SV Subwoofers
Page 6
ting ALL speakers to “Small” works best. Let your SVS make the bass! Also, is
your subwoofer turned “ON”? We don’t mean “is your subwoofer
amplifier
on?” (that’ll be important later too) but rather,
is your receiver sending a bass sig-
nal to your sub amp?
This can only happen if you say “Yes” (or “ON”) in the
“Subwoofer” selection during the all-important setup menu of any typical Dolby
Digital/DTS capable receiver. If you have a choice of “crossover points” for your
bass, usually “80Hz” works best, unless you have unusually small main speakers.
•
I
s your receiver connected to the sub amp?
Use a shielded RCA cable
(sometimes called a “patch cord”) to connect the subwoofer output of your DD/DTS
receiver to
either
input jack of your SVS’s dedicated amp. Again, you’ll need to
“split” the bass signal with a “Y Cable” if you have a pair of subs. You only need
feed
one
of the two inputs (either Right or Left) of any Powered Box SVS however.
•
I
s your Radio Shack ® sound pressure level (SPL) me-
ter ready?
This tool is simply
vital
to proper home theater
audio setup. It’s akin to a tire pressure gauge for your car. The
manual which comes with the SPL meter is excellent; we recom-
mend you read it entirely. Haven’t got the meter yet? Head
down to your neighborhood Radio Shack ® and snag one. We
prefer the analog instead of the digital display model but both
work well. Ask for part number
#33-4050
. At about $40, it’s a
bargain. Proper configuration without this meter is practically
impossible
.
G
etting ready to start now:
Make sure your receiver/processor master volume is
set at “00 dB” or some other easy to remember reference level. Finally, ensure your
SVS’s volume control is set no more than 1/4 to 1/3rd up at first. It’s also critical to
check the subwoofer level control of your surround receiver before you begin the test
tones. Set it to no higher than “-5 dB” initially (that’s usually one quarter way up, given
a typical receiver’s subwoofer channel level limits of something like –10 dB to +10
dB) . Your LFE “trim”, if you have one, should be set to 0dB to start (that’s full up) but
this can be dialed down later to tame peaks if needed. IMPORTANT: Turn off ANY
sound-field processing modes, “peak limiters”, “mid-night mode” etc. Set the SPL meter
to “Slow” and “C-weighting” (turn the range dial to 70dB).
N
ow play your receiver's internal test tones so you have something to
measure with your SPL meter.
Better yet, buy a calibration DVD, such as Ovation
Software’s
Avia
, from us or another authorized vendor. A test disk’s tones ensure your
entire signal path, from the DVD player to your speakers, is set correctly. Whatever you
use, when the tones start alternating from speaker to speaker (watch your sound meter
now), set each full range speaker’s level to about 75 dB (or 85dB if using
Avia
), by using
the receiver’s dedicated channel controls (leaving receiver’s master volume the same).
We recommend you turn down the receiver’s subwoofer output level
before
you signifi-
cantly lower your sub’s volume/gain control. This helps keep input distortion to a mini-
mum. You should
not
be set much lower than –5 dB however, since some adjustment
room is needed to lower bass as needed. If your subwoofer reading is still too high then
turn down the sub’s amp volume a little with each run.
Summary of Contents for PB12-ISD
Page 13: ......
