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Author Topic: Question about RTA's Sam Hunter Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 779 From: West Monroe, LA, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 02-06-2003 02:23 PM                     Being I will be needing an RTA soon my questions is this: Do they make or can you get an RTA program for the PC and use your sound card as an RTA? Of course the Microphone will be the issue but may be close enough to work. Thanks!  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-06-2003 02:31 PM                     Spectra Plus is one and JBL has one as well  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 02-06-2003 11:46 PM                     I will second Spectra Plus it's the RTA I use. Whatever you use for a computer, make DAMNED sure it has CLEAN sound hardware. I had a laptop with a really BAD noise problem on the sound card (you couldn't hear it in the little speakers on the computer, but it came up as broadband garbage on the RTA display, rendering the RTA useless). There are 'precision reference' PCMCIA sound cards for laptops that may halp if you are stuck with a noisy machine. -Aaron  |  IP: Logged Ray Derrick Master Film Handler Posts: 310 From: Sydney, Australia Registered: Sep 2001 posted 02-09-2003 08:06 AM                     Better still, if you are using Spectra Plus or any other software based analyser, get a WaveTerminal U2A made by Egosys. It is a little box that plugs into the USB port and is an outboard version of a sound card that avoids all the noise generated within a PC or laptop. This device can do full 24-bit AtoD and DtoA conversions and is very good indeed.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-09-2003 10:04 AM                     Ray, Might you have a link for that company? Steve  |  IP: Logged Jon Bartow Master Film Handler Posts: 287 From: Massachusetts Registered: Nov 1999 posted 02-09-2003 02:31 PM                     EGO Systems WaveTerminal  |  IP: Logged Sam Hunter Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 779 From: West Monroe, LA, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 02-09-2003 05:58 PM                     I am trying Spectra Plus on my Laptop and my noise floor is running around -80Db across the band. Is this acceptable?  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 02-09-2003 09:07 PM                     sounds like you have a noisy sound card, Sam. The laptop I am using (what's left of it) has a pretty quiet sound system in it (I get a few spikes in the 20-63 Hz range and that's about it). You also might trying to run calibration with a mic and pink noise to see if the computer will automatically set its input level. -Aaron  |  IP: Logged Ray Derrick Master Film Handler Posts: 310 From: Sydney, Australia Registered: Sep 2001 posted 02-10-2003 12:28 AM                     Steve the link for Ego Systems is www.egosys.net They have distributors worldwide listed on their website. These guys make a whole range of top-end sound cards with up to 8 channel inputs, but the U2A and U24 have the advantage of being portable and external to the PC.  |  IP: Logged Sam Hunter Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 779 From: West Monroe, LA, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 02-21-2003 01:00 PM                     Man, I checked on the price of Spectra Plus and like to have stroked out. That things expensive. Here is the qoute: Mr. Hunter, Thank you for your interest in our spectral analysis software. ================================================= SpectraPLUS version 2.32 pricing (valid through 3/31/03) ================================================= SpectraPLUS - base analyzer (item 232A).................... $ 295 Option /02 - Dual Channel Processing Capability ...... $ 200 Option /03 - 3-D Surface Display ............................. $ 200 Option /04 - Color Spectrogram Display ................... $ 200 Option /10 - Recording and Post Processing Modes . $ 200 Option /30 - Signal Generator ................................. $ 200 Option /50 - Distortion Analysis .............................. $ 200 Special Value Package (item 232B): SpectraPLUS - base analyzer plus any 3 options ..... $ 595 Full Package Price (item 232C): SpectraPLUS - base analyzer plus all 6 options ....... $ 795 The base package provides single channel (mono), real time operation. Options can be added at any time with a simple phone call. CD and a printed users guide are included with all orders. We accept VISA/MasterCard/AmericanExpress and purchase orders.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-21-2003 01:07 PM                     For what it does it is not out of line  |  IP: Logged Sam Hunter Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 779 From: West Monroe, LA, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 02-21-2003 01:11 PM                     I just wish I hadn't installed it because it has a 30 day trail and all my equipment is not in yet and it will probably expire before I have a chance to use it.  |  IP: Logged Greg Mueller Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1687 From: Port Gamble, WA Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-21-2003 01:33 PM                        Sam That's not that bad a price. The cheapest RTA I found was $1k. It was a stand alone one though, not a laptop one  |  IP: Logged Sam Hunter Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 779 From: West Monroe, LA, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 02-21-2003 01:38 PM                     I will need this thing long enough to equalize my Cp50 and not use it again. Heck, my equalization may be close enough as it is. Still waiting on my amps and CAT150. Got all my test film as well as a nice Textronics 100mhz dt scope for my A chain alignment.  |  IP: Logged Greg Mueller Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1687 From: Port Gamble, WA Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-21-2003 01:44 PM                        Sure, you say that now but I bet you a cookie that you play with stuff more than once.  |  IP: Logged

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