TOPIC:

Hi All,

This is my first post to this community so I am hoping you can help me out. 
I am installing an elaborate Home theatre system for a client and I am having a hard time trying to get my Dirac to spit the pink noise out of the first sub in the system.

For context: I have TWO DDRC-88BM systems With Balanced inputs as well as out puts. 

                                                                                   
My layout goes like this:  Marantz 7706 (preamp)

---

>   DDRC-1 Inputs In order: L,R,LFE, C, LSS, RSS, LTS, RTS
                                                                             

---

>   DDRC-2 Inputs In order: LRS, RRS, LTRS, RTRS, LFE IN from DDRC-1

                               -      All Mains and surrounds go to TWO Marantz M8077 for power. My LFE channel from DDRC-1 is fed from Output 3 to Input 5 On DDRC-2.
                               -      DDRC-2 Has outputs 5-8 wired each to a B&W SA250 Mk2.


So I have 4 Subs in each corner of the room that I am trying to get right with MSO. I have tested all amps and cable connections and the sub and amp is working fine and every thing is wired correctly and all inputs and outputs have balanced connections. Their order is: Left Front Sub, Right Front Sub, Left Rear Sub, Right Rear Sub. 

For some reason When I am in the DDRC88-BM plug in My Dirac input #5 is reading an output level of -250 dBFs when the system is at idle. 

Every input is sitting at a comfortable -108 dBFs, every output Except Dirac output #5. Which is sitting at -254 dBFs. 

I have looked everywhere online and in manuals trying to figure this out. 

When I launch Dirac I can send a healthy pink noise signal to all of my speakers except this one channel #5(Front Left Sub)

I have attached my DDRC-88BM Plug in screen shots so you can see how I currently have it routed. It seems like no mater how I re-rout the ins/outs I still can't get anything to happen. What Am I doing wrong here? 

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. 

 

Why are you passing the LFE through ddrc1 rather than direct into ddrc2?


Edit. And if you're using MSO, then all your subs need to be on a single dirac channel.

Edit 2: what sort of system is this? 7.4?

asx77 wrote:

Why are you passing the LFE through ddrc1 rather than direct into ddrc2?
 

You know what, i never thought of that. I was more concerned with sticking to SMTPE order and using all the inputs. But regardless of where the LFE signal  is coming in  can’t seem to get all 4 of the sub channels to fire individually only the first, or the other 3.

Edit. And if you're using MSO, then all your subs need to be on a single dirac channel.

I haven't got around to MSO yet. I wanted to compare it with just DIRAC’ing the 4 subs individually then use the DDRC88-1 as the MSO single channel? 

Edit 2: what sort of system is this? 7.4?

This is a 7.4.1 system 4 surrounds, 4 tops, 1 LFE channel feeding 4 sub Amps.

It's not something daft like the gain on the sub itself being turned right down is it?

 Your routing I'd set up like this:

Note on ddrc1 the LFE mgt channel is zone 2 so Dirac on DDRC1 doesn't try to optimise it. You don't want that to happen until DDRC2. 

On DDRC2 dirac needs to see all subs as a single cohesive speaker which is where MSO comes into play. 

I guess you can allow dirac to set gains and delays for each channel but then you'll need to add an additional delay to DDRC1 outputs to account for the processing time of DDRC2. And then use the master gain control on both to level match DDRC1 with DDRC2.

That was my first place to check lol. All the amps were good. I managed to get it to co-operate after I  wiped all my config's and zones and started over. 
I ran Dirac Live and it shot and tuned each output as expected, however my set-up looks different than what you provided here. 

So Now My Set up on DDRC-2 Looks like this: 
 

I am going to re-shoot my DDRC-1 now separate my LFE Channel. 

Although it is different than what you provided, I am hopeful I will get a half decent result...

Curious to know how you would personally set up a system to get the best result? 

I guess the whole reason I did it this way was to utilize the bass management form all mains and surrounds on both units after doing my Dirac Live  and before starting MSO.

To be honest I've never done a system this large or used Minidsp or Dirac. Every install i've done in the past has been in a recording studio using REW and outboard EQ's to tune systems. The professional standard seems so much easier to set up than this home theatre stuff lol. 

Thanks again for your help. 

 

DiCarloDesign wrote:

Curious to know how you would personally set up a system to get the best result? 





 

Precisely they way I'm describing it to you and showed in the previously attached tables. The routing I've shown does not stop you using BM but you've got to get your routing correct first. BM is that last thing you need to set up.

But when you do you'll apply your filters to the BM tab of DDRC1 and send the low stuff from all channels and the totality of the LFE channel to the combined "LFE Mgt". But you dont want to Dirac it on DDRC1 which is why I said set that channel as zone 2. Pass the "LFE Mgt" over to DDRC2 where you can add the bass from your height channels*. Then you have two options: (1) send that LFE Mgt signal to DIRAC, 5,6,7,8 with each of those dirac channels connected to a sub or for better results I'd (2) send the LFE Mgt to ONE Dirac channel and have that outputting to all the subs. For this to work you will have needed to already level matched your subs, taken measurements of them, MSO'd them, and loaded up the biquads from MSO into the outputs tab as required. 


*so note I'm assuming the height channels have bass content that needs managing. If they don't then I think you can further simplify what I've described above. If they don't have bass that needs to go to the LFE mgt then leave the LFE mgt on zone one of DDRC1 and Dirac will do its best to level match your subs with your 7 mains but this relies more heavily on you MSO'ing the subs on DDRC2.

DiCarloDesign wrote:

Thanks again for your help. 




 

That's ok. I've had a lot of help from others on here over the years. Just passing on the favour.