EAW Smaart 6

[strandgsx]

Hello all,

 

I have a laptop on my desk running eaw smaart, not knowing too much about it yet I was wondering what recommendations are as to external sound cards etc for rta mic?

 

hmmmmm I will read the manual honest!

[Bobbsy]

I have an oldish version of SMAART and have always run it with an M-Audio Mobile Pre and the super cheap Behringer measurement mic. I'd probably want better if I was charging thousands as an acoustic consultant but, for a quick aid to setting up a system in a room, it's always worked fine for me.

 

Bob

[Simon Lewis]

I have a laptop on my desk running eaw smaart, not knowing too much about it yet I was wondering what recommendations are as to external sound cards etc for rta mic?

 

Any half decent USB preamp should work. The Edirol units are pretty good and relatively inexpensive. It's worth making sure they can take +4dBu, as the -10dBV types clip a lot more easily. You need phantom power, but not limiting etc. XLRs help.

 

I will read the manual honest!

 

The manual is good - but a little dry. Try the EAW Smaart discussion forum - where there is a wealth of experience to draw on. Get yourself an inexpensive mic (most omni measurement mics will work OK - including the Behringer) and have a good play. RTA will be of some use, but it's the transfer function mode and IR mode that will be the most help!

 

With the money saved on not buying an expensive mic, book a place on this training session in London. It's worth it.

 

Happy measurements!

 

Simon

[Johnno]

Slightly OT, but if you're setting up a system aren't you better using the 'colourful' mic you're intending to use in anger rather than a neutral-by-design 'RTA' mic?

 

I appreciate that a fully-fledged acoustic consultant analysing a venue will want accurate (= calibrated = ££££andthensome) equipment but for we lesser mortals does it not make more sense to use the mics you will later be handing to the artists to get the sound you want? Surely you could set up the system to sound awesome with a neutral mic and then find it sounds awful with your SM58?

[Charlie Jeal]

Slightly OT, but if you're setting up a system aren't you better using the 'colourful' mic you're intending to use in anger rather than a neutral-by-design 'RTA' mic?

 

I appreciate that a fully-fledged acoustic consultant analysing a venue will want accurate (= calibrated = ££££andthensome) equipment but for we lesser mortals does it not make more sense to use the mics you will later be handing to the artists to get the sound you want? Surely you could set up the system to sound awesome with a neutral mic and then find it sounds awful with your SM58?

 

Umm No, a 58 simply doesn't have the frequency response required for full range measurements.

 

Johnno smaart or any other analysis tool is just that a tool if you don't now how to interpret the data gathered or how to take relevant measurement then you shouldn't use it. Any of these tools have the capability to tell you where the problem is and whether eq is the correct solution to any problems. Once used to set the system up for a "neutral" sound 99% of people will then play a few tracks of their choice and eq to preference for sound as generally speaking a system that has been measured and eq'd to death to give a "flat" response will not be very pleasing to the ear.

 

To the OP FWIW I use an M Audio Mobile Pre USB and either an Earthworks M30 or audix TR40 depending on the gig.

 

Charlie

[Gareth Owen]

I have an oldish version of SMAART and have always run it with an M-Audio Mobile Pre and the super cheap Behringer measurement mic.

I have the same M-Audio box and the same RTA mic and it does everything I need it to do.