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[zydeco]

This thread is, hopefully, to get help moving my JRiver based A/V forward and in doing so help others with similar set-ups. The set-up involves a pair of 2-way active speakers along with a fleet of subwoofers that are spread throughout the room to smooth out bass response. All audio processing is done within JRiver with D/A done via a RME Fireface UFX and a MSB MVC-1 used for multi-channel analogue volume control. The set-up started as a dedicated audio system with convolution of filters created in Acourate but, now, has morphed into the sole source in our main room. This transition has seen a move to parametric equalisation and use of the WDM driver so that we can use JRiver to process all audio from the range of different A/V content accessible via the computer. Now, then, I’m taking some time to refine the basic system through a combination of listening and measurements. My current processing uses 2 channels inside 7.1 container to down-mix to stereo and parametric EQ to create high / low pass for left / right speakers as well as low pass for the fleet of subwoofers. All this works but I’m not sure if it’s the best set-up option and suffer a specific problem that for Movies the voice dialogue is quite low so we have to turn up / down the volume on a regular basis. (I’m aware that this might be the original mix). So my specific questions are as follows:

• What are the Subwoofer Settings under Output Format? It looks as if this is the low-pass that is sent to a dedicated subwoofer channel and therefore the setting isn’t relevant in my set-up. Is that correct or am I missing the point?
• Are there any glitches in the bass set-up? The down-mix wraps the LFE and bass from the surround channels into the stereo signal which, then, is spread across the fleet of sub-woofers. I’ve set the low-pass to all subwoofers to 80Hz and gain in such that a REW sweep is balanced at the listening position (more on that later) but I wanted to check.
• And, if the above is correct, then what options are there regarding addressing the issue of quiet voices? One looks to be to use “night mode”. Is there a way of adjusting the centre channel gain in the down-mix? Or do I need to add a centre channel?

[Wesayso]

I have no experience with running (multiple) subwoofers so I cannot advise you there. But I do run 2 channels in a 5.1 container and put my own mix into the other 4 channels for my specific tasks. How do you run the subs? What signal goes to them? Do you use free channels to feed them with a signal? Your active setup has 4 channels occupied. Which means you still have 4 channels to do tasks (or play) with. It would leave room to feed each sub a specific signal. The 80 Hz crossover isn't set in stone. Unless you specifically want to follow the rules of a home theatre standard.

A schematic might help to see how it's all connected. Plus some measurements would show us the result. I do run my audio setup with movies and experience no problem with soft phantom center voices. So I'd like to see the frequency response and maybe an IR taken at the listening spot showing the first 20 ms. Are the voises soft compared to the low frequencies or just compared to the sides (left and right speaker)...

What is the room like? Is there any room treatment?