Snake oil?

[Freddy]

I received details of this in my email today.

http://www.ikmultimedia.com/Main.html?arc/index.php

I'm highly sceptical, to say the least. Any opinions?

For now, colour me dubious.

 

[bennychico11]

it's actually not anything new. Speaker companies have introduced room correction software with their speakers before. JBL for one

Can't speak whether or not it works though because I've never tried any of them. I'd be skeptical too. Probably similar to Antares Mic modeler.

 

[noisewreck]

You could spend that $700 on actual room treatment with much better results.

 

[warble2]

You could spend that $700 on actual room treatment with much better results.

This is the truth! Some Owens Corning 703 panels, fabric, a little patience and you're well on your way.

I was thinking this would appeal to people looking for quick fixes or "magic", but it's pricing is a tad much for the typical budget minded home studio enthusiast.

 

[Track Rat]

I have no emperical evidence on this but I really believe you can't "fix" monitors/room response with equalization. The whole concept is flawed. It's like putting on sun glasses to protect yourself from a sunburn.

 

[Ford Van]

You could spend that $700 on actual room treatment with much better results.

So you have tried this product and compared it to "actual room treatment"?

 

[Hard2Hear]

Although the website shows this as a "studio" tool, its really being pushed for live recording venues/tour systems. They talked with me a bit before its release. They want us to offer it with our live systems we build for Yamaha, Digico, Studer, Soundcraft, and Euphonix. Its not a new thing, really. There are several other products that include rta and correction. Its been used in live venues for a long time. The initial launch for them is just including the "studio" application as well, where its probably not as practical.

 

[noisewreck]

So you have tried this product and compared it to "actual room treatment"?

No. But if you have reflective surfaces, and serious bass issues, even if it was going to minimize the problems for a certain point in the room you'd still get comb filtering, standing waves and all the rest of the fun stuff that the room is suffering from in the first place. So you move your head an inch, and will hear the nice little whoosh of comb filtering. Haven't tried it. and at $700... I am gonna say "No thanks".

 

[Robert D]

It's probably a really nice bandaid, but it's still a bandaid.

 

[Ford Van]

No. But if you have reflective surfaces, and serious bass issues, even if it was going to minimize the problems for a certain point in the room you'd still get comb filtering, standing waves and all the rest of the fun stuff that the room is suffering from in the first place. So you move your head an inch, and will hear the nice little whoosh of comb filtering. Haven't tried it. and at $700... I am gonna say "No thanks".

Okay, you can elect to say "No thanks." but really, you have NO idea how well it works until you try it eh?

 

[noisewreck]

Okay, you can elect to say "No thanks." but really, you have NO idea how well it works until you try it eh?

Well, almost. I have SOME idea how well it works based on other similar products You really aren't going to argue that it's better to go with this approach than to solve the fundamental issues of room acoustics in the first place with acoustic treatment/proper design are you?

 

[Ford Van]

Well, almost. I have SOME idea how well it works based on other similar products You really aren't going to argue that it's better to go with this approach than to solve the fundamental issues of room acoustics in the first place with acoustic treatment/proper design are you?

Let me say that it MAY not be any less effective in a TOTAL solution than just putting up some 703 on the wall!

 

[danny.guitar]

Hm...let's see, it costs $700...so with $700 I could either:

Buy some "room correction" EQ and never know what I'm actually hearing

Actually treat my room really, really well and not have to use any correction software.

Tough choice.

 

[Ethan Winer]

you have NO idea how well it works until you try it eh?

The ARC is based on the Audyssey system, which I tested and found to be mostly BS. Lookie here:

http://www.realtraps.com/art_audyssey.htm

The real issue is that such systems cannot possibly do what they claim. Unless they repeal the laws of physics.

--Ethan

 

[Ford Van]

The ARC is based on the Audyssey system, which I tested and found to be mostly BS. Lookie here:

http://www.realtraps.com/art_audyssey.htm

The real issue is that such systems cannot possibly do what they claim. Unless they repeal the laws of physics.

--Ethan

Ethan, send me ANYTHING that refutes it's effectiveness that is on a site OTHER than your own!

And again, I am NOT saying that it DOES work well. I am saying that it may not be any worse than some of the half assed approaches people take to room treatments.

 

[Ethan Winer]

Ethan, send me ANYTHING that refutes it's effectiveness that is on a site OTHER than your own!

Why does it matter on whose web site the test results reside?

--Ethan

 

[noisewreck]

Let me say that it MAY not be any less effective in a TOTAL solution than just putting up some 703 on the wall!

OK... I'll meet you there

Here's an excerpt from the Stereophile article Ethan's website refers to (written by his pal at who's house they did the tests):

...MultEQ Pro is not a panacea, but requires an already well-configured system in a reasonably good acoustic environment—and Audyssey says as much. To correct the sound of a room whose surfaces consisted entirely of tiles and windows would be asking too much.