[Evshrug]

I need to conserve money, but I would value my Kickstarter commitment at $1000 + the extra head tracker... As much as I would benefit a few bucks from the British pound dropping more, I don't want people across the Atlantic suddenly finding their wages vs cost of living suddenly get tighter. I mean, their currency is still valued above the US$, but I know what it's like to just scrape by and I don't wish that on anyone permanently (a select few would benefit from some lessons in frugality, but in the end I don't want anyone suffering and just making enough to make ends meet and praying they don't get hurt or have sudden emergencies).

 

[Sordel]

I'm based in the UK and I don't begrudge anyone taking advantage of the weakness of the pound. Please feel free to buy Welsh technology and, in fact, why not come on holiday here to collect it? We can definitely use the foreign currency!

 

[Evshrug]

I'm based in the UK and I don't begrudge anyone taking advantage of the weakness of the pound. Please feel free to buy Welsh technology and, in fact, why not come on holiday here to collect it? We can definitely use the foreign currency!

Well, I am planning on a honeymoon after our fall wedding...

 

[Edwood]

*cough London CanJam cough*

 

[magiccabbage]

Is this piece of equipment exclusively for viewing movies with surround sound? Has anyone here heard it with just regular music. Will it transform regular flacs in to surround sound flacs? Can it be paired with a DAC and amp or just straight into a laptop? 

 

[jgazal]

Is this piece of equipment exclusively for viewing movies with surround sound? Has anyone here heard it with just regular music. Will it transform regular flacs in to surround sound flacs? Can it be paired with a DAC and amp or just straight into a laptop? 

"Q10: What audio modes are supported by the USB 2.0 port?

A10: The A16 USB interface natively inputs 16 channels of 24-bit PCM up to 96kHz. Windows sees the A16 as a 2.0ch, 5.1ch or 7.1ch 24-bit 44.1/48/88.2/96kHz sound card with stereo line in. Running in ASIO mode an audio editing application such as Pro Tools or Reaper see the A16 as a discrete 16 channel 24-bit 44.1/48/88.2/96kHz output card. Mac OS sees the same."

http://smyth-research.com/A16Q&A.html

"The versatile Illusonic N:M up-mixer allows all source material from 2.0 stereo up to 7.1 discrete surround to be upmixed and rendered to any 16-ch immersive or 3D loudspeaker format."

http://smyth-research.com/downloads/Realiser%20A16%20new%20datasheet.pdf

"Upmix
Illusonic Upmix is the most versatile technology of its kind on the market. Sophisticated signal analysis, spatial hearing modeling, auditory filterbanks, and spatial synthesis processing yield high fidelity discrete-like surround signals.
Any number of front channels are supported for precise sound stage localization and a large sweet spot. Up to 16 independent surround audio channels can be generated. The resulting independent audio channels can be seamlessly downmixed back to stereo. Up to 8 elevated loudspeakers are supported for 3D setups.
Input format stereo, 5.1, etc.
Ouput format 3, 4, 5.1, 7.1, N.1, 3D
Upmix mode normal, matrix, auto
Channel separation up to 40 dB
LFE filter 60 to 120 Hz, order 2 to 4
Algorithmic delay 4 to 10 ms"

http://www.illusonic.com/licensing/consumer/

 

[Juy777]

  Is this piece of equipment exclusively for viewing movies with surround sound? Has anyone here heard it with just regular music. Will it transform regular flacs in to surround sound flacs? Can it be paired with a DAC and amp or just straight into a laptop? 

it's also great for listening to music, the  device basically recreates the acoustic environment of the place you do the measurement. Be it mono, stereo, 5.1, 7.1, Quadro, 16 channel etc
 
So if you have a buddy with a $100,000 hifi rack/speakers you can take it home after measuring.
 
Btw is there anyone near Berlin with some Klipsch Horn speakers? I would love to do a measurement of those after i had
to sell mine because of neighbors. I still admire the dynamic sound and in-your-face bass. 

 

[pervysage]

  it's also great for listening to music, the  device basically recreates the acoustic environment of the place you do the measurement. Be it mono, stereo, 5.1, 7.1, Quadro, 16 channel etc
 
So if you have a buddy with a $100,000 hifi rack/speakers you can take it home after measuring.
 
Btw is there anyone near Berlin with some Klipsch Horn speakers? I would love to do a measurement of those after i had
to sell mine because of neighbors. I still admire the dynamic sound and in-your-face bass. 

 
If I'm understanding correctly, you would also be able to download sound rooms from the online database? You don't necessarily need to have access to and measure a very high-end system yourself?

 

[Juy777]

   
If I'm understanding correctly, you would also be able to download sound rooms from the online database? You don't necessarily need to have access to and measure a very high-end system yourself?

you will always have to be there in person to make the measurement. You'd have to insert the mini-microphones into your ears and connect the Realizer to the amp/loudspeakers and run the test tones through the complete chain of room, gear, body, ears. Then this personalized info gets stored in your Realizer and is used to reproduce exactly that during playback.
 
The online database is more like downloading measurements of other people which might also somehow work/not work. The whole point of the Smyth Realizer is do this personalized 
measurement, no other 3d audio device does it this way and that's why the Realizer is the best device for that purpose you can buy with money on this globe.
 
There are other manufacturers who work with statistically averaged measurements (Darin Fong comes to mind) but those are not playing in the same league as the Realizer.

 

[pervysage]

  you will always have to be there in person to make the measurement. You'd have to insert the mini-microphones into your ears and connect the Realizer to the amp/loudspeakers and run the test tones through the complete chain of room, gear, body, ears. Then this personalized info gets stored in your Realizer and is used to reproduce exactly that during playback.
 
The online database is more like downloading measurements of other people which might also somehow work/not work. The whole point of the Smyth Realizer is do this personalized 
measurement, no other 3d audio device does it this way and that's why the Realizer is the best device for that purpose you can buy with money on this globe.
 
There are other manufacturers who work with statistically averaged measurements (Darin Fong comes to mind) but those are not playing in the same league as the Realizer.

 
 
Ah okay.
 
What does it mean then when it says you can download files from the website and "personalize" them?
 
 
Realizer Exchange Website
 
"Dramatically expands the capability of the Realiser A16 processor. While the A16 comes pre-installed with virtual movie theatres and studios, new virtual sound rooms can be downloaded and personalised from our Realiser Exchange website.  

1. On-line storage of your own virtual sound room library 
2. Purchase virtual sound rooms of commercial studios and mixing rooms 
3. Exchange (or sell) your own measured sound rooms with other members 
4. On-line DSP tools to personalise and customise virtual sound rooms"

 

[Juy777]

   
 
Ah okay.
 
What does it mean then when it says you can download files from the website and "personalize" them?
 
 
Realizer Exchange Website
 
"Dramatically expands the capability of the Realiser A16 processor. While the A16 comes pre-installed with virtual movie theatres and studios, new virtual sound rooms can be downloaded and personalised from our Realiser Exchange website.  

1. On-line storage of your own virtual sound room library 
2. Purchase virtual sound rooms of commercial studios and mixing rooms 
3. Exchange (or sell) your own measured sound rooms with other members 
4. On-line DSP tools to personalise and customise virtual sound rooms"

They say they will offer a "melding" function of measurements made somewhere else with someone else's head and your own individual head. If this yields satisfying/good results is not clear at this point as noone could try and listen yet, we can hope though. Might be a compromise for people which don't have access to a 16 channel Dolby Atmos Cinema for example.
I am working in the movie audio post production business as engineer and have plenty of oportunity to make measurements in the finest of mixing stages.For me it's a
absolute no-brainer to buy the A16.
 
Smyth themselves are cooperating with a cinema in the USA which offers measurements at a price, and there is a mastering studio in munich for example which also offers this service. As the A16 might gain popularity eventually there will be more and more locations willing to offer this service. I wouldn't wonder if they get greedy and ask $500 for a 30 minute measurement session, though. Early adopters might have some edge there as they'll be able to make measurements first and maybe get those done before some cinema owners get annoyed and realize they can make big bucks with the "Realizer Freaks"
 
When i am working at studios where i don't trust the monitor speakers/acoustics of the control room i simply take my A8 with me and work with my loudspeaker setup from home which i trust and rely on. It works flawlessly, and every now and then i will just hand interested people the headphones for a minute and laugh at their dropped yaws, even though it's my measurement they get the idea what the Realizer is capable off. I can't do this when i am working together with people like sound designers or directors though since it is a bit silly to talk and interact with people while wearing closed headphones.

 

[Jon Sonne]

It works flawlessly, and every now and then i will just hand interested people the headphones for a minute and laugh at their dropped yaws, even though it's my measurement they get the idea what the Realizer is capable off.

What headphones do you use with the A8?

 

[Juy777]

What headphones do you use with the A8?

I use the rugged, more or less studio standard (at least here in Germany) Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro, especially for home theatre use it has a very convincing bass response and a lot of dynamics headroom, it just wouldn't distort. Also dialogue intelligibility is excellent with comfortable treble. It sounds very american for a german phone.
Also good for Dance/Electronic/Hip Hop and Reggae.
 
People who listen to classical music or the likes might prefer a more analytic headphone like the Stax or Sennheiser, though.
 
What i did, i put some flac files with music i know well on a portable music player and went to a music store together with the A8 and compared half a dozen phones,
the DT770 won hands down for me personally. You can just skip on the headphone equalizing/measurement part for that purpose, it is good enough to judge the differences.
The Sennheisers were a bit on the treble heavy side for my taste and lacked the subbass Oomph of the DT770, which i call the head-massager
 
I'd really recommend everyone who is new to this tech to do the same and just go to a store and compare phones, as tastes vary wildly. You'd just have to do a 
preliminary measurement at home before that, even a pair of JBL control one with a sub should suffice for that.

 

[esimms86]

I have a number of multichannel ISO files that I'm hoping to eventually playback through an A16. My goal is to use j river media center connected as such: laptop>HDMI>A16. Is this a feasible plan? Thanks.
 
Esau

 

[jgazal]

Thank you Smyth Research for an amazing listening experience with Realiser A16, Sennheiser HD800 and Mitchell & Johnson MJ2. You have been very kind, patient and informative, can't wait for the A16' succes. The music industry should be recording the Smyth way for us to get this amazing experience in our home daily





Edit: added pictures correction nr.

A true revelation