- SONARWORKS REFERENCE 4 CALIBRATION PROFILE SERIAL NUMBER
- SONARWORKS REFERENCE 4 CALIBRATION PROFILE UPGRADE
- SONARWORKS REFERENCE 4 CALIBRATION PROFILE PRO
- SONARWORKS REFERENCE 4 CALIBRATION PROFILE SOFTWARE
- SONARWORKS REFERENCE 4 CALIBRATION PROFILE PC
(I thought the 'I' was a '1', and that profile obviously couldn't be downloaded because it didn't exist.)
SONARWORKS REFERENCE 4 CALIBRATION PROFILE SERIAL NUMBER
The serial number of the mic is required to download the correct calibration profile, but be aware that the numbers include letters. To that end, I strongly recommend getting Studio Edition with Mic because Sonarworks not only makes their own measurement microphone but they also individually profile each one so that you can download the curve of your mic from their website before you profile your speakers. After all, if the microphone has bumps and dips in its frequency response (and all mics do), it can't accurately measure for a flat curve. While you can use microphones recommended by Sonarworks (like the Behringer ECM8000), it's critical that each microphone is individually profiled. When you launch the app, it will take you through the profiling process. The Profiling ProcessĪfter you've installed Reference 4, you'll find an application called Reference 4 Measure. It then applies the profile to the audio playback of either the entire computer audio system or in any DAW via the Reference 4 plug-ins.
SONARWORKS REFERENCE 4 CALIBRATION PROFILE SOFTWARE
The sound is picked up by the mic and fed into the software that processes the results. The software connects to the audio interface and the speakers attached to it to play a series of pulses that measures distance via Doppler shift, as well as full-range frequency sweeps to analyze the frequency curve of the monitors.
SONARWORKS REFERENCE 4 CALIBRATION PROFILE PC
Profiling requires your speakers, an audio interface, a measurement microphone, and a Mac or PC running Reference 4. That's why you have to profile the speakers in your environment rather than use a pre-defined curve. Putting a speaker in any room will naturally alter its frequency response. The result is a neutral response that not only sounds wholly balanced but also lets me listen longer without ear fatigue due to bumps and dips in the uncorrected frequency curve.
SONARWORKS REFERENCE 4 CALIBRATION PROFILE PRO
Referring to the top of Figure 1., you'll see the measured response of the DT990 Pro headphones in blue, and the resulting frequency correction in red. To that end, Reference 4 currently comes with 112 popular headphone calibration profiles. (Beyerdynamic top, Philips below.)Ĭorrecting headphones is more standardized than speakers because the headphones always sit on the head of a human, so there are no other environmental variables to consider. They're not quite as bright, but they sound thinner in the low end and a somewhat more boxy sound, overall. I also have a pair of Philips SHP9500S cans. They're quite bright above 12kHz but have a richer low end than most open-back models. I like the Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 600 ohm headphones. When I take time to listen critically to my music library (something I try to do 3 to 4 hours a week), I'll plug my Oppo HA-2SE DAC into my computer, then choose a pair of headphones. (I installed it on both edit bay machines, as well as the laptop with which I travel.) Using Reference 4 With HeadphonesĪudiophiles like me like to listen to music with a high-performance DAC (digital-to-analog converter) and a pair of open-back headphones. All versions include the Systemwide app as well as the plug-ins in AAX, Audio Unit, RTAS, and VST formats, and each license allows installation on up to three computers.
SONARWORKS REFERENCE 4 CALIBRATION PROFILE UPGRADE
If you buy any version and want to upgrade the software or hardware, you can do so at a reduced cost, and you can buy the XREF20 mic or any pair of pre-calibrated headphones later. Studio Edition is the software for headphones and monitors only (no mic.) And Headphone Edition is the software that works with 112 pre-profiled headphones, but not studio monitors. Studio Edition with Mic bundle comes without headphones but includes the Sonarworks XREF20 measurement mic. Premium Bundle comes with a pre-calibrated pair of Sennheiser HD650 headphones. (More on the headphone aspect later.) Which Version To Get
That's where Reference 4 comes in, and it can give any speaker or headphone an uncolored response. But even the most expensive monitors aren't necessarily neutral-sounding, nor are most project studios sonically treated to produce a flat environment. Studio monitors are similar, but you'll never know how something sounds in the consumer world unless you trust your speakers to be faithfully revealing. Many are surprised by my answer: microphones and studio monitors. People often ask me to opine on the most critical studio components in which to invest.