Anyone try the new UMIK-2 yet ?

[G29]

Anyone try the new UMIK-2 yet and have any personal feedback on it ?

UMIK-2

Lower self noise, up to 192KHz, 1/2" capsule, 32-bit ADC, individual calibration files, ASIO drivers.

TIA

 

[Sonnie]

@AustinJerry has one I believe.

 

[Randy L]

Anyone try the new UMIK-2 yet and have any personal feedback on it ?

UMIK-2

Lower self noise, up to 192KHz, 1/2" capsule, 32-bit ADC, individual calibration files, ASIO drivers.

TIA

View attachment 37867

I'm interested too!

 

[AustinJerry]

There is a discussion of the UMIK-2 towards the end of this thread: https://www.avnirvana.com/threads/dayton-umm-6-vs-umik-1-comparison.7785/

 

[delm]

I ordered direct from miniDSP in HK and received a UMIK-2 in late November. Shipping was inexpensive and quick. I used it with REW to setup my bass crossover, a modified Bryston 10B. I did not like using ASIO drivers on Windows as there is a lack of flexibility with input and output device parameters so I switched to MACOS Catalina on a 2012 Macbook Pro. After reading the previous post by AustinJerry I will update the UMIK-2 firmware and check my crossover again.

 

[Mike-48]

Are any dealers in the US selling it yet? Or is the best option still to win one or buy from miniDSP directly?

 

[Randy L]

Ya no kidding. How long has this mic been out? - Where is it? - You'd think it'd be available in North America by now. Probably the largest base of probable customers in the entire world. But oh well.

 

[Sonnie]

It takes about 2 days to get it straight from Hong Kong if you are on the west coast... maybe 4-5 days if on the east coast. I ordered straight from miniDSP and it was 4 days I think. Parts Express was selling the UMIK-1, so they may end up selling them, but no reason to wait of you want one.

 

[Randy L]

It takes about 2 days to get it straight from Hong Kong if you are on the west coast... maybe 4-5 days if on the east coast. I ordered straight from miniDSP and it was 4 days I think. Parts Express was selling the UMIK-1, so they may end up selling them, but no reason to wait of you want one.

Well I just took the plunge and bought the UMIK-2 directly from MiniDSP in Hong Kong. It cost me a total of $325 Canadian dollars! - So this $195 (USD) mic was pretty expensive for me after the currency exchange, duties and fees were added. (I only paid $109 for the UMIK-1 because it was being sold here in Canada) I really wish MiniDSP would distrubute the UMIK-2 to North American dealers. Bet it would have been a lot cheaper that way. Ordered Sunday, scheduled for delivery tomorrow, Wednesday.

 

[andyc56]

Speaker designer Matt Grant has done some preliminary testing of the UMIK-2. He observed higher distortion than the UMIK-1, and internal mic preamp clipping at a level 20 dB lower than the mic's rated SPL.

 

[Sonnie]

Speaker designer Matt Grant has done some preliminary testing of the UMIK-2. He observed higher distortion than the UMIK-1, and internal mic preamp clipping at a level 20 dB lower than the mic's rated SPL.

Hopefully he will let miniDSP know about if if he hasn't already.

It shouldn't affect us who are doing normal measurements in the 75-85dB range.

 

[Randy L]

Hey guys. I just received my new UMIK-2 today! - But after downloading the two calibration files I noticed that the 90 degree file wants to cut the high frequencies (10,000-20,000Khz) by almost 12 db! Is this an acceptable amount? That a calibration would need to be this extreme? My UMIK-1 only varied by 4db... It would seem that my particular capsule batch is of sub standard that the calibration needs to be that extreme to get it back to flat. The greater the calibration (the more you have to move something from it's native position) the lower the quality of the end result... Am I missing something here. Is an 11db correction file acceptable and within normal expectation with these things? Thanks for any advice you can provide.

 

[Mike-48]

I've noticed that the 90-deg file of my UMIC-1 has large adjustments at high frequencies. To me, that stresses the importance of not relying entirely on measurements, but making final adjustments by ear.

 

[Randy L]

I've noticed that the 90-deg file of my UMIC-1 has large adjustments at high frequencies. To me, that stresses the importance of not relying entirely on measurements, but making final adjustments by ear.

Ya, I spoke to MiniDSP and they said it's due to the larger capsule size compared to the UMIK-1 that the 90 degree calibration will show higher numbers to compensate for the greater curvature of the diaphragm. So I've decided to calibrate pointing the mic directly at the speakers with the UMIK-2 (stereo) and forget about "including more of the room". I just did a DIRAC calibration and it does indeed sound better! Has a perception of more accuracy. More focused, better 3D and better detailed highs,.

 

[Sonnie]

Ya, I spoke to MiniDSP and they said it's due to the larger capsule size compared to the UMIK-1 that the 90 degree calibration will show higher numbers to compensate for the greater curvature of the diaphragm. So I've decided to calibrate pointing the mic directly at the speakers with the UMIK-2 (stereo) and forget about "including more of the room". I just did a DIRAC calibration and it does indeed sound better! Has a perception of more accuracy. More focused, better 3D and better detailed highs,.

How are you positioning the mic for the first measurement, which obviously can't be pointed directly at (both or every) speaker at the same time?

 

[Randy L]

How are you positioning the mic for the first measurement, which obviously can't be pointed directly at (both or every) speaker at the same time?

I just point dead center between the two speakers.

 

[Sonnie]

I just point dead center between the two speakers.

So I wonder how accurate that would be, as you are not truly at 0 degrees if it's not pointed directly at the speaker. It could be 15-45 degrees perhaps. Would the calibration file need to reflect the angle?

I have no idea, but I was using 0 degrees the other day and actually pointed it at my left speaker, where the tip of the mic was actually about where my left ear would be. However, I was not doing Dirac measurements, I was simply measuring the response from 1 meter, 2 meters and 2.5 meters where my head is, and the listening position angle.

 

[Randy L]

Ya I think measuring speakers and doing auto-room correction use different mic positioning. Room correction is always doing some kind of averaging (as it has to) so there will be a degree of innacuracy. However the results of doing room correction often outweigh the loss of accuracy compared to not doing anything at all... The mic calibration file reflects the correction needed to bring that mic back to 'hearing' flat.

 

[Sonnie]

Yeah... I understand the mic correction, but there are two correction files for the UMIK... 0 and 90 degrees. If the mic is not oriented to one of those degrees with the speaker, I don't see how it would be accurate. Sure, it's better than nothing I suppose, but just not seeing how it can be as accurate.

 

[Randy L]

Not sure how else to do it... Got to admit though, the results coming from DIRAC are spectacular. They use some form of audio magic. So natural rich spacious and detailed. Maybe I got lucky and have an arrangement that just works well with auto-correction. It blows me away every time I listen. Never going back to Audyssey.

 

[DanDan]

There is talk that better mics create better DRC Eqs.....The studiosixdigital.com mic looks good to me. And I am excited about the new Neumann one. Both very fair prices IMO.
Isemcon do 1/4" Mics to a seeming very hight standard, with again very fair prices.

 

[Focus Fidelity]

Hopefully he will let miniDSP know about if if he hasn't already.

It shouldn't affect us who are doing normal measurements in the 75-85dB range.

I asked miniDSP about the distortion issue, they said this,

The mic is simply clipping = raise of THD as expected.
UMIK-2 doesn't have a gain switch as the UMIK-1. It's a software controlled gain.
We do have a software that we provide for that application. A simple support ticket and we'll solve the issue. If you know the customer, maybe ask him to reach out to us?
The default gain on the microphone is +18dB so software like REW and Dirac don't ask for high output level level before the speaker (using dBFS scale). That's the reason why the gain is raised.
Always reach out to us via our support portal (support.minidsp.com).
We're always here to help! :-)

 

[jschwender]

I changed the internal gain with the mentioned tool from +18 dB to +9 dB and adjusted the header in the calibration file. With this setting the clipping occurs at rated SPL

 

[Focus Fidelity]

I changed the internal gain with the mentioned tool from +18 dB to +9 dB and adjusted the header in the calibration file. With this setting the clipping occurs at rated SPL

Could be worth contacting MiniDSP to see what they say.