Testing how "flat" your monitors are?

[zosomagik]

Is there anyway to to do this and get like exact numbers in terms of db's how hyped or lacking certain frequencies are on your monitors in your room? Part of me feels like you would need some crazy equipment or something, but who knows.

[AxeD]

You need a good and flat mic, preferably some sort of measurement mic and some frequency
analyzing software. No crazy equipment needed to do a basic reading yourself.

There's people who do very extensive testing for you though, like Keith Holland's monitor reviews.
Widely trusted source for these kinds of things, but he doesn't do all loudspeakers of course

[zosomagik]

Cool, thanks man. Now..... Call me crazy.... but If you could get these numbers what would you think of like an EQ preset on your master bus to compensate for these faults in your monitors and your room? Or am I just mad

[fragments]

Cool, thanks man. Now..... Call me crazy.... but If you could get these numbers what would you think of like an EQ preset on your master bus to compensate for these faults in your monitors and your room? Or am I just mad

I feel like if that is something that really worked, people would talk about it a lot more than they do. Also, when doing this with a mic arent you really measuring the monitors response *in that room* and not the monitors themselves? I am sure there are "neutral" rooms where fancy speaker scientists measure monitors, but....? Dunno.

By the time you buy the mic and all this BS you could have just bought some treatment or saved towards better monitors ;p

[m8son666]

I swear theres software that does this kinda stuff for you, like analyses your room's response and eqs accordingly?

[fragments]

I swear theres software that does this kinda stuff for you, like analyses your room's response and eqs accordingly?

KRK make a system like this. Its like 400 USD I think?

[m8son666]

ahh yeah that's the one! Not that i have the money to do either but what do you think would be better in the long run using the KRK thingy or properly treating the room?

[zosomagik]

Ahhh I've seen that before. I would say say just treating the room would be better because I'm a little skeptical on that thing. But I don't know shit about it so who knows.

[fragments]

Treating the room. There is also that DSP monitor/room simulator headphone box ...VRM Box or some such? Think those can be had for about 80USD

[zosomagik]

Just found some free software thing called Room EQ Wizard. Says it's to be used in addition to room treatment. I'm probably gonna read about it later when I have some time.

[AxeD]

Room EQ Wizard is a great tool.

Yes, with the mic approach, you would measure the speaker's response in that room.
REW supplies your test signals and it reads the mic input of course. To do actually specific
treatment you would need to do this as well as make some calculations. Putting some bass traps somewhere in your room, usually does not yield good result unless you're very lucky maybe

The 'professional' tests done to read the loudspeaker's frequency response are done in an anechoic chamber. Putting an EQ on your master to compensate for dips and peaks in this reading, might work to some extent, but an EQ introduces phase problems etc.. and the real problems are in the response
of your room.