Exploring Sonarworks SoundID Reference Software and Measurement Mic

One point of contention that still exists despite many of the changes in the recording industry is proper monitoring. We now have access to recording interfaces such as the Universal Audio Apollo, which yields high-end studio results. In theory, you can have a pro studio for a fraction of what it used to cost to acquire.

Even with these advancements, audio engineers continue grappling with a complex aspect of the mixing process: monitoring. It's common to have top-notch equipment and struggle with a mix. This begs the question: How can this be?

Rooms by Number

It's crucial to understand that the quality of a mix is not solely dependent on the equipment. The key to a successful mix lies in the engineer's understanding and application of various techniques. The mixing process commences at the recording phase, and every decision made at this stage shapes the final product.

A great engineer is listening for problems that can create snags down the line. But, even if you know a thing or twenty about engineering, you could still need help with a mix.

There is an age-old issue with mixing, such as checking your mix on different speakers. It's always been a guessing game and a trade-off. There is a back-and-forth between negotiating how it sounds in the studio and the real world.

Mixing engineers have often bounced a mix to check in their cars or on a cheap portable player. Less experienced engineers are usually surprised at how different their mix can sound on various mediums. I know I was.

Geartopia

There are a few reasons for this. For one, studio monitors offer such a broad range of quality and style that we need a reference point for everyone. It's wild how different studio monitors sound.

The old mentality was that you had to get to know your monitors. If your studio monitors are bass-heavy, you must lighten up on your bass in the mix. Although there is some truth to this, the negotiation can be annoying. Wouldn't having it sound like it will be represented on other systems would be nice?

But, even if you research the right monitors that appear to represent sound as "neutral" as possible, you may still encounter significant problems because we mix in acoustic environments. Every room we mix in influences our mix.

High-end studios spend a surprising amount of money on treating the acoustics in their rooms. One with less experience may view this as a luxury or an exaggerated level of detail. But it is one of the most important investments you can make in your studio.

The right monitors are in the right acoustic-treated control room, and the room and monitors work together. As you can imagine, owning a space to build and acoustically treat a room is problematic for those renting or making music in nonideal environments.

Cubby Hole

In NYC, where we're often in spaces not designed to monitor playback, monitoring is a big problem. Many professionals usually mix in their apartments these days, and some even in headphones, which was frowned upon years ago.

The world is changing. Many big studios have closed, and many artists don't have the money to afford such large studios. The environment has changed, which brings us to how we ensure a great mix in less-than-ideal environments.

News Flash

I like to think of myself as open-minded, but I'm finding it's part of the human experience to have ignorance and blind spots. I consciously try to find these blind spots and evaluate them to grow and learn more.

I'm a music production and technology professor at SUNY Purchase, an excellent art school with a well-curated music program. One of the best, in my opinion!

When I started teaching at SUNY, I heard murmurs of software for calibrating speakers. I knew there was software for time-aligning speaker arrays in live environments, and I had heard about new technology for adjusting studio monitors.

I was ignorant of the studio speaker alignment, which was a blind spot. I had a curmudgeon attitude. It was the old "in my day, we didn't use software; we learned our speakers and room." Which is quite funny, and like saying, in my day, we didn't have penicillin; you either survived or didn't.

The Light

Advances in technology are promising and can generally improve our lives. However, our species is resistant to change. It could be a rebellion against learning something new. But why is it not fun to learn something new that can improve our lives and expand our minds?

My mission has been to understand new technology, information, or methods before I conclude with an opinion. I wanted to investigate software that adjusts studio monitors to your room, which led me to Sonorworks and their SoundID Reference software.

I was intrigued. This SoundID Reference software works in conjunction with a special microphone designed for sound measurements to profile your room and make adjustments to counter issues in the acoustics. You can purchase the SoundID reference measurement microphone from their website along with the software, which I highly recommend. Using the SoundID reference measurement mic ensures you'll get the most accurate reading of your room.

While holding the measurement mic, the SoundID Reference software prompts you to move to different locations in your room while playing a sound through your monitors. After about 20 minutes, your room is profiled, and your monitors are adjusted to be accurate in your environment.

Typically, measurement mics can cost $1000 and above. Sonarworks worked to make an affordable measurement mic that works with their software so that it is accessible to more people at $89.

Accurate

What does accurate mean? Often, rooms have bass issues. It's easier to hear bass accurately in most rooms that have been extensively treated. Many rooms have yet to be treated so carefully, so the low end is often a mystery. When you check a mix on a different system, you may find that the bass level is surprisingly different than you thought.

And right there is the crux of it. The predictability factor becomes essential. Is it nice to mix a song on your monitors and know what it will sound like on other systems? YES!!

Bass representation is not the only issue, though. It's just the most obvious. We can find ourselves misled by all kinds of frequencies and stereo spreads.

Revelation

I knew I had a few issues in my room—I've been engineering long enough to sense that. However, there were more significant issues than I perceived.

SoundID Reference software shows you the adjustments made to your room

I was initially concerned about getting used to the new sound of my room and speakers. I have been using my Adam A3X for several years with an Adam sub. I like these speakers with the ribbon tweeter, which I find sweeter than other tweeters.

I know my system well and have become adept at having somewhat accurate mixes leave my room. However, my concern was that using the SoundID Reference software would add time to my workflow, and I like to work fast.

The funny thing is that the integration was utterly transparent. My "room" sounded better, and the mixes I bounced had no points of misrepresentation. I was immediately mixing better. It was wild. It was as if I was transported to a space I felt like I had been mixing for ages.

It was such an easy transition and had such a significant impact. There were issues I had been subconsciously fighting with my room. Suddenly, those issues were gone, and I was hearing my mix for what it was.

In Use

Once you've profiled your room, the Sonarworks SoundID Reference Software can be used in two ways. You can load the SoundID Reference app when listening to system audio, such as Apple Music. When using a DAW, you load the SoundID Reference plugin at the end of your master bus.

The measurements taken during the setup process are available as presets in either the app or the plugin. To access them, open SoundID and choose your preset. This also means you can measure multiple rooms if you work in various environments with a laptop.

Headphones

I like and trust my Shure SHR1540 headphones. I take them to studios when I do sessions as I know them well. But, even with that said, they, like every other headphone, add their own flavor to what you hear.

I was delighted that Sonarworks has already profiled many brands and models of headphones.

There was a time when mixing headphones was frowned upon. It was a real amateur move. The reason is that headphones did not translate well to other mediums. The tide has been changing with that. I still mostly mix on speakers. However, occasionally, I need to mix in headphones, so using the SoundID plugin and selecting the preset for my Shure SHR1540 works wonders.

SoundID Reference preset for the Shure SHR1540 headphones.

Sonarworls also modeled other speakers, which you can select to hear what your mix may sound like on those speakers. For instance, I always check my mixes on Airpods as so many people listen to them. It has become a benchmark.

Sonarworks has modeled AirPods and allowed me to turn my speakers into virtual AirPods to listen. This has helped me check in and double-check. There is also a collection of other speaker models to compare further, eliminating having to go to a car and check your mix or bounce a mix to play on your iPhone. The bottom line is preventing artists from leaving your studio and then sending a message saying the mix sounds very different from the way it did in the studio.

Options for listening device companions.

Mixing in a lousy room or on hyped speakers is not a right of passage. Ideally, a system and room are set up well so you can use your ears to make things sound like you envision. Fighting rooms and speakers aren't part of the craft; it gets in the way.

One of the reasons great mixing engineers create great mixes is that they have great ears and have amassed knowledge to get the sounds they want to hear. They also mix in rooms where they can trust their ears and don't have to guess what their mix will sound like.

Volume

For those relatively new to mixing, monitoring at lower volumes will yield better results. I wish I had known this when I started mixing. Even when using the Sonarworks SoundID software, I still monitor pretty quietly to not be wowed by volume and to keep the room's impression on my mixes to a minimum.

Sonorworks SoundID has become an indefensible tool for me. Hearing is the most crucial skill for mixing, and SoundID allows me to trust what I hear.