CONEQ™ technology description

 

We have worked to fulfill an audio engineer's dream - whatever is the problem you face of an acoustic system, just measure it and correct it with a corrector with inverse characteristics.

Real Sound Lab proudly presents a unique technology for automated and detailed equalization of acoustic systems - CONEQ™. This simple, fast and reliable solution offers the opportunity of correction of linear distortions of electro-acoustic transduction devices (loudspeakers, microphones) of all kinds without creating of new defects.

There are various equalizing techniques for correction of playback of different frequencies through a transduction path of acoustic signal (or simply - acoustic system). Historically this correction is done in a subjectively-iterative way and is requiring remarkable experience of the person involved.

For many years there have been repeated attempts to objectify the correction of acoustic systems largely by using of sophisticated math to remove interferences or smoothen the measured curve, but regardless of how successful these attempts were, all of them featured the same shortcoming - the correction itself did create new problems of acoustic transduction, and as a consequence these automated corrections were rarely used by audio pros in their everyday business.

The detailed equalizing technology CONEQ™ is based on the principle of evaluation of electro-acoustic transducer by its acoustic power frequency response (PFR). There have been historical speculations of advantages of such approach instead of use sound pressure level frequency response in a given point of the room or free acoustic field; however there was no demonstration of these benefits in practice. Now, for the first time ever, CONEQ™ clearly demonstrates the advantage of acoustic PFR measurement for the correction. The assessment of electro-acoustic transducer is so accurate that it allows direct synthesising of the respective correction filter.

In a similar way CONEQ™ is used to measure and correct the performance characteristics of microphones.

Technology tests

The CONEQ™ technology has been tested with various acoustic systems in different environments: starting with simple consumer audio devices and ending with precise and sophisticated monitor systems of recording studios and reinforcement systems of live concerts.

In every case, when actually measured PFR of system was "flattened" by use of CONEQ™, subjectively experts noticed that performance of the system was improved and no artificial effects added. Typical comments were:

• "sound coloring is removed"
• "holes are filled in"
• "loudspeakers have disappeared"

Some examples of test use of CONEQ™ include:

• recording studio monitor GENELEC 1037
• recording studio monitor Yamaha NS10
• recording studio monitor PMC MB2-P
• reinforcement systems VERTEC of JBL (both in concert hall and open air performance)
• car audio system BLAUPUNKT