100 Things #19: Maximize Dynamic Range with Autoranging
It is important to maximize dynamic range to ensure a good signal-to-noise ratio when making measurements. SoundCheck’s autoranging feature monitors the available headroom on the input signal path and automatically adjusts the gain of the supported interface for best performance.
Maximize Dynamic Range with Autoranging
Learn More About Maximizing Dynamic Range in SoundCheck
More information is also available in the SoundCheck Manual.
Video Script: Maximize Dynamic Range with Autoranging
A good signal-to-noise ratio is important for sound measurements, particularly for critical distortion measurements like THD and Rub and Buzz. Insufficient signal-to-noise allows the harmonic content of the response to fall into the noise floor resulting in imprecise analyses.
There are several ways to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of your acquisitions. You can measure in an anechoic chamber or test box to isolate out background or factory noise. You can also measure in the near field by placing the measurement mic closer to your device under test. If your hardware supports input gain, you can manually adjust this on your interface to optimize signal-to-noise.
Listen’s audio interfaces including AudioConnect, AmpConnect ISC and AmpConnect 621, as well as the SoundConnect 2 microphone power supply, all support input gain. But we have taken it one step further! The auto-ranging capability in the SoundCheck software allows gain to be automatically applied to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio.
Here’s how it works: when auto-ranging in SoundCheck is enabled, SoundCheck monitors the available headroom on the input signal path. It reports this as MaxFSD in SoundCheck’s memory list. If gain can be applied without reaching digital saturation, SoundCheck automatically adjusts the gain of the supported interface, and takes another acquisition.
Auto-ranging assures that you automatically have an optimal acquisition without manually adjusting gain, giving you confidence in your measurements and results and accelerating test development.
