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The PBK Kit includes:
• Perfect Bass Kit (PBK) software installation CD
• Microphone and microphone clip
• Telescoping stand and base
• Two USB cables: one for microphone, one for subwoofer
The Perfect Bass Kit (PBK) is for use with any MartinLogan
Interface to correct the effects of room boundaries on sound quality. PBK uses proprietary
processing to compute the subwoofer's in-room frequency response and then computes a
target frequency response for the subwoofer to yield optimal in-room sound. PBK can be used
Before starting the procedure, note the following:
• PC requirements are Windows XP, Windows 7 or Vista; and two USB ports. If you
are running a newer operating system than mentioned see info about updating
the PBK files.
• If you are using a laptop computer, check power settings and battery meter before starting
to ensure the procedure will not be interrupted.
THE PROCEDURE
Installing the Software
IMPORTANT! Each time we introduce a new product to work with PBK, the PBK
software itself must be updated. The unique calibration file required to operate your
microphone is included on the enclosed CD and will be installed during program
installation from the CD, however, there may have been additional software program
updates since your CD was published. To achieve optimal performance you must be
using the latest software version. Follow the instructions provided below to install the
software and then check the MartinLogan website for newer versions.
1. Install the Software
a) Insert the PBK installation CD into your computer's CD or DVD drive. Installation
instructions will appear on your screen. If your computer does not allow a CD to 'autorun',
double-click on the 'My Computer' icon on your computer desktop and select the CD
drive; open it and double-click on setup.exe. The installation process will install several files
into a MartinLogan folder on your computer and create shortcuts on your Start Menu.
2. Confirm Your Software Version (Once the software is installed)
a) End the program and reopen it using the shortcut in the Start Menu;
b) A 'Welcome' window will appear on your screen. Click 'Open a previous session' and
then click 'OK';
c) A new search window will appear. Click 'Cancel' in the bottom right corner to bring
up a measurement window;
d) On the menu bar at the top of the new window go to 'Help,' then 'About.' The version
number will be displayed. Make a note of it;
e) End the program.
3. Check Online for the Latest Version of PBK Software
Go to http://www.martinlogan.com/PBK and check under the 'Latest Software'
section to see if a newer version of the software is posted. If your version is up-to-date,
simply restart the program and run PBK.
To update your version do the following:
a) Make sure the program is closed on your computer before downloading new version;
b) Download the latest version to your computer desktop;
c) Right-click on the downloaded .zip file and extract it to the desktop;
d) Open the extracted folder and double-click on 'Setup'. Software installation instructions
will appear on your screen. Follow them;
e) Once installation is complete, delete downloaded file and extracted folder;
f) Go to the Start Menu and run PBK.
Positioning the Microphone
IMPORTANT! During the measurement process, the microphone must point toward
the ceiling and be positioned at ear level when you are seated.
1. Position microphone on or near the first position (see diagram above right). Remove
cushions from seating, if necessary, to attain correct height. To adjust the height of the
telescoping stand, loosen the large black clamp in the middle of the stand by rotating it
counter-clockwise; retighten once desired height has been achieved.
Steps to assemble stand and microphone:
1. Screw the telescoping stand into the base and tighten securely;
2. Position the clip vertically and screw onto the stand; tighten;
3. Connect the USB microphone cable to the microphone;
4. Slide the microphone into the clip and point microphone straight up (see section
'Positioning the Microphone' for more information.)
with up to four MartinLogan subwoofers. The frequency response of each PBK microphone
subwoofer with a PBK
®
is measured precisely and this data is used to create the microphone's calibration file included
on the PBK software disk. The microphone can ONLY be used with the matching individual
calibration file.
Although systems vary, in general, if your home theater receiver/processor also has a Room
Correction system, PBK should be set up and running before setting up your system's 'EQ',
especially if more than one PBK subwoofer will be in use.
IMPORTANT! Don't stand too close to the microphone or make noise when sweep
tones are playing (it would be best to keep younger or talkative family members and
even pets out of hearing range). The program rejects continuous background noise
(i.e. fans) but will give an error message requiring re-measurement upon sudden noise.
Five listening positions will be measured and this can be manually increased to up to
10 positions, although in most cases only five are needed. The first position must be at
or just in front of the central seating position. Positions 2 and 3 should be symmetric
to the left and right of the center line. The same applies to the remaining positions.
IMPORTANT: Even if your room has less than five seating positions, to ensure
optimal sound, measurements must be taken from five different listening positions.
Each position should be at least 2 feet (60 cm) apart.
Measuring
1. Using the two USB ports, connect microphone and subwoofer to your computer. The first
time you run PBK you will need to wait while Windows installs drivers for the microphone
and subwoofer and indicates 'new hardware is ready to use'.
2. Set the microphone in the first position;
3. Before starting to measure, set the subwoofer's Gain control to its center detent position;
set Cut-Off Frequency to Bypass; and set Phase control to '0'. After running PBK, these
controls can be adjusted as necessary as you complete the setup of your system. See the
Owners Manual that came with your system for more details.
4. Run the Perfect Bass Kit by selecting it from the Start Menu. The program will guide you
through the steps and at the conclusion, will automatically load the correction data into
your subwoofer. The entire measurement process takes about 5 minutes;
Sample PBK Analysis/Correction / Échantillon d'analyse/correction du PBK :
110
105
100
dB
95
90
85
80
5. Once the PBK program is finished you can disconnect the PC from the microphone
and subwoofer;
110
6. If position of subwoofer or listening positions change you will have to re-measure.
105
100
dB
95
90
1
Subwoofer
20
50
100
200
500
Frequency (Hz)
Caisson de sous-graves
1
= 1
First Measuring Position
st
1
première position de mesure
ère
Measured / Mesuré
Calculated / Calculé
Target Response / Réponse
1k
cible
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