Speaker workshop ?

[A_Reef_Scene]

What type of testing equiptment is everone using with this program?

[mightydub]

I have had good results so far (still learning what I'm doing though) using a Creative external usb sound card, a simple home made jig for calibration and testing of impedance, and the Wallin pre-amp built using the pcb from madaboutsound.

[noodle_snacks]

using it successfully with an e-mu 0404, behringer UB802 + ECM8000, a custom built box for impedance testing, and a few cables/adaptors.

[fotios]

Originally posted by A_Reef_Scene
What type of testing equiptment is everone using with this program?

I have this program for 6 months. Also i have dealt enough with this. First of all, I want to say you that it is a very important application and deserve the labour to deal with this. Without fail it needs roughly one week in order to you familiarize with her if you of have good experience in measurement tools that are based on P.C. In order to occupy with her i was based on the tutorial of CLAUDIO NEGRO. From equipment you need the following:
1) A good sound card in your computer. I use a Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum of cost 170€. You can of course use also the on board sound card of your P.C. but the difference in quality – that is essential in measurements – is obvious.
2) A microphone of measurements. I use a BEHRINGER ECM8000 of cost 65€. There is also and a capsule of Panasonic who can work directly in the mic input of sound card and is less expensive but need some extra work to modify it.
3) A preamplifier for the microphone BEHRINGER because it is electret condenser type and needs supply at least 15 Volts; this is not offered from any sound card in his mic input. You can buy one cheap mini mixing desk as a BEHRINGER with Phantom Power Supply in the microphone input of cost 65€. Thus you connect the microphone in the mixing desk, and the output of this in the line input of sound card. I have make a DIY single channel preamplifier for microphone and it cost to me 50€ but his quality is comparable only with corresponding preamplifiers on the market of cost 300€, as all these cheap mixing desks in the market, they have mid to bad sound quality and contain useless things – as equalizers - but this is not very essential. However if you want clean measurements you can not to avoid the single channel mic preamplifier.
4) One jig distribution box. As you will have seen in the forum of Audua speaker workshop, exist mainly two proposals for jig. The one is the box of Eric Wallin’s jig and the second are various cables with plugs and splitters of Claudio Negro. And the two have so much their positive what negative points. I combined the two and led in a new jig distribution box of my own design. This cost to me 25€.
I quote photos of all equipments that i use. If you want to go in expenses to get those, contact with me in order to send you analytic information about the preamplifier and the jig distribution box; for how you construct those.
The total cost of my own equipment is 140€ + 170 € the sound card X - Fi Platinum, thus total 310 €. If you use simpler solutions without the addition of a sound card in your P.C. the cost will reach the 50€ (a capsule of Panasonic and a jig as that of Claudio Negro, as they do not need preamplifiers). The choice is yours.
Kind regards
Fotios Anagnostou
In the photo below you can see my own made mic preamplifier

[fotios]

Originally posted by A_Reef_Scene
What type of testing equiptment is everone using with this program?

And this is my proposition for the jig

[JMB]

Hi Fotios,

Would you be willing to post your schematics and list of components here? I think that many DIYer's would really appreciate that. Thanks, Jay

[tubee]

Speaker workshop: installed it, read the non official word file, made a complete jig, have mono amps to power units, soldered cables, made a phantome ps together with 2 channel microphone pre amp, made 2 on a long rod standing electret microphones. Did the reverse mod of the electret microphone found on www to reduce distorsion. Everything ready....and never used it....no time

[noodle_snacks]

I wouldn't buy an x-fi, or any other creative card for that matter, they are fine if you set them to 48khz, but using them with other applications they generally resample 44.1khz (ie cd audio) up, and poorly introducing distortion, often they downsample as well. There are a few USB/Firewire interfaces about these days that have 1-2 mic inputs with phantom power built right into the sound card, i think just for measurements these are worth a look (nice and simple).

[fotios]

Originally posted by noodle_snacks
I wouldn't buy an x-fi, or any other creative card for that matter, they are fine if you set them to 48khz, but using them with other applications they generally resample 44.1khz (ie cd audio) up, and poorly introducing distortion, often they downsample as well. There are a few USB/Firewire interfaces about these days that have 1-2 mic inputs with phantom power built right into the sound card, i think just for measurements these are worth a look (nice and simple).

All of these that you report looks very pretty, but the cost for these usb/firewire interfaces??? I know for which interfaces you are speaking.

[fotios]

Originally posted by JMB
Hi Fotios,

Would you be willing to post your schematics and list of components here? I think that many DIYer's would really appreciate that. Thanks, Jay

I have into account your request, please be patient for few days. I respond very soon with an extensive article.