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 of all kinds (loudspeakers, microphones) without creating of new defects.

The CONEQ™ technology is applied in two steps:

CONEQ measurement is performed by moving the microphone across the coverage area of the loudspeaker and gathering up to 300 measurement points in less than two minutes. A CONEQ correction filter is produced as the result.

The CONEQ correction filter is applied by a compatible hardware or software tool, compensating for the non-linearities in the Acoustic Power Frequency Response (APFR) of the loudspeaker.

CONEQ Introduction Video

A short introduction to CONEQ technology with demonstration of how to apply it in a professional recording studio.

Downloads: For Windows (.wmv 74.5Mb) or For Mac (.zip 71.9Mb)

We have worked towards 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.

Technology background

There are various equalizing techniques for correction of layback 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 professionals in their everyday business.

How it works

The detailed equalizing technology CONEQ™ is based on the principle of evaluation of electro-acoustic transducer by its acoustic power frequency response (APFR). There have been historical speculations of advantages of such approach instead of using 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 power frequency response measurement for the correction. The assessment of electro-acoustic transducer is so accurate that it allows direct synthesising of the respective correction filter.

Applications and feedback

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 APFR 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 colouring is removed”, “holes are filled in”, “loudspeakers have disappeared”.