Please Help, I Am A Newbie With Good Questions... (1 Viewer)

[AbelM]

I totally need your God for-saken help...please tell me what to do...This is for a new sub I just got.
1. What should the LFE be for DD!? It can go all the way down to -20.0 and up to 0.0.
2. What should the LFE be for DTS!? It can go all teh way dowm to -20.0 and up to 10.
3. What should the SUB OUTPUT LVL BE? It can go all the way dowm to -20.0 and up to 0.0.
4. What should my bass volume be set at?
Thank You very much, just put it in laymen terms, should be quick for you guys to answer, since you say it all the time. Please just let me know in the right direction of these questions, I really want to have a nice set-up, and with your guys' help, I can
:frowning:

 

[ColinM]

It's different for every situation.
Start by keeping your receivers levels at half, or -10 i guess. Then play a test cd, if you have one, or sub pink noise, if you can do that, or just watch or listen to something you know. Bring up the sub's level bit by bit until 'you like it'.
Then go out and get:
A radio shack SPL meter
A test DVD, if you have a DVD player.
Have fun!

 

[ColinM]

Sub lvl = -10

LFE = 0 to start.

Anyone else?

BTW, what equip do you have?

 

[AbelM]

Oh sorry Collin, I got the (Don't laugh it was a Christmas Gift) the NS-P220 Yamaha Speaker Package. So are you guys' saying put everything at half way and turn it either up or down to my likeling?

I have a better idea (since I am such a newbie, first 5.1 system I have ever owned) tell me like what you guys have it on, and I'll put it on that...or somewhere near that...

And yes, I have a Toshiba DVD player...love it.

Here's my equipment:

Yamaha HTR 5450

Sony 5 Disc CD Changer

Toshiba Flat Screen

Yamaha Speaker Package (NS-P220)

 

[AbelM]

Please help me guys', PLEASE...I am begging you

 

[nolesrule]

What ColinM is saying is you need to set up the subwoofer using a test disc and a sound level (SPL) meter to get those settings to the right spot because each setup and room acoustics will be different.

That way, you can also make sure all your speakers are set to the correct level (i.e. they all have same dB level at the primary listening position).

 

[AbelM]

Yeah but I am flat broke from XMAS, so there is no way, you GREAT audiophiles can help me out, come on please...PLEASE!

 

[nolesrule]

If you can't buy a test disc and SPL meter now, set it by ear. Do whatever sounds best to you. More than likely, using someone else's settings won't be right for your set-up, unless they have the same receiver, speakers, room dimensions (and even the same furniture and listening position).

Later on when you have the money, you can get the test disc and meter. I had it set up by ear for over a year though. Thought I had it right. When I finally meausred, turned out my ears were way off.

 

[AbelM]

Ok, so to set it by ear should I set everything to what, and then listen to CD's and what not? AHHHHH!

Also, does the LFE for DD or DTS have anythign to do wiht your sub while playing tuner, or CD? I'm guessing not, so the only thing to tune during CD or tuner is output correct?

 

[ColinM]

Go with plain old stereo CD's first.

Keep the sub out level (not LFE, since there's no DD going on) on the RECEIVER at 1/2, -10 if you can go from -20 to 0.

Then start a-playin' with the SUB's level high enough to hear it while standing over it.

THEN go sit down and listen to as many songs on as many different CD's as possible. I have a 60 cd changer and I modify my settings through the entire stack, deciding what is best. It is always a compromise, as some cd's just sound bad.

Tweak the level with the RECEIVER's level control while you listen.

If you run out of adjustment, go back to -10 and bump the SUB's level knob the appropriate way and start again.

You will be a pro in a week and you'll be pushing this gear on your buddies.

Have fun!

 

[AbelM]

Ok, so start the sub output lvl at -10. then change it positive or negetive?

^^Ok, I can get that set prolly in a few days.

Now..

The LFE for DD and DTS...what's a standard for this...(I have two differ settings for this...I know there is a standard, because I heard people saying that Dolby.com or THX something said there was a standard for these settings...HELP!

And...Sorry for my ignorance again...but

"Tweak the level with the RECEIVER's level control while you listen."

What is this?!

 

[ColinM]

As you listen, if the bass is too loud, go from -10 to -12. Too weak now? Bring it back to -11. ALL with the receiver.
The settings they are talking about for DTS and DD are the loudness levels recorded by the sound pressure level meter. 75 decibels for every speaker from the sweet spot for DD.
This is louder than you think.
Right now, just set the sub by music. Use that same setting, on both the sub itself and the receiver, for movies. Also leave LFE's at zero.
If you want more thud in movies, up the reciever's sublevel.
Next!

 

[AbelM]

You are my man, seriously...*no, not that way *
I really appreciate your help man; Here you go:
"The settings they are talking about for DTS and DD are the loudness levels recorded by the sound pressure level meter. 75 decibels for every speaker from the sweet spot for DD."
Do I have to change something on my reciever or sub for this?
"Right now, just set the sub by music. Use that same setting, on both the sub itself and the receiver, for movies. Also leave LFE's at zero."
What setting for the sub and the reciever?? Huh? Movies? Also I know LFE is Low Frequency Effect...But what's the point of having it?
Really man, I can't say how much I appreciate this!

 

[ColinM]

Really all I mean is when you are happy with the level of bass from the sub in your music, record that setting from the receiver's display (-6 or -12 or whatever) use the same sub setting when you go to DD.
Keep Mr. LFE at zero for now. Let's not even go there yet...
If you HAD a SPL meter, you'd do the pink noise thing and tweak the levels of each independent speaker to be the same.
My levels are -
Sub -10
Left 0
Center -6
Right +1
Rears are both -3
LFE 0
Then my actual sub volume knob is almost all the way off.
What was the other question?
[email protected] for another 30 min.

 

[AbelM]

Ok, I htink I have it now, I'll let you knwo when I get an SPL Meter, so you can help me with that...maybe Avia and VE as well?!

 

[Geoff L]

AbelM,
YES, the very FIRST thing you should do is-------> Buy one of those discs you just mentioned. VE or Avia.....!!
Forget the meter and the test tone disc for right now, though you will need them eventually.
Watch and listen carefully to that disc, {Avia or VE} as the very questions you ask, and oh so many more will be answered in a way that you can understand. It is a must for a newbie and will give you all the basic information you seek!!
Good luck and enjoy
Geoff

 

[AbelM]

Thanx Geoff, I really appreciate your intake.
Now Colin:
Should the bass be a little louder than the speakers, right about at tone, or a little less...this is my first sub, so I have no idea how it should sound.
Also you said, "Really all I mean is when you are happy with the level of bass from the sub in your music, record that setting from the receiver's display (-6 or -12 or whatever) use the same sub setting when you go to DD."
Recors it where, I only have ONE sub output lvl.

 

[ColinM]

Record it on paper so you don't f it up, that's all.

Baisically it gives you an idea how your sub matches everything else, and it's a good starting point for movies.

Sub should be softer. If you find later it's too soft, then it's simple to turn it up.

Go get Vid Essentials or something. You will learn a lot from it.

 

[AbelM]

Yeah but you said to then record it over to the DD,

 

[ChrisSk]

The DD LFE should be set at 0dB and the DTS LFE set at +10dB, now for the explanation...
On a correctly calibrated system all the speakers can produce a maximum volume of 105dB, the LFE channel is recorded a bit higher and can produce 115dB. The .1 LFE channel in DD 5.1 and DTS is encoded at the same level as the other channels and a +10dB boost is applied by the reciever/processor.
This 10dB boost has always been a part of Dolby Digital which is why your reciever's DD LFE setting only goes up to 0dB (ie. an unaltered signal). DTS however exists both on movie soundtracks and on some DTS music CDs, these CDs did not require a +10dB boost but the movie soundtracks do. For normal DVD watching your DTS LFE level should be +10dB, if you ever play any DTS music CDs you would reduce it to 0dB.
The subwoofer level should be adjusted with a SPL meter as the others have said.