Real Time Mode QuickStart Guide
(Smaart Suite, RT, and LE)
This is a step-by-step guide to initial input and measurement configuration using the Real
Time Mode of Smaart; applicable to Smaart Suite, Smaart RT, and Smaart LE. To follow
along with this guide, either launch Smaart for the first time, or head to the Config menu >
Manage Configurations > Restore Defaults.
For licensing help and registration instructions, please refer to the Smaart Licensing Help
Guide. The Smaart Licensing Help Guide is available at www.support.rationalacoustics.com
under the “Smaart Documentation” category.
For additional assistance, please contact [email protected].
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Before you start, we recommend connecting a recording interface to your computer, with a
measurement microphone connected to a preamp with phantom power, as well as sending
an output of your interface to a speaker system. By the time you are through with this
guide, you will have spectrum and transfer function data.
1. After launching Smaart for the first time or
restoring defaults, you will be prompted to
select your input sources. Select OK and
continue to the I-O Config dialog.
2. In the upper portion of the Input tab of I-O
config, select the device you will be using
for measurement. In this example:
CoreAudio: EVO8. In the lower portion of
this window, select the input(s) you wish
to use for measurement. We have selected
Mic|Line|Instrument 1 (measurement
microphone) and Loop-back 1 (L) which is
the Audient EVO 8’s internal loop feature.
This channel will be used for Smaart’s
signal generator as well as our reference
input for transfer function engines. It is
helpful to also give your inputs a Friendly
Name as that is what they will display as
in Smaart – in this case, Mic 1 and Gen Loop.
Note: Cal. Offset (SPL calibration) and Mic Correction Curve are not required for Real
Time Mode’s spectrum and transfer function measurement.
3. Navigate to the Output tab of I-O Config to
route the signal generator outputs. For
this example we are using the Audient
EVO 8’s Main Output 1 (L) to physically
patch and send signal to our speaker
system. We are also routing signal to
Loop-back 1 (L) as our reference input.
If your interface does not support internal
loop-back, simply use a short patch cable
to physical wire one of the interface
outputs to one of the interface inputs.
Close the I-O Config dialog.
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Note: Signal Generator Suite/RT vs LE
Smaart LE does not support Output Presets and uses a condensed version of the
signal generator’s main controls where: selecting on the output type acts as the On
button and selecting in the dB readout area accesses the Signal Generator settings
dialog directly.
4. You will now be presented with Smaart’s Real Time Mode GUI, with spectrum
engines automatically created and placed in the control bar on the right most
portion of the interface.
Select the triangle Run buttons to activate the spectrum engines and begin plotting
data on the screen.
Turn on the signal generator by pressing the hot-key [G], or selecting the On/Noise
Type button in the signal generator control block in the bottom right of the GUI.
Adjust the signal generator output/speaker level until you reach your desired
loudness. In combination with the interface preamps, we recommend targeting -12
dB FS on Smaart’s signal meters – the point where green turns to yellow.
5. Next, configure Smaart for transfer function measurement. Navigate to transfer
function view using the hot-key [T] or selecting TF View in the command bar. You
will be presented with the default transfer function view – consisting of a 3-graph
plot area with Live IR, Phase, and Magnitude. Unlike spectrum engines, transfer
function engines are not automatically configured. Select on the + TF Engine button
in the TF control bar to configure a transfer function engine.
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Enter a name for the engine, ensure that the correct device is selected, and assign
your measurement and reference channels. In this example, the measurement input
is the measurement microphone, and the reference input is the signal generator
loop-back. If you have multiple inputs for multiple transfer function engines, select
Create + to configure more transfer function engines. Otherwise, select Create &
Close to exit the New TF Configuration dialog.
6. Turn on the signal generator again to begin generating noise through your audio
system and select the triangular Run button inside the TF engine. Select the Track
button to apply reference delay to the measurement, compensating for system
latency.
7. If you have multiple transfer function measurement engines, you can create a Live
TF Average by using the hot-key [Shift + Cmd/Ctrl + T] or navigating to the Config
Menu > New TF Avg… Follow the prompts in the dialog to name the engine and
select the TF engine contributors.
Copyright © 2022 Rational Acoustics LLC 4
Copyright © 2022 Rational Acoustics LLC 5
