[You Gene]

I'll probably be the last kickstarter backer to receiver their unit (I'm #354), so once I get mine they'll likely be finished with backers and will move on to pre-orders.

Don't worry. There is still number 356 ("Ralf")...You won't be the last !

 

[Got the Shakes]

I captured a new 5.1 PRIR tonight using the async files that @Thomasphoenix98 sent (thanks again!) and wanted to share how things went since I think I might be the first one to try it (correct me if I'm wrong on that). Anyways, here goes:

What a pain free process compared to how I had to capture the same system last year when I got my A16. Since I don't have a receiver that has 5.1 analog inputs, I had to plug and unplug RCA cables as well as connect speakers to different terminals with some combination of doing a 180 degree turn to try capturing the fronts as rears. All things considered using the synchronous method, I thought I had a faithful representation of that listening environment. I was really happy with it, that was until I recaptured it using the async files tonight.

As I mentioned above, the system I captured is a 5.1 setup. I used the files from sound room 8 with have fixed look angles of 0, 15, 30, and 60 degrees. It really was as simple as following the instructions from the 1.80 and 1.90 firmware update manual. I connected my laptop to a Denon receiver via HDMI and played the .wav async files through VLC media player. Of course I also made sure to set the sound output on my laptop to 5.1. I didn't run into a single issue, the A16 picked up the tones that it gets from each sound file and did what it needed to do. All in all I'd say it took maybe 20 minutes to go through the process and the best part is that I was able to do so without ever needing to move from the sweet spot at all. The result is a PRIR that sounds like essentially a 100% faithful recreation of the room that I captured. What an absolute delight.

tl;dr Async capturing of a PRIR is so much easier and for me the resulting PRIR is so much better than what I had to cobble together using the old method last year. I thought that the A16 was one of the most impressive pieces of tech I ever owned before tonight, and after recapturing my 5.1 PRIR I am so much more impressed than I was.

 

[Thomasphoenix98]

I captured a new 5.1 PRIR tonight using the async files that @Thomasphoenix98 sent (thanks again!) and wanted to share how things went since I think I might be the first one to try it (correct me if I'm wrong on that). Anyways, here goes:

What a pain free process compared to how I had to capture the same system last year when I got my A16. Since I don't have a receiver that has 5.1 analog inputs, I had to plug and unplug RCA cables as well as connect speakers to different terminals with some combination of doing a 180 degree turn to try capturing the fronts as rears. All things considered using the synchronous method, I thought I had a faithful representation of that listening environment. I was really happy with it, that was until I recaptured it using the async files tonight.

As I mentioned above, the system I captured is a 5.1 setup. I used the files from sound room 8 with have fixed look angles of 0, 15, 30, and 60 degrees. It really was as simple as following the instructions from the 1.80 and 1.90 firmware update manual. I connected my laptop to a Denon receiver via HDMI and played the .wav async files through VLC media player. Of course I also made sure to set the sound output on my laptop to 5.1. I didn't run into a single issue, the A16 picked up the tones that it gets from each sound file and did what it needed to do. All in all I'd say it took maybe 20 minutes to go through the process and the best part is that I was able to do so without ever needing to move from the sweet spot at all. The result is a PRIR that sounds like essentially a 100% faithful recreation of the room that I captured. What an absolute delight.

tl;dr Async capturing of a PRIR is so much easier and for me the resulting PRIR is so much better than what I had to cobble together using the old method last year. I thought that the A16 was one of the most impressive pieces of tech I ever owned before tonight, and after recapturing my 5.1 PRIR I am so much more impressed than I was.

A step by step tutorial sir if you do find the time .

 

[Got the Shakes]

A step by step tutorial sir if you do find the time .

It's about time for me to get some sleep, but I can write up the steps I took tomorrow. I did basically follow the procedure here: Async instructions in firmware 1.80 guide but I had to pull a few files from another sound room folder that you sent me that @audiohobbit pointed out. Can certainly write it all up in one post though in the morning.

 

[Thomasphoenix98]

It's about time for me to get some sleep, but I can write up the steps I took tomorrow. I did basically follow the procedure here: Async instructions in firmware 1.80 guide but I had to pull a few files from another sound room folder that you sent me that @audiohobbit pointed out. Can certainly write it all up in one post though in the morning.

Oh no pressure ! Whenever you can. Thank you so much for sharing.

 

[Got the Shakes]

As requested here is a guide for what I did to make a PRIR using the async method. Thanks to @Thomasphoenix98 for the async files and to @audiohobbit for pointing out which folder a few necessary files were stored in. Here we go.

Items Needed:

• Release notes for firmware 1.80 and 1.90 as the have the instructions for using async. Located 1.80 here and 1.90 here
• Async .wav files
• Laptop
• Receive with HDMI input

Procedure Used:

I essentially just followed the step by step instructions in the 1.80 release notes which worked like a charm. The system I captured is a 5.1 setup so I used "PCM_sound_room_8" in the .zip with the async files. You'll need to make sure to grab three other files that are located in "PCM_sound_room_25" which are "noise.wav", "level_cal.wav", and "pll_cal.wav". The way I kept everything organized and executed the measurement were with these steps:

1. Create a folder on your desktop named whatever you want and place all of the .wav files for the setup you want to capture as well as the three .wav files above
2. Connect your laptop to a receiver via HDMI. Once connected right click on the sound options in the lower right side of the Windows taskbar and change the sound output to match the setup you're capturing either 5.1, 7.1, or Dolby Atmos for Home Theater
3. Make sure you use some media player like VLC that can output multi-channel tracks
4. Setup a PRIR sound room on the A16 to match the speaker layout you're connected to (this is the start of where the 1.80 release notes give you instructions)
5. Go into the PRIR measurement app on the A16 set your appropriate settings an select "measure async PRIR"
6. Play the "noise.wav" track on your laptop
7. Play the "pll_cal.wav" file and wait for the A16 to do it's thing
8. Play the "level_cal.wav" track and let the A16 do what it needs to
9. Play the "look center" track from the room async files and follow the directions that are spoken in the track
10. Continue playing one by one the rest of the look left and right files in the room you're capturing. It does not seem to matter what order you do them in, but you will have to lay each one individually. There will be a spoken voice on each track telling you what instructions to follow
11. Upon completing all of the look track, the A16 should take you to a screen showing you that it's captured all of your speakers. There will be a white box around each captured speaker to confirm that it did successfully capture them
12. Press enter on the remote to have the A16 save the PRIR

At this point you should have successfully created a PRIR using the async method. To use it you of course have to add the speakers to a PCM and Dolby room and then add them to a preset. The result for me was much better than the one I captured over a year ago using the sync method and unplugging and replugging all sorts of speaker cable. I suspect that the biggest reason why is that I was able to sit in the sweet spot and with minimal movement of my head.

 

[Thomasphoenix98]

Wow! This is superb ! Thank you ‘Got The Shakes’ on behalf of all A16 owners . I think a very interesting journey begins for those of us without custom PRIRS.

 

[illram]

As requested here is a guide for what I did to make a PRIR using the async method. Thanks to @Thomasphoenix98 for the async files and to @audiohobbit for pointing out which folder a few necessary files were stored in. Here we go.

Items Needed:

• Release notes for firmware 1.80 and 1.90 as the have the instructions for using async. Located 1.80 here and 1.90 here
• Async .wav files
• Laptop
• Receive with HDMI input

Procedure Used:

I essentially just followed the step by step instructions in the 1.80 release notes which worked like a charm. The system I captured is a 5.1 setup so I used "PCM_sound_room_8" in the .zip with the async files. You'll need to make sure to grab three other files that are located in "PCM_sound_room_25" which are "noise.wav", "level_cal.wav", and "pll_cal.wav". The way I kept everything organized and executed the measurement were with these steps:

1. Create a folder on your desktop named whatever you want and place all of the .wav files for the setup you want to capture as well as the three .wav files above
2. Connect your laptop to a receiver via HDMI. Once connected right click on the sound options in the lower right side of the Windows taskbar and change the sound output to match the setup you're capturing either 5.1, 7.1, or Dolby Atmos for Home Theater
3. Make sure you use some media player like VLC that can output multi-channel tracks
4. Setup a PRIR sound room on the A16 to match the speaker layout you're connected to (this is the start of where the 1.80 release notes give you instructions)
5. Go into the PRIR measurement app on the A16 set your appropriate settings an select "measure async PRIR"
6. Play the "noise.wav" track on your laptop
7. Play the "pll_cal.wav" file and wait for the A16 to do it's thing
8. Play the "level_cal.wav" track and let the A16 do what it needs to
9. Play the "look center" track from the room async files and follow the directions that are spoken in the track
10. Continue playing one by one the rest of the look left and right files in the room you're capturing. It does not seem to matter what order you do them in, but you will have to lay each one individually. There will be a spoken voice on each track telling you what instructions to follow
11. Upon completing all of the look track, the A16 should take you to a screen showing you that it's captured all of your speakers. There will be a white box around each captured speaker to confirm that it did successfully capture them
12. Press enter on the remote to have the A16 save the PRIR

At this point you should have successfully created a PRIR using the async method. To use it you of course have to add the speakers to a PCM and Dolby room and then add them to a preset. The result for me was much better than the one I captured over a year ago using the sync method and unplugging and replugging all sorts of speaker cable. I suspect that the biggest reason why is that I was able to sit in the sweet spot and with minimal movement of my head.

Thank you!

I try and keep up via email with this thread but it's difficult so if you'd indulge me with perhaps some rudimentary questions:

1. Is this the long sought after method they promised a while ago where you just play files that tell you to turn your head etc. and it doesn't matter how many speakers you have? (As opposed to what you and others did by plugging and unplugging cables...)
2. If so why is number 2 on your list necessary, i.e. why does windows need to think it's playing on a multi-channel system?
3. Related, for part 4, can you select one or two speaker layouts? And then you stitch those together by adding them to a room right (your last paragraph?)

I guess where I am getting confused is if this method lets you capture a surround room with a stereo setup for example, why does windows need to think it is playing on a surround room? I'm wondering if I can accomplish the above method by just hooking up my JBL bookshelfs to my desktop...but Windows does not "see" such a setup as anything beyond stereo or 5.1.

 

[Thomasphoenix98]

Thank you!

I try and keep up via email with this thread but it's difficult so if you'd indulge me with perhaps some rudimentary questions:

1. Is this the long sought after method they promised a while ago where you just play files that tell you to turn your head etc. and it doesn't matter how many speakers you have? (As opposed to what you and others did by plugging and unplugging cables...)
2. If so why is number 2 on your list necessary, i.e. why does windows need to think it's playing on a multi-channel system?
3. Related, for part 4, can you select one or two speaker layouts? And then you stitch those together by adding them to a room right (your last paragraph?)

I guess where I am getting confused is if this method lets you capture a surround room with a stereo setup for example, why does windows need to think it is playing on a surround room? I'm wondering if I can accomplish the above method by just hooking up my JBL bookshelfs to my desktop...but Windows does not "see" such a setup as anything beyond stereo or 5.1.

The test signals are intended to capture your current physical system, 5.1, 7.1, 7.1.4, 9.1.6 and replicate it in the realiser.
You can capture your two channel system with the synchronous (all) channel method from the realiser itself . You don’t need to use these async files that are meant to circumvent the need for powered speakers or multichannel amplifiers.

 

[illram]

The test signals are intended to capture your current physical system, 5.1, 7.1, 7.1.4, 9.1.6 and replicate it in the realiser.
You can capture your two channel system with the synchronous (all) channel method from the realiser itself . You don’t need to use these async files that are meant to circumvent the need for powered speakers or multichannel amplifiers.

Awesome, thanks

 

[Got the Shakes]

Thank you!

I try and keep up via email with this thread but it's difficult so if you'd indulge me with perhaps some rudimentary questions:

1. Is this the long sought after method they promised a while ago where you just play files that tell you to turn your head etc. and it doesn't matter how many speakers you have? (As opposed to what you and others did by plugging and unplugging cables...)
2. If so why is number 2 on your list necessary, i.e. why does windows need to think it's playing on a multi-channel system?
3. Related, for part 4, can you select one or two speaker layouts? And then you stitch those together by adding them to a room right (your last paragraph?)

I guess where I am getting confused is if this method lets you capture a surround room with a stereo setup for example, why does windows need to think it is playing on a surround room? I'm wondering if I can accomplish the above method by just hooking up my JBL bookshelfs to my desktop...but Windows does not "see" such a setup as anything beyond stereo or 5.1.

The test signals are intended to capture your current physical system, 5.1, 7.1, 7.1.4, 9.1.6 and replicate it in the realiser.
You can capture your two channel system with the synchronous (all) channel method from the realiser itself . You don’t need to use these async files that are meant to circumvent the need for powered speakers or multichannel amplifiers.

So in theory you’ve been able to capture up to a 16 channel PRIR since the A16 starting shipping. However, up until the async files being somewhat available you had to rely on having access to an AVR that had the appropriate number of analog inputs for the A16 itself to be able to output the sweeps needed. In mine an many people’s cases the only analog inputs on an AVR are 2 channel stereo. With that limitation in place when I made my original PRIR in August 2019 I had to constantly unplug and analog cables on the A16 as well as unplugging some speakers abs trying to capture my fronts as rears by spinning a 180 in my chair. This method not only is way easier, but also resulted in a much more realistic sounding capture because I hardly had to move at all in the entire process.

 

[sander99]

Thank you!

I try and keep up via email with this thread but it's difficult so if you'd indulge me with perhaps some rudimentary questions:

1. Is this the long sought after method they promised a while ago where you just play files that tell you to turn your head etc. and it doesn't matter how many speakers you have? (As opposed to what you and others did by plugging and unplugging cables...)
2. If so why is number 2 on your list necessary, i.e. why does windows need to think it's playing on a multi-channel system?
3. Related, for part 4, can you select one or two speaker layouts? And then you stitch those together by adding them to a room right (your last paragraph?)

I guess where I am getting confused is if this method lets you capture a surround room with a stereo setup for example, why does windows need to think it is playing on a surround room? I'm wondering if I can accomplish the above method by just hooking up my JBL bookshelfs to my desktop...but Windows does not "see" such a setup as anything beyond stereo or 5.1.

The test signals are intended to capture your current physical system, 5.1, 7.1, 7.1.4, 9.1.6 and replicate it in the realiser.
You can capture your two channel system with the synchronous (all) channel method from the realiser itself . You don’t need to use these async files that are meant to circumvent the need for powered speakers or multichannel amplifiers.

Let me be a little bit more precise:
The async files are to circumvent the connection problems related to using the analog outputs of the A16. Using these files you don't need to connect the A16 to the system under measurement at all! You just have to play the files on the system under measurement, using a pc or another playback device.
BUT: the files we have now are PCM files. So on normal consumer systems they only solve the problem up to 7.1 channels. When we have similar files encoded as Atmos bitstream then we can measure complete Atmos systems in one go very easily (including any room correction/EQ by the receiver/amp/processor of that system).
With the current PCM files we can measure up to 7.1 channels very easily (including any room correction/EQ by the receiver/amp/processor of that system). For the channels beyond 7.1 it still gets more difficult. (The 7.1.4, 9.1.6, etc. PCM files can not be played over normal consumer systems).

As already said: if you want to measure a multichannel PRIR using only 2 speakers then you don't need all this, you can use the analog outputs of the A16.

 

[sander99]

I listened to the file level_cal.wav and noticed something odd:
The sweep that was played back on the right side surround by my Yamaha RX-V771 was band limited, as if it was the sweep for the subwoofer.
And the sweep that was played back on the subwoofer was full range.
Maybe for the level calibration it wasn't a problem and the shorter sweep still gave a good gain.
The files in PCM_sound_room_8 look better but also have one little odd thing, at least I find it odd but maybe it is okay: the signal for the surrounds goes to the back surrounds (I would have expected it to go to the side surrounds).

 

[Got the Shakes]

I listened to the file level_cal.wav and noticed something odd:
The sweep that was played back on the right side surround by my Yamaha RX-V771 was band limited, as if it was the sweep for the subwoofer.
And the sweep that was played back on the subwoofer was full range.
Maybe for the level calibration it wasn't a problem and the shorter sweep still gave a good gain.
The files in PCM_sound_room_8 look better but also have one little odd thing, at least I find it odd but maybe it is okay: the signal for the surrounds goes to the back surrounds (I would have expected it to go to the side surrounds).

i used the files in sound room 8 for my capture. I setup the room before measuring on the A16 with F, C, R, LS, RS, SW and when played the files the sweeps played on the correct speakers and the A16 recognized that it had captured the back speakers as LS RS instead of thinking the were LR RR so all seemed to work from what I could tell and the capture sounds really good.

 

[sander99]

@Got the Shakes: Ah, I did a little experiment: when I manually change the speaker setup in the Yamaha to 'surround back speakers: none' then the signals for the surrounds go to the side surrounds. Since you were measuring a 5.1 system I assume your receiver will be setup like that and do the same. That will usually be the case so it will usually work for measuring 5.1 rooms.
But that level_cal.wav is really strange. Maybe just luck that the short sweep was long enough to measure a good gain. Or now I come to think of it: maybe it used the sweep for the right rear surround (that would also have been played back over the same physical right surround speaker).