AV Controller Evolution Honolulu HI

If you were to vote on a piece of home theater equipment that has evolved more than any other, the AV controller would have to be on the ballot. Not only has its functions increased over the years, but its physical chassis has grown as wellfrom a couple of inches to nearly afoot tall. With all the advancements in modern AV controllers, it can be challenging to stay abreast of the latest features. Here are just a few of the things you’re likely to encounter.

Trust, but Verify
This Russian saying is perhaps the most telling comment I could make about automatic audio setup systems. Yes, they are the hottest new feature to hit controllers in years, but do you trust them enough to turn them loose on your best clients high-end project?

To call them automatic calibration systems is not really accurate, because true calibration involves many more steps than even the most advanced automatic system provides. However, automatic setup can reduce some of the legwork involved in the more menial aspects of calibration. For example, the better systems are pretty good at detecting speaker distances and levels. They are far less reliable for setting crossovers and equalization, which can prove challenging even for experienced humans with advanced test gear.

Regardless of how good an automatic system is you should always check its results manually. You know the drill: a measuring tape for speaker distances, a calibrated SPL meter for levels, an analyzer of some description for crossovers and especially equalization, and test discs to generate the necessary signals.

For some things, such as speaker distances, automatic setup may, in fact, turn out to be more accurate than your manual efforts. Controllers with automatic setup often have very fine delay resolution(some as fine as 0.1 feet), which is outstanding.

Levels are a slightly different story. For starters, the controllers gain structure needs to comply with the film industry’s reference scale. Channel level test noise (on disc or internal) at -30dBFS should be output at a voltage that produces 75dB SPL from the speakers at the listening position. If the automatic system doesn’t start from this premise, it can end up balancing all the channels so that they match each other, but the overall level is still too high or low. For this reason, the volume control should have a reference level clearly marked, with at least 12dB of gain above reference (for particularly soft recordings), and at least 12dB of boost and cut for each channel. Otherwise, it may be impossible to calibrate the controller to reference level even manually.

This brings us to crossovers and equalization. Even older controllers will probably have more choices for filter type, frequency, and slope than you could ever possibly use. Unfortunately, in their zeal to be flexible, manufacturers occasionally forget to include the most commonly needed filters, such as the ubiquitous 80 Hz Linkwitz-Rileysecond-order high pass and fourth order low pass. The ideal solution isto measure f...

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