How to Perform DIRAC Live Calibration on Bluesound Players

DIRAC Live® enables you to analyze the acoustic characteristics of speakers and your room to calibrate the BluOS system and reproduce sound as intended. This article describes the procedure to:

• Set up DIRAC Live for supported Bluesound products*
• Achieve enhanced sound clarity, accurate imaging/staging, a more prominent sweet spot, more profound and tighter bass.

Note: DIRAC Live only calibrates the front listening field in a Home Theatre Group (HTG).

*DIRAC Live calibration can be performed on the following DIRAC Live Ready Bluesound Players only:

• NODE ICON (N530)
• NODE 2024 (N132)
• NODE X (N131)
• NODE (N130)
• POWERNODE EDGE (N230)
• POWERNODE (N330)
• POWERNODE (N331)

Overview of DIRAC Live 

Note: This article helps with performing calibration using a Windows/macOS DIRAC Live Application. 
Steps to perform calibration on Android or iOS devices may vary slightly.

Prerequisites

• Windows/macOS computer (or Android/iOS device) connected to a home network with Internet
• Download and install the DIRAC Live application onto the computer or device ^a)
• (Optional) Mini or full-size tripod mic stand
• Target curves and correction file
• Microphone recommended by DIRAC or,
• Bluesound Room Calibration Kit with:
  1. Microphone
  2. USB microphone adapter

DIRAC Live Purchase and Activation

1. Purchase your DIRAC Live license from https://www.dirac.com/online-store/ 
2. Create a DIRAC Live account at https://www.dirac.com/register/ using the same email address as with the purchase process for easier customer handling.
3. Once logged in, go to "Activate License" which is available within the "My Account" area.
4. "Claim license" by copying the license key information from the email (sent upon purchase) into the "License key" field.
5. Press "Claim".
6. The license key will be activated and attached to your email address.
7. Log in to the DIRAC Live software using the same email and password as when logging in to www.dirac.com 

Setup of Bluesound Product

1. Finalize the location of the speakers and connect them to the Bluesound Player.
2. Connect and configure all required sources in the Bluesound Player.

Firmware Upgrade

1. Connect the Bluesound Player to the home network.
2. Ensure the Bluesound Player has the latest version of BluOS.

Room Conditions

• Ensure to set up the room identical to actual listening conditions (curtains closed, furniture arrangement, and such).
• Turn off HVAC, fans, and such to avoid background noise.

Microphone Setup

Connect the microphone to the Bluesound Player or computer (local system).

Connect Mic with Bluesound Player (recommended)

1. Assemble the Room Calibration Kit and connect it to a USB port on the Bluesound Player.
   
2. Download and save the corresponding Mic Corrections(.txt) file (from the Software Download section) to a local folder on the computer.

Connect Mic with Local System

Alternatively, you can connect the Room Calibration Kit to the computer. However, you need to configure the computer's microphone settings priorly.

Complete the microphone setup before launching the DIRAC Live application to avoid communication errors with the microphone.

Tip: Mount the Microphone on a tripod stand for better measurements. The microphone should always point up (facing the ceiling) with no source of reflection.

Note: If you are using a microphone not supplied by Bluesound, ensure it is DIRAC Live certified and download the mic correction file from the manufacturer's website. Contact DIRAC Support for details.

DIRAC Live Calibration

1. Launch ^b) the installed DIRAC Live application on the computer. DIRAC Live scans and displays the supported Bluesound Player connected to the home network.
   
2. Select the Bluesound Player. The Select Recording Device screen is displayed. Note: If the Bluesound Player is not displayed, select the IP icon in the upper left corner, manually enter the IP address of the Bluesound Player, and select Connect. Make sure the computer and connecting audio device are both located on the same subnet within a home network environment. If they aren't, DIRAC Live will not find the device. See No Devices Found | DIRAC Live for more information.
3. Select the recording device configured in the Microphone Setup section.
   
4. On the selected microphone, click Load from file if the "Using calibration from device" field is blank. A browse window is displayed.
   
5. Upload the Mic Correction file you saved in the Microphone Setup section.
   
6. Click Proceed to Volume Calibration. The Volume Calibration screen is displayed.
   
7. Place the microphone facing the ceiling at the listening focal point (sweet spot).
8. In the DIRAC Live application, adjust the Mic gain slider to 0 dB.
9. Adjust the Master output slider to a lower volume setting to avoid damage to ears or speakers. (You can also consider the Mic gain and Master output as a Signal-to-Noise ratio setting.)
10. Click Play displayed below the first speaker (Left). The selected speaker plays a test tone and is measured using the sound pressure indicator level displayed adjacent to the speaker volume slider.
11. Adjust the Master output slider (only for the first test speaker – Left) until the first test speaker's sound pressure indicator level ranges between -15 dB to -13 dB.
12. Click Stop to stop the test tone.
13. Click Play on the next test speaker (Right).
14. Adjust only the selected speaker's volume slider until the selected test speaker's sound pressure indicator level ranges between -15 dB to -13 dB. Then click Stop.
15. Repeat Steps 13 and 14 for the subwoofer. Note: If available, use the physical volume control on the subwoofer instead of the subwoofer volume slider on the DIRAC Live application.
16. Click Proceed to Select Arrangement. The Select Arrangement screen is displayed.
    
17. Select the required seating arrangement:
    • Tightly focused imaging – 9 measurement positions arrangement, suitable only for a fixed listening area (1 listener in a single-seater chair/sofa).
    • Focused imaging – 13 measurement positions arrangement, suitable for a fixed listening area but with a degree of flexibility (2 or 3-seater sofa)
    • Wide imaging – 17 measurement positions arrangement, suitable for a large listening area with multiple listeners.
18. Click Proceed to Measure. The Measure screen is displayed.

19. Ensure the microphone is still in the listening focal point (sweet spot) facing the ceiling.

    Note: The sweet spot should correspond to the Main position indicated in the graphical representation on the DIRAC Live application.

    Tip: This first position is critical. DIRAC's all impulse (phase/timing) fixes performed are based on the first signal sweep.

    
     

20. Click Measure selected to collect a set of measurements. Measuring the selected position plays a sweep in each speaker, with a final additional sweep in the first speaker.
    
    Note: Click Timer to apply a delay between 2 to 15 seconds before commencing the measurement. Selecting the Timer allows you time to leave the listening area to avoid any interference in the line of sight of the microphone.
     

21. Move the microphone (facing ceiling) to the NEXT indicated position and click Measure next position. Repeat this step for all remaining positions.

    Note: If there are any external disturbances or noise during measurement, select the position, click Clear data for position, and click Re-measure selected position. Click Proceed to Filter Design and select Set target in the upper right corner. The Filter Design screen appears, and it illustrates each speaker's average frequency response before and after DIRAC Live calibration is applied. It groups the speakers with similar attributes.

    Note: You can adjust every aspect of the filter curve. However, this is recommended only for users with advanced knowledge of DIRAC and room acoustics.
    
     

22. Click Menu in the upper left corner and select Save Project.
    
    Note: Use this saved project as a reference for future measurements of the same room.
     
23. Click Menu and select Load target curve.
    
24. Select the required speaker group. A browse window is displayed.
25. Select the Target curve saved in the Prerequisites section.
26. Repeat Steps 24 and 25 for all remaining speaker groups.
    
    Note: Do not apply the Target curve for the subwoofer group to avoid increasing bass loudness.
     
27. Click Proceed to Filter Export.
28. Select a slot and enter the required Name and Description.
    
    
    Note: Bluesound Players can store up to 5 DIRAC filters (slots).
     
29. Click Export filter to save the filter to the Bluesound Player. The BluOS Controller App displays  Saving Filter. The DIRAC Live application returns to the Filter Design screen.

Audio Settings and Limitations

• All subwoofers must be hard wired.
• Subwoofer must be toggled on in the Audio Settings of BluOS.
• Crossover must be set to the main speaker’s low-pass frequency.
• DIRAC supports Coaxial and TOSLINK outputs but not USB output.

Troubleshooting

Issue: When you first run the DIRAC Live iPad app, it will not discover a player. It will keep spinning on the discovery screen indefinitely. Dirac Live for Android, Windows and macOS do not have this issue.

Cause: There is a bug with the public DIRAC Live iPad app (v3.10.6).  DIRAC is aware of the issue.

Solution: Manually enter the IP address of the player into the DIRAC Live iPad app, and then restart the app.

Issue: Signal Level too low

Cause: The output level is too low; DIRAC is unable to distinguish signal and background noise.

Solution:

1. Return to the Volume Calibration screen and readjust the speaker gain until the sound pressure indicator level of all speakers ranges between -15 dB to -13 dB, (or)
2. Check the microphone setup.

Issue: Clipped signals

Cause: The Output level is too high, or loud transient noises (door slam, dog barks) disrupt the signal – indicated by a big red line in the signal frequency graph.

Solution:

1. Return to the Volume Calibration screen and reduce the gain of the corresponding speaker or master volume of the system, (or)
2. Click Re-measure selected position if there are any external disturbances or noise during measurement.

Issue: DIRAC Filter disabled

Cause: Any addition of speaker channels or changes in the initial configuration of the Bluesound Player disables the DIRAC filter.

Solution:

1. Measure and recalibrate the configuration for the new DIRAC filter, (or)
2. Disable the new speaker additions.

For advanced calibration and troubleshooting information, refer to the DIRAC Support site.

Notes

 ^a) Temporarily disable the computer firewall or network security software and reactivate it after the DIRAC calibration is complete.

 ^b) If possible, run the DIRAC Live application with Administrator permissions on the computer.

 ^c) DIRAC is disabled on external DACs connected by USB.