User manual CRESTRON SURROUND SOUND PRIMER

[. . . ] Crestron Surround Sound Primer This document was prepared and written by the Technical Documentation Department at: Crestron Electronics, Inc. 15 Volvo Drive Rockleigh, NJ 07647 1-888-CRESTRON Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. "Dolby", "Pro Logic", "Pro Logic II", "Dolby Digital", "Dolby Digital 5. 1, and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Manufactured under license from Digital Theater Systems, Inc. [. . . ] The following diagram illustrates the use of equalization on an audio signal. The listening area is first tested with a pink noise generator and a sound level meter to determine the flatness of the room. Equalizers are then used to increase or decrease those portions of the audio spectrum that fall above or below the ideal response of 0 dB. The result of this compensation is a flatter response, more closely resembling the original audio recording as intended. The equalizer settings mirror the actual room readings. In practice, sound engineers would not increase the amplitude of frequencies that fall below the flat response line. Generally, an artificial increase of those frequencies can introduce undesirable distortion. NOTE: Equalizer adjustments should only be performed when the actual room response is known. 20 · Surround Sound Primer ­ DOC. 6122 Crestron Surround Sound Primer Room Adjustments After completing the hardware hookup procedures, perform these procedures to set the surround sound default values according to the actual environment of the listening area. Required Test Equipment: · · Sound Level Meter Tape Measure The following equipment is recommended to optimize performance relative to the listening area, speaker arrangement, and the user's preferences: · · · · Audio Spectrum Analyzer Pink Noise Generator Avia Guide to Home Theater, from Ovation Software (www. ovationsw. com) Video Essentials, from DVD International (www. videoessentials. com) Setup Procedures NOTE: The Avia Guide to Home Theater and the Video Essentials DVD discs provide information and extensive instructions for setting up a home theater environment. NOTE: Part of the setup process is determined by the source of the sound to be reproduced-either movie audio, or other kinds of audio-and the types of speakers used. The first thing to recognize when constructing a home theater system is that the room itself can be more important than the equipment. The correct speaker placement, furniture and acoustical treatments can turn a good sounding room into a great sounding room. Balancing the speakers, the room and the right electronic equipment raises the home theater experience to an amazing level. This section focuses on performing the proper adjustments to a room and audio system, providing your client with the best possible home theater acoustics. Covered here are speaker placement, equalizers, and compensation techniques to overcome poor room acoustics. Regardless of the specifications, a system is not great until it sounds great. What most people desire is an even room sound, the bass and the treble going together smoothly and in a complimentary manner. One portion of the sound spectrum overriding another is not the optimum choice for a great listening experience. Primer ­ DOC. 6122 Surround Sound · 21 Primer Crestron Surround Sound What We Hear in a Room The first sound to arrive from an audio system is direct sound. This is also considered the on-axis sound. Direct sound occurs when the speaker is angled toward the listener, and this is the best possible sound the speaker produces. Early reflections are heard next, which follow the direct sound by a few milliseconds and are not as loud as the direct sound. [. . . ] 17 Subband . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 SubWoofers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Surround EX Speaker Placement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Surround Sound Speaker Placement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [. . . ]