db settings?
10-13-00, 12:07 PM
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I was just wondering:
How should my surround, center and sub settigns be?
I currently have this config:
Left and right surrounds: +6
Center: +5
Sub: +8
Others on this forum mention that they have settings like -10 and -14.
My reciever is modest and has a max of 100 watts and my sub has a max of 60 watts.
I have a Technics Dolby Digital/DTS reciever (w/decorder), and It is my first reciever so I want to know If i'm getting the best quality audio.
And if possible, can you suggest how my compression settings should be on my DVD player? High, medium, or no compression?
[This message has been edited by Jar Jar Fett (edited October 13, 2000).]
How should my surround, center and sub settigns be?
I currently have this config:
Left and right surrounds: +6
Center: +5
Sub: +8
Others on this forum mention that they have settings like -10 and -14.
My reciever is modest and has a max of 100 watts and my sub has a max of 60 watts.
I have a Technics Dolby Digital/DTS reciever (w/decorder), and It is my first reciever so I want to know If i'm getting the best quality audio.
And if possible, can you suggest how my compression settings should be on my DVD player? High, medium, or no compression?
[This message has been edited by Jar Jar Fett (edited October 13, 2000).]
10-13-00, 12:48 PM
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Hi,
The settings for your mains, center and surrounds should be set so that they are the same loudness when listening from the listening position.
It will be different from person to person, receiver to receiver, room to room. Someone might have the same receiver as you but because their room is different, the acoustics are also different and the levels are not going to be the same as yours.
Use the test tones and set each speaker so that they sound the same by ear.
If you want to be more precise, go to Radioshack and get an SPL meter and use that as you will find that perceived loudness is not the same as actually loudness. If you want instructions on how to do it by an SPL meter if you do a search I'm sure you'll find a thread with it.
The Compression setting on your DVD player is for reducing the dynamic range of the movie soundtrack.
I'd set it to OFF so that you are getting the full range. When the compression is ON, this means that the DVD player will reduce the volume of the explosions (or other loud sounds) and increase the volume of the quieter sounds and keep the dialogue the same. This option is for those who want to turn up the volume so that they can hear the dialogue clearly but at the same time don't like to be overwhelmed by the loud explosions. This only works on Dolby Digital material and the soundtrack has to specifically be encoded with these compression flags/signals before each sound for the Compression feature to work.
Hope that helps.
Andy
[This message has been edited by Andy Kim (edited October 13, 2000).]
The settings for your mains, center and surrounds should be set so that they are the same loudness when listening from the listening position.
It will be different from person to person, receiver to receiver, room to room. Someone might have the same receiver as you but because their room is different, the acoustics are also different and the levels are not going to be the same as yours.
Use the test tones and set each speaker so that they sound the same by ear.
If you want to be more precise, go to Radioshack and get an SPL meter and use that as you will find that perceived loudness is not the same as actually loudness. If you want instructions on how to do it by an SPL meter if you do a search I'm sure you'll find a thread with it.
The Compression setting on your DVD player is for reducing the dynamic range of the movie soundtrack.
I'd set it to OFF so that you are getting the full range. When the compression is ON, this means that the DVD player will reduce the volume of the explosions (or other loud sounds) and increase the volume of the quieter sounds and keep the dialogue the same. This option is for those who want to turn up the volume so that they can hear the dialogue clearly but at the same time don't like to be overwhelmed by the loud explosions. This only works on Dolby Digital material and the soundtrack has to specifically be encoded with these compression flags/signals before each sound for the Compression feature to work.
Hope that helps.
Andy
[This message has been edited by Andy Kim (edited October 13, 2000).]
10-13-00, 01:42 PM
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thanks, Andy!
So, I should set my compression to off?
I've been keeping it on high!
I'll try to do another sound test tonight. I have a modest sized room. (a bed room!)
does dts get affected at all if the comp. setting is high?
So, I should set my compression to off?
I've been keeping it on high!
I'll try to do another sound test tonight. I have a modest sized room. (a bed room!)
does dts get affected at all if the comp. setting is high?
10-13-00, 04:20 PM
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Hi JJF,
If you have no problems with cranking up the volume (ie. no neighbours to worry about bothering or baby/wife that might wakeup with high volumes) then set it to OFF and let the soundtrack be heard as it was meant to be, with full dynamic range.
Someone like me on the other hand, I can't listen to explosions at loud volumes because I live in an apartment and I don't want to disturb my neighbour.
It only works on Dolby Digital sources so no, DTS will not be affected. (although I think there are a select minority of DVD players that work on all sources. in this case the method of compression is carried out differently).
The amount of compression determined is not arbitrary but predetermined and encoded by the soundmixer when mixing the audiotrack. Lets say there's a massive explosion in a movie that's really loud. Before the sound, the mixer will insert a flag to reduce that sound by "x" dB's when someone has their Compression feature ON.
SO whether the Compression feature will work or not like I said depends upon whether the movie was encoded with compression flags/signals. If the soundmixer didn't include these flags for compression then it doesn't matter whether you have the compression ON or OFF, it won't make a difference.
BTW, your receiver might also have this compression feature too...usually on receivers its called "Midnight Mode" and works only on Dolby Digital sources as well.
Andy
If you have no problems with cranking up the volume (ie. no neighbours to worry about bothering or baby/wife that might wakeup with high volumes) then set it to OFF and let the soundtrack be heard as it was meant to be, with full dynamic range.
Someone like me on the other hand, I can't listen to explosions at loud volumes because I live in an apartment and I don't want to disturb my neighbour.
It only works on Dolby Digital sources so no, DTS will not be affected. (although I think there are a select minority of DVD players that work on all sources. in this case the method of compression is carried out differently).
The amount of compression determined is not arbitrary but predetermined and encoded by the soundmixer when mixing the audiotrack. Lets say there's a massive explosion in a movie that's really loud. Before the sound, the mixer will insert a flag to reduce that sound by "x" dB's when someone has their Compression feature ON.
SO whether the Compression feature will work or not like I said depends upon whether the movie was encoded with compression flags/signals. If the soundmixer didn't include these flags for compression then it doesn't matter whether you have the compression ON or OFF, it won't make a difference.
BTW, your receiver might also have this compression feature too...usually on receivers its called "Midnight Mode" and works only on Dolby Digital sources as well.
Andy
