_Please note: volume levels have been lowered during the "test tone" sections, but return to normal outside of those specific instances._ Also, some receivers don't feature a "dB" or decibel volume mode and instead have a volume scale going from 0-99. Setup will still be relatively the same, you can just leave the front left channel's trim level at 0dB and adjust the volume until it reads 75dB on the SPL meter while using the tone generator in REW. Then you can adjust all the speaker trim levels to match the front left (along with the subwoofer as well). If you'd like a video tutorial covering that type of speaker level matching, leave me a comment below and let me know.

May not be "optimal", but for atmos speakers. you could plug them into say, the left front speaker, calibrate distance/crossover and such, then plug it back in to its normal output and set the calibrated numbers. Its something I've done and it worked out ok for me.

Brad, thank you!! I sure wish that AVRs would take in the REW setting directly. The internal factory room cal systems often do more harm than good.

Great REW series. You can open the receiver’s management settings by entering the IP address in a browser on the computer, and change the level settings that way. It eliminates going back, and forth with REW and the receiver’s On Screen Settings.

Thanks for the tip. Best regards from Poland ;)

The sub level matching using the left speaker might not be accurate, especially if you don’t have a seamless crossover from the sub to your speaker. I would actually suggest using the 4th output in REW. It’s the LFE channel and it is typically 10db hotter than other channels. So you could level it to 85db or lower the input volume from -30dbfs to -40dbfs and go for the 75db target.

Approached level setting a bit different. I use REW to set the L to 75db and then use the Dolby 7.1.4 TrueHD-Atmos pink noise demo video you can find on most Dolby demo download sites to calibrate the rest of the speakers. It plays about 3db louder than REW on the calibrated L channel using my HTPC media player so I walk through each speaker on the demo and calibrate the other speakers to 78db which should put them all at REW's 75db including Atmos speakers. On a similar thought, I also leave Dynamic EQ on since I do use it. Two advantages are that levels are calibrated for Atmos and my HTPC which is my primary source for content with Atmos being my primary mode of listening to it.

Thanks for great tips.. 😁 I must try your tip for sub level using front left channel.. 😁 What I did before this video, was. - measure each channel like you suggested.. BUT.. use full range pink tones option and unplug the subwoofer prior to tones... So bass is not steered to sub at same time. I set all levels to 75 like you suggested.. Now for sub, I use same full range pink noise and select lfe channel amd and set to 75db.. This method won't have the hot sub levels like you get if you used the sub pink noise option.. I then bump up subs like you said aprox +4db.. For atmos, your suggestion is great😁 And as an alternative, if you have the atmos demo disc, it has test tones on it.. Take a reading from left channel with its tones, (make sure to unplug sub again so no bass is steered to it). turn up master volume on stereo to get 75db as a reference.. Now goto test tones for atmos channels on disc, and make them also 75db.. Now turn back on sub and good to go. 😁

Thanks for these instructions - I've ordered a UMIK-1 a couple of days ago, and these instructions will definitely be of use in the coming days/weeks/months. ;)

Look forward to the new tutorial I was like a fish out of water watch the old one then my new Mini DSP 2x4 HD arrived this console popped up and to be real honest I was flummoxed . Old 76 yr old guy trying to set up my subs

1) Since it's a Denon AVR, should we be boosting the gain on the subs/input to the miniDSP to get something that's more in the negatives? Like below -6 to ensure there's no clipping from the AVR? 2) Should we level match before deciding on the best crossover frequencies since if they're off a few dB from the AVR calibration, then there might not be as smooth of a response if we decided the crossovers first? 3) If we have the +10dB house curve from your previous videos, would setting the subwoofer to 75db technically make it not really go from 85-75dB? So maybe another reason to keep it a few dB higher?

Doing this settings than Audessey after will stuff all your calibration? I always thought you do Audessey first than alter after?

Absolutely 💯 the best explanation yet!

Hi, great set of videos. Thx! I was able to level match the speakers, but not sure how to generate tone for the Subs. I am using ASIO4All and High Definition Audio 1 w Sub Call pink noise. Should I be using High Definition Audio 4? Do i need todo any changes to the SPL setup?

I have a 5.1 running through and older yamaha receiver that does not do individual test tones for each channel. It rotates through each channel every couple of seconds. If i level all of my channels to 75db through REW, do i need to double check the levels with the yamaha test tones and adjust again?

I have a onkyo pre pro. Its internal test tones are played at reference level. The master volume does not allow to increase or decrease the test tone volume. So u need to reach the 75db mark by adjusting the trim level by measuring from ur seating.

Now you can use external test tones with the new Spears and Munsil or the Spatial Audio Calibration Toolkit. I use SACT and it works fantastically.

I have a question about sub volume. I have an SVS pro sub that comes with an app where I can control the volume of the sub from my phone. Should the app level be set to a certain level when calibrating to the 75 DB? Should I set the app to 0 as well if this is my receiver reference volume?

Love your TShirt! Thanks for the video!

Hopefully I'll get a chance to work with this and dirac live more tonight. So far, I'm lost.

Hello and best regards from Austria 🇦🇹 (Europe). Thanks for your tips, very helpful! But there is no ASIO for MAC OS, what else can I use? Thanks very much,

Do we do this before or after Audessey through MulEQ?

Is it true you don’t need asioforall anymore for all channels ?

Awesome video Brad and thank you for the content! I'm a super slow learner and you've made it simple to implement. In terms of level matching for dual subs do i follow the same concept but adjust the sub levels for both subs? Or is it a different setting in REW?

When measuring , if I have high back recliner, should I recline so mic is not influenced by the back of chair at ear level?

Hi Brad thanks again for your hard work. I'm revisiting the video because i made some changes to my home theater system. I have two subs so when i level match them to 75db, do i turn one off and the other on and viceversa or do i leave them both on? Thanks in advance!

why you dont select the multicannel output via Windows so you can select directly in REW every speaker cannel ?

im confused. so i plug in the microphone into the computer, download the files and software. i click the "play" button in the REW software (once i select either sub or speaker) and then i play test tones through my speakers to find out 75db? is this right?

Is it good to have all the speakers in postive values? I've hear that doing that you are introducing unwanted noise into the signal.

Brad another great video! I do have an issue when it comes to the subwoofer. You mentioned to use High Definition Audio 1 and then pick Sub Cal. No matter what I do the sound continues to play out of my left main instead of the sub. Any suggestions?

I get sound in my left channel also when trying to run Sub Cal on L. Is this correct? AVR set to Multi channel in and Crossover is at 80hz.

Can I use YAPO instead of Mike. How to do it with YAPO connecting with laptop n HDMI with laptop to AVR HDMI. Pl suggest. I received YAPO so with the help of this I can set speakers level. Pl reply.

When matching the speaker levels whats about audyssey status? is it turned on or off?

Another great video! A few questions. Why is there a big difference in level between using this method or using Audyssey? Audyssey sets level almost to 0db maybe +.5 or +1 and with REW is +3 even +5. If you choose the REW level matching would that mean that the AVR amps will be working harder to produce those high dbs?

Hi you do know why the ch 4 aka subwoofer channel is hot right ? This is because of the +10 db lfe boost that is meant to be ! So minus 30 equals 75 db on all speakers except sub - here you should have 85 db. The question in doing this how precise is the mic vs subwoofer tones - fluctuating up and down. In my mind you should never use internal tones since they are stripped from eq and does not give you correct read out. Use testtones from REW or dvd with test tones. Then you get tones after eq and is correct. Btw internal test tones reads 75 db on all - also sub since here they have removed the boost.

Awesome Brad...Just 1 question. Should I turn off the reference in the audyssey eqxt32 Before doing level calibration or leave it on reference? . I just saw that you mentioned at minute 6:50 of this video that you had Audyssey enabled so I guess keep it eqxt32 on reference mode....Thanks again

Clear as mud.

Maybe stupid question, but If you do adyssey etc room correction For My understanding that allready Do that speaker levels "adjustment". Or am i wrong? P.s. Thanks For awesome videos.

Hey Brad: In the video, you mention that the generator should be set to "Pink PN" (Pink Periodic Noise) in non-beta REW, yet it appears you're doing your measurements with "Pink Random", which equates to the "Pink Noise" setting in the non-beta REW generator. Which one should we be using when level matching?

Can you explain how you were able to adjust your subwoofer trim through your left channel speaker? When I tried that method in the video, the sub cal tone played through my left front speaker, not the sub, so there was no way to adjust the subwoofer trim this way for me. I had to drop the MV by 10dB (since the sub cal via the LFE channel in REW runs 10dB hotter), select the LFE channel, with the sub cal test tone, and adjust using that method.

Tried this, why is my speaker trim so high? Eg +10db, +9db. Is this normal?

Hi gamer, thanks for your explanations. you made it simple for a diy. Please, I will like to know, can REW be used in a live sound set up?

When doing this should audyssey be turn off?

Guys, need a help.. it may be a dumb question but want to get clarified. Should we set the distance of speakers first before we start the level matching? I set the cross over of all speakers to 80hz but have a question on the distance of speakers.

How do I know what reference level is for my Maestro X7 - when movies play Im usually listening at about 60 on the volume level which seems to go from 0-100. Not like your AVR which goes to 0....Thanks again for this super helpful REW vid!

What’s the point of using the tone generator in REW, instead of simply using the tone output while using the receiver’s speaker setup menu (like what you did for the Atmos channels)? I went thru on my Onkyo to manually set speaker trim levels, using REW as an SPL meter, and it worked fine (I think!?). Also, I set everything to 65dB, because it was less annoying to my dog during the process. I figure as long as they all match, it shouldn’t matter. Am I correct?

Hi, so when I set my receiver at 0db and the tone generator in rew at -30.00, the SLP meter only reads 61db. And I don't think it's good to ad 10db to the speakers. So what could be the problem here and should I maybe aim for another ref level, because tbh, my ears can't even take 61 db.

I can't for the life of me remember how to get the Denon receiver menu to overlay on the tv so you can see what you are doing on the pc while adjusting settings on the receiver. Is there a setting I'm missing?

I can't get rew to play the lfe sound. It can play the other speakers just fine. I can get lfe sound with avr internal testtones and when running measurement sweeps in rew

Why would you not use L+R mode for sub level matching. Why would you just tune it with one? And for that matter all other speakers are tuned individually. Why not use L+R and unplug front speakers to only here the sub and bring it up to 75dB?

At what volume should i set my PC volume? Should it set it to 100?

Master volume 0 on AVR no sound effect. So what to do. What Master volume?

should i switch off audyssey first? thank you

If some av receivers doesn't have multi channel in then whats the solution for that?

i've never really understood that why subs need to be at the same level with the other speakers...i have two 15" subs and if i put those subs to same level with all the other speakers, there will be WAY too much bass..especially if there is loud explosion or something like that in the movie...as funny (or wrong)as it seems, i've always set the bass like 20dB less than other speakers..and still there is so much bass that the couch is shaking...

Genuinely curious why you opt for the REW tone generator instead of the one built in to your receiver.

Why not just tell your AVR your atmos speakers are surround speakers and level match them that way then flip it back when you're done?

How to download free REW FREE SOFTWARE

Omg what are you talking about...what are you doing.. Why on earth are you using the test tones of the avr?? Sorry but you clearly have no idea what you doing! Work only with the tone generator and change db on AVR remote via option - channel level that's is for Marantz and Denon receivers. That way Audyssey in enabled! All avrs have such an option on remote!!