OK, I've got another philosophical question.
I have a Denon 3805 that has an auto-calibration feature using an available Denon mic, or, according to Denon, you can use another mic if you wish. I don¡¦t understand how that can be? Doesn¡¦t the calibration need a mic that has a ¡§known¡¨ frequency response?
If the Denon-supplied mic is down -4db at 38Hz, the receiver could automatically ¡§add¡¨ 4db to it¡¦s readings at 38Hz to make up for the mics¡¦ lack of ruler-flat response. But if a user can supply their own mic, doesn¡¦t ANY sense of a reference disappear from the get-go? How could the receiver adjust itself to the readings from a listener¡¦s position if the readings themselves are not from a calibrated, adjusted source?
OK, I¡¦ve wondered about that since buying the receiver a couple of months ago, even though I know many say that the auto-calibration doesn¡¦t sound that good anyway¡K (Ummm, maybe this is WHY?). Here¡¦s how this ties into something current and Axiom-oriented:
I have a test DVD, but have wondered about a good set of test-tones to manually plot my listening room. Recently, it occurred to me that I don¡¦t really need to find a test disc, I can make my own with the tone generators in several audio editing software packages I have. So, yesterday I started to meticulously create 15-second test tones at mostly 1/3 octave intervals, individually for Left and Right, except for the bass region, for which I have also added ¡§less than 1/3 octave¡¨ tones starting at 16Hz and in stereo to boot. My thought is that these will work well for me to plot my subwoofer, mains, and both together through the various combinations available. I¡¦ll hook up my QS8s and VP-150 as ¡§mains¡¨ to run the tones through them as well.
By the way, I do disc duplication/printing here at my business, so if someone wants a disc of the tones, PM me. I can run off hundreds pretty easily, though if I start getting THAT many requests I might have to charge a dollar (or a beer) for shipping and packaging. No, I don¡¦t look at it as a profit maker, but it really could get ridiculous if I receive two hundred requests! ƒº
Anyway, on to the second part of the question:
I have the Radio Shack sound level meter in a box somewhere¡K I musta bought it 20 years ago. But just like the Denon situation above, how do I know that IT is accurate? I know the RS meters are widely used, but is that because of accuracy or inexpensiveness and convenience? Does IT adjust for anomalies in its built-in mic?
Here¡¦s why I ask: A good part of video production is audio production. Towards that end, I have a nice selection of mics, including a Rode large-diaphragm studio mic with an ART tube mic preamp that I use in a voiceover soundbooth. I¡¦m not saying that the combination is inherently flatter than the RS meter¡¦s mic¡K in fact, the ¡§warmth¡¨ from the tubes and mic might actually lean them towards being decidedly ¡§unflat¡¨.
But if that $30 Radio Shack meter with it¡¦s $5 mic is NOT being adjusted for by the meter, might it not be better to use some much, much higher quality electronics to obtain my readings?
BTW, I¡¦m not really this anal with most things in life! I just think it¡¦s an interesting hypothetical discussion on a widely-used ¡§test instrument¡¨ and practice, and, yes, when all is said and done, I would LOVE to spend a weekend afternoon tweaking and measuring my home theater!
What Say Ye, Oh Mighty Axiomites? How Hath Ye Measured?
