Yes, yes, yes. I made hundreds of SpectraLab/SMAART measurements that turned out to be invalid for the purpose at hand. After I was able to make consistently valid measurements I had to learn how to translate the display into electronic actions that gave acoustic results appropriate for the purpose at hand.
Then I had to re-learn everything I thought I knew about tuning speaker crossovers. I'm still learning,
Yes it can often be discourging.
It is NOT a simple thing. You are totally correct about FIRST-being able to get a VALID measurement. THEN-and ONLY THEN-can you start to think about what it takes to do something about it.
There are all sorts of various measurement platforms out there-all with their own sets of pluses and minuses. But they all have one thing in common. They will NOT tell you the answer-at least directly. One has to understand what the measurement is telling you-AND understand various aspects of what it takes to "accomplish" a particular action.
It is all a long learning process-and we are all learning and will continue to learn. We all learn from each other-and hopefully from each others mistakes. So that in the future others can learn and get a little bit better "head start" than we had-and hopefully "raise the bar" a notch higher.
The tools are available-the teaching/learning is available-but a person has to WANT to do it, take the TIME to do it.
It is NOT a quick easy thing to learn/do. Those looking for a "quick answer" are going to be disappointed once they truly enter the "measurement realm". But once you enter-you cannot go back.
I really wish than when I was much younger I knew/had the understanding-that I do now. So with enough years I could get a better handle on it.
The truly great designers-who have come up with advancements in loudspeaker design/technology-have come across their ideas with LONGGGGG times spent studying-retesting-questioning what this and that means and so forth with what the computer screen is "tellilng/showing" them.
NEVER STOP LEARNING!!!!!
