Correct your speakers with REW, UMIK-1 and Equalizer APO (Room Correction Tutorial)

In this video I will show you how to correct your speakers frequency response with REW in combination with the UMIK-1 and Equalizer APO.
Amazon | miniDSP UMIK-1: amzn.to/3FY77Cv *
Support future videos on Patreon: / juliankrause **
Follow me on Twitter: / thejuliankrause
My house curve (modeled after Harman’s preferred listening curve):
31.5 6
40 5.9
50 5.5
63 4.9
80 3.7
100 2.5
125 1.3
160 0.6
200 0.2
250 0
1000 -1
32000 -6
Simply copy the data above into a .txt file and save it. You can then load this file into REW like shown in the video.
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** Patreon is a platform where you can voluntarily choose to support the channel by purchasing a monthly subscription.

[@lucky4u99]

One of the best tutorials I've listen too on REW. Julian simplifies the terms and gets right to the point without a lot meaningless rambling that exist in so many of these KZbin videos. His voice is clear with good pace, finally someone who can simplify a complex subject, well done Julian.

[@Take-the-Ticket]

I've watched several REW videos on KZbin; this one is the most comprehensive and is easiest to understand. Thank you :)

[@anterdogan]

this.

[@vaibhav_desai_137]

Cannot agree more. Was going nuts watching several videos and making sense of nothing.

[@skeetabomb]

expect nothing less from 'ze chermuns' :)

[@AH-wr1ir]

agreed. by the far the best beginners tutorial. thanks!

[@kael13]

@Serg Ivaschenko does that mean you wind up with two EQ filters? That doesn’t seem like a good idea because sound waves interact with each other.

[@s.s.productions]

Thank you very much for your excellent and helpful video! I managed to calibrate my system and I am super impressed with the increased clarity, balance and fine details in bass, mids and highs! Good work!

[@TheDrumphile]

As others have already said below, this is one of the best explanations of how to use REW that I have seen. Well done!

[@darren8721]

You nailed this one. I've watched so many videos about REW and came out with zero understanding or clarity on how to measure properly. This video is fantastic. Thank you!

[@neilwright729]

What a useful video! Thank you for doing this for all of us out here who wouldn't have been able to figure this out on our own, or at least would have spent a week trying to learn. I is especially helpful that you explained why to use the Harm curve and the optimal points for various settings. Very much appreciated, sir. :-)

[@ganeshkc1397]

One of the best tutorial on REW and conveyed in the most simplest way.. Thank you so much.

[@johnfisher4910]

Best REW tutorial ever. Thanks so much!

[@Finite-Tuning]

This was excellent, I've never used the auto EQ function before because I didn't really know how, until now. Thank you!

[@jeffbridges6110]

This is the best in depth video of REW I have seen yet. THANKS.

[@vpvo9605]

Thanks for the very informative video. I was struggling to figure out what to do with the umik-1/rew for my car audio setup, and your guide not only made it easier to use, but also explains what is going on (probably one of the most important aspects of equilization).

[@Protegit]

I dont know what Im doing wrong. After applying the correction EQ and testing with sine sweep again I get THE SAME results (just 7dB lower) as if I did not use the eq... end yet I can CLEARLY hear a HUGE difference in the response. Its as if REW sine sweep bypassed Equalizer APO. Edit 1: The generator in REW is indeed not affected by Equalizer APO. Will trobuleshoot it further Edit 2: Google was surprisingly silent about the solution, but Ive managed to dig up some information about how different drivers work with REW. I switched the drivers from ASIO to Java in REW and it solved the problem. My room sounds so much better now. Its amazing. Thank you, Julian! (I didnt go for the Harman curve tho, just pure flatness lol)

[@GurvanBHC7]

I use "JAVA" but still mesure the same as before...

[@koskadelli]

Appreciate the tutorial! There were a few changes in the newest version of REW to account for since this was recorded, but they were simple enough to figure out. Thank you for guiding from start to finish in only 16 minutes - most other tubers unnecessarily tried to make the same content a 4 part series at 20 minutes per video.

[@ashtonmurch2142]

Thank you Julian for providing an informative tutorial to REW! It made quite a bit of difference to my system

[@dreamdealer]

This is the best video around for calibrating a room using REW and the UMIK microphone, thank you for this, very detailed and easy to follow procedure.

[@richwoodson]

Of the 5 tutorials I've watched on REW by various home studio producers, this is by far the most thorough. Thank you.

[@accessdenied2010]

man, I appreciate you contribution to community, bless you and have a great everything!

[@RORYEVANSGUITAR]

Thank you Julian! Bought a UMIK-1 and followed this tutorial and immediately heard the improvement in my home mixing set up :)

[@funkster5383]

Thank you Julian! Your video tutorial on using REW in conjunction with Equalizer APO was exactly what I needed. The straight forward explanation helped me achieve with in short time.

[@TheShoxter]

This is great! Thank you so much! Probably the most concise and informative tutorial I've found for the average REW user.

[@diywork6384]

Trust me bro I have watched hundreds of video to learn starting the process of measuring the frequency response but every video have something missing no one goes like 12345678910 but good bless you your are the one who tells everything in detail and very short time thank good after like month I got what I was looking for good work keep it up bro

[@dimdimdu54]

You need so much more viewers man, awesome work ! Thanks

[@kennethcoleman7173]

This is by far the easiest REW video to understand. thank you1

[@PaulFieldIT]

Thank you! You made a complex procedure really easy with your excellent step-by-step instructions. Fantastic work.

[@darrenrowley9430]

I almost never comment on You Tube videos unless it is my son on my account in Minecraft! But I must say what a superb overview, I could not recommend more highly - no fluff just stuff.

[@ZeroKey92]

Even 3 years later this turorial is perfect. Clear, concise, very easy to follow and extremely difficult to mess up. I don't have a nice measuring mic but I have a cardoid condenser mic with a pretty flat response curve. Made it work with that. Final curve needed a little fiddling with to sound the way I like it but that's just my personal taste.

[@KiranKumarRajendra]

Awesome video! This is how a concise video should be made. I looked at some 44 videos that only created confusion. Thank you!

[@alvarovelasco5217]

Excellent explanation Julian. Thank you very much. Of course, previous knowledge about REW and Equalizer APO is necesary in order to be able to follow your instructions. In that case, your description is crystal clear. Congratulations!!!

[@cristianopastore8618]

Awesome, crystal clear tutorial. You saved me hours of self education. Thanks!

[@FireCulex]

This was exactly what I needed. I use Peace to configure equalizerAPO. Thank you very much!

[@Spaceqowboy]

Thank you very much. One of the best video's on how to use REW for those who are new i the field. Clear, understandable and to the point.

[@f5770]

Your ability to explain clearly and with an understandable language for not technician is remarkable. Thank you, actually a support from Warren Huart speaks for itself ;-)

[@steenstube]

Very good explanation and instruction. This man Krause knows how to instruct and help.

[@malsmith2012]

Thank you Julian! I agree with others that your video was fantastic, so clear but best of all for someone like me who's not highly proficient on computers you showed all the steps at a pace I could follow and because of that you've given me the confidence to have a crack at doing it.. Thanks mate..

[@bertbrause]

Just did it myself before seen your video. You made me donmg it again the way you didi it!!! Very helpfull! Danke

[@lupe_g2]

I was looking for an alternative to a DSP box (like miniDSP 2x4 etc) since I wanted to run my speakers balanced and keep my signal chain as minimal as possible. Thank you so much for making this video which introduced me to Equalizer APO. You are a lifesaver!

[@mmarfe]

Thank you for the hard work man. That helps a lot of people, including me.

[@chaos4197]

Excellent explanation of REW & Umik-1 setup process. Thank you for posting.

[@badnrad]

This was soooo crucial to me ever having been able to comprehend this whole process. Thank you!!!

[@lio1234234]

Thanks for the house curve, I really needed that!!!

[@nanao1267]

The best Rew tutorial so far.

[@Theyrewrong827]

Best Tutorial ive seen on KZbin!!! Thank you!!

[@pauliewalnuts1024]

Thank you again my friend, you are a natural!

[@antoniomarsicola8608]

Easiest tutorial ever for Rew, thanks a lot!

[@Architekt909]

Fantastic. I used this to measure the best location for my Sonos subwoofer and then EQ things. This was waaaaaaaaay more helpful than the UMIK-1 instructions for REW (which were using an older version of REW too).

[@666chege]

yeah thats what i did before buying Pro DSP gear for my system. Great tutorial. and really great channel. keep it up

[@ArcticMedevac]

Great video. Just got my umik-1 and very excited to put this knowledge to use. Thank you!!

[@ggroch]

I bookmark this and rewatch it whenever I EQ. REW has changed a good bit in the last 3 years. I hope you will update it showing the new menu choices.

[@ganesh7hillsstereo373]

Now I understood how to use rew after seeing your video easily. Thanks a lot.

[@danceswith7wolves]

i had to rewind the video multiple times, but i finally got the hang of it. thank you so much for the tutorial. this knowledge is a valuable tool that should really help me get my room acoustics in order 🤓👍 i ended up copying the eq recommendations manually from the export txt file and input those setting into my vst eq... so now i have a preset that i can toggle the eq within the daw

[@jebo4jc]

Agree with the comments here. The best rew video I've seen. Thank you!

[@Duken4evr29]

Awesome video, thank you. Running a HTPC with Equalizer APO on it to a DAC to feed my old school 2 channel retro stereo system with old school 80's era floor standers. This video helped me set it up and it sounds great. The straight Harmon curve sounds very "correct". I added a touch of bass as I have a big amp, 12" woofers and like a little room compression at high volumes, to includes ripples in my beer - LOL

[@JamesLebihan]

That was very helpful. Thank you for the detailed walk through.

[@robbeenhakker1137]

Awesome video. Very well explained, comprehensive & easy to follow. Many thanks!

[@nektardymski6025]

It was a pleasure listening to you. Thank you sir.

[@AtmasOne]

i had to adapt a few things to todays updated REW (REW V5.31), but man if this isn't the easiest sub and like in the world. the absolute perfection of the explanation-structure is just out of this world. you knew what would throw back people and literally included all these steps. for example opening a config into E-APO is not the same as loading into the actual config. absolut brilliant video. and yes, your tut improved my illogical near-field MLP so much to make me write this :)

[@thefreewheel2462]

Justin, You made this thing so easy to use. TKS

[@rsgulledge]

Very well done. I appreciate the detail!

[@grumpyguss]

Excellent tutorial in every way! Thank you so much!

[@yetcop]

This is GOLD. Thanks Julian Krause!

[@xkitejunkie]

Such an excellent guide! Really well done and thank you!

[@spolosatkin]

Simple, understandable, 10 of 10. Thank you

[@Deutschlandaudio]

Danke. Tolle Inspiration für die Verbesserung der Abhörsituation.

[@MirceaBene]

Finally a good tutorial on rew, thank you, sir!

[@BRANDONHAYESxxx]

absolutely amazing, easy to follow and get results.

[@ZPaulLucenti]

It took a few hours for me to go through this whole process but in the end it all worked. Great video much appreciated.

[@curtisjohnson944]

So my question to you is this. Was it worth it? I’m about to set up and start but I’m starting to wonder if my expectations are too high. Is the payoff worth all the effort? I guess it doesn’t matter because I’m going to do it anyway :-) so I will answer my own question within a couple days.

[@ZPaulLucenti]

@@curtisjohnson944 nah. Not unless you have the perfecty built professional studio space. Just treat your room. Forget those cheap foam things. Just carpet the floor and walls.

[@slueccroll4661]

i consider this program as a life hack, GREAT results, and FAST! I've been toying with the Equalizer for years, this beautifully designed program fixed it withing 30 minutes :D

[@iliketohideincloset]

Hi Julian, thanks a lot for this nifty little guide. Helped me out quiet a lot. Thanks mate.

[@furiobisotti8150]

Extremely well done job. My compliments

[@jameswu1261]

this is the most clear explaination video on doingwith rew . nicejob.

[@Artcore103]

Holy crap I went through so many useless REW videos before finding this, this is EXACTLY what I needed. Not some garbage for home theater or studio use etc, but a simple tutorial for optimizing a given 2 channel system in a given room to a target curve and how to actually supply that eq. I already have equalizer apo and I didn't know these files were compatible so this is most excellent. I'm curious to see if rew can ew my system better than I've done it by ear with no measuring equipment all these years (subjectively, of course). My speakers are far from flat response and need a lot of EQ so this will really test rew. And I'm ok with boosting frequencies and requiring more power since I have the headroom.

[@Canadian_Eh_I]

omg this was incredibly useful. thank you dude !

[@luce22222]

Wonderfull. Easy to follow and to understand. A special thanks for the discovery (for me) of Equalizer APO. Very easy to implement a test. Many thanks

[@jwbrook]

Excellent. Concise and easy to understand.

I loved that episode!! Thanks so much man :)

[@BeastAvenger]

Best REW ‘how to’ ever! Thank you! 😀👍

[@goddlediddles]

This is an excellent video tutorial. Many thanks.

[@kahelsoro]

Thanks for this Julian! Was really looking for a good EQ Based Software for my Windows Computer and my monitor speakers. Finally an answer!

[@soundproofyourstudio]

This is so helpful! Really appreciate this video and I am excited to mess around with REW.

[@killernils]

this is so so so useful, thanks man! This helps a lot when building and designing bluetooth speakers!

[@quanghuy147]

Thank you for sharing the knowledge!

[@7in1]

What a perfect lesson! I am so happy and grateful! Thanks a lot!

[@natefrick7009]

For anyone with a subwoofer in the system: Set the speaker type to "Full Range" and set the LF cutoff to wherever your subwoofer rolls off. You can usually tell where it rolls off by looking at the response curve, usually around 20 or 30 Hz. I set my LF slope to 24 dB/Octave to more closely match the response curve of my system. After that, you can continue to follow the tutorial as it is. Side note: I brought the target level way down to the lowest trough to get better bass response, and have not run into an issue with the output being too quiet.

[@janlinhart7914]

I have 5.1 setup. I thought every speaker including subwoofer has to be measured separately (even seven times from various microphone positions) and then an average curve is created for that individual speaker yet the author measures both of his speakers at once (?). Could you please tell me where I'm making a mistake?

[@natebot321]

@@janlinhart7914 Here's my take on the matter: He's only covering a stereo system in this video, and the difference between the two speakers in his setup is negligible due to them being so close together and close to the listener. You can certainly test and create a custom EQ curve for each speaker in your system; most likely Equalizer APO has the ability to correct each speaker individually. My 5.1 AVR's auto-EQ only corrects for the L, R, and the rear pair of speakers. Correcting each surround speaker individually is probably unnecessary in most cases. I suggest you research how to EQ a surround system, because I don't know exactly how EQing surround speakers work in conjunction with EQing everything else. Also research how to measure and set the proper crossover frequency for your sub, and how to set bass timing using the distance settings in your AV receiver (if you're using one).

[@ShutterManAce]

This video earned you a new subscriber!

[@bluemoonj9350]

Best REW tutorial I have seen so far. If possible, might be make an updated video to show how REW work with Roon. Again, Thanks for the great video!

[@Ekalas]

Thank You, great REW tutorial.

[@johnnydingo8680]

Sehr gut Julian👍 and also subscribed 😊

[@sainath8710]

Hi, very informative and the explanation is very straightforward. 🎉

[@thecardoski]

Excellent tutorial, thank you.

[@bryansu]

This is exactly what i will need to do. thanks for the video

[@jeewilly321]

Excellent tutorial. Thank you so much!!

[@audioprotaro1338]

This video is GOLD.

[@ch1potle]

Brilliant! Thank you so much for this.

[@AvithOrtega]

Thank you very much for mentioning the Harman curve. Before seeing this video I measured my Audio system in my room and I got a similar frequency response, so I was thinking that my room had a lot of bass and low highs, but if I compare it to the House curve you showed then it actually resembles it, and it makes a lot of sense because if I tried to get a perfect flat response at my room then everything would sound very bright with very weak low end. Its very good that you mentioned it because everybody talks about getting a flat frequency response, but none of them are saying that the flat response should be for the speakers themselves, not for the speakers + room

[@Sensi1995]

Thanks Julian, really useful video.

[@oof-software]

thank you so much for this tutorial, helped me a lot!

[@impulsantwort]

Extremely compressed, more is not possible! Thanks a lot!

[@b_r_i_z_z_y]

Great tutorial, the only thing I would say is that should only do one speaker at a time. I learned that from Eric Valentine who has some fantastic videos on room acoustics and setting up speakers. He shows comparison of both speakers compared to one at a time, he also suggested to stand in the exact same spot every time you do the measurement as it will also affect the results, and shows this too.

[@okay1904]

I think you covered the topics very well enough for most users to obtain a good understanding of the key approaches and a decent suggestion of one way to perform the measurements. The presentation quality is also excellent. And you covered a good set of topics that use the easiest tools for room correction. Measurement Microphone - UMIK-1, Measurement software - REW, Your own approach to which microphone positions and orientation to measure, Equalisation Compensation - using EQ filters, and systemwide application of the filters using Equalizer APO. That is a lot of information in one video, that will make it so much easier for those starting out on this journey. Well done.

[@bartjelories]

Thank you Julian. All set.