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Author Topic: Measurement Disaster -- M-Audio  (Read 4650 times)

Mark Wilkinson

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Re: Measurement Disaster -- M-Audio
« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2019, 12:12:24 PM »

FWIW, I've used my UMC404 without wall wart for a long time, no issues. Im sure it depends on the mic, but my Behringer mics do fine even loaded up with 3 mics and a loopback.


Didn't know it would power via USB ! Thx
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Daniel Levi

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Re: Measurement Disaster -- M-Audio
« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2019, 02:34:35 PM »

I know my ESI 1010e PCIe interface gives out ~12V un-powered with the full 48V needing a 12V PSU.
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Don Ernst

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Re: Measurement Disaster -- M-Audio
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2019, 05:25:34 PM »

I use a Focusrite Saffire 6 which is a 2 in 2 out interface.  It is USB powered and has been good until recently when Output 1 has started making noise and the signal level drops.  I switched to Output 2 and that works fine.  I may still replace it soon. 

I also have an Allen and Heath Zed10i mixer that is a 4x4 USB interface so I can use more than 1 mic for measuring.
It is a bit larger than the Focusrite, and is not USB powered.  It has been rock solid.
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Don Ernst
Louisville, Ky.

Martin Morris

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Re: Measurement Disaster -- M-Audio
« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2019, 11:19:32 PM »

I've been using an M-Audio "Fast Track Pro" USB interface with a Windows laptop for making speaker measurements since around 2011 or 2012. I've made 100s of measurements on various speakers, often involving loading gear, driving out to some suitable place, and hauling speakers up and down lifts repeatedly to change the vertical angle. In short, a shitton of work.

Now I'm crying in my coffee. I just discovered that when using ARTA the damn drivers sometimes operate the interface at Fs = 44.1 kHz even when everything is set to 48 kHz. This is very insidious, as it just shifts all frequency responses up by 48/44.1 = ~9%. This, apparently, is just enough to mess things up slightly while not so bad as to be obvious when doing an overall system check with Smaart. A loop-back test, which I do now and then, looks perfect. I had no clue until I exported some curves to Armonia and then measured the response of the DSPs to put the settings back into a model. I can convert the sampling rates of my past measurements to fix them but I have to determine which ones are affected. I can't find any clue in the files as ARTA treats them all as 48 kHz. All I can think to do (after I put the M-Audio in the driveway and run it over with the van multiple times) is repeat some measurements on each speaker and look for the frequency of any "signature" resonances. This really sucks.

I now need to buy a small interface with rock-solid ASIO drivers. I'm looking at Focusrite "Clarett2Pre" as, among other things, it has independent phantom power switches for each input. I'd prefer something with a 120 VAC power input instead of a wall-wart, but it seems like you have to get into a large rack-mount unit to get that. I very much appreciate any recommendations. Thanks.

--Frank

Langstons review of the RME Babyface Pro - scroll down a bit - Highly recommend !! https://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,154105.msg1553613.html#msg1553613

Edit: this link shouldn't require any scrolling? - different browser maybe not ...


Cheers
Martin
« Last Edit: September 27, 2019, 03:05:45 AM by Martin Morris »
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Keith Broughton

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Re: Measurement Disaster -- M-Audio
« Reply #14 on: September 26, 2019, 08:23:14 AM »

FWIW, I've used my UMC404 without wall wart for a long time, no issues. Im sure it depends on the mic, but my Behringer mics do fine even loaded up with 3 mics and a loopback.


Same here and no problems...so far. :)
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Ivan Beaver

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Re: Measurement Disaster -- M-Audio
« Reply #15 on: September 26, 2019, 10:29:26 AM »

I think Ivan uses the UMC202HD with a Mac.

I tried the UMC202HD with Systune - gave up getting ASIO to work on a windows machine. Lots of emails back and forth to AFMG .... Grrrr. Went with a focusrite 2i2 which has been rock solid.

Cheers
Martin
Sometimes I use the UMC202 with my windows machine.  I don't have a Mac.

For simple single mic measurements I use either the UMC 202 or a Sound Devices original USB pre.  It is more a matter of what I have handy or what is in the tool kit or on the desk



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Ivan Beaver
Danley Sound Labs

PHYSICS- NOT FADS!

Frank Koenig

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Re: Measurement Disaster -- M-Audio
« Reply #16 on: September 26, 2019, 01:36:56 PM »

I wrote a little R program to convert the sampling rate of my saved impulse responses (DFT at old Fs, pad with zeros, IDFT at new Fs). It looks like it works and fortunately I used a somewhat systematic naming convention for the files so I have a way of salvaging measurements in bulk. I set about identifying the corrupted measurements by comparing a quick near-field, on-axis frequency response with the stored data and, in the case of the one speaker I've tried so far, that looks like it may work. All I need is to match up a couple of clear peaks or dips and it's not too hard to see if they're at the same frequency or off by 9%.

No new interface yet but I know how to trick the old one into working correctly AND I CHECK IT. Going forward I may just do everything at 96 kHz. Memory is cheap, computers are fast, and it should avoid some pesky artifacts in the top octave.

Thanks all for all the good info on interfaces.

--Frank
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Measurement Disaster -- M-Audio
« Reply #16 on: September 26, 2019, 01:36:56 PM »


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