Music with Good Bass lines for tuning subwoofers.

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marpow

2K Club - QQ Super Nova
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Hi, I will be tuning my subs shortly and was wondering if you knew of good music for tuning/phase, etc?
I was listening to the radio and Joe Walsh's Life's Been Good was one that seemed OK, but would be good to have a mini arsenal.
 
Your spot on, my plan is to do that in about 2 months after my break in period. I have studied a lot about REW and is my plan.
There is a new correction called Trinnov and state of the art but too expensive.
Trinnov is the best but out of my league. but just for tuning subs as you probably know, a minidsp of some type and the REW will get things sounding great.
 
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there are certain calibration discs (https://www.amazon.com/Disney-WOW-World-Wonder-Blu-ray/dp/B0045ASBLG , https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Video-Essentials-Basics-Blu-ray/dp/B000V6LST0 ) you can buy that have all kinds of specific frequencies, phase, rattle, etc for tuning subs. There is even one (https://www.amazon.com/AIX-Records-Blu-Ray-Calibration-Sampler/dp/B004IO8UFQ) where it tests the crossover from your front speakers to your sub so you can see exactly what crossover to set your sub to. It's really cool because it will send a frequency sweep from 125Hz to 10Hz in a direction from your front speakers to your sub and you can hear the exact specific frequency the fronts stop outputting and your sub starts outputting. These discs are much more precise than simple low frequency music.
 
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Keep in mind that the roll off on your main speakers and where your sub kicks in blend, typically at a 60 db per octave slope. I think it's a bit misleading to think that there's a point at which this transition happens. Yes, there's probably a point at which it's 50/50. A lot of the art to tuning your subs is to make sure that there's not a big hump at that point. You certainly want low base extension, but ideally it should be somewhat subtle, not just wow man the bass really is kicking like an MF right here. To that end, my suggestion is to listen to music that you are already quite familiar with that is well recorded. Whatever your go-to music is already that you would test any sound system with should not be forgotten. For example, there's certain steely Dan and Gustav Mahler recordings that I have been listening to for decades. Those are a great frame of reference for me because I can easily detect if they sound "better" than what I am used to hearing from them. A good well-tuned subwoofer should make its presence known without being in your face.
 
Keep in mind that the roll off on your main speakers and where your sub kicks in blend, typically at a 6 db per octave slope. I think it's a bit misleading to think that there's a point at which this transition happens. Yes, there's probably a point at which it's 50/50. A lot of the art to tuning your subs is to make sure that there's not a big hump at that point. You certainly want low base extension, but ideally it should be somewhat subtle, not just wow man the bass really is kicking like an MF right here. To that end, my suggestion is to listen to music that you are already quite familiar with that is well recorded. Whatever your go-to music is already that you would test any sound system with should not be forgotten. For example, there's certain steely Dan and Gustav Mahler recordings that I have been listening to for decades. Those are a great frame of reference for me because I can easily detect if they sound "better" than what I am used to hearing from them. A good well-tuned subwoofer should make its presence known without being in your face.
 
Keep in mind that the roll off on your main speakers and where your sub kicks in blend, typically at a 60 db per octave slope. I think it's a bit misleading to think that there's a point at which this transition happens. Yes, there's probably a point at which it's 50/50. A lot of the art to tuning your subs is to make sure that there's not a big hump at that point.

All true. I stand corrected :)
 
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