Digital Room Correction
Dirac Live Blog
Room correction improves on room EQ to deliver unrivaled audio optimization
Recent advances pioneered by leading technology companies are changing how audiophiles and general home theater enthusiasts approach audio performance in their homes. While frequency equalization provides a degree of control over sound characteristics, and room EQ solves some issues with reverberations and frequency response, a far more robust and effective solution’s penetrating the market and delivering truly optimized listening experiences for any listening environment: room correction.
Q&A on the New Dirac Live
As some of you may have noticed, things are happening with Dirac Live. We announced a brand new mobile version (for Android and iOS) at CEDIA back in September, and in December we announced a new version of the PC based calibration tools (for Windows and macOS). So far so good. But we haven’t really said much about the hows and the whys, and what it all means for existing customers. Thus, the following was written with the intent of clearing up as many questions as possible. Inevitably new questions and concerns will be raised, but those we will address as they come along.
An Interview With Acclaimed Music Producer/ Songwriter Rami Yacoub
As part of a new Dirac Blog Series, we’re interviewing members of the audio and technology community about their lives, inspirations, and their passion for all things audio-related.
In our first installment of this series, we’re speaking with acclaimed music producer and songwriter Rami Yacoub. Rami began his professional career working with his Cheiron Studio’s production partner Max Martin on acts such as Britney Spears, NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, and more. He has since collaborated with many other artist, including One Direction, Nicki Minaj, Tiesto, AVICII, and Madonna, amongst many others.
Big Sound in Small Packages: Is it Any Match to Hi-Fi?
Ever since humankind started creating music, the means, or equipment, for doing so have often been prohibitively bulky. True, there exists many small musical instruments, but the ones that can produce sound of sufficient strength and volume are typically really, really large; and an ensemble playing multiple instruments at once requires a lot of space indeed.
Home Audio Industry Takes a Big Leap Forward: Multi-Room, Garden Sounds, and Pitch-Perfect Raindrops
This year I returned to home audio after over a decade working in other industries and I was shocked to find that very little had changed since I’d been away. Generally speaking, progress has been relatively slow. In the 90s there was almost no home install and people tried their best to create a good listening environment, sometimes with a good result, sometimes not. But last month I discovered a very different picture of progress. I attended the CEDIA expo for home technology in Dallas and it was undeniable that technology is finally catching up with the imaginations of the people.
Equalization and Digital Filters: Going Beyond the Standard Toolbox
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”
This well known quote is attributed to psychologist Abraham Maslow, who observed that the accessibility of a given tool tends to influence the type of approach humans take when solving a problem.
As engineers and researchers, we are not spared from the phenomenon of Maslow’s hammer, although many of us might like to think otherwise. In our education and training we’ve spent much time and effort learning a variety of practical and theoretical tools. And once they’re understood and mastered we often cling to them in ways that are not always beneficial. In the worst case, over-reliance on the most familiar engineering tools can serve to maintain misconceptions and inhibit progress.
Under the Hood of the Stereophonic System: Phantom Sources
Is there any real physical sound experience that can be exactly replicated through a stereo system? Probably not. Why? Because the sound engineer who’s making the recording is limited to coding a complex three-dimensional sound field using only two channels, which are then played back from two distinct locations in a probably less than perfect listening room.