Live with Dirac: NEW Active Room Treatment deep dive

This is livestream video with Nilo Ericsson Product Manager at Dirac and we will be discussing the new Active Room Treatment technology, how it works what it does and why we need it. Then of course how do we get it and what do we need for it.
There is a viewer Q&A session at the end
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[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

If your considering trying Dirac Live use this link here dirac.ink/pursuitperfectsystem

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

THANK YOU TERRY NILO 🤗💚💚💚

[@benpatana7664]

Thanks for that Terry and Nilo! Very interesting innovation.

[@robvandendolder3157]

Thanks Terry. Really good interview. It’s exciting to see room correction is going and evolving 👍😎

[@robertschumacher9640]

I find the idea very exciting. Since not everyone can build a bass array in their living room, but many have a multi-channel system, it is a good addition. The only question is how accurately the algorithm calculates the reflection points. It looks relatively simple in the graphics. But we know that deep waves are omnidirectional and not just a line that is reflected once. I could imagine that there could be artefacts or unwanted cancellations away from the measured listening position. A setting for how aggressively the ART should work would be very useful. If you take Dirac's idea a step further, you could also supplement the system with a LIDAR measurement. Nowadays, everyone has a smartphone with which they can create 3D scans. In this way ART would no longer make the measurements "blindly", but would see what the space is like and could draw conclusions accordingly.

[@Audfile]

Bass array, huh. I guess I have a pseudo array. 2 subs, cone centers are 4 feet off the ground. So much better than on the floor.

[@williamhicks2763]

I’ve never tried that height but years ago when I set my current single sub position I found that elevating the sub about 3 inches made a world of difference. On the floor the sub disappeared but putting it on blocks sounded great. That old REL has finally died so I’m upgrading to three subs and wondering about placement a lot. I wonder if I can stop worrying and just use room correction, upgraded receiver needed of course.

[@alexandervaneijken7741]

I am a very old geezer. In my youth (prehistory) my parents gave me a Garrard Recordplayer One box really,speaker and amplifier all inside. I had a bunch of 45,s. (did I say it was a mono player?) Was very happy with my Garrard. Then stereo became en vogue. You know the drill One upgrade after another Stereo separates instead of two speakers in a box Subsequently a CD player. I stopped there. And that turned out a very wise decision (one of the few I made during a lifetime) because then came quadro A farce ! Then we were advised to buy cables ,interconnects etc. I have quite a few LP,s CD,s so no streaming for me. We are now arrived at the point where roomacoustics are a major issue, and am advised to put sorts of rubbish on the wall because my music sound too harsh. The next step ,in the foreseeable future is moving to another house that has better acoustics.

[@regulartxdude7813]

Nice overview! Waiting for reviews but I want Dirac active room treatment in my next AV processor.

[@bolobos]

Thank you! As an audiophile, and as a nerd, in you're next interview could you ask Dirac folks about their namesake? Quantum mechanics is fascinating

[@joseloya1274]

Thanks for the video. ART still not being offered by other OEM. Been waiting for it, but just purchase DLBC during Black Friday. Better SW integration with rest of the system. I wonder if I purchased something that will be soon replaced by ART.

[@DileepaRanawake]

Thanks Terry, great interview and exciting we're now outside the ART / Storm exclusivity period. Are there any planned updates to hear where Dirac ART is at / if it will be available on other products like Mini DSP or Wiim in 2024? 😉🤞🏽🤞🏽

[@connorduke4619]

Does this mean Direct Live Art will make speakers which are conventionally too large for a room, sound more tolerable?

[@HOJ76]

Will it support Minidsp Flex?

[@GadgetyMV]

55:13 Nilo mentions the Dirac Software Processor, called the Room Correction Suite, which enables processing on a PC or a Mac, and Terry Ellis acknowledges using it but unbelievably doesn't ask the natural follow up question, is Dirac ART coming to the Room Correction Suite for PC/Mac as well?

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Good point I didnt sorry about that

[@kenr4540]

Nice Video! How does Dirac Active Room Treatment compare or stack up to Trinnov Waveforming Technology and which is better in your opinion?

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

They are totally different, wave-forming requires a specific subwoofer layout and number of subs as best I understand it. ART does not its completely flexible for the speaker and sub layout and eventually it will be available for many, trinnov is very exclusive to their own very expensive products.

[@kenr4540]

Have you heard the Trinnov Waveforming and if yes which system sounds better to your ears?@@PursuitPerfectSystem

[@GMG0479]

Will it be available for the sw version?

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

That’s a great question sorry I didn’t think to ask that but you would think so

[@vladimirrusev468]

the idea is extremely close to mind but seems to me very easy to go wrong in the implementation ... would depend а lot on a proper understanding of the matter and the implementation. Or I'd be happy if Dirac refuted me and made something that could be reduced to a few measurements and works in all sorts of speaker-room configurations ... especially in 2 or 2+1 configurations like in the most systems.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

I tested ART last week with two book shelf speakers and it still worked and fixed the bass in a way I haven't experienced before, I cant wait to get my hands on this tech

[@michelkoning8644]

​@@PursuitPerfectSystem I own two SF olympica nova I monitors , is this going to work with Dirac Live ART.

[@invisibles362]

Is it going to be available on the Nad M17 V2I home theater processor?

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

It’s up to the manufacturers to choose to implement it is really what it’s going to boil down to. Maybe there will be some hardware limitations that might stop it being implemented.

[@invisibles362]

@Pursuit Perfect System Thanks for your fast response, I presently have the full bandwidth of dirac live on my processor, and I know that Nad is working to hadding base control this year, I sure hope they do had active room treatment, so I don't have to upgrade my home theater processor.

[@robertschumacher9640]

I read that til the end of the year it is StormAudio exclusive, since it was a cooperation between the two and as I understand it, the integration requires some engineering. It seems that not every audio processor can do the work of ART (Why? IDK). It is also questionable at what price this feature can be implemented. It is likely to be very expensive in the beginning. First those who are willing to pay a lot will get it and then the rest of us. Moreover, I think that this feature will still have its teething troubles at the beginning. So dont rush

[@jakobgooijer]

Dirac is a good product, but as long miniDSP doesn't support 192khz and miniDSP doesn't support usb out ,I can't use it in my system

[@isak6626]

The different levels of Dirac (Live, Bass control, ART) are confusing. Do I need them all to get the full benefit of what Dirac has to offer for a multi-channel system (Atmos/Auro/DTS:X), or does ART replace the need for the others? I don't want to spend money on Live and Bass control if ART is all I need down the line.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

They levels of Dirac can be upgraded with price savings on the way so any money spent is never wasted

[@isak6626]

​@@PursuitPerfectSystem That's good. The prices are quite hefty though, considering you can actually do what Dirac does with Live and Bass control by yourself with REW. ART seems to be another beast though.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

There is a big difference between the two. Here is my take on it. People use rew to make graphs look good. I use Dirac to make a system sound epic. That to me is the difference

[@ericshutter5305]

HOW do we get it ... well, except in some $15k-25k processor

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

At the moment we have to wait for a roll out

[@michaelharness3258]

I stopped using my direc live. My home theater sounds better without it.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Dont take this the wrong way, that will be because you used it wrong. I transform already really high performing systems with it all the time. Hundreds of systems now all over the World. Its not Dirac its how you have used it

[@99fulham99]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem How do you know you have improved a system? Expectation Bias can distort listening objectiveness , unless double blind tests are conducted.

[@exact3]

What does Dirac do for your system that you don't like?

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Long term feedback when customers repeat book you over a period of years as they change their system and miss what you do. The differences that are made we are talking about here are not small and you can measure them to some degree but its the overall sound whole that is the determining factor of improved sound, what you experience every-time you press play over a long period of time. You dont need to be blind tested for that, you either enjoy it more or you dont and you can easily turn it off, but noone does its better with it on every time,

[@thepickyaudiophile]

If reading the documentation and following the workflow does not provide decent results, the answer cannot be “you are doing it wrong, you need to book Terry”. Arguably it should be; Book Terry if don’t want to put in the work, struggle with basic computer and audio concepts or just want superior results. Someone comfortable with fundamental computer and audio concepts should be able to get good results and when they don’t, Dirac needs to have their back (where is the “it did not work for me, what’s next” guide?).

[@Audfile]

I have to say it sounds exactly like the previous Dirac. I didn't hear anything revolutionary being described.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

I am in Sweden now visiting Dirac and just had a demo of ART vs normal Dirac Live. I did the calibration so I could control what was happening and directly compared the two. ART is going to change how we think about system calibration from what I heard here. It will be advanced impulse response and sound management from Live but with a bass quality you cannot imagine. I am sold and can’t wait to get my hands on something in the field

[@Audfile]

​@Pursuit Perfect System thanks!

[@niro750]

It's completely fundamental different 😳 one uses eq adjustments to sort problems (boost and cut) and one actually uses sound to cancel out unwanted sound waves (sound that isn't part of the audio already is my assumption - but you won't hear it because it's cancelling issues. Not adding to a frequency you want to hear) Hard to describe my understanding but it's definitely not the same at all.

[@TriAmpHiFi]

It needs to actively track the orientation & position throughout the entire room of our ears. Lacking that, it's all out of whack if you look at your pet.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

If you have accurate time alignment setup your good

[@TriAmpHiFi]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem If one moves seating position [your] sic bad.🔈🔉🔊

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

That is happening anyway the same as you move closer and further from the screen the image gets bigger or smaller softer or sharper on your eye.

[@niro750]

Good point. I think they now need to employ your expertise 😊

[@patrickmeylemans9627]

You can have too many bass, the music must sound natural and not bass raised… when a piano becomes an organ in the low regions you have too much bass 👍

[@niro750]

Most people mean you can't have too much because it is hard to pressurise some rooms and more subs gives a smoother response as subs are all having to do less work. Not that you want way way more bass. Most people only us a small bass boost like a harman curve