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“Large”. Selecting the size accordingly will ensure bass goes to most appro-
priate speakers, and use the subwoofer correctly too. Also, is your sub-
woofer turned “ON”? We don’t mean “is your subwoofer
amplifier
on?” (that’ll be important later too!) but rather,
is your receiver sending a
bass signal to your sub amp
? This can only happen if you say “Yes” (or
“ON”) to the “Subwoofer” setting of any typical Dolby Digital/DTS capable
receiver.
•
I
s your receiver connected to the sub amp?
Use a well-shielded RCA
cable (sometimes called a “patch cord”) to hook to the subwoofer output of
your DD/DTS receiver to either input jack of your subwoofer amplifier. As
mentioned earlier, you’ll need to “split” the subwoofer signal with a “Y
Cable” if you bought a pair of subs.
•
I
s your Radio Shack ® sound pressure level (SPL) meter ready?
This tool is absolutely critical to proper home theater au-
dio calibration. It’s akin to a tire pressure gauge for your
car. Set the meter to “Slow” and “C-weighting” (and
turn the dial to 70dB). The manual which comes with the
SPL meter is excellent, and we recommend you read it
entirely. Haven’t got the meter yet? Well, head on down
to your neighborhood Radio Shack ® and snag one. We
prefer the analog instead of the digital display model. Ask
for part number 33-2050. At about $38, it’s a bargain.
Getting ready to start now: Just a few more checks. Make sure your receiver/
processor master volume is set at “00 dB” or some other easy to remember refer-
ence level. Finally, ensure your subwoofer’s volume control is set 1/2 to 3/4ths
up, to start. It’s also critical to check the subwoofer level control of your sur-
round receiver before you begin the test tones. Set it to no higher than “-5 dB”
initially (that’s one quarter way up, given a typical receiver’s channel limits of –
10 dB to +10 dB) . Your LFE “trim”, if you have one, should be set to 0dB to
start (that’s full up) but this can be dialed down later to tame peaks if needed.
Turn off ANY sound-field processing modes, “peak limiters” etc.!
Now play your receiver's internal test tones so you have something to
measure with your SPL meter. Or better yet, buy a calibration disk, like the
Video Essentials, or Avia DVDs. A test disk’s tones ensure your entire signal
path, from the DVD player to your speakers, is set correctly. Whatever you use,
when the tones start alternating from speaker to speaker (watch your sound meter
now), set each full range speaker’s volume to about 75 dB (or 85dB if using
Avia), by using the receiver’s dedicated channel level controls (leaving master
volume the same). We recommend you turn down the receiver’s subwoofer out-
put level, before you significantly lower your sub’s volume control. This helps