RTA software recommendations

[tactix]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if any of you might have recommendations for RTA software and EQ methodology suggestions to tune an analog sound system.

My friend and I are holding a workshop in a rented hall to practice tuning our sound systems and try out different setup and gear configurations. I'll be working with 4 T30s and two Otop12 running through a DriveRack VENU360 so my EQ process will begin with the auto eq in the driverack - a process I'm fairly familiar with.

My friend's system is a fully analog 4 way system setup in a single stack. He has a parametric eq, a graphic eq, and crossover in the signal path. Since I'll have my RTA mic on hand and an extra mixer (with phantom power), I thought it would be interesting to try to EQ his rig with RTA software running on a PC or ios device so that we can get a graphic representation of what we're hearing. My plan was to setup the RTA mic midway in the room, run frequency sweeps through his PA, observe them using RTA software, and make adjustments to his graphic eq and potentially his crossover. Wash, rinse, and repeat. Might any of you offer suggestions for what RTA software to use or have any thoughts about the process I'm planning on following?

Any thoughts or comments on the matter (outside of get him a LMS and a BFM system ) would be appreciated. Many thanks!

[Bruce Weldy]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if any of you might have recommendations for RTA software and EQ methodology suggestions to tune an analog sound system.

My friend and I are holding a workshop in a rented hall to practice tuning our sound systems and try out different setup and gear configurations. I'll be working with 4 T30s and two Otop12 running through a DriveRack VENU360 so my EQ process will begin with the auto eq in the driverack - a process I'm fairly familiar with.

My friend's system is a fully analog 4 way system setup in a single stack. He has a parametric eq, a graphic eq, and crossover in the signal path. Since I'll have my RTA mic on hand and an extra mixer (with phantom power), I thought it would be interesting to try to EQ his rig with RTA software running on a PC or ios device so that we can get a graphic representation of what we're hearing. My plan was to setup the RTA mic midway in the room, run frequency sweeps through his PA, observe them using RTA software, and make adjustments to his graphic eq and potentially his crossover. Wash, rinse, and repeat. Might any of you offer suggestions for what RTA software to use or have any thoughts about the process I'm planning on following?

Any thoughts or comments on the matter (outside of get him a LMS and a BFM system ) would be appreciated. Many thanks!

Use your driverack to set up his system. Create a new preset with no crossover - set it up with the left and right main outputs as full-range. Run from the driverack outputs to his system input with all of his EQ set flat (or whatever he considers is his "flat EQ"). Run the auto EQ. Once it's dialed in on the driverack, manually transfer the GEQ over to his analog EQ.

[Seth]

Open Sound Meter is a free dual FFT comparative analyzer software that does much of what Rational Acoustics SMAART ($1000) software does... RTA, magnitude, phase and impulse response, coherence, group delay, etc.

You'll need a PC interface that has at least 2 inputs, such as PreSonus Studio 24c. If you have a digital mixer that has the capability to act as an interface, that would work too.

[Tom Smit]

AudioTool is a handy, portable way of doing RTA. iMM-6 pairs up well with it, for one's phone.

[tactix]

Use your driverack to set up his system. Create a new preset with no crossover - set it up with the left and right main outputs as full-range. Run from the driverack outputs to his system input with all of his EQ set flat (or whatever he considers is his "flat EQ"). Run the auto EQ. Once it's dialed in on the driverack, manually transfer the GEQ over to his analog EQ.

Thanks Bruce. That's sounds like a great way to compare what we get out of a more manual approach and what's produced by the driverack. Ultimately I think it would be nice to figure out a method that would not require my equipment so the comparison will be useful for him to decide what his path forward is.

Open Sound Meter is a free dual FFT comparative analyzer software that does much of what Rational Acoustics SMAART ($1000) software does... RTA, magnitude, phase and impulse response, coherence, group delay, etc.

You'll need a PC interface that has at least 2 inputs, such as PreSonus Studio 24c. If you have a digital mixer that has the capability to act as an interface, that would work too.

Thanks for this as well Seth. Something like this is what I had originally envisioned. Nice to see it’s cross platform and available under a GPL license. Another one that has been suggested elsewhere is room eq wizard https://www.roomeqwizard.com/. Ever used that one? I don’t have an A/D converter as nice as the PreSonus but I have an ART stereo USB phono preamp which will also take a line level and suspect it will work fine. My mixer with USB out will be occupied.

AudioTool is a handy, portable way of doing RTA. iMM-6 pairs up well with it, for one's phone.

Hi Tom. Thanks for that suggestion as well. I guess that would work with an lightning to 1/8 inch TRRS adaptor on a modern iphone. I never use my phone with headphones/mic combo headset so it’s not occurred to me that those adaptors must be bidirectional (AD/DA).