ProAudio Review - October 2008 - (Page 12) STUDIO | REVIEW Windows XP. [According to Genelec, availability of Mac OS version software will be early 2009. — Ed.] A single CAT5 cable connection from the SE7261A connects the SE System to the small network interface box that is connected to the computer via USB. After getting the software installed and everything in place, I launched the GLM.SE software, which did a great job walking me through the necessary steps to identify each of the attached satellite speakers and confirm that all of the wiring was correct. I placed the reference microphone at my listening position, connected it to the network interface, sat back and watched the system self-calibrate. The system every sound source to occupy its own distinctive acoustic space. I found the subwoofer to be quite musical as well, providing a solid foundation for the entire system. Given the small size of the 8130A’s, I was impressed by their low-frequency extension and by how well they blended with the subwoofer. I was able to accurately hear bassguitar notes with seamless continuity across the low frequency musical spectrum. I viewed The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring to see how a motion picture would translate on the system in my small room and, again, was impressed. The thundering bottom end was reminiscent of a fantastic-sounding theater while continually providing excellent articulation. The sonic power of the system's internal amps is sur- GENELEC Continued From Page 10 veniently and efficiently controlled. This includes main screen volume, solos, mutes, and bass bypass. Additionally, settings can be saved for any frequently used audio configuration such as multi-channel reference systems or subwoofer-assisted stereo. AutoCal calculates the system’s optimization based on the selected subwoofer crossover frequency, as well as EQ, level and delay compensation values. This information is automatically processed into each individual output to the 8130As, insuring that all channels reach the listener’s ears in proper balance at the same time. Each channel also has two notch filters that provide compensation for any acoustic anomalies unique to the listening space. The system supports three modes of operation: Stand Alone, GLM.SE Computer Assisted, and Stand Alone Stored Settings. This gives the user a wide variety of monitoring and adjustment possibilities. In the Stand Alone mode, the standard room response controls and sensitivity adjustments can be toggled with the dip switches on the subwoofer. In the GLM.SE Computer Assisted mode, the subwoofer’s DIP-switches are ignored and GLM provides muting, solo, bypass and volume control functions. If the computer is removed, the system will operate in Stand Alone Stored Settings mode relying on the acoustic parameters stored in the SE7261A subwoofer. IN USE My review system was the Genelec DSP SE PowerPak 5.1 system, which consists of the SE7261A DSP subwoofer and five of the 8130A loudspeakers. Genelec also included the AD9200A 8-channel 192 kHz/24-bit A/D converter. This 1U sonically neutral box provides eight channels of analog input via DB25 (TASCAM pin out) and four AES3 output on male XLRs. This made it simple to get analog source material into the SE system. After getting signal into the sub, daisychained single AES3 runs are made to the front and rear satellite pairs with a third line running to the center channel. Dipswitch settings on the 8130A determine the appropriate signal for each speaker from the AES 2channel data stream. The GLM software was easy to install. It took me a bit longer to get my computer to talk to the SE system but this turned out to be a computer setting — nothing to do with the software. During the review period, the GLM software was only available for The SE system in place at RingSide Creative in Oak Park, Michigan allows measurements to be taken from various points in the room, making it easy to have a preset for monitoring in the mix position as well as at the producers desk, etc. Next it was time to listen. I unfortunately wasn’t able to schedule time to do a surround mix on the SE System, but I did do a lot of listening — to both projects I mixed in surround and projects I didn’t; I was impressed with what I heard. The Beatles Love album sounded utterly fantastic (It’s probably my favorite surround mix ever), as did Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. I listened to David Crowder Band’s Remedy Club Tour Edition, which I actually mixed in a surround room with five Genelec 1031s, and I was extremely pleased with the way the mix translated onto a smaller system in a smaller room. The Genelec system provides a unified panorama across the sound stage, allowing prisingly good. The entire system performs accurately at volume levels louder than its rated specs would suggest, pushing my listening room to relatively high sound-pressure levels while maintaining accurate reproduction of the bass transients. SUMMARY The Genelec SE system is an ideal solution for small to mid-sized production rooms in need of precise surround monitoring. The system is affordable, sonically accurate and with AutoCal, the automated self-calibration algorithm, the entire system is a breeze to get up and running. Russ Long, a Nashville-based producer/engineer, owns The Carport recording studio. He is a regular contributor to Pro Audio Review. Visit him online at www.russlong.ws. 12 | ProAudio Review | October 2008 www.proaudioreview.com http://www.russlong.ws http://www.proaudioreview.com
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