[dsperber]

For taking the prir of A8 it is the latest formats svs 20xx

Early A8 PRIR's (e.g. PRIR0xxx, from analog-only A8's written with older firmware versions) are NOT usable directly on the A16. Only the new format PRIR's (e.g. PRIR2xxx, from HDMI-enabled A8's) are usable directly.

All A8's (both analog-only as well as HDMI-enabled) running with latest firmware (dated Aug 3, 2011) will write out new-format PRIR's (i.e. PRIR2xxx) to SD flash card, which will then be importable to the A16.

If you're using an old form PRIR0xxx on a new HDMI-enabled A8 (since the HDMI A8 supports both old PRIR0xxx and new PRIR2xxx formats) you can simply write them out to SD card and they will automatically be converted to the new PRIR2xxx format and renamed properly as well. And then you can import them to the A16, using the PRIR2xxx version.

If you're using an old form PRIR0xxx on an old analog-only A8, you must upgrade to the latest A8 firmware (dated Aug 3, 2011) and write it out to the SD card. This latest firmware always writes out the PRIR in new PRIR2xxx format, which is usable for import to the A16.

Same story on HPEQ. You must be importing a new format HPEQ2xxx file to the A16. So if you're using an old HPEQ0xxx file you must write it out to SD card on an A8 that is running with latest firmware, and then you will have a new format HPEQ2xxx file that is usable to import to the A16.


As far as migrating them from A8 to the A16 you need to format a microSD card as FAT32. Then create a "parent" folder (root of the card) on it named Realiser.

Then you create two sub-folders under Realiser: PRIRS and HPEQS.

Then you place your new-format A8 PRIR's (PRIR2xxx) into \Realiser\PRIRS and your new-format A8 HPEQ's (HPEQ2xxx) into \Realiser\HPEQS.

This method has been used successfully by all A8 users to import their much-loved PRIR and HPEQ files over to the A16. If you are not able to import your files, can you please provide more details about any error message or something displayed on the screen, or take a picture of the screen and post it.

 

[valleynomad]

Thanks for the information, 10 days since the first email and still no shipping notice, that's long...

Just got the UPS tracking info. It was shipped from Newtownabbey, UK on 2/18

 

[Mach10]

Just got the UPS tracking info. It was shipped from Newtownabbey, UK on 2/18

Exactly the same here...

 

[You Gene]

We have now a BBC room with a Neumann KU100 dummy head (without a torso) and a Surrey room with a Cortex-MK.2 head-and-torso simulator ; meet the 2 gentlemen :

I suppose that if you do not want to go personally to a studio to do a measurement, the studio can also do the work on your behalf and send a PRIR based on an artificial head ; this is the sort of guys they keep in stock, right ? You would then get a PRIR on a SD card by post or via any other means.

There is also the cost. But then 20/30 or more of us for example could always ask for a deal ?

And remember also that the owner of Heavenly Sound China, our beloved Siwei Zou, is the proud owner of the studio “Full Dimension” : http://www.full-dimension.com/en/about.asp

Stephen Smyth can obviously arrange something very easily…! if he wanted to, of course.

And if Siwei Zu is working with Barco in China (via Iosono China), he must have more than 1 studio worldwide...

Is all of this wishful thinking ?

 

[phoenixdogfan]

We have now a BBC room with a Neumann KU100 dummy head (without a torso) and a Surrey room with a Cortex-MK.2 head-and-torso simulator ; meet the 2 gentlemen :





I suppose that if you do not want to go personally to a studio to do a measurement, the studio can also do the work on your behalf and send a PRIR based on an artificial head ; this is the sort of guys they keep in stock, right ? You would then get a PRIR on a SD card by post or via any other means.

There is also the cost. But then 20/30 or more of us for example could always ask for a deal ?

And remember also that the owner of Heavenly Sound China, our beloved Siwei Zou, is the proud owner of the studio “Full Dimension” : http://www.full-dimension.com/en/about.asp

Stephen Smyth can obviously arrange something very easily…! if he wanted to, of course.

And if Siwei Zu is working with Barco in China (via Iosono China), he must have more than 1 studio worldwide...

Is all of this wishful thinking ?

I would far rather have the Smyth's make arrangements to allow a few studios to be rented for the hour or so it would take to do a PRIR on my own real head. And I particularly would like to see them recruit a few studios in the city where I live (Nashville, Tn, USA) which is a recording hotbed for the entire world and centrally located in the eastern half of the USA where 75 percent of the world's third most populous nation lives.

 

[pecman32]

I'm really unlucky with this A16

I try the best I can to update the device, I can't!

While the device is off, I pressed the volume buttons A and B simultaneously, then released the A and then the B, no green light that lights up. I tried everything as a manipulation. I even had a blank screen at one point. What is the Ethernet port for if you can't update this way ?!

 

[sander99]

I even had a blank screen at one point.

I also had a blank screen on my first try, I waited too long after powering up the first time.
If I remember correctly this is how to do it correctly:

STEP 2.Power up the A16 ensuring the power indicator LED is steady green. You can power it up using the remote control or by momentarily depressing either User A or User B volume knobs. DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE NORMAL START-UP SEQUENCE HAS FINISHED (ENDING IN THE SPEAKER MAP SCREEN) BUT AS SOON AS THE POWER INDICATOR LED IS GREEN: Now turn off the A16 by pushing in and holding in the User A volume knob for at least 3 seconds. The LCD screen will switch off and the power indicator LED will turn red. Release the User A volume knob.
STEP 3. Push in and hold in the User B volume knob and, simultaneously, push in and release the User A volume knob. Then release the User B volume knob. The action of holding in B and depressing A activates the firmware update manager as shown below. The power indicator LED will also be blinking green.
STEP 4. Using the remote control, press the ENTER key twice to begin the firmware update. The A16 will enter a long period (20-25 minutes) of authenticating the software, loading and rebooting. When the unit first reboots it will begin updating the firmware for the individual hardware modules. After the individual firmware modules have been reprogrammed the unit will reboot using the normal power-up sequence to the Speaker Map display for User A.

 

[You Gene]

I would far rather have the Smyth's make arrangements to allow a few studios to be rented for the hour or so it would take to do a PRIR on my own real head. And I particularly would like to see them recruit a few studios in the city where I live (Nashville, Tn, USA) which is a recording hotbed for the entire world and centrally located in the eastern half of the USA where 75 percent of the world's third most populous nation lives.

You know it is never going to happen anywhere near you or near me for that matter. Have you seen in the Kickstarter site how many countries he sold the A16 to...

However what you can do proactively is to try and contact one of those studios and see how they respond ? Has anyone on this forum ever tried that ?

 

[sander99]

the studio can also do the work on your behalf and send a PRIR based on an artificial head

Unless by coincidence the bbc or surrey PRIR work well for you, what would be the benefit of having one more PRIR with one of those heads?
If you make another PRIR with one of those heads, nomatter how good the room/system that was measured, the out-of-head localisation won't be better than with the bbc or surrey PRIR. (Or maybe, just maybe if it was measured with speakers very far away..., but I wouldn't bet on it.)

Did you already try some PRIRs from the google drive?
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MWWb8KELPBbAC5WSHf82UXeV73v1O84W

However what you can do proactively is to try and contact one of those studios and see how they respond ? Has anyone on this forum ever tried that ?

Yes, someone contacted Blackbird Studios in Nashville, they were not interested.

But we can try to find others of course...

 

[phoenixdogfan]

You know it is never going to happen anywhere near you or near me for that matter. Have you seen in the Kickstarter site how many countries he sold the A16 to...

However what you can do proactively is to try and contact one of those studios and see how they respond ? Has anyone on this forum ever tried that ?

I would venture a fair number were sold in the eastern half of the US. And no area is as ripe for a provider as Nashville with its many studios and HIFI shops, and Smyth LTD does have a rep in the US. So having him take a week in Music City (that's Nashville's moniker, btw) and try to enlist some partners there seems like a great way to get the network of partners they promised started.

 

[You Gene]

Unless by coincidence the bbc or surrey PRIR work well for you, what would be the benefit of having one more PRIR with one of those heads?
If you make another PRIR with one of those heads, nomatter how good the room/system that was measured, the out-of-head localisation won't be better than with the bbc or surrey PRIR. (Or maybe, just maybe if it was measured with speakers very far away..., but I wouldn't bet on it.)

Did you already try some PRIRs from the google drive?
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MWWb8KELPBbAC5WSHf82UXeV73v1O84W


Yes, someone contacted Blackbird Studios in Nashville, they were not interested.


But we can try to find others of course...

No I didn't try google drive. But I will. Thank you.
I suppose the realiser exchange will also provide us with PRIR from artificial heads, unless mistaken of course. Should we then disregard them ?

By the way, out of curiosity, I contacted their studio "Full Dimension" on their web site. I insisted on the partnership of their boss with Smyth Research and the necessity to find a PRIR of their own studio (sorry but only with an artificial head, I am not that much of a purist, no offense meant). Pester the boss, you might get a reaction sometimes. I will keep you posted in case of an answer.
You may also pester them all of you, the more we insist, the more...The key might be the financial partner ? Shake the tree godammit !

 

[pecman32]

I also had a blank screen on my first try, I waited too long after powering up the first time.
If I remember correctly this is how to do it correctly:

Thanks Sander99 !

It's my fault, I thought I should press the buttons on the remote to update the A16 while it is on the front buttons. Sorry again.

 

[sander99]

I am not that much of a purist

Me neither, I just wanted to point out that there are 2 very different aspects to "the quality of a PRIR (for you)".
1. The quality of the room/system that was measured
2. How close does the PRIR sound to the real room/system (especially the out-of-head feeling) to you.
And for me personally 2. is more important. I'd rather have a real sounding PRIR of a reasonable system than a PRIR of a top system playing inside my head instead of outside my head!

 

[sander99]

Thanks Sander99 !

It's my fault, I thought I should press the buttons on the remote to update the A16 while it is on the front buttons. Sorry again.

So it worked? You updated succesfully?

 

[esimms86]

Me neither, I just wanted to point out that there are 2 very different aspects to "the quality of a PRIR (for you)".
1. The quality of the room/system that was measured
2. How close does the PRIR sound to the real room/system (especially the out-of-head feeling) to you.
And for me personally 2. is more important. I'd rather have a real sounding PRIR of a reasonable system than a PRIR of a top system playing inside my head instead of outside my head!

That's one of the reasons that I'm so annoyed with Smyth Research for not providing the PRIRs that they measured for various people at their show demonstrations.

I do have a suggestion for those people who have and are able to enjoy Darin Fong's Out Of Your Head software. If you find that there are one or more OOYH presets that work for you then I would advise you to find the equivalent PRIR on the google drive and try it out. You have nothing to lose.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1q9OqyUNCKvAiTdRdWUJ29MqPHxauiohN