The Bass Archives (1 Viewer)

[Rudi B]

Zack,

IIRC, Spectrum Lab works in realtime with your audio card right out of the box. The only thing that you have to configure is your sound cards' mixer - you'll have to select the correct recording source, like CD or Wave.

Ed,

There's really not much to it. My previous paragraph might be the most complicated part. But I bet that you would like to plot DVDs, so you'll also need a DVD-ROM and a software DVD player.

And, um, I'm *really* not the best person for looong guides and HOW-TOs ... Have fun, experiment!

BTW, Spectrum Lab is meant for HAM radio, so it has a ton of filtering built-in. Fun stuff, if you have a clue. I don't.

 

[Edward J M]

I've got the DVD player and software built-in (i.e., I can watch movies on my PC).

And I've got loads of experience with the Windows Sound Mixer from working with TrueRTA.

I guess I'll give it a whirl and try to join the waterfall ranks and add to The Bass Archives.

Thanks (I think)!

 

[MingL]

When using spectralab, I recommend that the mixer settings not to be set too high.

One problem I found out is that if the mixer settings are set too high, third order and clipping (compression) distortion can set in, introducing gross errors in the measurement.

I prefer to set the mixer settings to have high high gain for best SNR, but low enough such that distortions don't set in. My mixer settings tend to be 20%, and can cary from setup and sound card.

Third order distortion can be seen if say a pure 20 hz tone is seen as a single harmonic (good)or are there suddenly multiples of the 20hz tone at 40, 60, 80 100hz....etc. (bad)


Its finally good to see that more are joining me in the waterfall club. Its the best way to see how low bass go.

 

[Rudi B]

prefer to set the mixer settings to have high high gain for best SNR, but low enough such that distortions don't set in. My mixer settings tend to be 20%, and can cary from setup and sound card.

A simple solution: generate a -3dB 20Hz tone (Cool Edit or something similiar), and then adjust the mixer settings until Spectrum Lab shows -3dB also. With Audigy 2, that's about 50%.


BTW, Ed, which software DVD player do you use? I ask because *all* "typical consumer" players dynamically compress the AC3 stream by default, and omit the LFE channel altogether. How else could they stick +10dB of LFE into a stereo 48/16 output?

I recommend AC3Filter for decoding AC3 with high configurability, but the only DVD player that I know of that can use custom video/audio decoding engines is Zoom Player. Does anyone know about others?

 

[Edward J M]

Ming:

I have the same problem with TrueRTA. The gain levels for both software and hardware settings are critical. It is very easy to overload the soundcard and create gross odd-order (not only third order) harmonic distortion.

Looping the soundcard is the only way to really determine when the various gain stages are overloading it. My Windows Sound Mixer settings for Line In and Line Out are MAX, but the overall mixer volume is indeed set at around 20%. On my mic preamp, my Mic In is set to minimum, the Line Level is set to 50%, and the Main Mix is set to -15. These are the optimum settings (for my test rig) that provide a high S/N ratio without overloading the soundcard and/or the gain stages of the hardware by introducing gross even-order and odd-order harmonic distortion.

I would imagine a better soundcard with a higher dynamic range and/or tolerance for wide varying input voltages would be my next step, but for now I'm pretty comfortable any THD I'm measuring is coming from the speakers and not the test rig.

I know Brian Bunge and "retread" over at the Hsu forum are having similar problems - I hope someone can steer them to this thread for some helpful insight.

Rudi - I have no clue on my DVD player software - it is OEM H-P. I suppose it could run the subwoofer pre-out of my HT system directly into the Line-In Of the Sound Card and read it that way. That wouldn't be too hard - I've got extra cabling and interconnects lying around. I'd just have to make sure the input voltages don't overload the sound card (as discussed above).

Ed

 

[Zack_R]

Well, I still cannot get a graph to appear. I feel like I'm missing something obvious as I have clicked different audio settings both in Spectrumlab and in the SBLive mixer to no avail.

What I'm doing is listening to an audio CD on my computer's CD player and am trying to get Spectrum Lab to pick it up. Any clues as to what I'm not doing?

 

[Edward J M]

Try unplugging your speakers jack. This usually only affects the Line Out or Wave function of the Windows Sound Mixer Playback window, but it's worth a try.

Make sure you have the CD source selected on the Windows Sound Mixer Recording window, and all other sources minimized and/or muted.

The Spectrum Lab software needs to be somehow configured to "look for" the CD source that you selected in your Recording window.

Edit: Also try selecting the Wave output on the Windows Sound Mixer Playback window, with all other output sources minimized and/or muted.

Good luck......I think this is a test Rudi is putting us through - some kind of mental torture.

 

[Rudi B]

Zack, if you have a SB Live, just select "What U Hear" as the recording source in Creative's Mixer. It does exactly what it should.

Ed, mental torture... mmmm, a favourite!

 

[Jeremy Stockwell]

Rudi added another chart. This one from Phone Booth. Gettin' desparate there, Rudi?

Hopefully, you'll have some good stuff to chart soon.

JKS

 

[Rudi B]

Hopefully, you'll have some good stuff to chart soon.

Big thanks to Jeremy for sending a copy of the famous Soundhound's Organ CDs overseas! Anyways, here's a little teaser, this collection will take a while to get fully explored.

http://bass.jawmail.org/index.php?p=soundhound_1&c=13


Also, here's one for Jeremy. Awesome pick, I think that the sound engineer that did this was totally stoned or something while doing it...

http://bass.jawmail.org/index.php?p=...she&c=joe_slam

 

[Jeremy Stockwell]

Thanks Rudi!

Glad to see that the discs arrived safely.

Thanks for getting that Harry Connick cut up so quickly. I've been anxious to see what's all there for quite some time, now.

Be sure to enjoy the organ recording as a whole and not just for the subsonic content. The recording is quite good and that organist is fantastic!

JKS

 

[DanielKellmii]

This is a great thread. Since you asked for some suggestions, here goes:
Peter Gabriel: Security-- This is the alblum with "Shock the Monkey" That track doesn't have much bass, but most of the other track do.
Phil Collins: Face Value--"Droned" That is the 5th track. I am not sure what that sound is. I think it is a lot of harmonics.
The 1812 Overture by Taich....sky (Hey, Russian is hard.)


Thanks for "Piano Smasher" I saw the Blue Man Group for "The Complex" tour. Smasher was great live, it leaves my very inadequate car stereo beggin for mercy.

 

[Rudi B]

The 1812 Overture by Taich....sky (Hey, Russian is hard.)

Tchaikovsky. There are numerous recordings of the 1812, and I don't have any of them. Egh.

Any recommendations? I heard the newest SACD from Telarc at a Hi-Fi show, but they were demonstrating a Mirage mid-fi setup... No real subwoofers.


Added today: Hulk.

http://bass.jawmail.org/index.php?p=hulk

 

[Jeremy Stockwell]

Hey All,

SVS has some new waterfall charts up here.

Including:
Atlantis (“Leviathan Moves” is as impressive as I thought it would be)
Attack of the Clones
Blue Man Group
The Core

Possibly more coming if Tom’s taking them in Alphabetical order . . .

[EDIT]
More added...

Final Destination 2
The Hulk
Ice Age
Jurassic Park 3
K-19 Widowmaker
LOTR: FOTR
LOTR: TTT (Check out "Oliphants Charge" full bore stuff below 20Hz)
[/EDIT]

Still more coming...
Finding Nemo
The Matrix Reloaded
Minority Report
Monsters Inc.
Spy Game

JKS

 

[Rudi B]

Here are some more graphs from the Soundhound Organ disc:

http://bass.jawmail.org/index.php?p=soundhound_1

The recording engineer itself recommended them.


Coming up this weekend: Return Of The King.

 

[Edward J M]

Rudi - this is a most excellent service you are providing. I'd like your permission to hotlink some of these waterfall charts in some upcoming subwoofer reviews. Of course you will be given credit as the source.

Ed

 

[Rudi B]

Ed,

I hate you. If you'll do such an excellent review for PB2 Ultra like you did for the 20-39PC+ & PB2+... The temptation will be... Must... Resist... .... gagh. Get it?

The very last thing on the checklist before I bought my PB2+ was "Read Ed's review when it is published". Kudos.

No problem with the charts.

BTW, if you'll need some charts for your music remarks (IIRC, you listened to the Gladiator OST among others), shoot me an email/PM. I'll do my best.

 

[Jeremy Stockwell]

Rudi, you lucky... I mean - congratulations on your early acquisition of ROTK. I'm sure many are anxious to see what we're going to hear come May 25.

Don't know if you noticed that SVS updated their waterfall demos page with some more current titles, including Two Towers. Their waterfall "Oliphants charge" is particularly impressive. Bassed :wink: on this, I'm guessing that some scenes from "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields" directly under the Oliphants will be impressive as well. Any other guesses as to what will be the defining subwoofer moments from ROTK? (Witch King; Catapults; Mount Doom).

Glad to see some more plots from the SoundHound Organ CD posted too. So did you find SoundHound, or did he find you?

JKS

 

[MingL]

Happen to have a preview copy of the Matrix Rev........ should be a bass fest,...... esp when the machine city SPEAKS!

 

[Rudi B]

So did you find SoundHound, or did he find you?

He.