Let’s say that we want to boost the modal frequency range (say 20Hz – 50Hz) by +3db for our 2 subwoofer(s). The first thing you need to do is export the Audyssey calibration file (.ady) over to our laptop so that we can use the Ratbuddyssey utility to make finer adjustments to the curve. This is the preferred method over the use of the Curve Editor feature found in the Audyssey MultEQ Editor App. Although you can still use the Curve Editor feature found within the Audyssey MultEQ Editor App to create your custom house curve and it will still work…but you will probably get a headache trying to get the “boost” at the desired frequency center. So do yourself a favor by downloading the Ratduddyssey utility to your laptop/desktop PC before you read on…
How to export the (.ady) file? Simple, use the “Move to” function on the Audyssey MultEQ Editor App and then select the desired (.ady) file and then hit “Send a Copy”. You will see the option that says, “Copy to Drive” as in Google Drive. The (.ady) will now be exported from the App and into your Google Drive folder.
Next, go to your laptop/desktop PC and open up a new session on the Ratbuddyssey. Select “File” then “Open” to select the (.ady) file in your Google Drive folder.
Once opened, you will see the interface will be populated with all your associated speakers and subwoofers which resides at the left pane of the utility.
Next, uncheck the DynamicEQ (DEQ) checkbox. Ensure that the Audyssey Curve Type is set to “Flat” (default) instead of “Reference”. An optional setting like MRC (Mid-Range Compensation) can be turned off easily just by unchecking the check box and it will apply to all speakers. Make sure the Custom Speaker Type is set to “Small” for all the speakers (FL,C,FR, SLA,SRA,SBL,SBR etc) and the subwoofer(s) set to “Subwoofer”.
Next, set your Frequency Cut-off range for speakers (Only) to anything between 500Hz and 5,000Hz. I will advise the user to set it at 500Hz as a good starting point and slowly work your way up until you find a good “blend” where your Mains and the subwoofer(s) complements each other in a constructive manner. This is where the crossover points come in. To optimize your Mains crossover to the Subwoofer(s), you can use REW and Umik 1 to help you find the best crossover points (I will not be touching on this in details but I will share what I meant if there is enough interest being generated). Let’s just say that you decide to crossover your Mains at 80Hz (THX Fixed) so anything below 80Hz will go to the subwoofer(s) while anything above 80Hz will go to the Mains. As for subwoofer(s), make sure you restrict the Frequency Cut-off to either 200/250Hz.
The rest of the options remain intact…any changes like increasing the crossover and trim levels can be performed at the App level since it is much easier and intuitive. We mainly used Ratbuddyssey to allow us to make finer adjustments to our curve setting.
Now comes the important bit – i.e. boosting the level (SPL) by +3db (as an example). More often than not, the so-called “mid-bass punch” or “chest-slam” usually falls anywhere between 20Hz and 70Hz. Depending on your crossovers between the Mains and the subwoofer(s) which is usually 80Hz for most bookshelf/tower speakers as well as its corresponding SPL levels, somewhere between 65Hz to 70Hz, we will start to see some roll-off if we set our crossovers to the ubiquitous 80Hz. Hence the safest region to implement a boost IMO will be somewhere between 20Hz and 60Hz. There is no right or wrong answer here, simply experiment it to hear for yourself which suits you better in your listening area. The keyword here is “your listening area”, not mine due to the difference in “room gain”.
In my room, I find 20Hz – 50Hz at a 3-4db boost to suit me the best in my listening environment (a typical 4 x 4 room layout). I can increase up to +6db if I truly want to feel more punch with a higher level (SPL). Sometimes, there is no need for you to go all the way to +6db boost if your subwoofer(s) is capable of outputting high levels (SPL) at a low-frequency range. So know your subwoofer’s capability and experiment it for yourself.
How to add the boost to the various frequency range for the subwoofer(s)? For this, you will go to the Target Curve Points panel located just below the Channels panel. Type in the following:
Frequency Center/Boost:
20Hz at +3db
50Hz at +3db
170Hz at 0db
What this does to your target curve can only be viewed after you have exported the modified (.ady) with the custom “house curve” back to the Audyssey MultEQ Editor App. Before we do that, we still need to apply the same amount of boost to the same set of frequency centers (20Hz, 50Hz, 170Hz & 400Hz) for the Mains like so:
Frequency Center/Boost:
20Hz at +3db
50Hz at +3db
170Hz at 0db
400Hz at 0db (assuming we set our Frequency Cut-off range at 500Hz)
Hold on, we are not done yet! Often overlooked by many users is to apply the same amount of boost to the subwoofer trim levels. The reason for that is because of the way the Audyssey MultEQ Editor App works. Let me explain as best as I could here…
When we boost the subwoofer(s) by +3db for frequency range from 20Hz and 50Hz, the Audyssey target curve will do a “self-course correction” by lowering the entire curve by the same amount of boost you applied. Why is this so? The reason behind this is simple. Audyssey is trying to ensure that the overall SPL level for the subwoofer(s) and the rest of the speaker arrays will “sound” the same at a given volume level. In so doing, whatever boost we have applied to the subwoofer(s) will not be translated to the “actual” results since there the boost to the target curve has been “pushed down” (becomes a cut) by Audyssey. In order to overcome this, we have to apply the same amount of boost (in the is case +3db) to the trim levels of our subwoofer(s). So how do we do it? You can either do it at the App level or within the Ratbuddyssey itself. For the latter route, add +3db under the “Custom Level” text field. DO NOT simply at +3db and call it a day. Instead, you will need to add +3db to the original SW level.
For instance, if the initial trim level for your 2 subwoofers as follows:
Subwoofer 1 (SWMIX): -1.0
Subwoofer 2 (SWMIX): -2.0
You will need to add “+3db” to the original trim value which will give you:
Subwoofer 1 (SWMIX): +2.0
Subwoofer 2 (SWMIX): +1.0
That’s it! You are done! Click on “File” and “Save As” and give it a meaningful filename like Audy_DDMMYY_boost3db_DEQ_off.ady (as an example).
Next, export the modified (.ady) file – i.e. Audy_DDMMYY_boost3db_DEQ_off.ady to the same Google Drive folder.
Once the export is completed. Do the following:
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Select the “…” icon to the right of the file
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Select the “open in” option; it will prepare to export the file
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Swipe to the right and Select “More”
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Select the “Copy to MultEQ” option
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The Audyssey MultEQ Editor App will automatically be launched and append the new (.ady) calibration file – i.e. Audy_DDMMYY_boost3db_DEQ_off.ady into the main screen
[skip this step] if you have already add the boost amount on Ratbuddyssey…
If you have not yet added the boost of +3.0db to the trim levels for your subwoofer(s), now is the time to do so by going over to “Speaker Detection Results” option and go to the second tab that allows you to change the Levels (SPL) settings to reflect the same:
Subwoofer 1 (SWMIX): +2.0
Subwoofer 2 (SWMIX): +1.0
Once that is done, import the new modified (.ady) calibration file over to the AVR. You are done!
What’s next?
Play some familiar 2 channel music…set the Sound Mode to “Stereo” or “Direct” and then “Pure Direct” (cut off subwoofers and set the Mains to LARGE), feel and hear the difference that your Mains (after adding a +3db boost to the modal frequency range – i.e. 20Hz and 50Hz), you should “feel” and hear a much more impactful low extension coming from your Mains (especially for those who have a pair of tower-sized speakers or bookshelf speakers that can go down to 40Hz and below).
After the 2 channel test, you can put in a movie like the Opening scene of Edge of Tomorrow or the famous True Legend fight scene that I know many XP members adore…Hear the difference and I can almost guarantee you that you will hear a significant difference in the low-frequency extension that DEQ cannot provide.
Take your time to slowly digest it…Post any questions if you have any.