My honest review of Acourate

[dennis88]

that is also my setup (UMIK-1 and Acourate). I've read about the potential clock drift and Ulrich Brüggemann explained on how to omit it (have not had the time to try it out myself though):

 

(https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/acourate/conversations/messages/9557😞

The Dirac option introduces Dirac pulses before, between and behind the logsweeps. Thus it is possible to measure the number of samples between the Diracs in the recording. If the number differs to the number of samples in the original logsweep then it is possible to calculate a correction factor. A multiplication with the samplerate gives a new samplerate. So you can apply a samplerate conversion (TD-Functions - SRC - special) to the logsweep recording and finally run a logsweep convolution on the resampled recording. This procedure allows to compensate a clock drift or time stretching/compression effect caused by a USB microphone.

 

Here's a workflow some user has posted:

1.    A mono logsweep is generated, including Dirac pulse option, at 48 khz samplerate

2.    The distance between the Dirac pulses is 1080000-24000=1056000 samples in the original sweep

3.    In the rec logsweep the distance between pulses has been found as 1056021 samples (21 more)

4.    The logsweep_rec has been resampled at 47999.045 hz samplerate 

5.    Now the distance between the Dirac pulses is again 1056000 

6.    A logsweep convolution (menu Logsweep/Logsweep convolution) has been done

7.    The result, Pulse48L, has been saved

 

[dennis88]

They are.

[dennis88]

I think Acourate has an option to load .cal and .txt calibration files (File->Import Amplitude). I can't remember what happens then though, I think you need to invert this measurement but I am not sure..would need to dig a bit as I have not used Acourate in a couple of months (after I created filters I was happy with).

I use ASIO4All on the measurement PC which is connected via USB to an exaSound e20 DAC. The UMIK-1 is connected to the PC via USB.

 

However, I plan to upgrade my DAC, so I keep an eye on solutions that have a MIC preamp built-in (e.g. Merging Anubis) in order to omit the clock issue but I think the way of having a dedicated mic preamp (e.g. on a RME babyface) connected to the DAC is probably more realistic as DACs that have a (good) Mic preamp are mostly lacking consumer functionality I would like to have.