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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: EQ'ing a poor auditorium
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Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 02-13-2010 06:00 PM
Ugh, I feel for you Ken. I detest rooms like this. For what its worth, this has worked pretty well for me in the past
After you have verified the processor is working properly, definitely start clean by flattening your EQ cards. From there go to the center speaker only and aim it for the best possible sound (as was suggested prior turn the other channels off). Then match the angle on the left and right.
At this point you almost HAVE to have a processor that can be controlled via ethernet (or a really long DB9 cable) so you can plant your butt in the auditorium as you make changes. I will assume that will not be the case though, so go ahead and eat some donuts before you head into there to do your job, because you will more than work them off running up and down the stairs. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif) These rooms can not be tuned well with test gear alone.
At this point get a multiplexer (don't even try with one mic) and tune the room as best as you can with the bass and treble controls only. Only then touch the other controls, and do it VERY sparingly. When you are finished, "even them all out". Don't let any control be more than 1:00 and none less than 10:00 is a good rule to start with.
Some notes, beware of the frequencies from 150-400. They are your enemy in a live room like this. Equally awful is the treble. Do a severe drop off on the treble, but make a turn back up starting at 10k. (Yes I know it sounds like the wrong thing to do, but if you don't your system will sound dull and lifeless.) Also boost your lower bass frequencies (below 80hz).
Now turn off the surrounds and play some film that you are familiar with and pay most of your attention to the dialogue first. I keep a reel just for this purpose and I have it embedded in my head how it is SUPPOSED to sound. If you hear any muddiness or boominess in the dialogue, watch those bass frequencies I listed above. They are usually your problem. Then making sure you are listening to a female voice, attack your higher frequencies.
After you have the dialogue sounding decent, start listening to everything. If you hear ANY shrillness to the sound, kill the 4-8Khz frequencies. You WILL have to do a severe high frequency rolloff to get it to sound semi-decent.
In case I didn't make it clear, be looking at the RTA while you are playing content. When you hear something that stands out, you will generally be able to see the offending frequency area.
And again, be very careful about making large changes between adjacent frequencies. At the end of the day, your ears are your best tool for the job.
When tuning the subwoofer, adjust it for a solid bottom end with a rolloff down toward its higher frequencies.
Finally, boost the center and subwoofer a little and lower the surrounds a little.
If this or any of the other tips in this thread don't work for you, go to the nearest gas station, fill up a 5 gallon bucket of unleaded, get some matches, etc.
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