KRK-RP5 & RP10S Monitor setup. Need help with adjusting subwoofer levels

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kingjahrome
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2007/02/26 00:25:45 (permalink)

KRK-RP5 & RP10S Monitor setup. Need help with adjusting subwoofer levels

Hi!

I've been using KRK Rokit 5 monitors for a good while and they've lacked low end. I just got the RP10S subwoofer today and it's really thrown my monitoring setup out of whack and I don't quite know how to get it adjusted. KRK recommends initially setting all the volume knobs to +6db on the stereo monitors and sub. Then they recommend to adjust the monitor setup for volume using "pink noise" at certain frequencies. Does anyone know how to go about doing this? My setup is a Motu 828mkii. Are there wav files out there that could facilitate this? Their process sounds more suited for an engineer at a studio than a home recorder.

I've been listening to several songs on winamp and adjusting the sub for what sounds good to me. At +6 the sub totally blows away the RP5's also set to +6 and you cannot hear the high end well enough. Putting the sub on +3 makes it more bearable but still seems a bit loud. I've been listening to it a lot and cannot tell what is the "truest" setting.

I'd like to get it set to where I know the mix should translate well to other speakers. Any thoughts on how to go about doing this?

Thanks in advance for any help here.

-jeremy


Sound on Sound had and interesting article on this...I'm still not sure what to do though!
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul02/articles/subwoofers.asp
post edited by kingjahrome - 2007/02/26 01:14:23
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    MarlboroMan23
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    RE: KRK-RP5 & RP10S Monitor setup. Need help with adjusting subwoofer levels 2007/02/26 02:11:45 (permalink)
    Maybe if you had a song you were familiar with playing through the setup while seated in the monitoring position and you had someone else slowly raise up the RP10S level until it sounded right. Try it with 4-5 songs until you get a concensus as to were the level should be. It's pretty unscientific but probably better than crawling around on the floor A-B-C-D..ing different settings.

    most authors of novels regarded as classics are dead, classic novels are, therefore, most likely to be written by dead people.
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    kingjahrome
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    RE: KRK-RP5 & RP10S Monitor setup. Need help with adjusting subwoofer levels 2007/02/26 15:19:20 (permalink)
    Hey MarlboroMan,
    Thanks I'll try that approach. I like the idea of someone else crawling around for 4 or 5 songs while I kick back and listen.

    I didn't spend nearly enough time getting this set up yesterday and jumped into mixing with the sub too soon. I was pretty frustrated to say the least and made my mixes sound way worse than they were to begin with. Maybe I'll hook up a mic as well and measure the levels with cakewalks db meters. I'm having a really difficult time judging the volume levels of just the sub, vs. just the stereo monitors.

    Can you recommend any CD's to try out? Sound on Sound recommends Robben Ford but I'm not familiar with him. What about Sting? Maybe Bela Fleck and the Flecktones? I think Blu-Bop and some Victor Wooten might be a good to start with.

    post edited by kingjahrome - 2007/02/26 15:41:23
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    Steve_Karl
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    RE: KRK-RP5 & RP10S Monitor setup. Need help with adjusting subwoofer levels 2007/02/26 15:31:52 (permalink)
    The CDs you're mentioning are probably great but I doubt that they have the clinical aspect that I'd hope to find in a CD I'd trust for a setup.

    If I had to walk in and do it real quick here's what I'd bring:
    Steely Dan - "2 Against Nature"
    Make everything "Look" like it's on the same vertical plane.


    If I had more time:

    "Rio" by Sergio Mendez
    Round and warm.


    Yes. "90125"
    The mixing on this one is intentional and shows the artistry of the engineer.
    It "looks" Gray.
    There are certain mix moves in this CD that are "telling" about balance.
    You'd have to get familiar with it and hear it on a tuned system to use it to tune yours.

    Tears For Fears: "Sowing the Seeds of Love"
    Very well engineered. An other "Gray" production.
    A bit flatter and less "edgy" than 90125 with a slightly larger vertical plane.

    Oleta Adams: "Circle of One"
    Rich warm color.
    Similar to Sergio's "Rio" but not as rounded at the extreemes.
    Stronge fundamentals woody mids ... especially in some vocal tones, that are very "telling".
    "Ahhhh" .... the air in the back of the throat combined with strong mids.
    There's a lot of sonic information on this one.

    Of course ... it's all my subjective take on it.

    Have fun.

    post edited by Steve_Karl - 2007/02/26 16:07:57

    Steve Karl
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    holderofthehorns
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    RE: KRK-RP5 & RP10S Monitor setup. Need help with adjusting subwoofer levels 2007/02/26 20:59:53 (permalink)
    http://www.realtraps.com/test-cd.htm

    Also lots of good tutorial type stuff for room treatment, which includes room testing.

    Eric Anderson
    HolderOfTheHorns - It's a Viking thing.
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    kingjahrome
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    RE: KRK-RP5 & RP10S Monitor setup. Need help with adjusting subwoofer levels 2007/02/27 19:03:20 (permalink)
    Hey Eric and Steve,
    Thanks a lot for the recommendations.

    I've been listening to Yes greatest hits which has some cuts from 90125. I'll have to check out some of the artists you recommended too. It's pretty amazing what I'm hearing out of the Rokit 5's. The sub definitely seems to be in the ballpark now too. My wife helped me listen last night and get it adjusted.

    I put in Bob Marley Legend. It's very noticeable how much more bass gets mixed in with the reggae. Things seem very even for the rock I'm listening too, but the reggae is really booming!

    I just downloaded the test files too and will play with those as well.
    post edited by kingjahrome - 2007/02/27 19:25:05
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    chadherrella
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    Re:KRK-RP5 & RP10S Monitor setup. Need help with adjusting subwoofer levels 2011/01/31 15:04:29 (permalink)
    I just got my krk rp5s and 10s sub. 

    heres how i balanced the 10s with the rp5s.

    things you need:

    audio file sweeping from 20hz to 20khz - download link at http://tinyurl.com/4sfo6y2
    need spl meter  set to slow C-weight
    if using krk rp5s set level at rear to +6db
    if using krk 10s set te crossover to 80hz

    turn on spl meter , stand at listening level
    play audio file...at 14 sec u should get a peak db reading on your Spl meter.
    at 28 sec u should get another peak db reading on your spl meter.

    (i got my peak levels at 14 sec and 28 sec but your setup could be different,  just note the highest db levels and match them)

    adjust the volume level of your subwoofer at the rear of it until the first db peak reading matches the other peak readings.

    heres a video i made --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7_F9aBP-B0
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