Automatic Tuning Systems for Recording Studios and Listening Environments

Automatic tuning systems built into the loudspeaker cabinets are one of the more recent developments in the world of room tuning. While it is still preferable to have a room tuned by an acoustically trained human being (for reasons cited below), Genelec's automatic-tuning-system is one of the better incarnations on the market. Used in conjunction with a PC, you can actually see and change what the algorithms do - this is rare.

Above image: Frequency Response Graph (Frequency vs. Amplitude) of a Studio Monitoring System.
Purple: Frequency Response pre Equalisation
Green:  Frequency Response post Equalisation (first pass)
Measurement Software used: SIA Smaart
(http://www.eaw.com/products/software/EAWSmaart/index.html)

That being said, this system, and all other automatic systems such as this, lack two critical functions in our view:

First, there is often not enough DSP power available to handle the job (the horsepower quickly dries up after setting just a few EQs)

Second (and most importantly), automatic tuning systems don't have "musicality", "golden ears" or an "understanding of the big picture" - whatever you want to call it. This becomes evident especially during the the second half of WSDG style room tuning sessions, which are driven by
what one hears, rather than what is empirically measured.

Towards the end of a successful system calibration, one often experiences a psychological "release" of the project onto the world - which is usually a very nice moment (perhaps not unlike the last mile in
a marathon); this simply does not occur with an automatic tuning system. Finally, a client can expect to achieve performance of about an 8 out of 10 if everything goes just right. However, a trained acoustician can bring this score up to a 9.5 or even 10 on a good day.

-Dirk Noy

Comments

[Recording studios Las Angeles]

This post has some good information and technical content. The writer has explained this in a clear manner. Thanks a lot.

[RRM studios]

hey its me again. I forgot to ask one thing. I want to know some more details about the algorithm which is used here for calibration. So can someone say where can i get this information.