How to set your microphone preamps for Smaart [GSwSST17]

[@luisdc1290]

just fantastic ... thanks for taking the time to subtitle the video ... those of us who do not speak English need that kind of help

[@nathanlively]

Of course! I did them quickly so hopefully there are not too many errors.

[@AaronNguyen79]

Hi Nathan, Do you mute the mic during measurements? My system feedbacks badly when the mic is unmuted. I can stiil see readings on the graph even when the mic is muted though. Thanx

[@nathanlively]

Hey Aaron, this shouldn't happen. It sounds like maybe your measurement microphone is getting fed to your sound system somehow? Maybe you have one of those audio interfaces, like mine, that has a IN/PB control? Make sure that that control is always set PB unless you are doing a quick mic continuity check.

[@AaronNguyen79]

@@nathanlively I'm using Allen & Heath Q16 as my audio interface and signal processing. Are you telling me that I should route the measurement mic to USB instead of local input? At the moment it's routed to local and I can see the signal fine, but it's muted. Would that be a problem you think? As long as it's showing correct signals to pink noise and any EQ changes will also be detected. I don't even have to press PAFL. Not sure if this set up is correct though. Main Left to FOH speaker -Channel 1input routed to usb and used as REF (signal generates from SMAART). EQ changes not effected. -Channel 2 input routed to Main Left as loopback on the console and also to USB. EQ changes on Main Out and channel strip shows up in SMAART. -Channel 3 input is routed to local and hooked up to measurement mic as described above and gained to same level as SMAART. One time I unmuted the channel and had rings in my ears for half hour. LOL. Not sure if it will still pick up signal if routed to USB though.

[@nathanlively]

Yes, your measurement mic should connect directly to your audio interface. Please take a look at previous videos in this playlist like kzbin.info/www/bejne/joeXioebe5qpgc0

[@NRezni]

HI Nathan, If you are running through the x32, or any console for that matter, how do you setup your gain structure so that everything is passing through optimally? Do you set the gain on the input channel on the console to match -12 and set the matrix out put to unity and then set the reference input gain? Does that make sense?

[@nathanlively]

Hey Nick, I don't know about optimally, but I just make sure it is high enough to be above the noise-floor of the mixer, which is easy, but without clipping. As long as there's no distortion and you are feeding both your reference input and system under test with the same signal, you're free to move the fader and gain around in the console and the trace in Smaart won't move. Check out this other video to see what I mean: www.sounddesignlive.com/get-started-with-sound-system-tuning/#18_8211_Turn_up_the_volume_in_the_room_without_affecting_your_trace

[@NRezni]

@@nathanlively I actually got to that video right after this and it cleared it up! THank you!

[@cassiopinchemel573]

Hello, Nathan. Why did you prefer use -12dB instead -18dB in your measurements?

[@nathanlively]

Hi Cassio, do you mean on the signal generator? That just makes it easier to read on the meter in Smaart. The meter changes to yellow at -12dB.

[@Billiardhighlight]

Thanks!

[@AaronNguyen79]

Hi Nathan, Do you adjust the mic gain higher to get into yellow when moving it to the back of the room? Or should I leave the gain once it's set but then it wont go into the yellow when sitting at the back of the room. Maybe leave it and just ofset the graph up a few dB?

[@nathanlively]

Hey Aaron, I try to make as few preamp changes as possible. You could potentially set the preamps at the closest distance and never change them, but in the field I almost always end up changing them for various reasons.

[@jakubfranz9639]

Hi Nathan. Does that mean whenever you change microphone position you readjust input level for that microphone? Thank you

[@nathanlively]

Hey Jakub, I try to readjust preamp settings as little as possible, but some change is inevitable. In the front the signal is hot and SNR is good. In the back the signal is weaker and SNR is bad. I try to find a setting that will work globally, but when working quickly, I'll often need to make further adjustments to adapt.

[@joyjeetpanday5429]

For a situation where I'm using say 4 mics all across the room, am I supposed to keep all their gain structures to hit yellow with -12dB signal or find a roughly global ball park and do that for all the mics?

[@joyjeetpanday5429]

I generally tend to do this with the mic closest to the hangs and follow that gain structure for the rest of the mics. I might be wrong. XD

[@nathanlively]

Hey Joyjeet, that would depend on what you are trying to accomplish. If, for example, you just want a live average for general spectral shaping, set all of your preamps for matching TF magnitude. For checking level offset from front to back, for example, you would want to magnitude match the mics all at the same position first. Make sense?

[@joyjeetpanday5429]

@@nathanlively Aah. The magnitude matching thing makes sense. I generally follow a similar approach without physically doing it. So for the mics placed on axis to one of the sides I optimize the preamp gain for the mic closest to the hang and then dial in the same value for the rest of the mics to also see for the level offset. Although I do this because all my measurement mics are of the same make and the same model and I've tested them in the warehouse for same readings. Am I doing any part of it wrong?

[@nathanlively]

Sounds fine. Of course, your goal with this is for easier visualization in Smaart and/or averaging, correct?

[@christophebrunel7106]

Hi Nathan. I tru my first mesurements todays and then I've a question! The level of your préamp dépends on the level of your speakers in your room. In an other vidéo you are talking about the level and the SNR (20dB above the noise), but what is your reference level in your room for adjusting the preamp of the mesurement microphone?

[@nathanlively]

Hey Christophe, basically, loud enough so that you get good/actionable data. Normally, this would be >10dB above the noise floor. Here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZCkYnWMhNaBjq8