Sonarworks just sent me this measurement microphone with a copy of their Reference 4
software. I think it's a good opportunity to learn about frequency response, phase interference,
and room EQ and by the end of this video, with a better understanding of those concepts,
we're going to bust the two biggest myths about Sonarworks.
But if you're new to this channel, my name is Kyle. If you want to
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Sonarworks Reference 4 is a software that aims to optimize the sound quality
at your listening position by correcting frequency response imbalances in your system.
To learn more about frequency response, watch this video.
The different components of your system will each contribute to these frequency response imbalances.
The frequency response of your speakers themselves, the dimensions and composition
of your room will all have an effect on the frequency response of your system as a whole.
Sonarworks will measure the effect that your speakers and your room
have on the frequency balance of signals passing through your system. And with that information,
the software will make corrections to your system so that the sound at the listening position is as
close to accurate as possible. Let's take a look at how well it accomplishes this goal.
Inside the box you'll find your 24-digit product key and basic instructions for downloading
the reference for software. The included microphone has a six-digit serial number.
Each microphone has been tested and associated with a unique frequency response graph that you
can look up using that serial number. As you can see, mine has a 6 dB boost in the high
frequency range. With this information, Reference 4 can take into consideration
the effect that the microphone, itself, has on the measurements and adjust accordingly.
The program will walk you step-by-step through the entire process. It's actually kind of fun
to see and hear all the tests that Reference 4 uses to make a model of the frequency response
of your room. To get an in-depth, step-by-step tutorial that I made, you can watch this video.
This graph represents the frequency response of my system before Sonarworks Reference 4.
Throughout the calibration process, Sonarworks determines this by sending test signals through
my speakers and out into my listening space. Then they record that test signal through their
proprietary microphone. It compares the signal picked up by the microphone at various points
in the room to the original signal within the computer. If the signals were perfectly identical,
there would be a straight line through the middle of this graph. However, as you can see,
my system has some inherent frequency imbalances. The graph shows that there
are peaks and dips at various frequencies. Some of these imbalances are a result of the
frequency response of my speakers themselves, and others are a result of my listening space.
Sounds take a variety of paths from the speaker to the microphone at the listening position.
It could take a direct path from speaker to microphone, but it could also take a reflected
indirect path from the speaker to the wall, or the ceiling, or the desk to the microphone.
Based on the difference between those paths, various frequencies will be either canceled out
(resulting in a dip in the frequency response graph) or summed together (resulting in a peak in
the frequency response graph). You can learn more about phase interference by watching this video.
In theory Sonarworks Reference 4 will apply an EQ that is the opposite frequency response curve,
smoothing out the imbalances of my system. But, unfortunately, it's not that simple,
which brings us to the two biggest myths surrounding Sonarworks Reference 4.
The first myth is something you've probably already heard while doing your research. People
like to say, "Sonarworks doesn't work at all", and this simply isn't true. Using Sonarworks did
improve the frequency response of my system. In my case, the lows were lifted and the low-mids were
smoothed out, preventing the masking that occurred in the mid-range before applying Sonarworks
Reference 4. This reduction in masking, in addition to some additive EQ, made my system sound
a bit brighter with increased intelligibility. In fact, I can prove that Sonarworks has improved
the frequency response of my system. Using a free measurement software called Roon EQ Wizard
and an Earthworks M23 measurement microphone, I'll measure the frequency response of my system before
and after applying the Sonarworks curve. You can see that the frequency response is closer to flat
when Sonarworks is engaged, but it's not perfect, which brings us to the second myth.
As many times as I've heard people say that Sonarworks doesn't work at all,
I've heard others say that Sonarworks can make any room sound perfect, and this is equally
untrue. That's because there are some acoustical problems that simply cannot be fixed using EQ.
Imagine that 1 kHz is being cancelled due to a reflection off of my desk. This would result in
a dip in the frequency response graph at 1 kHz. I can try to boost 1 kHz with an equalizer, but
that won't fix the problem. The direct sound is boosted by the EQ, but so is the reflected sound.
They just end up cancelling out no matter how much gain I add to 1 kHz. Another set of problems
that can't be fixed using Sonarworks is time problems. Each frequency will have a different
decay time in any given room. Sonarworks can adjust the relative level of each frequency,
but it can't adjust the amount of time it takes for each frequency to decay within your space.
So, is Sonarworks Reference 4 worth the investment? Well my answer is "Yes",
but only if you understand its strengths and its limitations. Sonarworks should be used as a part
of a more complete solution for improving the sound quality of your room. There are some things
that can be done to improve the acoustics of your room first. That way, Sonarworks can focus on what
it does best - correcting frequency problems that can be addressed using EQ. I'll put links in the
description of this video to some resources that will help you set up your room to get the most out
of Sonarworks Reference 4. In a future video, I'd like to implement some of those techniques
and run Sonarworks again to see if I can improve the accuracy of my system beyond
what Sonarworks has already done for me. You'll find a link to Reference 4 in the description,
as well. It's worth doing everything in your power to improve the accuracy of your system.
That way, mixing will be much easier and your mixes will translate to other systems much better.
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