run correction before you applied the REW curve?
Can’t do anything on inputs. That’s reserved for BEQ!
I could see that being an issue for some. I don’t have my miniDSP hooked up to a computer unless I’m tweaking the bass response or fiddling with multi-sub optimizer, so it makes it a chore to load up the BEQ file.
I'm in the same side, I leave the input for Beq, a day and night difference watching movies with it.
@@HomeTheaterGamerlate reply but if you didn’t set it up yet you really should give it a try. Just need a raspberry pi. It made one of the biggest improvements in my HT - especially if you go 20hz and lower. Many movies cut frequencies nowadays.
How is this EQ process different then video 3 it seems like you used the same process just have different DB house curve where this needs 3db gain added and in video 3 you only had 1 db gain added back in.
Gee, that is complex.