StormAudio - Knowledge Center
ART - Setup Guide
Introduction
This article will help you set your ISP with Dirac Live to use the ART feature and explain its basic settings.
It is assumed you read your ISP Owner’s Manual before proceeding.
References
StormAudio Owner’s Manual: https://www.stormaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ISP-Owners-Manual_ALL_4.4r0_rev1_A4.pdf
Setup
Installation
Download and install the latest version of Dirac Live from https://www.dirac.com/live/downloads/.
Connecting to your ISP
This setup is the same for Dirac Live Room Correction, Bass Control, and Active Room Treatment.
Refer to this article to set your StormAudio device into Dirac Mode:
Setting up Dirac Live
Once your StormAudio device is ready for calibration, open Dirac Live and select it in the "Select Device" screen.
Proceed through the steps of Dirac Live up to "Measure."
Measure all points needed for your system, noting how many measurement points ART requires for your setup (shown as a persistent notification at the top right).
When your measurements are complete, click "Proceed to Filter Design."
Active Room Treatment Filter Design
If your device and license capabilities include ART, then ART will be selected by default in the correction technology section of the right-side sidebar of the Filter Design screen. If you have too few valid measurements, you will not be able to select this option.
ART groups (also referred to as main groups) are speaker groups containing at least one input channel. They are shown on the right side panel and can be managed just the same as in Dirac Live, by dragging individual speaker channels in and out of each group. See also the section below about channel grouping.
The main concept behind the powerful control of decay time in ART is based on speakers being co-optimized to reach the desired impulse response and target curve by assigning speaker support groups to each ART group. The frequency range at which a support group is allowed to contribute to an ART group is called the Support Range. The Support Range is automatically detected from the measurements and set as default upon initializing the ART filter design.
Each ART group has a set of sliders at the bottom of the Filter Design graph area. They allow the user to control the Support Range at which each support speaker group is allowed to contribute to the selected ART group. See also the section below describing the support range parameters.
Each support group can be enabled or disabled from providing support to a particular ART group by toggling a checkbox that appears when the mouse pointer hovers over its slider track.
ART groups have parameters that are accessed by clicking the triple-dot button in the top left corner of its box. This button is only available on ART groups and clicking it unfolds the parameter panel. For a full description of ART parameters, see the "Detailed Description of Parameters" section below.
Every ART Group (main group) can be supported by every other channel group (support group). As a common setting, the upper limit to which the supporting groups are allowed to support the main group is specified in the Fsiso setting.
Edit the bass and treble sliders in the Filter Design view (outside the parameters menu) to your liking. It is common to increase the bass slider on the left.
If you have several groups, these sliders can also be changed. It is common to change these to the same values as the first group.
After these edits, press "Calculate". It will take a little while to calculate the changes.
When your filter has been calculated, press "Proceed to Filter Export".
Export the filter to your device.
Your filter is now exported to your device. It is also shown on the left side of the Dirac Live screen.
ART Parameters
Every support group has the following parameters:
Detailed Description of Parameters
Parameter | Meaning | Comment | Default | Legal input |
Fsiso | The maximum frequency where speakers can support each other. Above this frequency a regular Dirac Live correction will be applied. | Fsiso is a critical parameter that acts like a crossover frequency in a bass- managed system. The goal is to find the highest Fsiso value for your system that still provides a great result. Lower Fsiso values are more robust but offer less benefit, while higher values provide more benefits but may reveal supporting speakers in the output. | 150 Hz | 50 to 150 Hz |
Group n is supported by | Turns on or off the channels of the group supporting the input channels of the ART group. I. e., the speakers in this group will act to support the this groups main speakers. | The use of this parameter depends on your specific speaker grouping. When adjusting this setting, it's important to consider the F-support High parameter in each group to achieve the desired effect. | On | On or Off |
Support level | Controls the amount of support the speakers in this groups gives to the main speaker. -1 dB will contribute a minimal amount, -60 dB will contribute a maximal amount. | Support level determines how heavily a speaker is used by the algorithm. To balance speaker usage and avoid distortion, change the support level values according to the position of speakers in the room. This helps in achieving the desired output without overloading specific speakers. | -18 dB | -24 to -1dB |
F-support Low | Controls the lowest frequency of the Support Range, where the support speakers in this group will contribute to the selected main speaker group. It has the same value as the low end of the corresponding Support Range slider. | F-support Low defines the lowest frequency at which a speaker can support another speaker. This parameter helps prevent small speakers from overloading with bass they're not designed to handle. Keep in mind that setting this value low doesn't guarantee the speaker will be used at that low frequency. | Detected range | 20 Hz to Fsiso |
F-support High | Controls the highest frequency of the Support Range, where the support speakers in this group will contribute to the selected main speaker group. It has the same value as the high end of the corresponding Support Range slider. | F-support High sets the highest frequency at which a speaker can support another speaker. For subwoofers, this value acts like a lowpass filter applied to the input signal. For full-range speakers, this parameter can be adjusted based on speaker position to prevent revealing support speakers in the final result. | Detected range | F-support Low to F siso |
Comment on Grouping
Active Room Treatment groups are designed to simplify parameter settings for multiple speakers. Group speakers with similar parameters together for easier management.
For example, in a 2.2 system, you could use two or three groups:
Two groups: Combine Left and Right speakers in one group, and Subwoofers in the second group if you want to use the subwoofers the same way.
Three groups: Combine Left and Right speakers in one group, and place each subwoofer in separate groups if you want to control their interaction with front speakers independently.
For larger systems, the concept remains the same. Group speakers based on their usage and position, considering speaker location's impact on settings like Fsiso and F-support High. Choose groups that make the most sense for your system and listening position.
StormAudio - Knowledge Center