PRESONUS Eris XT-Series Owner's Manual page 13

3 Application Guide
3.2 Calibrating Using 85 dB SPL "Standard" Reference
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You should calibrate the right and left monitors independently to ensure that
both monitors are set to the same acoustic level. This will ensure that your stereo
mixes are balanced and will translate well across different speaker systems.
The goal of this Standard Reference Calibration is to ensure that when the output
meters in your DAW or mixer register 0 dB, the SPL at your mix position is 85 dB.
1. Connect the main outputs of your audio source to your studio monitors.
The left output should be connected to the speaker on your left. The
right output should be connected to the speaker on your right.
2. Begin by turning the input sensitivity of your Eris XT monitors to the lowest
setting.
3. Turn the output of your audio source (audio interface, mixer, or speaker-
management device) to its lowest setting.
Note: If you have any outboard processors (EQs, limiter, etc.) connected between the
audio source and your monitors, disconnect or bypass them. If your audio source is a
mixer, make sure that it is zeroed out.
4. Play 20 Hz to 20 kHz full-bandwidth pink noise at 0 dB through the outputs of
your primary audio source.
5. Turn up the outputs of your primary audio source to the unity gain setting. "Unity
gain" is the setting at which the signal level is neither boosted nor attenuated. It
is usually marked by a "0" or a "U" on the audio device's level fader or knob. In
many digital interfaces and digital devices, the device's maximum level is also its
unity gain setting. Please consult your audio device's user's manual or the
manufacturer's Web site for more information on its levels and adjustments. You
should not hear the pink noise. If you do, repeat step 2.
6. While measuring the output level with an SPL meter, begin slowly increasing the
input sensitivity (volume) of your left speaker until the acoustic level of the test
tone playing reaches 82 dB SPL. When both speakers play simultaneously, the
overall SPL will increase by about +3 dB (85 dB).
Power down your left speaker.
Slowly increase the input sensitivity (volume) of your right speaker
until the acoustic level of the test tone playing reaches 82 dB SPL.
Stop the pink noise and turn your left speaker back on. Play some program
music you are familiar with through your speakers and sit down in your mix
position. You may need to fine-tune your speaker placement until the sound
is balanced and you have a nice, wide sweet spot from which to mix.
Note: If 85 dB is too loud for your room, either because of noise constraints or because the
room is too small, you can redo the above calibration steps and dial in each speaker to 79
dB instead. The important thing is that both speakers are set to the same SPL level, not
the level itself.
Eris XT-Series E5 XT / E7 XT / E8 XT
Owner's Manual
11