• mr.r
  • AD/DA expert
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2008-02-11
  • Posts: 71

Topic: UCX - EQ for room correction?

Hi,

I need a new sound card and I'm not sure if the UC is enough for me or if I should get the UCX. The advantages from the UXC that I notice are TotalMix FX and maybe the Class Compliant Mode in the future. I really like the idea from TotalMix FX but personally I don't think I would use it apart from the EQ. I have Genelec monitors and they have a pretty good room EQ settings to correct the baffle step, but sometimes I think that a subtle EQ to soften a prominent resonance problem in my room would improve my monitor situation (yes I know that that is also a time domain problem...).

Since I'm still a student and a bit on budget I wouldn't mind to choose the 200 Euro cheaper UC instead of the UXC when it's not necessary. So I'm really curious what you think about using the EQ from the UCX as a room correction EQ (again I know that more room treatment would be better, but that's not possible here)?

Best regards

  • From: Stockholm, Sweden
  • Registered: 2007-10-22
  • Posts: 84

Re: UCX - EQ for room correction?

I'm currently using my UFX for room correction. There is a very prominent room node at 90 Hz in my room and it helps tremendously. The main speakers (Yamaha NS1000M) are EQd separately from the rear speakers (Genelec 8030), which need another curve. This is also very nice to have in live sound rigs, as the EQ can be either surgical or relatively broad, while only 3 bands.

You can also use the EQ for sub woofer low pass.

Mats Helgesson
http://www.livingsound.se

MatsHelgesson's Website

3 Reply by Kompressor (edited by Kompressor 2012-03-31 23:14:14)

  • Registered: 2012-03-07
  • Posts: 16

Re: UCX - EQ for room correction?

The monitors i use, have....

mr.r wrote:

...pretty good room EQ settings to correct the baffle step, but sometimes I think that a subtle EQ to soften a prominent resonance problem in my room would improve my monitor situation.

Now i have a LadyFace...and the TotalFX-EQ is perfect to reduce the lower "oomph", which still was too pronounced. A little bit.
With a narrow bell the frequency was easy to find.
It is always the last stage of all main audio outputs.
But not effecting the headphones..

  • Registered: 2011-10-30
  • Posts: 63

Re: UCX - EQ for room correction?

MatsHelgesson wrote:

There is a very prominent room node at 90 Hz in my room and it helps tremendously.

As a fellow UFX owner I am interested in techniques to come to this conclusion. How do you find how to tweak your EQ at certain frequencies in order to manage room correction?

5 Reply by MatsHelgesson (edited by MatsHelgesson 2012-04-01 10:59:21)

  • From: Stockholm, Sweden
  • Registered: 2007-10-22
  • Posts: 84

Re: UCX - EQ for room correction?

dainbramage wrote:
MatsHelgesson wrote:

There is a very prominent room node at 90 Hz in my room and it helps tremendously.

As a fellow UFX owner I am interested in techniques to come to this conclusion. How do you find how to tweak your EQ at certain frequencies in order to manage room correction?

I measure the in-room response with a measurement mic at different places. Particularly at the mixing seat. At the moment I use the Behringer ECM8000. while not a particularly nice mic it does the job when it comes to room measurement, as it's a quite coarse adjustment anyway. It's quite as good as the DPA (B&K) 4007, but surprisingly similar. The frequency response drops a bit below 100 Hz but it's a smooth drop. I've compared them side by side and you do get an idea of the room nodes.

I recommend Room EQ Wizard (http://www.hometheatershack.com/roomeq) for measuring. It also shows you a waterfall graph so you know which frequencies need additional bass trapping. I have over 20 bass traps in my room and still need to kill this single frequency with EQ. Now my room is "flat" +/- 3 dB from 30 Hz to 75, then it drops a bit at around 80. The peak at 90 is controlled so the response above 120 is pretty flat, within 1,5 dB up to 10 k or so. Mostly within 1 dB. The speakers droop a bit above that.

I also measure the single speaker SPL level with an SPL meter, so that -20 dBFS equals 83 dB. I always mix at a monitor setting of 0dB. You never have to turn down or up the volume when having a fixed monitor gain.

Mats Helgesson
http://www.livingsound.se

MatsHelgesson's Website

  • Registered: 2011-10-30
  • Posts: 63

Re: UCX - EQ for room correction?

Mats, thank you very much for that insightful reply. I really appreciate it.

  • mr.r
  • AD/DA expert
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2008-02-11
  • Posts: 71

Re: UCX - EQ for room correction?

Thanks for your replies!

  • From: Stockholm, Sweden
  • Registered: 2007-10-22
  • Posts: 84

Re: UCX - EQ for room correction?

mr.r wrote:

Thanks for your replies!

cool

Mats Helgesson
http://www.livingsound.se

MatsHelgesson's Website

  • Registered: 2012-06-15
  • Posts: 6

Re: UCX - EQ for room correction?

Hi guys!
i´m thinking about buy the UCX interface. I´m using EQ correction on my studio too, and i would like to know if is posible to use differents EQ curves for the right and left channels via TotalMix FX? And if the EQ implemented is Linear Phase.
Thanks in advance!

  • frspp
  • New member
  • Offline
  • From: FI
  • Registered: 2012-10-29
  • Posts: 2

Re: UCX - EQ for room correction?

sangoo wrote:

Hi guys!
i´m thinking about buy the UCX interface. I´m using EQ correction on my studio too, and i would like to know if is posible to use differents EQ curves for the right and left channels via TotalMix FX?

That is probably possible as routing is flexible but I would guess it's not recommended. As far as I know, on stereo setup speakers should be measured one by one, then make the correction from average, then check output from stereo and do some tweaks if needed. But still, only one correction curve for both.

I'm coming from Motuland. I have thought getting UCX as the drivers a bit buggy on motu (some strange behaviour from time to time). My question is it possible to have more than three bands on eq per channel by updating Totalmix or is maxed out already? For me it would be useful to have five–six bands on outputs, none for the inputs if that helps to save DSP resources for outputs. Or is it possible to do loopback and by this get six bands?