Gentlemen, I was planning to experiment with the DEQ2496's DAC, and also use it in the Tape Loop, but it appears this is not possible? Am I reading the instructions wrong? My understanding at the moment is that one input can only be selected, and therefore I have to choose between the SPIDF (from my transport) or the Analog Inputs (from my preamp). |
06-20-06: Eldartford
Both inputs can be hooked up. You select which to use via the I/O screen. Gotcha. Trying to use the RTA. Mic is connected, and selected at the I/O screen. Pink noise is selected as the source input signal. Auto is selected at the AEQ screen, as is Room Correction. When I hit the start button, and when the Pink Noise starts, it's plenty loud in my room, but there's no signal being picked up (I get a warning that the pink noise level is too low.) Help, please. |
06-20-06: Eldartford
Tvad...You don't need to select the noise as input. Doing the EQ thing automatically turns it on. The input for EQ is the mic (obviously).
OK. Regardless, when I initiate the Auto EQ sequence, the DEQ2496 gives me a warning that the pink noise ambient level is too low, and no measurement is taking place. It's as if the mic is not plugged in. |
I have set the noise gain, and the +15 volt condernser mic according to the manual. The mic is at the listening position. |
I've got it working. As is always the case, these things come down to pilot error.
Do you all recommend doing RTA/Auto EQ in stereo mode or dual mono? |
OK, so I've done the Auto EQ in both stereo and dual mono (2 channels), and I much prefer the results using stereo mode. Frankly, the results in dual mono just sounded plain bad.
So, I'm using the stereo Auto EQ results as a baseline, and I'm tweaking from there, as I wasn't all that crazy with those results either.
I remember reading in the Audio Control manual, which is one of the best and most entertaining manuals I've ever read, the author wrote that after the user spends significant time getting a flat frequency curve, the user will likely find that the sound sucks...and the tweaking will commence.
That author was correct, IMO. |
Thank you for the link, Warnerwh. I have several balls in the air at the moment, but I will take a look at the link in the next few days.
I am aware that bass tweaking is extremely important, and this is where I've been focusing much of my attention. |
Perhaps it drives both channels for the measurement. Is that so? (Now it's your turn to be the Behringer expert!) That's correct.
BTW....why do cheap car stereos systems often sound pretty amazing.....it is actually very simple, two words....Soffit Mounting.
And compression built into the electronics...something the DEQ2496 offers. That's a module I plan to investigate once a few of my balls have dropped. :) |
It does have an expander.
My latest observation is a channel imbalance which favors the left channel by 1-3db with the DEQ enabled. There is no channel imbalance with the tape loop bypassed (DEQ2496 is in the tape loop). |
06-21-06: Eldartford
Tvad...How do you measure the imbalance? Did you create it by your EQ curve? 3 dB would be a fault condition for the electronics.
Imbalance is measured by the DEQ2496 meter...measuring both the input and output. My EQ is in stereo mode, so there should be no difference between left and right. What do you mean 3db would be a fault condition for the electronics? BTW, the imbalance has been betweeen 3db and 1 db depending on the recording. I may swap the interconnects to see if the imbalance follows the interconnect swap. It might be traceable to the preamp tape outputs, but only a test will determine this. I'll also go back into a previous memory preset and check the levels. Obviously, if they're not the same from preset to preset, then it points to pilot error. |
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Gain in DEQ is/was set to 0.0. Thanks for the suggestion. |
I believe I tracked down the problem, and it was not with the DEQ2496. It was, of course, pilot error.
Thank you for flying Tvad Airlines. |
06-22-06: Eldartford
Drubin...I agree. I think that the problem is partly due to the manual being a translation from German, but mostly because it is written for pro sound people who are pretty savy, and explanations which would be helpful for the average audiophile are omitted. Precisely. Behringer appears to assume the majority of users are already proficient with how to shape sound, and users know how the adjustment parameters function. The manual basically explains which modules/button operate the various parameters. Now I fully understand Drubin's desire for "DEQ2496 for Dummies". To fully understand the capabilities of this unit, I believe one needs a course in professional sound production. BTW, it seems to me the DYN module might provide the ideal EQ scenario for "recognizing" and attenuating typically offensive frequencies in a fluid manner...i.e. those frequencies responsible for "hard" sounding piano, or "honky" saxophone or "brassy" trumpet. Just a hunch. |
Gentlemen, I have run the Auto EQ in the RTA module, and I can clearly hear the benefits of the DEQ2496. Today, I connected my Sony CD changer to the DEQ2496 via the optical digital in and I selected the Optical In as the input on the I/O selector. The levels are running into clipping. I haven't found an overall gain adjustment. What's the solution? |
06-30-06: Smeyers
You can reduce the gain in the Utility Menu using the Gain Offset parameter. I have mine set to -2db. Thank you for that info. I did try that earlier, but adjusting the Gain Offset does not affect the gain of the input signal, it only affects the output signal. It's the input signal that's giving me the issue, and unfortunately, I cannot adjust the output level of my source as is common on professional gear. Do high end transports like Wadia offer output gain adjustments? I've never heard of this. Odd, since it's so common on studio gear. I do hear problems caused by the clipping. |
Thanks, Eldartford.
While I appreciate the EQ features of the DEQ2496, thus far the DAC sounds mechanical, sterile, and unmusical in my opinion.
FWIW. |
No mods on this unit for me. I draw the line at $350. What it does for that price is fine with me, and I don't require it's DAC to be world class (or even good) to make the unit worth the price of admission. |
Have your pink noise gain level set to -10db, and turn down the volume on your preamp. The DEQ2496 reacts to the pink noise vs. ambient noise ratio, and this has no bearing on the volume of the pink noise you hear in the room. Obviously, you need to hear the pink noise, but the mic is sensitive, and will easily work with 80db of volume in the room. Try it and let us know what happens. |
I should add, regarding the DAC, that the DEQ2496 sounds pretty good when used as an EQ with an analog signal as the input source via the balanced inputs. It's when I plug a CD player into it via toslink that things sounds mechanical. That is also when the input signal shows clipping on the meters. So, it's not clear to me if it's the DAC that sounds crummy, or if the input level being too high is the cause of the sound issues. However, since the input signal doesn't ride in the red, I lean toward the DAC as the problem. |
07-06-06: Zapper
I am having the problem of the input being to high as well. It is optical out of a Philips DVD player.
Yup. Me too. The issue here is that the DEQ2496 is a pro audio tool, and pro source equipment has adjustable output gain whereas consumer units do not. In a pro audio setting, it would be easy to adjust the source output so the DEQ2496 input level was not clipping. |
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07-06-06: Eldartford
Tvad...I still suspect that your clipping is internal to the DEQ2496 (clip limiter) as a result of equalization. A 16 bit digital word input really can't saturate a 24 bit D/A unless your processing has led to an output of more than 16 bits.
If this is the case output attenuation should resolve the problem.
I have not used the digital input because my multichannel discs don't provide anything but analog.
Eldartford (Reviews | Threads | Answers)
The output is not clipping, as would be the case if the DEQ2496 clip limiter was activated by over-boosting frequencies in the GEQ. I don't have any frequencies boosted very high, but perhaps later tonight I'll really jack up the 20hz band to see if the clipping is affected. In any case, if boosting frequencies causes clipping when using the optical input, this mitigates the usefulness of the DEQ2496, since boosting is required in addition to attenuation. I have attenuated the output, and thus far this does nothing to change the clipping when the optical digital input is selected. Nevertheless, this unit is fairly sophisticated to use, and I don't claim to know 15% of it's functions. One has to have a background in sound processing, or have a good tutorial to properly take advantage of the Behringer, IMO. |
The longer you have it and the more you use it, you will eventually become very comfortable with what it offers.
Smeyers (Threads | Answers) I am certain that is true, however the result will be based on trial and error rather than being based on knowledge of the basics of sound processing. It's like learning to fly a plane by taking off and experiencing what the stick and pedals do rather than understanding aerodynamics and the basics of flight. |
