TRACT User Guide - Waves Audio

Using TRACT and Smaart Over a SoundGrid NetworkIf you experience problems connecting SoundGrid does not support IPv4 protocol. To prevent problems in TRACT-toSmaart connections, you must disable IPv4 protocol on the SoundGrid network adapter.Disabling IPv4MACOpen Network Preferences.Select the SG network adapter from the list on the left.Under the Configure IPv4 menu, select Off and click Apply.PCOpen Network & Internet settingsClick Change Adapter options.Right-click and select Properties of SG Network adapter.Turn Off the checkmark next to Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click OK.If TRACT is running on a SoundGrid host (e.g., SoundGrid Studio, eMotion LV1, MultiRack SoundGrid, or StudioRackSG) and Smaart is on a separate/discrete computer, Smaart remote functions cannot be controlled over the SGnetwork. Smaart must use a dedicated network adapter that is independent of the SoundGrid network adapter.Note: We do not recommend using Wi-Fi for connecting to Smaart. This connection is possible, but it can degrade theperformance of SoundGrid applications, such as MultiRack SG, eMotion LV1, SoundGrid Studio.Smaart is now set up for measurements.16TRACT / User Guide

Controlling Smaart from TRACTThe Remote Control panel provides remote control over essential Smaart functions.Note: These controls precisely reflect Smaart functions, so it’s important to understand how theyfunction in Smaart. We recommend that you refer to the Smaart user guide for in-depth explanations ofthese controls.GENActivates Smaart’s generator.MeasurementUse the Measurement menu to choose among the measurements that you created in Smaart’s MeasurementConfiguration page.TRACT Measurement menuSmaart Measurement Config pageStart/Stop AnalysisTurns Smaart analysis on or off. Enables/disables viewing Smaart data in the TRACT display.17TRACT / User Guide

Views menuSelects the display format. View options vary dependingon the measurement type.RTA measurement: RTA bars, RTA lines, or SpectrographTF measurement: Magnitude, Phase, or Magnitude PhaseRTA measurementBars viewTF measurementMag Phase viewSpectrograph view (RTA measurement only)The Spectrograph view displays frequency response overtime.The dynamic range of the spectrograph is controlled bythe two white controls on the left side of the Graph. Thetop control sets the maximum threshold; the bottom onesets the minimum. The spectrograph scales its colorspectrum between these two extremes.Spectrograph captures are marked SPG in the CapturesManagement panel. Spectrograph capture cells can be18TRACT / User Guide

viewed only one at a time. Selecting another spectrograph capture cell will clear the previously selected cell andreplace it with the selected one. All other selected capture cells will be deselected. You cannot calculate a FIR filtercurve from a Spectrograph capture cell.Note: Viewing a previously-captured SPG measurement will disrupt real time measurement. To seethe real time measurement, deselect the SPG capture cell.Banding and AveragingThese drop-down menu items dictate how measurement signals relate to the graphic display.Banding (Spectrum) / Smoothing (Transfer)Range (Spectrum and Smoothing): octave to 1/48 octaveOn a banded RTA or spectrograph display, each fractional octave band represents the summation of the power at allfrequencies that fall within that band. Banded spectra are a way of reconciling how we hear with what we see on theanalyzer screen. By summing FFT multiple bins into each band, you get a display that’s smoother and more stable thanwatching the individual bins jumping around.Note: This Banding menu sets the resolution of captures, while the resolution of the FIR is set withthe Banding menu in the FIR section. The banding resolution of the FIR is limited by the bandingresolution of the measurement data captured into each Capture Cell.Smoothing places each frequency data point at the center of its own “band,” rather than collecting the bins into afixed number of bands at fractional octave intervals. In this case, each “band” is a center-weighted smoothingwindow that expands as you ascend in frequency. Using larger fractional octave bands can help reduce visual“noise” and make larger trends in the spectrum of a signal more obvious, but at the expense of limiting how muchdetail you can see.19TRACT / User Guide

AveragingAveraging is the speed at which measurement data are updated. This helps separate useful information fromextraneous factors such as noise, reverberation, and position-dependent acoustical anomalies.For PA tuning, 1 or 2 second averaging is recommended. If the current active measurement uses the GlobalSpectrum Settings for spectrum averaging, then the Averaging selector on the Remote Control bar controls theglobal setting. Otherwise, it applies only to the active measurement.Averaging settings:NoneNo averagingFIFO2–16 framesThe first four choices in the list are for an equal-weighted simple moving average of the mostrecent 2, 4, 8 or 16 frames of data. In this type of average, the oldest frame falls completely outof the measurement when a new frame comes in (hence the name “FIFO,” for “First In, FirstOut”).1 sec–10 secVariable averaging settings that combine the most desirable characteristics of FIFO andexponential moving averages.InfiniteA cumulative, equal-weighted average with no set duration. It will keep averaging until you stopor restart the measurement. You can average over a period of several minutes, or even hours ifyou like, to get the cleanest possible picture of the response of a steady state system or find thelong-term average spectrum of a dynamic signal such as speech or music.Fast/SlowFirst-order exponential averages with time constants of 0.125 and 1.0 seconds respectively.Please refer to the Smaart user guide for detailed information about Banding and Averaging.20TRACT / User Guide

Delay Measurement and CorrectionThe reference signal, regardless of its source, arrives at the measurement point almost instantly. The measurementsignal is the output of the system under test. It is subject to delay from filtering, throughput delay, intentionalalignment delay, and in the case of acoustical measurements, the realities of the speed of sound.All of this can introduce tens of milliseconds of time offset between the reference and measurement signals and wemust compensate for that offset by delaying the reference signal to match the arrival time of the measurementsignal. Every two-channel transfer function measurement has a built-in delay line for just that purpose.Delay controls (available in Transfer Measurement mode only)Find DLYActivates Smaart‘s Delay Finder function, an automated routine for finding the delay time for the active transferfunction measurement. The Measured signal delay value updates each time the button is clicked.Measured/Current/Delta (view only) Displays the measured vs. current delay values. It is used in calculating delayoffset.Measured Displays the delay value when the Find DLY button is clicked.CurrentDisplays time delay value in real time.DeltaDisplays the time difference between the Measured and Current delay values.TrackFollows and compensates for real-time delay changes between the reference and measured signals. It controlsSmaart’s delay alignment function, which adjusts the reference signal delay to align with the measured signal. It’sdesigned to keep transfer function measurements aligned in situations where the delay time may change from onemeasurement update to the next—for example, when measuring in windy conditions or while the microphone isbeing moved to a new location.21TRACT / User Guide

Insert DelayInserts the Measured delay time to the Current measurement value box.CapturesA capture is a snapshot of a selected measurement’s state. Captures vary within a measurement due to mic positionsand other variables. To capture real-time data, click the Capture button. You can capture up to eight measurements forFIR processing. The capture will be saved in the empty Capture Cell with the lowest number. You can give the capture aunique name in the cell above it.Select a Capture Cell to display its capture on the graph. You can display as many captures as you like, but only thesingle capture selected in the Captures drop-down menu is used to calculate the FIR filter curve (see next section). Todelete a capture, select one or more Capture Cells and click Clear.Several captures can be merged to create a new, averaged capture. You can merge data from one or more CaptureCells of same measurement type: Merge Spectrum captures with other Spectrum captures (except Spectrograph), orMagnitude captures with other Magnitude captures (except Phase), or Phase with Phase. But you cannot mergeSpectrum captures with Magnitude or Phase captures.We recommend that you disconnect TRACT from Smaart once you complete your captures. This will reduce CPUload, which may make the host computer more responsive. Click the Disconnect button to end the connection.22TRACT / User Guide

Calculating the FIR Filter CurveThe FIR filter curve is calculated by subtracting a capture from the reference curve. Additional adjustments are madein the IIR section, which is described later.Captured Measurements These are the captures made from Smaart measurements.Reference Curve This is a target curve, the desired sound of the PA system.The FIR filter curve is calculated in the FIR section. The images below illustrate how a reference curve influencesthe calculated FIR filter curve.TOP: Reference Curve FlatYellow FIRRed magnitude measurement and captureNote that the FIR is inversely proportional to thecapture.Bottom: Reference Curve 6 LF BoostDotted purple reference curveNote that at frequencies where the LF boostreference filter is active, the correction curveamplitude increases proportionally to the amplitudeof the reference. It is unaffected at higherfrequencies since the reference is not active there.23TRACT / User Guide

FIR ControlsA reference curve is calculated in the FIR section. It can be calculated from anycapture except Spectrograph and Phase. The FIR section is turned on or offwith the FIR icon on the right.Creating the FIR filter curve involves these menus:1 – Captures menuThe Captures menu shows the captures from the Captures Management panel. Select the capture that willbe used to calculate a FIR filter.When a capture is selected, its series number is highlighted. You cannot clear a capture that isselected here. The yellow FIR filter curve will appear on the graph.2 – Banding menuThe banding menu sets the resolution of the FIR. It determines the smoothness vs. detail of the FIRcurve. It also controls the filter’s appearance on the graph. Maximum FIR resolution is limited by thesource cell banding selection in the Remote Control panel (i.e., the Banding/Smoothing menu). Forexample, if Banding is set to 1/3 octave in the Remote Control panel, then the FIR resolution cannot behigher. You can, however, use the FIR Banding control to reduce the resolution of a high-resolutioncapture.Range: 1 octave to 1/48 octave.24TRACT / User Guide

3 – Reference CurveReference curves are target equalization curves used in calculating the FIR filter curve. They are defined as thereference curve value minus the capture.The reference curve is indicated by a purple dotted line.There are four factory reference curves Flat 6 dB low frequcncy boost 9 dB low frequcncy boostX-curveYou can also create a reference curve from a capture or an IIR curve. This is described in the User ReferenceCurves section.25TRACT / User Guide

Constraining the FIRYou can limit the range—amplitude and/or frequency—in which the FIR acts upon the signal. This does not affect thestructure of the curve, rather, it restricts the amplitude or frequency range in which the curve is active.Move the red markers on the left side of the window to limit FIR filter curve activity within a defined amplitude. Thered markers at the bottom limit FIR filter curve activity to within a specified frequency range.To change the limits, move the controls manually or double-click on a control and enter a value.Upper amplitude limitFIR offsetLower amplitude limitLower frequency limitHigher frequency limitUse the yellow FIR amplitude offset marker on the right side to move the curve up and down within the limits definedby the upper and lower limit markers.26TRACT / User Guide

User Reference CurvesYou can save and load user-defined reference curves derivedfrom captures or IIR settings.User-made references appear at the bottom of the menu.Create a new user reference curveFrom CaptureChoose a capture cell number in the “From Captures” submenu. You will be prompted toname the new curve.From IIRDraw a curve using IIR Filter section. Select “From IIR” in the submenu. You will beprompted to name the new curve. IIRs are described in the next section.User Reference curves are saved as part of the TRACT plugin preset.27TRACT / User Guide

IIR Filter SectionThe IIR section is an eight-band paragraphic equalizer that is placed after the FIR filter curve in the signal flow. It hasthree uses: It supplements the FIR filter curve with an additional EQ curve.It provides a quality freestanding parametric EQ when you are not using TRACT as a measurement tool.It can be used to create a custom reference curve from an IIR.Select a band by clicking on its band number on the graph (graph markers 1–8), orby clicking the corresponding band number in the Band Selector section.A band can be turned on or off by double-clicking on its graph marker or band selector,or by single-clicking the ON/OFF switch in the Filter Control section.Adjust band parameters by dragging a marker or parameter value box. To fine-tune aparameter, select a value box and then click or –.Filter ControlsShapeAll bands have six filter shape options. Available parameter controls vary by shape selection.28TRACT / User Guide

Flat-TopControls: Gain (-15 dB to 15 dB), Frequency (20 Hz to 20 kHz), Width (0.50 to 6.00)There are two Q controls: one for the beginning of the plateau (Q-LOW) and one for the end (Q-Hi). Range: 0.50 to 1.00

Smaart and TRACT are linked for control and data streaming using Sm aart's built-in Application Program Interface (API). Workflow TRACT uses two types of measurements from Smaart: Spectrum (single measurement source) and Transfer (dual measurement source). Using a mic and a reference signal, TRACT captures Smaart measurements .