Old 02-05-2021, 09:34 AM   #1
maxdembo
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Default Sonarworks Negatives

I've recently started using it on headphones, and its kinda mindblowing how something essentially so simple is a complete game changer for me. I cant see myself not using it ever again. Its a permanent place in my studio/living room, after just a few days of use.

Genuinely blown away by how useful it is. So many great reviews and great feedback for it too. I should say this is only based on headphone use. I havent used it with calibrating my speakers, and I havent got properly calibrated headphones. Im just using their averaged response of the AKG 702's.

But I'm intrigued...

Has anyone here used and then got rid of it?

If so, why? I would love to hear context of how you tried it, for how long, and why you decided against it. What kit were you using it with? What kind of music? More detail gives more understanding of why you decided against it.

One slightly more niche question...

Anyone bought and tried the Monoprice 20 euro headphones that Sonarworks support in their profiles? Asking for a friend

Last edited by maxdembo; 02-05-2021 at 10:00 AM.
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Old 02-05-2021, 05:11 PM   #2
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Anyone bought and tried the Monoprice 20 euro headphones that Sonarworks support in their profiles? Asking for a friend
dunno if it's the ones you refer to, but i bought some 20 quid monoprice h/phones after reading several positive articles etc. about 10 years ago.
they're alright - i hardly ever listen on headphones though, & i've never used sonarworks.
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Old 02-05-2021, 10:23 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by maxdembo View Post
Genuinely blown away by how useful it is. So many great reviews and great feedback for it too. I should say this is only based on headphone use. I havent used it with calibrating my speakers, and I havent got properly calibrated headphones. Im just using their averaged response of the AKG 702's.

But I'm intrigued...

Has anyone here used and then got rid of it?

If so, why? I would love to hear context of how you tried it, for how long, and why you decided against it. What kit were you using it with? What kind of music? More detail gives more understanding of why you decided against it.
If someone is already used to their speakers, already knows how to mix pretty well, already has good ears, and their mixes are already translating to other environments, and they generally know what the hell theyre doing, those guys tend to not like Sonarworks room correction very much. But you make those same guys mix on headphones, especially headphones that they're not super-accustomed to, suddenly it becomes very useful.
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Old 02-06-2021, 09:46 AM   #4
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It didn't take the first time around, for me (though neither did Reaper). I later saw advice to have the wet-dry mix lower than 100% -- I think 50-75, though I found 80% to work for me -- and to change the filter to Mixed. This time it sounded much less radically different. I plan to try stepping up to 100% at some point.
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Old 02-09-2021, 11:55 AM   #5
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Thanks folks!
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Old 03-10-2021, 04:41 PM   #6
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I don't like it on phones cause I suck on phones..
But I've mixed and mastered for years using Sonarworks in my studio and can't work without it in that room.. love it. Things Translate so much better.
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Old 03-10-2021, 11:58 PM   #7
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It's been a game changer for me for my main monitors. I know them well without it and have achieved decent mixes without it too but once I started using it, I noticed things I wasn't expecting to notice such as improved imaging and spacial definition.
I use it on my Ambisonic cube array and it improves Ambisonic spacial cues significantly too, mainly due to the fact that all eight speakers have the same response at the mix position.

For headphones, I stopped using it with my Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro cans. I use Goodhertz Canopener and prefer that alone for headphones.
I do use it with my AKG K240M cans though. They sound a LOT more accurate with it.
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Old 03-11-2021, 05:02 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Multibomber View Post
If someone is already used to their speakers, already knows how to mix pretty well, already has good ears, and their mixes are already translating to other environments, and they generally know what the hell theyre doing, those guys tend to not like Sonarworks room correction very much. But you make those same guys mix on headphones, especially headphones that they're not super-accustomed to, suddenly it becomes very useful.
I've got a professional LEDE control room I built in 1979 with two 27 band graphic EQs on biamped monitors.

When I got finished setting them up with Sonarworks and A/B tested them I couldn't believe it. They were very close, although Sonarworks seemed to be lightly better.

I love Sonarworks, especially since I can take my old 27 band graphic EQs out of the system.

I don't think I've met or known of a professional audio engineer that did not prefer well built sound treated rooms to work in.

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Old 03-11-2021, 06:25 PM   #9
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lovely setup in that photo!

anyway, in my pretty garbage 3mx4m room, this is how flat i'm able to measure everything with sonarworks on. note some of the low freq damage there is just subharmonic rumble from the major road system near my house.

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Old 03-15-2021, 08:20 AM   #10
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Default So far a terrible experience [SOLVED]

See my later post with solution.

I purchased the retail box mic/combo for headphones and speakers - I've been unable to activate for three days now. Zero responses from support tickets, I'm 300 USD in to this with only a 21 day trial that is functional. The user area for managing license is a bit abysmal and the license was accepted and is there but the activate button is missing for the license entry - it is available for a trial only.

On top of that, the sonarworks microphone is defective as it has a constant 60hz mains hum. The hum only exists with this mic, no other mics that I have exhibit this issue (my ECM8000 does not have this issue). So I've spent three days both trying to figure out how to get it activated and deal with this microphone - support is silent, I have defective mic and nowhere to go thus far.

And if it helps, I did some testing (with the trial) with both their mic with their per mic calibration - it and the ECM8000 provide VASTLY different results (unrelated to the 60hz hum issue) so either you need their mic... making the ECM8000 (with cal file) is a crapshoot or this entire process can't be trusted.

If I don't hear from support today, I'm returning this entire product and calling it a POS and just going back to relying on my ears. Thanks!
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Old 03-15-2021, 08:30 AM   #11
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Yeah if I had a wish I guess.. of course would cost a lot more.. But would be nice if there was an option for Sonarworks to be installed in their own outboard D/A converter something at least as good as Dangerous DA.. So the correction could run outboard.. not causing any latency and wouldn't need system all.. because everything would pass thru it.
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Old 03-15-2021, 09:03 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by karbomusic View Post
And if it helps, I did some testing (with the trial) with both their mic with their per mic calibration - it and the ECM8000 provide VASTLY different results (unrelated to the 60hz hum issue) so either you need their mic... making the ECM8000 (with cal file) is a crapshoot or this entire process can't be trusted.
From my experience I'd blame it on the Behringer mic. When I first tested the software in trial mode, I borrowed a Beyerdynamic mic (with cal file) and took some measurements. Later I bought the whole package including microphone, and I couldn't say that the expected results were different.

What I can say though: you definitely need to (very) critically evaluate your first (and likely also your second and third) measurement and the resulting calibration. If your speakers aren't set up *as good as possible* you'll get slightly wrong results - in my case Sonarworks boosted the top end too high and too heavily. Something you might not realize at first, as the rest of the spectrum is properly corrected. Once you meticulously re-position your speakers at the right distance and angle, you'll immediately notice when it's right.*

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and just going back to relying on my ears
All I can say is: don't! I mixed for about one year with monitors corrected "by ear", for which I listened to hours and hours of music I thought I'd know well. I couldn't believe how wrong the assumption of a "flat" sound could be.

* when every 0.2dB move on an EQ is clearly perceivable AND there's never a second guess anymore, be it EQ, saturation or compression
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