Affordable RTA for newbies
Thread Starter
Cheddar
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 558
I would love to be able to afford an Audio Control analyzer, but the price tag of around 2 grand is a little too much. I checked around for alternatives and found some places that rent RTAs for 40 bucks or more per day.
I checked with Long and McQuade last week and found out they rent a Behringer ULTRACURVE PRO DEQ2496 for 37 bucks. Not for a day, but for one month.
Anyway, I visited them today to take a boo at the piece. I asked how much it was if someone were to buy a new one. I was told $459.00. Not bad. It's no Audio Control Spectrum Analyzer, but at that price, it's affordable. They didn't have one in stock at their Langley store, but there was one on display at their Surrey store. Never powered up, just on display. I ended up buying it for $399.00. I also bought the calibrated microphone that works with it for 70 bucks along with a perfect car audio mike stand for 15 bucks.
I am going to see where the problem areas are in the system with the RTA. Use the findings to determine what I can do to fix the problem areas without boosting or cutting any EQ settings.
Another toy to keep me in the garage and out of the wife's and kids' hair. Mid-life crisis, big time!
http://www.behringer.com/DEQ2496/index.cfm?lang=ENG
[ March 12, 2005, 01:11 AM: Message edited by: mugen1 ]
I checked with Long and McQuade last week and found out they rent a Behringer ULTRACURVE PRO DEQ2496 for 37 bucks. Not for a day, but for one month.
Anyway, I visited them today to take a boo at the piece. I asked how much it was if someone were to buy a new one. I was told $459.00. Not bad. It's no Audio Control Spectrum Analyzer, but at that price, it's affordable. They didn't have one in stock at their Langley store, but there was one on display at their Surrey store. Never powered up, just on display. I ended up buying it for $399.00. I also bought the calibrated microphone that works with it for 70 bucks along with a perfect car audio mike stand for 15 bucks.
I am going to see where the problem areas are in the system with the RTA. Use the findings to determine what I can do to fix the problem areas without boosting or cutting any EQ settings.
Another toy to keep me in the garage and out of the wife's and kids' hair. Mid-life crisis, big time!
http://www.behringer.com/DEQ2496/index.cfm?lang=ENG
[ March 12, 2005, 01:11 AM: Message edited by: mugen1 ]
Yankee
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,599
I use Parts express a lot for that kind of purchase (no local retailer). I bought a Behringer cheep and functional. Though a used AC is a good idea too. Term Lab is working on turning their SPL sensor into a RTA… I am waiting….
There is a PDA based product out there that is slick as snot on a doorknob (basically a PDA with a microphone attached). You get a PDA and RTA in one!
There is a PDA based product out there that is slick as snot on a doorknob (basically a PDA with a microphone attached). You get a PDA and RTA in one!
There are several computer based programs out there that do soo much more then a simple RTA... All you need is that condensor mic (and preferably a preamp) and full duplex sound card...
One main advantage is the ability to take gated measurements... !
One main advantage is the ability to take gated measurements... !
Guest
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 961
Hey JohnVroom and Haunz I got the lap top and acess to an T- lab what way would be beter and more cost evective. Vroom I here that term is going to be new and still down the road, know how far away? Haunz I like your idea on the condensor mic. Does it need any special program? I'd think so. Send me an note I'm interested on your idea.
Yankee
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,599
Vroom I here that term is going to be new and still down the road, know how far away?
Coustic used to make a great little DIN-sized, in-dash unit (with pullout chassis) called the RTA-33. It's really quite a nice piece. Dukk has one. The mic it comes with always seemed a little flimsy though. Other than that it's a nice piece. Reminds me of basically a shrunken Audio Control piece.
Guest
Posts: n/a
The problem with inexpensive RTAs is their lack of calibration. Good systems (Audio Control, PCRTA, etc) all use a microphone that has been calibrated to the system to acheive flat frequency response. You can easily spend $1000 for a good microphone and pre-amp - at that point, a basic computer sound car will do the trick...
You get what you pay for, and if you are looking for any sort of consistancy between you measurements and someone elses, you need to spend the cash.
You get what you pay for, and if you are looking for any sort of consistancy between you measurements and someone elses, you need to spend the cash.
You can make your own high quality mic for $10-20 and calibrate it yourself if you have access to a mic that has already been precision calibrated... otherwise there are a few places you can send it for calibration....
Response of the mic will still be pretty good anyway... certainly good enough for most 'newbies'... calibration is most important if you want to take accurate SPL measurements...
Good preamps with phantom power start at $50.... although you can easily spend more if you wanted to, its not necassary... if you are using a computer based program for your measurements most soundcards have a built in preamp... (again, good enough for most 'newbs')
[ March 17, 2005, 10:40 AM: Message edited by: Haunz ]
Response of the mic will still be pretty good anyway... certainly good enough for most 'newbies'... calibration is most important if you want to take accurate SPL measurements...
Good preamps with phantom power start at $50.... although you can easily spend more if you wanted to, its not necassary... if you are using a computer based program for your measurements most soundcards have a built in preamp... (again, good enough for most 'newbs')
[ March 17, 2005, 10:40 AM: Message edited by: Haunz ]
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