MA 1 AUTOMATIC MONITOR ALIGNMENT Instruction Manual georg neumann gmbh · leipziger str. 112 · 10117 berlin · germany tel +49 (0)30 / 41 77 24-0 · fax -50 · headoffice@neumann.com · www.neumann.com v1.1 Publ.
Contents MA 1 – Automatic Monitor Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Hardware requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Software requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MA 1 – Automatic Monitor Alignment This document describes the requirements and procedure for using the MA 1 Automatic Monitor Alignment. This version of the software just supports stereo systems with and without subwoofer. Hardware requirements • Loudspeakers • 1 pair of KH DSP loudspeakers or • 1 KH 750 DSP subwoofer in combination with a pair of KH DSP loudspeakers or with a pair of analog KH loudspeakers. • Neumann MA 1 measurement microphone • Computer (Windows 10 (64 bit), macOS Catalina, 10.13, 10.
System setup Proceed as follows to set up the system . Compatibility with Neumann.Control iPad app X The MA 1 – Automatic Monitor Alignment is not compatible with Neumann .Control iPad app . Use either the one or the other . X Using the Neumann .Control app before, while or after using the MA1 – Automatic Monitor Alignment app may cause invalid alignment results . To be certain that the alignment is and stays correct please: X Uninstall the Neumann .Control app from your iPad .
Use the following settings for the KH 750 DSP. X Use the following settings for analog monitors (KH 120 A, KH 310 A, KH 420) X Use the following settings for D-version monitors (KH 120 D, KH 310 D, KH 420 with DIM 1) Note! The digital connection is not supported.
KH 80 DSP without KH 750 DSP X Use the following settings for the KH 80 DSP . KH 80 DSP with KH 750 DSP X Use the following settings for the KH 80 DSP . X Use the following settings for the KH 750 DSP . Note! During the process of the automatic monitor alignment do not change any settings at the back of the connected DSP loudspeakers / subwoofer .
Preparing the MA 1 – Automatic Monitor Alignment Perform the following steps in order to automatically align your setup using the MA 1 software and the MA 1 measurement microphone. Starting the process X Click on the orange arrow on the right of the start screen to start the process. Selecting the network X Select the network your loudspeakers/subwoofer are connected to.
Checking the requirements X Ensure all mentioned requirements are fulfilled and ticked. Selecting and setting up the audio interface Observe the following steps for selecting and setting up the audio interface. X Install an ASIO driver on your Windows PC, if not done yet. ASIO Drivers are typically available on the website of your audio interface manufacturer. If there is no specific ASIO driver available for your audio interface you can try the universal ASIO4ALL driver instead.
On MAC one audio interface can be shown as two devices. If this is the case please follow the instruction from Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/audio-midi-setup/ams6e21c3f61/mac X Make sure the sample rate of the audio interface is set to 48 kHz. You can check the settings of your audio interface via the SETTINGS button. X Tick the Sample Rate 48 kHz checkbox after verifying the audio interface settings. X Select the input channel your MA 1 measurement microphone is connected to.
X Select the output channels your loudspeakers or subwoofer are connected to. Calibrating the MA 1 measurement microphone X Enter the 10 digit serial number printed on your MA 1 measurement microphone. X Enter the 6 digit HEX code printed on your MA 1 measurement microphone. This code provides the microphone-specific calibration information to linearize your measurement microphone.
Selecting the loudspeakers from the network The software lists all loudspeakers/subwoofers found in the network. If there are loudspeakers missing in the list or no loudspeakers at all, check the following aspects: X Ensure that device discovery is activated in your network. This functionality could be labelled MDNS, UPnP, IGMP or Bonjour. X The machine that runs this application needs to use the same network as your Neumann DSP devices.
In order to identify which loudspeaker/subwoofer in the list is which loudspeaker/subwoofer in your room you can click on the Neumann logo next to the loudspeaker/subwoofer. The logo on the front of the loudspeaker/the power LED on the subwoofer rear will flash rosé. Selecting loudspeakers in a setup with DSP loudspeakers only X From the list, select the loudspeakers which belong to your system. X Choose the position the loudspeaker is placed.
X Make sure both the left and the right channel are connected and have the same signal gain (panorama center). X Do not change the output level of your audio interface until all measurements are done. Once the level is set correctly, the system will inform you.
The system will check if: X The input gain of your microphone preamplifier is set correctly. X The input signal is clipping. X The background noise of your environment is low enough. X The signal-to-noise ratio of the entire measurement chain is sufficient. CAUTION Danger of hearing injury! The system will play a loud pink noise signal. If any of these results do not meet the requirements, the system will inform you accordingly.
Performing the MA 1 – Automatic Monitor Alignment Starting the measurement The software will now start measuring the loudspeakers in your system. For that purpose, sine sweep signals will be played out to every individual loudspeaker/subwoofer. X Follow the instructions on the screen. X Step back or to the side. X Remain quiet. X Start measuring at the main listening position with the microphone on a stand in an upright position.
Displaying the measurement results After the measurement procedure the system will display the results. The following curves are displayed: X Orange curve: This shows the room-specific target response used by the system to align the measurement results. Please note that this curve is not necessarily ruler flat. The system will create a target response optimized for the character of the room.
The combination of all measured loudspeakers/subwoofer with their default settings is shown in white. Editing the target response After the automatic alignment you can play any signal through your audio interface to your loudspeakers and listen to the result. By selecting and unselecting the ACTIVATE AUTOMATIC ALIGNMENT checkbox you can switch between with and without alignment. Please note it will take a few seconds until all parameters have been transferred completely to the loudspeakers.
Applying the EQ modification Once the modifications of the target response have been applied, you can recalibrate the loudspeaker setup with these changes. X Click the RECALIBRATE button. The software will use the original measurements to align your system to the modified target response. Please note that the system will optimize the measured results as closely as possible to the new target response. It will take all deviations including those from the original alignment into account.
Saving the results After performing all modifications the results need to be stored permanently in the loudspeakers . X Click Save and Close . The alignment process is now finished . The loudspeakers will permanently use the alignment . You can now disconnect the loudspeakers from the network . To compare with the local backplate settings of the connected DPS loudspeakers/subwoofer, you can set the Network switch on their back to LOCAL .
How can I align my setup with MA 1 and two KH 750s? The MA 1 Automatic Monitor Alignment currently doesn’t support systems with more than 1 subwoofer. However, by using this procedure it is possible to circumvent this restriction: Variant 1: Mono Sub (recommended) X Both subwoofers have to have the same distance to the listening point. X Calibrate the system just using the first subwoofer.
