One thing that i would like to know is how to properly read an RTA(say SMAART) and eq the PA. .
The FIRST thing you have to do is to erase your mind of the word (and tool) RTA. Yes it has a few applications-sound system alignment is NOT one of them.
You will find all kinds of posts on this and other boards about how frustrated people are with trying to use an RTA to "tune" their systems.
This is because you are using the wrong tool.
I would argue that a large number of people using Smaart are only using the RTA function-which is WRONG!
This is probably due to the fact that using the TRANSFER function is "more work" and takes a greater understanding. HOWEVER that is the RIGHT tool-and doing things PROPERLY often takes a bit more effort than the "quick/automatic" way out.
There are THREE sides to the whole measurement process. The EASY one is learing how ot operate the program (be it Smaart-Systune-EASRA-TEF or any of the various other platforms). The HARD part is understanding what the program (through the various "displays" (such as amplitude-phase-impulse etc) are telling you. And the third (also the hard part) is knowing what you can and CANNOT DO to improve/change things that are displayed.
You have to know if you have GOOD DATA. Just because it is shown on the screen DOES NOT mean that it is real. You have to dig a bit deeper to know that.
It is NOT a simple do this-then do that type of thing. Those of us that have been doing it for awhile-realize more and more everyday what the various programs are showing us.
ALSO the program will NOT tell you what you to do to "fix" the problem you may see on the screen. If you have good data (that is the first hard thing to do for most people-having a good measurement position) then it is UP TO YOU AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE to go about "fixing" the problem. THEN the program will tell you if you have done it right or wrong. FOR THE PARTICULAR MEAUSREMENT POSITION.
I CANNOT STRESS that enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just because it "appears" you have fixed the problem in one spot-can ALSO mean that you have actually MADE IT WORSE in others! That requires MORE measurement positions to be sure that are are actually fixing something that can be fixed. Another of the "hard" parts.
The FIRST thing you have to do is to get the program-start making measurements- READ ALL of the tutorials available. Post measurements on forums and have people critique them.
It is a lot harder than most people realize-and takes awhile to even start to understand what the programs are telling you.
HOWEVER you will get better results out of it.
Have you already forgotten the RTA? if you haven't- STOP USING IT!