Any experience with this RTA?

GOLDLINE ASA-10B 10-BAND RTA w/SPL

First time I've seen an RTA at a reasonable price. The other ones I have seen usually start at around $500 and go up from there.

Any thoughts?

well the first thing I see is the fact that it only reads to 122db     if your only using for the RTA then it would work,   if looking to measure SPL then it will be way on the low side.....most average systems will do 130-140db

-------------
2009 0-1000 Trunk WR 154.0DB 2009 1001+ Trunk WR
2007 USACI World Champion
2007 World Record
2006 USACI Finals 2nd Place

10 bands is really pretty useless... For PROPER setup, I'd look for at least 20 bands, 30 would be even better.

-------------
It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

Thanks guys. Is there an RTA under $500 that can be used in a car audio application?

Have you looked into Windows based systems that run off your lap top and uses a normal mic ?

-------------
Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA

I don't have a laptop so I was hoping to find a dedicated RTA.

I have trueRTA for my computer. I havent used it yet because I was under the impression that a regular microphone would not suffice. Dont I have to buy a high end mic for it to be accurate?

-------------
"People with mullets live 40% longer"   - Ricky Bobby

killer sonata wrote:

---

I have trueRTA for my computer. I havent used it yet because I was under the impression that a regular microphone would not suffice. Dont I have to buy a high end mic for it to be accurate?

---

High end?  No, you want a calibrated mic with a flat frequency response.  I use a Behringer ECM8000.  There are many others.  TrueRTA is a great software package, just be sure to pay for at least the level 3 version.

As far as number of bands on a dedicated RTA, it depends on what you are trying to accomplish.  If all you want is something to get a relative idea of in-car frequency response so you can tweak basic tone controls or a head unit's 3 to 5 band parametric, a 10-band RTA can be useful.  If you are trying to fine-tune a SQ comp car, then yea you need more like 1/24 octave resolution.

-------------
Support the12volt.com

How does that mic connect to a computer? Does it need its own power supply?

-------------
"People with mullets live 40% longer"   - Ricky Bobby

killer sonata wrote:

---

How does that mic connect to a computer? Does it need its own power supply?

---

Yes, you must provide phantom power for it.  I use a Behringer Shark preamp and connect that output to my sound card.  Some profe4ssional sound cards will provide phantom microphone power.

-------------
Support the12volt.com

I use the M-Audio USB Pre. Great piece of gear. Small, too. Bus powered, and powers that ECM8000 like a champ... ANd you can get it at your local Guitar Center. Stocked in most stores, otherwise they are fast, and usually pretty cheap too!

-------------
It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

wow thats a lot of work to get a microphone to work. Im wondering if I convert the rca connection to the mic for my eclipse deck to 3.5mm and plug it into the sound card it will suffice for now?

-------------
"People with mullets live 40% longer"   - Ricky Bobby

killer sonata wrote:

---

wow thats a lot of work to get a microphone to work. Im wondering if I convert the rca connection to the mic for my eclipse deck to 3.5mm and plug it into the sound card it will suffice for now?

---

The problem with using an uncalibrated microphone is each one has its own response characteristics and what you read on your RTA will be as much the mic as the sound.  I would bet the Eclipse mic has a response curve that is not flat, and the Eclipse system compensates for that.  The only way to get accurate RTA results is to use a calibrated flat response mic, or to know the precise curve of the mic's response so you can compensate for it.

-------------
Support the12volt.com

Mabye its just me but I think its perfectly reasonable to expect to pay 500 bucks plus for a stand alone RTA meter when you take into acount what the equipment actually does. It might not be affordable, but I think its reasonable.

-------------
double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

yeah, $500 for an RTA isn't bad at all.

I've used an ECM8000 many times - it's a good mic, reasonably priced, etc. Your best bet it to buy one of those and hook it up to a computer.

-Drew

Im deff. gonna look into getting that setup on my laptop, just to have a great tool and something cool to take into work

sS

-------------
RTFM

Another option for you is look around on ebay for a Term-Lab setup to go on, you can usually get one for $300-$500 used on ebay, then thier is a RTA feture you can activate on there that is about $200-$300 to activate. I cant remember exactly....the specs should be able to be found on DBdrag.com under the term-pro tab on the left side....

I had some time to play on one not too long ago and wow!   I wish I had the spare cash to upgrade my software for it right now, but I odnt even know what I would use it for at this time, I only make noise at one tone. Our other setups are not advanced enough to worry about an RTA right now.

-------------
2009 0-1000 Trunk WR 154.0DB 2009 1001+ Trunk WR
2007 USACI World Champion
2007 World Record
2006 USACI Finals 2nd Place

How about using TrueRta with a Radio Shack spl meter as the mic. I got one like 10 years ago an if I remember correctly it had the response curve on the manual. Can it be used with that info?

-------------
ieSpell rocks.