Nathan Lively's Blog, page 4

(remote) Home Theater Sound System Calibration with Smaart & Crosslite

Back in November I had the opportunity to work on a multi-channel home theater sound system built with custom speakers. The client had their own Smaart rig so they measured the drivers and I worked on the EQ and crossover alignment within Crosslite. What follows are clips from the meeting transcript. We need for both […]Loved this post? Try these:How to phase align main to sub in Smaart, REW, Open Sound Meter, SATlive, and Crosslite Smaart® Beta: Will the new filter control in the delay finder help with your main+sub alignment? Subwoofer Alignment at The Redmoor Cincinnati

How to fight power alley using end-fire arrays

If you don’t like the power alley that results from uncoupled subwoofer arrays and you do have six or more subs and enough real estate, you can try aiming the left and right energy away from the stage. Why six or more? The 2-element end-fire array is a one note wonder. It cancels at a […]Loved this post? Try these:Dave Rat’s End-Fire Adjustable Arc Subwoofer Array Explained This is why I no longer recommend turning one sub off to fight power alley Rog and Nathan’s 5-hour Show about End-fire vs Gradient Arrays

How to phase align main to sub in Smaart, REW, Open Sound Meter, SATlive, and Crosslite

The audio analyzer functions primarily as a verification tool. For this reason this article will focus on creating alignment presets, which can then be modified in the field using simple distance measurements. To fit this into a single article I will offer an overview of a single method for each software. Although the steps with […]Loved this post? Try these:3 Simple Ways to Phase Align Main+Sub with SATlive How to Time Align Your Main to Your Front Fill Using Smaart® Live IR How to flatten the phase for easier main+sub alignment

How do you calculate cardioid subwoofer spacing? (gradient array)

Learn how to design cardioid subwoofer arrays (in-line gradient) for maximum efficiency. Loved this post? Try these:Gradient vs Delta Subwoofer Array The BEST subwoofer array for large concerts? Dave Rat’s End-Fire Adjustable Arc Subwoofer Array Explained

When will this ‘immersive’ fad be over?

Interview with Bob McCarthy and Josh Dorn-Fehrmann from Meyer Sound about immersive sound system applications and design.Loved this post? Try these:Create a sound system tuning checklist and map before your next show 110 Questions about Sound System Tuning – Pt. 3 SPECIAL REPORT: Sound System Design for Small Venues with Bob McCarthy

Subwoofer Alignment at The Redmoor Cincinnati

EQ and crossover alignment of RCF HDL10-A and JBL STX828S at a concert venue.Loved this post? Try these:Spot Crossover Slopes in Smaart® and Avoid Falling Sharply Merlijn’s Subwoofer Alignment Method Will Make You Feel like a Jedi Master Will adding a crossover filter create better phase alignment between speakers from different families?

EQ Your Vocal Reverb Return

Interview with producer, engineer, and FOH mixer for artists such as Counting Crows, Goo Goo Dolls, and Avril Lavigne, Shawn Dealey. We discuss finding your sound, tips for mixing live vocals, and sound system calibration.Loved this post? Try these:Help, I can’t hear the vocal! Waves Vocal Rider Plugin to the rescue. Create an Explosion of Reverb for Magical Song Transitions Mixing the most difficult musical on Broadway: Rock of Ages

Single channel RTA targets to improve your mixes

How good is your live stream mix? What does it sound like on the audience end? How do you quantify that? Loudness metrics are helpful. I discovered YouLean meter like a lot of other sound engineers who have been doing more broadcast gigs during the pandemic. I monitor the live stream on a mobile device […]Loved this post? Try these:How to use a custom weighting curve in Smaart® and why I don’t recommend it How to maximize gain before feedback of a podium microphone using Smaart® Spot Crossover Slopes in Smaart® and Avoid Falling Sharply

Do subwoofers need time alignment?

Why subwoofers need to be aligned properly and how to do it.Loved this post? Try these:3 Phase Alignment Hacks to Make Your Sound System Tuning Easier Phase Alignment Science Academy Handbook: Introduction What do sub alignment sound waves look like?

d&b audiotechnik ArrayCalc vs SubAligner

How do the alignment results from SubAligner compare with those from d&b ArrayCalc?Loved this post? Try these:SubAligner vs. L-Acoustics Preset Guide (K2 + SB28, Kiva + SB15m) 3 Phase Alignment Hacks to Make Your Sound System Tuning Easier FOH Engineers: How to sneakily check your system tech’s work