“As I'm still using a Mac Pro "Cheesegrater" tower, unfortunately, I'm limited to calibrating just the stereo speakers in my home studio (though I do have a subwoofer). When I upgrade my CPU and OS, I know I will be able to calibrate everything I could possibly use including surround systems.
After a few tries and about half an hour, I was able to calibrate my home studio (a Pro Tools hardware system with Genelec 8040 speakers not placed ideally in an oddly shaped room).
The calibration was easy enough with the system walking me through every step, as well as available youtube tutorials. It took me a few tries to get the mic input set to a level that the calibration system liked but after that, it was relatively easy.
I found that using a mic stand helped with the initial listening position calibration as well as the near-speaker calibrations. At first, I thought the mic clip included with the calibration mic was the wrong size as it did not fit on the mic and I couldn't find any instructions regarding its proper use. With a little trial and error, I realized that it clips on the XLR connector, not the mic. After that, the process proceeded smoothly, removing the mic from the stand to move it to all the different positions requested by the calibration program. You definitely want to be able to clearly see your computer monitor when doing this step. When completed, I ended up with a response curve being generated that definitely gives me a flatter response, (something critical to making decisions while mixing in the studio).
I look forward to my imminent upgrades so I can re-calibrate with better speaker placement and the sub.
I know my mixes are translating much better for me since calibrating with the Sonarworks system.”
“There is a very real and surprisingly subtle effect after initiating the SoundID Reference. I've noticed that transients are much more punctuated and audible, my low end is less boomy, and the biggest difference for me is that audio is significantly less fatiguing to listen to for long stretches of time.”
“Given the widely variable frequency response among speakers and headphones, Sonarworks is an extremely useful tool that takes the guessing out of mixing. This is especially true if you are working in a poorly treated space.”
“Sonarworks has completely changed my entire production process for the better. I used to produce my music with what felt like sonic blind spots that resulted in tons of headache at the mix-down phase. Now that I utilize sonarworks in my studio, I am getting a true to form representation of my mix from the start of an idea to the finished product. My workflow is more efficient, my mix-downs are minimal, and most importantly my final product is better!”
“I ordered the software + microphone kit and am very happy with the purchase. It was delivered internationally in 3 days without any problems. I calibrated the software and am seeing significant improvements in how my speakers sound now.”
