Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give Reference 3 is that I often forget it’s there. This makes mixing faster, easier, and more fun. And since I trust what I’m hearing much more, I second-guess mixing decisions less. In fact, many of them come back nearly flat. I’ve noticed that mastering engineers are applying less EQ to my mixes. My mixes translate better than ever before, and I spend less time checking them on other sets of speakers. But the real question is, will Sonarworks Reference 3 help you craft better mixes?Īfter spending several months mixing through this plugin, I believe the answer is a resounding YES. Since every room is different, your mileage may vary. In fact, after spending a few hours listening through Reference 3, bypassing it can be quite a shock! Verdict There is a significant extension in the low end the speakers seem to reproduce sound further down the frequency spectrum. With Reference 3 engaged, my speakers sound noticeably different. I was often so afraid of adding too much bass that my mixes ended up bass-light! While headphones were helpful, they didn’t alleviate this problem completely. Prior to Reference 3, this made mixing the low end particularly challenging. Though I’m well aware of these problems, it’s still difficult to know what a correct tonal balance sounds like in my room. There’s also a noticeable buildup in the lower midrange, which gives my speakers a slightly boxy quality. Though my speakers (Focal Solo6 Be) extend down to 40 Hz, there’s a big dip in my room at 60 Hz that sucks out a significant portion of the low end. While I’ve spent thousands on acoustic treatment, my home studio is far from perfect. This way, I could listen through it while using other applications. I also opted to route my DAW’s output into Apple’s AU Lab app and insert Reference 3 there instead. I found myself ignoring most of these additional features, as the default settings worked quite well. The correction curve in Sonarworks Reference 3 A wet/dry knob and calibration limit controls allow you to vary the intensity of correction that’s applied. You can also emulate the frequency response of a variety of popular speakers, including NS-10’s and a few consumer models. You can add a slight bass or treble tilt to its EQ curve. Reference 3 features a number of options for fine-tuning its correction algorithm. Just load up your DAW, add Reference 3 to your mix bus, and import the calibration file. In UseĪfter completing the measurement process, the rest is easy. This feature makes Reference 3 more flexible than platforms that only store a limited number of measurements (like KRK’s ERGO). You can save several different calibration files, which is useful if you want to correct other speakers or listening locations.
Measuring my room using Sonarworks Reference 3Īfter measuring your room, Reference 3 exports a calibration file that you import into the plugin portion of the software (this is what you’ll place on your mix bus). This is by far the coolest part of the process!
The software tracks the mic’s position using echolocation, and automatically starts taking the next measurement when you move it into the right spot.
While Sonarworks says you can use any omnidirectional condenser microphone, I got much better results when using their mic.ĭuring the measurement process, Reference 3 instructs you to move the mic around your sweet spot while playing a series of odd noises. The Reference 3 standalone app walks you through the entire process, which takes less than 10 minutes. You’ll need an omnidirectional condenser microphone, an audio interface with an XLR input, and a mic cable with plenty of slack. Compared to other room correction plugins, it’s a breeze. I was pleasantly surprised by the simplicity of Reference 3’s measurement process. This will ideally lead to better mixing decisions, and a track that sounds great on a variety of different speakers. You listen through this curve while mixing and hopefully hear a more accurate representation of your mix. It then builds a complementary EQ curve that corrects any tonal imbalances. Reference 3 uses a microphone to measure the frequency response of your room.
Download Now: 7 Simple Steps To Optimize Your Listening Environment How Sonarworks Reference 3 Works