In this 4-minute video tutorial for Production Expert, Eli Krantzberg looks at the new SoundID Reference by Sonarworks. Eli shows you how to add your outputs and new headphone profiles through the intuitive search feature. He explores the new translation check feature, allowing you to emulate the response curve in different physical spaces, i.e. studio speakers, car setups, and more. Eli also teaches you how to customize the response curve, and how you can seamlessly use monitor and headphone calibration within your DAW.
In the grand scheme of audio production history, monitor and headphone calibration software is a relatively new technology. It has been and continues to be all the more critical for most of us, working either at home or in untreated studios. In its relatively brief lifespan, it has grown more sophisticated and less invasive over time. It's a competitive marketplace, which is great for innovation. And now, Sonarworks raises the bar even higher with the release of SoundID Reference.
While nominally an upgrade from their existing Reference 4 software, it represents a huge and positive shift as far as the user experience goes. The main problem historically with calibration software is not that it didn't work well. The main obstacle has been resistance to incorporating into one's workflow. It has been relatively invasive, involving adding and removing plug-ins in your DAW, changing audio routing configuration, level discrepancies, and so on. Several changes with Reference ID make it more invisible than ever to incorporate into your workflow.
These days it is not uncommon to have multiple monitors and headphones to use with your audio interface. The new preset management makes switching between profiles more straightforward than ever. Once calibrations are done, all the switching is done in a single intuitive window.
And along the lines of managing multiple measurement profiles, the new Translation Check feature is a fantastic addition. Not unlike Waves and Slate Digital, this feature recreates the acoustic curves for various physical spaces. Like laptop speakers, car interiors, television sets, and so on. As with monitor and headphone profiles, they are all easily changed with a single click.
Another great new reference curve-based enhancement is the ability to customize the target curve. Here, small changes make a big difference. For example, you are mixing dance music and prefer monitoring and working with an enhanced low end. If you crank up the lows as you mix, your final mix will be too bottom-heavy. Using the new custom target feature, a simple low shelf boost in ReferecneID provides the sonic boost you prefer without altering the frequencies in your mix. The same thing goes for the high end.
Another innovative use for calibration customization is to compensate for hearing loss. Many of us have at least some degree of either age or noise-related hearing loss. As a result, we may tend to mix brighter than necessary in the 4k - 6k range. A simple parametric boost by a few dB in ReferenceID in that area is a great way to compensate. The software is doing the compensation without affecting wither our workflow or our mixing choices.
Perhaps one of the most considerable ease of use improvements is the ability to monitor through Reference ID directly from within your DAW. Gone is the archaic workflow of instantiating a plug-in on your DAWs master bus, only to bypass it when it comes time to bounce to disc.
If you are already a Reference 4 user, there is a lot to love in this upgrade. Life will be better, and you can use your existing measurement profiles. There is no downside at all. There has never been a better time to jump in if you are new to monitor and headphone calibration software. The water is warm - come on in and give it a try.
To download your trail of SoundID Reference, head over to Sonarworks’ website.