Where to place the mic during Dirac Measurements
When you reach the measurement phase of Dirac, the software gives you a handful of listening positions to measure before proceeding. Depending on the size of the room, it’s hard to tell where you should put the microphone before each measurement.
When you reach the measurement stage, you will be presented with this image:
Dirac will ask you to measure the middle position first, roughly ear-level in the center of the listening position. After that, it will have you measure Top Front Right, Top Front Left, Bottom Front Right, and so on.
There is no hard-and-fast rule for exactly where to put each mic, so here’s some rough guidelines.
Below is an image from a home theater. The Main Position is in the center chair, roughly at head-height. All of the “Front” positions are parallel with the front of the couch, and the “Back” are parallel to or right behind the back of the couch.
For a a theater with multiple rows, consider measuring the back row of listening positions in line with the back row of seats.
The top row is just overhead, and the bottom row are level with the arm rests.
The next image is a bit different, but the same concept applies. There are 2 listening positions, so we would want the Main position to be in the middle between them.
You might do a second calibration to accommodate more guests in the room. The main position would stay roughly the same, but the furthest measurement positions might be closer to the armrests of the couches.
Disclaimer: fluffy white dog not included.
Again, these are guidelines to help you get a good idea of where to place the mic. Every install is going to be a bit different, so don’t be afraid to change the way you position the microphone. Maybe your client prefers sitting in the back left corner of their 4-row home theater, so you’ll want to have your Dirac measurement reflect where they like to listen from.
For additional assistance, contact our tech support team online, or give us a call at 425-775-8461 and dial 2 to reach the home techs. Representatives are available Monday thru Friday, 8am-5pm PST.
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