Calibration

[outflying]

Hello,

I've learned a lot since I started reading here. I've made some progress in calibrating my stf-3. I still have a few things that I'm not all that sure about. Could someone please help?

1) Is setting the gain the same thing as setting the loudness???

2) I see the discussion about extension or loudness. With the vtf's, if you set it to play low (ie. max extention) I understand that its not as loud???

3) Which brings me to my next question. Why would you need it to play louder? I have the gain set on my STF3 so low, its almost off.

4) A have a sony receiver. It has level controls for both sub and lfe. From what I read, its preferable to set everything to zero and then calibrate. Do I leave the receiver at zero and turn the gain down on the sub to get to match the 85db of the fronts?

5) How do I set the LFE? Is that a totally different calibration for HT? I.E. one setting for music, another for HT?


Thanks so much for the helping the newbie!

:confused:

[Ajax]

It's me again.

Yes, gain, loudness, volume, output all mean pretty much the same thing.

With the VTF series you have the option of tuning it so it reproduces lower frequencies, but won't play as loud (max extension), or so it won't play frequencies quite so low, but you can play it louder (max output). The STF series is much like the VTF set to max extension. Why would you need it louder? Well, some folks, particularly young ones, enjoy having their body parts vibrated. I'm a Viet Nam vet, and I've had enough loud explosions in my life, thank you very much. I have the STF-2, and it sure plays loud, and low, enough for me. In Nam, I once spent a night just below the muzzles of a bunch of 155mm guns that fired all night. Often my STF-2 reminds me of that night.

I would start with the receiver volume set at 0, and vary the volume with the the knob on the sub. If you find the sub is too loud and you can't get it low enough to satisfy by using the knob on the sub, then back down on the receiver volume and move the knob on the sub up 'til you get the right volume. I think that's referred to as gaining "headroom," but don't quote me on that.

LFE stand for Low Frequency Effects, i.e. bass. The subwoofer reproduces the LFE. If your STF is hooked up with a single cord running from the receiver to the "sub in" input on the STF, you're using the crossover in the receiver to separate the LFE from the other frequencies, and send it to the sub while sending the rest of the frequencies to your other speakers. The crossover switch on the VTF should be set to "out" so the crossover in the sub is "off," and won't be fighting with the crossover in the receiver. In your receiver's speaker menu, all the other speakers should be set to "small." This routes ALL the LFE to the sub, and lets your other speakers concentrate on the mids and highs. Some folks use one volume setting on the sub for HT, and another for music. I pretty much just leave mine on one setting for both.

If I have any of this wrong, maybe someone more knowledgeable can correct me.

P.S. Just posted a good tutorial on calibration on the "SPL meter recommendations" thread.

[Ajax]

Check out this thread

http://www.hsuresearch.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=319

It explains about the differences between the VTF and STF series.

[outflying]

Thanks again Ajax! Still reading. Still learn'n (I hope).

[Ajax]

You're welcome, and ME TOO! :)

[Hogues92]

A have a sony receiver

So do I, which one do you have? I'm about to try to calibrate my system and was curious. I have the stre-995.

Mike

[outflying]

Hi Mike,

I have the str-835.