HTP-1 Installation and User Guide Release 1.8.1
Dirac Calibration
The Monolith
™
HTP-1 supports Dirac Live® room correction. Using a calibrated microphone, the system
listens to the response of your room and your speakers and applies corrections to make the system
more linear and hence more correct.
The calibration system addresses several aspects of the system:
1. It set the delays on the speakers. Sound travels about one foot per millisecond. The delays are
designed to ensure that sound from all speakers reaches your ears at the same time. If the
delays are not set correctly you are likely to perceive a sound in the center as coming from one
side or the other.
2. It sets the trim for each speaker. Different speakers and amplifiers produce a different sound
level for a given amplifier power. Distance also plays a role. Speaker trims are included so that
the same sound from each speaker reaches your ears with the same loudness.
3. It corrects the frequency response of the system. The frequency response of speakers is often
not flat. The DiracLive system measures the frequency response and renders it flatter.
4. It provides measurements of the frequency response of each of your speakers, allowing you to
set up the crossovers in the bass manager. The frequency response measurement reveals the
low frequency performance (the cutoff frequency) of each speaker. This is the information you
need to set up bass management.
The HTP-1 system makes it easy to do a Dirac® calibration, and you should do such a calibration. Setting
up your speakers correctly is a key part of getting the best sound out of your system. Dirac also offers a
more sophisticated bass management system referred to as Dirac Live Bass Control. This system is
particularly useful when multiple subwoofers are used. Dirac Live Bass Control for multiple subwoofers
analyzes the interaction between the multiple subwoofers and tunes the delays and filters to achieve an
optimized response over the listening area.
The Dirac Live® room correction features make this easy to do using HTP-1, but you still have to follow
the right steps. In outline form:
-
Turn off the equalizers (PEQ). If these are enabled during calibration, the Dirac filter will attempt
to nullify the equalizers to a flat response. Some advanced users might wish to
, for instance, to address speaker resonances. This is a very
advanced topic. Don’t start with it. Other sound enhancement and equalization features such as
tone control and loudness are automatically disabled.
-
Use the
SPEAKERS
tab on the
System Configuration
screen to enable all of the speakers you
have. Don’t worry about the size settings yet, but you do need to label Dolby Enabled speakers
accordingly if you use them.
-
Perform a Dirac calibration. A calibrated USB microphone is recommended (required) for this
purpose. Using an uncalibrated mic will skew the frequency response of your system. Common
microphones in laptops are definitely unsuitable. The calibration procedure is described in more
detail below.
HTP-1 User Manual
Page 48
V1.8.1
