Focus Fidelity Releases Impala, an All-New Freeware Measurement Application

(January 25, 2022) Our friends at Focus Fidelity are celebrating the new year with an exciting gift to the enthusiast community. In its most recent newsletter, the software developer announced the launch of Impala, a freeware application designed to make measurements for digital room correction "quick and easy." Focus Fidelity says the software has undergone extensive beta testing, and the results were excellent.

Impala is designed for use with computers running Microsoft 10 or 11 (Intel or AMD x64 with AVX instruction set support, 8GB memory), requiring a USB DAC (or similar audio interface) and a calibrated microphone like miniDSP's UMIK-1 or UMIK-2. An analog signal output can also be used, but it must be paired with an interface that includes a microphone preamp and an analog to digital converter.

Leveraging a user-friendly graphical user interface, Impala provides the tools to take measurements from multiple positions around a seat or a seating area. The first measurement, taken from the center of the primary listening position, allows the software to time-align a system's left and right channels. After that, users are free to take measurements (eight to ten is preferred) from various positions situated symmetrically around the main listening position.

Key software features include:

• Measurements of left and right channels taken at multiple positions are saved to a single file (*.ffm) to be opened in Focus Fidelity's filter design software.
• Measurements may also be exported as *.wav files for use with 3rd party software.
• Exported measurements have the microphone calibration applied.
• The relative timing of the left and right channels is captured.
• The *.ffm file includes microphone calibration and relative timing information, creating a seamless workflow with Focus Fidelity's filter design software.
• Audio hardware is accessed via the Microsoft Windows WASAPI exclusive mode interface eliminating issues with Windows audio mixers and sample rate converters.
• Measurements can be taken with a correction filter applied. The filter is applied to the test signal the same way it is to music which allows the performance of the filters to be verified.
• Tested with MiniDSP UMIK-1 & UMIK-2 microphones and XMOS based USB Audio interfaces.
• A pink noise generator and sound pressure level meter are included for setting the volume level.

To download Impala, visit www.focusfidelity.com/download, and to subscribe to future Focus Fidelity Newsletters, click here. Of course, Focus Fidelity offers its own digital room correction filter software – Focus Fidelity Filter Designer – that's compatible with software such as Accurate Sound's HLC, Roon, JRiver Media Center, and HQPlayer. For more information, including links to screenshots, reviews, and purchasing, visit https://focusfidelity.com.

 

[dathzo]

I tested this a couple of weeks ago. Super easy to use with a neat user interface

 

[Todd Anderson]

Do you use the Filter Designer software?

 

[dathzo]

Not yet. I went over the manual and Mitch Barnett’s walkthrough and it looks equally simple to use. Simpler than Acourate and Audiolense, for example. But the fact that it cannot do digital crossovers and bass management, has prevented me to pull the trigger. I understand from David that those features are coming, so excited about it!

 

[Todd Anderson]

The simplicity factor is definitely appealing. I'm curious to see how bass management is rolled out. Hopefully it's coming this year!

 

[dathzo]

The simplicity factor is definitely appealing. I'm curious to see how bass management is rolled out. Hopefully, it's coming this year!

I sincerely do hope so! I work on R&D, so I know how tricky it is to give timelines when things are in the Pipeline. But maybe @Focus Fidelity can give us a nice surprise soon

 

[Rbertalotto]

I downloaded the software but I can't seem to open it. Once it is in my download file, how do I access it?

 

[MediumRare]

I use a Mac so no-go, apparently. But if I did, what are the pros/cons v. REW? Can it do moving microphone technique?

 

[Rbertalotto]

I'm on Windows 10 on an Hp LapTop

 

[Todd Anderson]

That's odd... perhaps the file corrupted on download?

 

[Focus Fidelity]

Hi @Rbertalotto
I'm assuming that you are finding that the program does not start. The program requires that your CPU support the AVX instruction set. AVX instructions were introduced in 2011, only very old or low power CPUs will not include the AVX instructions
Please see the troubleshooting guide on page 19 of the user manual https://www.focusfidelity.com/ImpalaManual.pdf
You can also get technical support through https://www.focusfidelity.com/contact

 

[Rbertalotto]

I'm not very computer literate. Here is the system my laptop is using:

Device name DESKTOP-PM9M6E0
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-8130U CPU @ 2.20GHz 2.21 GHz
Installed RAM 8.00 GB (7.87 GB usable)
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

 

[Ofer]

Can it export filters to miniDSP?

 

[Focus Fidelity]

Hi @Ofer
The filters generated are long FIR filters which the MiniDSP hardware does not support.
The filter design application generates filters compatible with software such as Accurate Sound's HLC, Roon, JRiver Media Center, and HQPlayer.

@Rbertalotto I'll respond to you via e-mail.

 

[Focus Fidelity]

Hi @MediumRare
Impala streamlines the process of taking measurements of two (for now) channels at multiple positions.
It will run on a Windows VM on a Mac.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

But the fact that it cannot do digital crossovers and bass management, has prevented me to pull the trigger.

Apparently, it is also restricted to 2 channels. Subwoofer promised.

 

[Focus Fidelity]

Hi @Kal Rubinson
Yes, stereo only for now.

 

[wus]

Hi @Rbertalotto
The program requires that your CPU support the AVX instruction set.

I read on a computer magazine that Intel no longer supports AVX512, starting from Core-i-12000 processors.

 

[Focus Fidelity]

Hi @wus
Intel is removing only the AVX-512 instruction set (https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-reportedly-kills-avx-512-alder-lake-cpus).
AVX & AVX2 are widely adopted and I expect x86-64 CPUs to continue to support them. Focus Fidelity software requires only AVX, not AVX2 or AVX-512.

 

[wus]

Let's hope that you're right then...

 

[spalmgre]

I have been using REW for many years and have now tried Impala to compare them. Impala is much easier to use when using it for what it's meant for.
These are multipoint measurements of two stereo speakers.

Impala measures both channels in one sweep. So 8 position measurement is 8 sweeps when in REW it is 16. This feels like a big difference.
I Typically can measure 50 times in one session so this helps a lot.

 

[welldun]

In this Youtube era, can one of you kind folks who have tried/used this software provide us with a video demonstrating the setup and how it work and helps improve things?

 

[dathzo]

In this Youtube era, can one of you kind folks who have tried/used this software provide us with a video demonstrating the setup and how it work and helps improve things?

Not a video, but the article that Mitch Barnett put together is excellent. He uses a lot of screenshots and it is very easy to follow. He used REW for the measurements instead of Impala: https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/revi...rs-using-focus-fidelity-filter-designer-r990/

 

[Focus Fidelity]

Hi @dathzo The article by Mitch was written before Impala was released hence him using REW.
Hi @welldun I may do some videos in the future, for now the manuals will always contain the most up to date info. https://www.focusfidelity.com/documents

 

[dathzo]

Hi @dathzo The article by Mitch was written before Impala was released hence him using REW.
Hi @welldun I may do some videos in the future, for now the manuals will always contain the most up to date info. https://www.focusfidelity.com/documents

That's right @Focus Fidelity. In any case, doing the measurements with REW is the "hard" way to do it. When using IMPALA, the software is as intuitive as it gets, so much easier than REW: The documentation that David refers to is simple and to the point as well.