Smyth Research Realiser A16
Sep 9, 2019 at 8:29 PM Post #6,272 of 15,951
I got my unit today. Also no second head tracker. Did anyone get their second headtracker who pledged for it?

Did anyone shoot an email to them about the mistake and get their second head tracker? I certainly don’t want to wait to use the unit but with only one head tracker the wife isn’t going to be happy not being able to use it with me at the same time.

Also, has anyone tried to use one speaker to calibrate a full surround setup? I’m interested in that capability, heard it could be done, but haven’t seen any documentation on exactly how to do it.
 
Sep 9, 2019 at 9:12 PM Post #6,273 of 15,951
I got my unit today. Also no second head tracker. Did anyone get their second headtracker who pledged for it?

Did anyone shoot an email to them about the mistake and get their second head tracker? I certainly don’t want to wait to use the unit but with only one head tracker the wife isn’t going to be happy not being able to use it with me at the same time.
Your wife can still be UserB, just without the HT connected.

The "SVS illusion" is definitely superior with HT enabled than without as the sound field is then "disconnected" from your head's orientation and rotations. So the virtual speakers remain fixed in space even when you turn your head, further convincing your brain that you are listening to real speakers around you.

But even without this she will still be experiencing the "sound" of the PRIR listening environment, as if she was always looking straight ahead. And if she's looking at the TV screen straight ahead anyway, then the real speakers would have been just where she hears them to be through if she were looking straight ahead in the original listening environment. It's only different if she turns her head and the listening room "turns with her", thus keeping her brain still "looking straight ahead" even if she's not.

As long as she looks straight ahead at the TV anyway, she'll still be thrilled with all of the virtual speakers all around her.
 
Sep 9, 2019 at 9:17 PM Post #6,274 of 15,951
Your wife can still be UserB, just without the HT connected.

The "SVS illusion" is definitely superior with HT enabled than without as the sound field is then "disconnected" from your head's orientation and rotations. So the virtual speakers remain fixed in space even when you turn your head, further convincing your brain that you are listening to real speakers around you.

But even without this she will still be experiencing the "sound" of the PRIR listening environment, as if she was always looking straight ahead. And if she's looking at the TV screen straight ahead anyway, then the real speakers would have been just where she hears them to be through if she were looking straight ahead in the original listening environment. It's only different if she turns her head and the listening room "turns with her", thus keeping her brain still "looking straight ahead" even if she's not.

As long as she looks straight ahead at the TV anyway, she'll still be thrilled with all of the virtual speakers all around her.

Oh I know it will still work and think it will be great for music, but movies where you might look around a bit on a big Tv the moving audio will be distracting.

And you don’t quite understand, in a situation like this, it would be me who would have to go without the head tracker, not her. So it would be in my best interest to get that second unit ASAP.
 
Sep 9, 2019 at 9:30 PM Post #6,275 of 15,951
I got my unit today. Also no second head tracker. Did anyone get their second headtracker who pledged for it?

Did anyone shoot an email to them about the mistake and get their second head tracker? I certainly don’t want to wait to use the unit but e with only one head tracker the wife isn’t going to be happy not being able to use it with me at the same time.

Also, has anyone tried to use one speaker to calibrate a full surround setup? I’m interested in that capability, heard it could be done, but haven’t seen any documentation on exactly how to do it.

I think this pattern of missing 2nd head-trackers is pretty annoying, even though it hasn't happened to me... yet. It is even more annoying that e-mailed attempts to address the issue are seemingly being systematically ignored, whether the e-mails are being sent before or after shipping.

How does one "break this e-mail barrier", in order to ensure that at least one of the Smyths is officially aware of the problem, and is making some credible effort to stop it? I do not know, but it seems to me that clients should not simply give the Smyths a free pass on this, and let it simply go on endlessly, and unchecked... Incidentally, the Smyths have not established the most shining reputation for correcting or changing their own bad habits (or bad patterns) voluntarily, so once again, how do we make sure they have heard us about these missing 2nd head-trackers, and have heard we consider the pattern to be unacceptable?

I have no answers, except that I know James Smyth listens to those who have purchased, or are . about to purchase the A-16 at retail... Maybe one of these gentlemen or lady buyers could slip a word in, about the missing head-trackers during a James Smyth chit-chat session?

Or maybe, someone who is in contact with Lorr Kramer might want to get word about those missing head-trackers to the Smyths through him?

What does everyone think? I just wish Smyth Research Customer Service (i.e. if one exists) answered e-mails normally, like all normal businesses of this kind regularly do... But we all know they don't... We all also know that the 2nd head trackers we ordered are essential. We should not allow them to be treated as if they are disposable casualties of the shipping process...

I am just looking for some reasonable way of addressing this problem.... Besides, remembering to include a paid for 2nd head tracker shouldn't ordinarily be such a difficult task at all... especially to anyone who can read a simple invoice...

Any suggestions of a workable solution would be welcome....
 
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Sep 9, 2019 at 11:41 PM Post #6,276 of 15,951
Oh I know it will still work and think it will be great for music, but movies where you might look around a bit on a big Tv the moving audio will be distracting.

And you don’t quite understand, in a situation like this, it would be me who would have to go without the head tracker, not her. So it would be in my best interest to get that second unit ASAP.
Lol, sounds like a cool wife to be interested in such things.
 
Sep 10, 2019 at 1:19 AM Post #6,277 of 15,951
Good point. Do Kickstarter backers get an invoice??
What about warranty? They claim 1 year warranty, normally you need an invoice to prove when the unit has been purchased to claim warranty.
:frowning2:
 
Sep 10, 2019 at 2:19 AM Post #6,278 of 15,951
Good point. Do Kickstarter backers get an invoice??
What about warranty? They claim 1 year warranty, normally you need an invoice to prove when the unit has been purchased to claim warranty.
:frowning2:
One year warranty expired two years ago lol

Packing slip mentions two head trackers but we dont get them. DSperber included a photo of his packing slip/contents list.
 
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Sep 10, 2019 at 2:51 AM Post #6,279 of 15,951
Also, has anyone tried to use one speaker to calibrate a full surround setup?
Actually it looks like that the ONE speaker method isn't implemented yet. So you have to make one PRIR for every single speaker and then puzzle it together when configuring the listening room. For a 7.1.4 setup you'll then have 12 PRIRs with one speaker in each of them.

The question remains if you also have to reconnect the speaker to another terminal each time you measure a new position or if you can assign any speaker location to any output channel, see p.37ff. in the manual.
If the latter is true then you'll have to go to the settings menu and reassign the speaker label to channel 1 every time you measure a new position. Quite complicated...

Since I do have a 7.1 system it would be a bit easier for me, but not much becausd you can't apply room correction (EQ etc.) in the Realiser at the moment I plan to connect a DSP between the Realiser output channels and the AVR multi channel in (the AVR can't apply room correction at its multi channel in either so it just acts as an amplifier).
I do have DSP (Behringer DCX 2496) but it only got 3 input channels which is not enough and I'd need many many takes to create a 7.1.4 (or 9.1.4,because that's what I plan to do).
In Car Hifi you'll find lots of relatively affordable multichannel DSPs, you just need a 12 V power adapter. The majority of them has 6 inputs and 8 outputs. I plan to purchase one and then I could do it in 3 takes:
1. Genuine 5.1
2. Side and back surrounds for 7.1 plus front wide.
3. Ceiling speakers (I could do 6 but 4 will suffice for one listening position I think)

I still have to see if the channel routing of these DSPs is as flexible as I need it. I plan to measure every channel as fullrsnge so I have to combine every channel witht the subwoofer at the measurement and measure the sub alone once for LFE. With this I don't have to use complicated bass management inside the Realiser.
I'm still not sure about delay settings in those DSPs and how they work exactly, and then remains the question of channel levels...
Still quite complicated...
 
Sep 10, 2019 at 6:40 AM Post #6,280 of 15,951
Actually it looks like that the ONE speaker method isn't implemented yet. So you have to make one PRIR for every single speaker and then puzzle it together when configuring the listening room. For a 7.1.4 setup you'll then have 12 PRIRs with one speaker in each of them.

The question remains if you also have to reconnect the speaker to another terminal each time you measure a new position or if you can assign any speaker location to any output channel, see p.37ff. in the manual.
If the latter is true then you'll have to go to the settings menu and reassign the speaker label to channel 1 every time you measure a new position. Quite complicated...

Since I do have a 7.1 system it would be a bit easier for me, but not much becausd you can't apply room correction (EQ etc.) in the Realiser at the moment I plan to connect a DSP between the Realiser output channels and the AVR multi channel in (the AVR can't apply room correction at its multi channel in either so it just acts as an amplifier).
I do have DSP (Behringer DCX 2496) but it only got 3 input channels which is not enough and I'd need many many takes to create a 7.1.4 (or 9.1.4,because that's what I plan to do).
In Car Hifi you'll find lots of relatively affordable multichannel DSPs, you just need a 12 V power adapter. The majority of them has 6 inputs and 8 outputs. I plan to purchase one and then I could do it in 3 takes:
1. Genuine 5.1
2. Side and back surrounds for 7.1 plus front wide.
3. Ceiling speakers (I could do 6 but 4 will suffice for one listening position I think)

I still have to see if the channel routing of these DSPs is as flexible as I need it. I plan to measure every channel as fullrsnge so I have to combine every channel witht the subwoofer at the measurement and measure the sub alone once for LFE. With this I don't have to use complicated bass management inside the Realiser.
I'm still not sure about delay settings in those DSPs and how they work exactly, and then remains the question of channel levels...
Still quite complicated...
Channel level is an important question. What guidance is provided on the volume to take the PRIR at? Is it 73db? 80? 85? What is recommended for the A16 as sufficient? With my Dirac Live, the levels show on VU meters, and clearly indicate when the level is correct to run the measurements. Does the Realiser have a similar feature?
 
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Sep 10, 2019 at 7:16 AM Post #6,281 of 15,951
I got my unit today. Also no second head tracker. Did anyone get their second headtracker who pledged for it?

Did anyone shoot an email to them about the mistake and get their second head tracker? I certainly don’t want to wait to use the unit but with only one head tracker the wife isn’t going to be happy not being able to use it with me at the same time.

Also, has anyone tried to use one speaker to calibrate a full surround setup? I’m interested in that capability, heard it could be done, but haven’t seen any documentation on exactly how to do it.

Actually it looks like that the ONE speaker method isn't implemented yet. So you have to make one PRIR for every single speaker and then puzzle it together when configuring the listening room. For a 7.1.4 setup you'll then have 12 PRIRs with one speaker in each of them.

The question remains if you also have to reconnect the speaker to another terminal each time you measure a new position or if you can assign any speaker location to any output channel, see p.37ff. in the manual.
If the latter is true then you'll have to go to the settings menu and reassign the speaker label to channel 1 every time you measure a new position. Quite complicated...

Since I do have a 7.1 system it would be a bit easier for me, but not much becausd you can't apply room correction (EQ etc.) in the Realiser at the moment I plan to connect a DSP between the Realiser output channels and the AVR multi channel in (the AVR can't apply room correction at its multi channel in either so it just acts as an amplifier).
I do have DSP (Behringer DCX 2496) but it only got 3 input channels which is not enough and I'd need many many takes to create a 7.1.4 (or 9.1.4,because that's what I plan to do).
In Car Hifi you'll find lots of relatively affordable multichannel DSPs, you just need a 12 V power adapter. The majority of them has 6 inputs and 8 outputs. I plan to purchase one and then I could do it in 3 takes:
1. Genuine 5.1
2. Side and back surrounds for 7.1 plus front wide.
3. Ceiling speakers (I could do 6 but 4 will suffice for one listening position I think)

I still have to see if the channel routing of these DSPs is as flexible as I need it. I plan to measure every channel as fullrsnge so I have to combine every channel witht the subwoofer at the measurement and measure the sub alone once for LFE. With this I don't have to use complicated bass management inside the Realiser.
I'm still not sure about delay settings in those DSPs and how they work exactly, and then remains the question of channel levels...
Still quite complicated...

You can do the one speaker method and end up with a single PRIR at the end. That’s how I finally did it after a few attempts of measuring before the manual was released.When measuring a speaker or speakers after it’s done the sweeps it asks you to hit enter to save the PRIR or to hit SPK to do the measurement over. If you hit the “back” button on the remote it will keep the measurement you just did and allow you to seller other speakers you want to measure to add to that PRIR. You can repeat that process until you have all of the speakers you want measured. After you measure the last speaker you want then you can hit the “enter” key and save everything.
 
Sep 10, 2019 at 7:18 AM Post #6,283 of 15,951
Channel level is an important question. What guidance is provided on the volume to take the PRIR at? Is it 73db? 80? 85? What is recommended for the A16 as sufficient? With my Dirac Live, the levels show on VU meters, and clearly indicate when the level is correct to run the measurements. Does the Realiser have a similar feature?

Yes the A16 will show you a VU meter for the volume level that both the left and right mics are picking up when it’s playing sweeps through the speaker. You can also run gain control on the A16 that’s supposed to help as well.
 
Sep 10, 2019 at 7:19 AM Post #6,284 of 15,951
I got my unit today. Also no second head tracker. Did anyone get their second headtracker who pledged for it?

Did anyone shoot an email to them about the mistake and get their second head tracker? I certainly don’t want to wait to use the unit but with only one head tracker the wife isn’t going to be happy not being able to use it with me at the same time.

I haven’t received yet. They didn’t provided any tracking number, so I can’t tell you if they really shipped it. For now is just a promise.
 
Sep 10, 2019 at 7:25 AM Post #6,285 of 15,951
Has anyone tried to send RIR measurement sweeps through USB?
I have just implemented a FIR filter for my room using REW, Rephase and Equalizer APO and I would like to measure my room through that filter that is convolved by my computer and the sent via HDMI to my TV.
 
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