How To Figure Out My Subwoofer Setting

Mickster

Well-known member
Ok.....in the category of almost dumb questions.......got one for you. I have a sub that I'm going to add to one of my sets of monitors. The monitors are awesome but only go down to around 60-63hz accurately.....according to their specs.

I've had the sub for a while and it's fine except that the control knob for the frequency cutoff is only marked 45hz at one end and 150hz at the other.........nothing marked in between. Obviously the center position is around 97hz.....or at least I assume that. The control pot is smooth with no segments to count as I turn it.

In previous use I've just winged it by ear when setting the cutoff. Now I'd like to mark some settings on the sub control if possible.....in order to be more accurate.

The tools I have are Reaper....many different mics.......a keyboard....guitars....a bass and lots of stuff the most of us here have.

Any ideas???
 
dB meter app, or db meter. You could use room correction software and very flat mic. Everything else would be kind of by ear-generate a specific sine wave frequency and sweep the crossover to get it loudest, then mark accordingly
 
In previous use I've just winged it by ear when setting the cutoff.

And in the end, that will still be your best approach.
I mean, if you're looking for some "math" to tell you where to set the cutoff...you're not going to really find it.

I would either mentally or better with pencil dots...break up the travel of the knob into a few equal segments...that way you have some visual reference point in-between the extreme end-points that are market.
Then...pick one...listen to some stuff...make notes. Move to the next segment, repeat...etc...and you'll figure out what is the best overall sounding crossover point.
All that said...if you know how/where your monitors are rolling off...then you can ballpark where you want the sub to pick the low end...unless you want to adjust the low end cutoff of the monitors up higher, and then let the sub pick up higher.

Finally...the cut-off point is just one thing. I think in the end, position of the sub will be the bigger factor, and also knowing that as you change position, so will the LF response.
With that...I would say, start with the sub somewhere in the middle...but then try it on both sides too...depending of course the room you have to work with.
Sometimes it actually will sound better off to one side rather than dead center.
One of the reasons I don't much care to use a sub for monitoring...and much rather have just the two monitors that can go down low, at least 40-45Hz...that way it's all coming out at you from the monitors.

I just got a big screen TV for my new studio space...(75" QLED :eek: :))...and I also got a soundbar w/sub for it, since it's a really big space, and the TV's speakers wouldn't be enough. So I'm going to have to mess with that sub for position....but then, it's just for the TV sound...not the studio monitors. The cool thing is, it's a wireless sub so I don't need to screw around with any cables, other than the power, and I can move it anywhere in the room.
 
Yeah......I think you're right Miro. It would have been great if the freq pot was segmented and I could at least use the segment count to estimate the actual setting. I have to admit.......if the settings were printed on the unit....I'd probably still not completely trust them.....and check by ear.
 
I'm a bit stuck for storage space at the moment and my studio is home to 2 huge JBL918 18" subs. For fun, I hooked up a rather large amp and fed it them from a couple of spare outputs. My monitors are pretty good and I've got very used the sound but they start to tail off at about 55Hz, but gently. There's not much left below 40ish. The JBLs are usually crossed over at 100-120Hz. Some strange things happened. Clearly mega loud and VERY low sub bass come out of the things, but if I use 100Hz as the crossover point the overall quality is VERY different. My monitors are cable below this and do a good job. If I pick 55Hz, where they go down sharply in level, the subs add nothing apart from wind and rumble if I turn them down so they balance. switching them in and out really adds nothing very useful at all apart from on a few church organ recordings with low pedal. They're not remotely exciting unless you do crazy things with volume. I had a notion I was missing something at the bottom, and I've discovered I'm not - at all! Not remotely what I expected. To be honest, I was unimpressed. No way I'll be trying to extend my mains - they've been good enough for 30 years. The PA, on the other hand works best with a crossover at 120 or so. The tops on their own go to 65Hz OK - but they sound thin down there. Very odd.
 
And in the end, that will still be your best approach.
I mean, if you're looking for some "math" to tell you where to set the cutoff...you're not going to really find it.

I would either mentally or better with pencil dots...break up the travel of the knob into a few equal segments...that way you have some visual reference point in-between the extreme end-points that are market.
Then...pick one...listen to some stuff...make notes. Move to the next segment, repeat...etc...and you'll figure out what is the best overall sounding crossover point.
All that said...if you know how/where your monitors are rolling off...then you can ballpark where you want the sub to pick the low end...unless you want to adjust the low end cutoff of the monitors up higher, and then let the sub pick up higher.

Finally...the cut-off point is just one thing. I think in the end, position of the sub will be the bigger factor, and also knowing that as you change position, so will the LF response.
With that...I would say, start with the sub somewhere in the middle...but then try it on both sides too...depending of course the room you have to work with.
Sometimes it actually will sound better off to one side rather than dead center.
One of the reasons I don't much care to use a sub for monitoring...and much rather have just the two monitors that can go down low, at least 40-45Hz...that way it's all coming out at you from the monitors.

I just got a big screen TV for my new studio space...(75" QLED :eek: :))...and I also got a soundbar w/sub for it, since it's a really big space, and the TV's speakers wouldn't be enough. So I'm going to have to mess with that sub for position....but then, it's just for the TV sound...not the studio monitors. The cool thing is, it's a wireless sub so I don't need to screw around with any cables, other than the power, and I can move it anywhere in the room.

Kii Audio Three BXT

Anything left in the kitty Mr M? (heh!) It is on my bucket list for my daughter to take me to hear them one day.

Dave.
 
Kii Audio Three BXT

Anything left in the kitty Mr M? (heh!) It is on my bucket list for my daughter to take me to hear them one day.

Dave.

My kitty is running out of milk. :)

I couldn't read the whole article...I need to subscribe....but TBH, I've not heard of those monitors.
Who is their target audience....audiophiles, mastering...etc...and what is their price range?
 
My kitty is running out of milk. :)

I couldn't read the whole article...I need to subscribe....but TBH, I've not heard of those monitors.
Who is their target audience....audiophiles, mastering...etc...and what is their price range?

Yes Miroslav, high end mastering and I would guess big budget film studios? Price around $25,000 +tax.

The speakers are not just very good and powerful, they are 'cardiod' down to very low frequencies and so do not excite room modes as much as conventional speakers.

My ambition is an order lower. I hope to get a pair of PMC Result 6s before I am too ga-ga to appreciate them!

Dave.
 
Yes Miroslav, high end mastering and I would guess big budget film studios? Price around $25,000 +tax.

The speakers are not just very good and powerful, they are 'cardiod' down to very low frequencies and so do not excite room modes as much as conventional speakers.

My ambition is an order lower. I hope to get a pair of PMC Result 6s before I am too ga-ga to appreciate them!

Dave.

Yeah...I'm also looking for possible new monitors...only because the new studio may be too big for the Focal Twins I bought only a couple of years ago.
I really like them...but am not sure how well they will stand up to the room. I'll see when I have everything set up.

I was thinking about some mastering grade monitors....there was someone selling a pair of Dunlavy for a pretty good price ($5k), but our resident mastering guy here on HR (Massive Mastering...aka John Scrip) suggested I look at some Tyler Acoustics, which are also for mastering, but it's really about good speakers...mastering, mixing, etc.

Anyway...too soon for me to decide. I need to first get the room fully loaded, and then see what I have.
 
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