REW Beta Release REW macOS DMG (includes private Java 8 JRE) V5.20 RC4

[John Mulcahy]

John Mulcahy updated REW macOS DMG (includes private Java 8 JRE) with a new update entry:

REW V5.20 beta 56 macOS DMG

Changes in V5.20 beta 56:

• Added support for the Dutch&Dutch 8c eq features, including support for measuring using sweep signals generated by the speakers. 8c firmware V1.4.50 or later is required. Select the 8c as the default equaliser in REW's preferences to activate all 8c features.
• Added support for the Elder Audio TimeZero2.6D/4.8D equalisers
• Add 2 to 3 seconds of 16-bit dither at the beginning of measurement sweep files to ensure playback devices lock to the...

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[dominiclowe]

I have found REW crashes with the beta of Mac OS 11. Anyone else found this?

 

[John Mulcahy]

John Mulcahy updated REW macOS DMG (includes private Java 8 JRE) with a new update entry:

REW V5.20 beta 57 macOS DMG

Changes in V5.20 beta 57:

• REW now saves a temporary copy of each measurement when it is made. On a normal shutdown those temporary copies are deleted, if REW did not shut down normally it will warn of the existence of the temporary files on the next startup and offer to load them.
• Added a "Fit to data" button on the graph limits dialog and a corresponding entry in the Graph menu with a Ctrl+Alt+F shortcut. Fit to data sets the graph axes to show the full span of the data. On...

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[John Mulcahy]

John Mulcahy updated REW macOS DMG (includes private Java 8 JRE) with a new update entry:

REW V5.20 beta 58 macOS DMG

Bug fix affecting beta 57: Exception when shutting down if no measurements had been made with beta 57

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[John Mulcahy]

John Mulcahy updated REW macOS DMG (includes private Java 8 JRE) with a new update entry:

REW V5.20 beta 59 macOS DMG

Changes in V5.20 beta 59:

• For stepped level measurements the SPL & Phase graph now shows a plot of the input level versus generator level and a linearity plot (previously it was blank)
• If no IPV4 addresses are obtained for an 8c use any IPV6 address it returns
• When importing measurement files if the data is very sparse (10 points or fewer) use linear interpolation on a log frequency axis, like a house curve import
• Added an extra check for file imports to reduce...

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[wtnh]

I tried the new beta but got frustrated. The input from my soundcard kept vanishing (output works OK), so I could not get a good loopback test completed.

I am running Catalina 10.15.6 and using an old EMU 0404 USB external sound interface. The driver comes from Wouter on GitHub and macOS recognizes it as the default device for input and output when it is connected.

The older version of REW works fine, so I am not sure if this is cockpit error or some sort of incompatibility with the driver. I de-installed the new version and re-installed the older one and was able to do loopback tests and amplifier RTA distortion tests. The new version looks super nice so I hope to use it soon if I can figure out the issue.

Thanks

 

[John Mulcahy]

I tried the new beta but got frustrated. The input from my soundcard kept vanishing (output works OK), so I could not get a good loopback test completed.

I am running Catalina 10.15.6 and using an old EMU 0404 USB external sound interface. The driver comes from Wouter on GitHub and macOS recognizes it as the default device for input and output when it is connected.

The older version of REW works fine, so I am not sure if this is cockpit error or some sort of incompatibility with the driver. I de-installed the new version and re-installed the older one and was able to do loopback tests and amplifier RTA distortion tests. The new version looks super nice so I hope to use it soon if I can figure out the issue.

When you say "new beta" and "older version" which REW versions are you referring to?

 

[wtnh]

Sorry - by "older" I meant the version available on roomeqwizard.com - the newer version is the latest beta version available here on AVNirvana.

 

[John Mulcahy]

Surprised V5.19 works at all, it would usually time out on the input before the macOS privacy prompt can be accepted to allow "microphone" access. Is REW in the list of applications that are allowed microphone acess? To macOS every audio input is a "microphone".

 

[wtnh]

Surprised V5.19 works at all, it would usually time out on the input before the macOS privacy prompt can be accepted to allow "microphone" access. Is REW in the list of applications that are allowed microphone acess? To macOS every audio input is a "microphone".

Yes - it is listed in the permissions for microphone. I don't recall adding it but it probably prompted me during the original install.

 

[wtnh]

Yes - it is listed in the permissions for microphone. I don't recall adding it but it probably prompted me during the original install.

Here is an V5.19 RTA I just did on an amp I am building.

 

[John Mulcahy]

John Mulcahy updated REW macOS DMG (includes private Java 8 JRE) with a new update entry:

REW V5.20 beta 60 macOS DMG

V5.20 beta 60 updates:

• Added octave and one-third octave filtered options for the pink and white random and periodic noise signals with filter type selection of BU2 to BU8 and, for PN, Brickwall
• Added a filter type selection for the custom filtered pink PN and white PN, with BU2 to BU8 and Brickwall options
• Show a scroll bar in the graph capture comment box for long comments
• Bug fix: Dutch & Dutch 8c speakers might not be found on macOS
• Bug fix: Filters sent from REW to...

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[wtnh]

I tried the new beta but got frustrated. The input from my soundcard kept vanishing (output works OK), so I could not get a good loopback test completed.

I am running Catalina 10.15.6 and using an old EMU 0404 USB external sound interface. The driver comes from Wouter on GitHub and macOS recognizes it as the default device for input and output when it is connected.

The older version of REW works fine, so I am not sure if this is cockpit error or some sort of incompatibility with the driver. I de-installed the new version and re-installed the older one and was able to do loopback tests and amplifier RTA distortion tests. The new version looks super nice so I hope to use it soon if I can figure out the issue.

Thanks

Well - it must have been cockpit error or some weirdness with the EMU. I have noticed that changing things like the sample rate can cause it to lock up and require a power off/on cycle. In any event, I am now successfully running the latest REW beta from today - Aug 16. Looks great!

 

[pinox67]

Hi John,
I've some problem on update 59 and 60 in the RTA, MacOS 10.15.6.
When in the Signal Generator I select some waves, for example SMPE, the RTA does not show anything (input at 192KHz; soundcard RME ADI2 pro).
I've to press start/stop more times to see something. And when I see something, the RTA has some problems to sync with the wave, selecting any window. Selecting instead the Stepped Sine button, there is no problem reading the waves.
Any suggestion?
Thanks,
Pino

 

[John Mulcahy]

Hi John,
I've some problem on update 59 and 60 in the RTA, MacOS 10.15.6.
When in the Signal Generator I select some waves, for example SMPE, the RTA does not show anything (input at 192KHz; soundcard RME ADI2 pro).
I've to press start/stop more times to see something. And when I see something, the RTA has some problems to sync with the wave, selecting any window. Selecting instead the Stepped Sine button, there is no problem reading the waves.

Have you set the interface to run at 192 kHz in Audio Midi Setup? What are your RTA settings? What happens when the generator is playing a tone? Can you capture a screen shot of the RTA "not showing anything"?

 

[pinox67]

Have you set the interface to run at 192 kHz in Audio Midi Setup? What are your RTA settings? What happens when the generator is playing a tone? Can you capture a screen shot of the RTA "not showing anything"?

The midi is set 192KHz 32bit, in/out.
This is capture of a sine. It shows something, but it does not sync with the sine, setting any window.
Take in care that other functions, like sweep for frequency response works fine leaving all things with same settings.

 

[John Mulcahy]

There may be dropouts, might be able to see by looking at the scope waveform. Is it OK at 96 kHz?

 

[John Mulcahy]

ADI-2 Pro seems to work OK at 192k on my late 2012 Mac mini running 10.15.6:

 

[pinox67]

There may be dropouts, might be able to see by looking at the scope waveform. Is it OK at 96 kHz?

Yes, In suspect the same thing. At 96KHz there is no change. Also the Scope behavior is strange. Changing the Horizonal unit at time loses the sync, showing nothing.
The strange thing is that starting the Stepped Sine function all works fine.

 

[pinox67]

The midi is set 192KHz 32bit, in/out.
This is capture of a sine. It shows something, but it does not sync with the sine, setting any window.
Take in care that other functions, like sweep for frequency response works fine leaving all things with same settings.
View attachment 35068E

Mine is a MacBook Pro 13-incs 2019, with 4 thunderbolt ports, Intel quad core 2.8GHz i7

 

[John Mulcahy]

Mine is a MacBook Pro 13-incs 2019, with 4 thunderbolt ports, Intel quad core 2.8GHz i7

I mentioned the Mac mini as it is feeble by modern standards, so wouldn't expect processing power to be a factor. Quite odd.

Also the Scope behavior is strange. Changing the Horizonal unit at time loses the sync, showing nothing.

Even on AUTO trigger?

 

[sam_adams]

There may be dropouts, might be able to see by looking at the scope waveform. Is it OK at 96 kHz?

Yes, In suspect the same thing. At 96KHz there is no change. Also the Scope behavior is strange. Changing the Horizonal unit at time loses the sync, showing nothing.
The strange thing is that starting the Stepped Sine function all works fine.

That is definitely signal dropout. Try running a stepped sine sweep. Dropouts will be indicated by sharp spikes in noise. I had to give up on a Clarett 4 Pre USB after two weeks worth of testing it because it couldn't run a sweep or a stepped sine measurement without dropping out several times during the measurement. I tried it on four different Macs, different USB cables, and different sample rates; all to no avail. I tried everything from disabling everything in the menu bar to disabling all network adapters—nothing fixed it.

 

[John Mulcahy]

That is definitely signal dropout. Try running a stepped sine sweep. Dropouts will be indicated by sharp spikes in noise. I had to give up on a Clarett 4 Pre USB after two weeks worth of testing it because it couldn't run a sweep or a stepped sine measurement without dropping out several times during the measurement. I tried it on four different Macs, different USB cables, and different sample rates; all to no avail. I tried everything from disabling everything in the menu bar to disabling all network adapters—nothing fixed it.

There doesn't seem to be a way to alter the CoreAudio buffer size through the OS. but applications can alter it. There is a mention here of using LogicX to alter the buffer size and that change applying globally, and Native Instruments have a set of mac recommendations and tips here. Strange that my old Mac mini works without issue, but perhaps the OS uses a larger default buffer size for older hardware. I may be able to add a setting to the info.plist to encourage the OS to use a larger buffer size, I will look into that.

 

[John Mulcahy]

John Mulcahy updated REW macOS DMG (includes private Java 8 JRE) with a new update entry:

REW V5.20 beta 61 macOS DMG

Changes in V5.20 beta 61:

• Extended the range of centre frequencies for the octave and one-third octave noise signals to go down to 16 Hz and up to 16 kHz (octave) and 20 kHz (one-third octave)
• Added Noise floor to the list of parameters that can be shown on the Distortion Overlay graph
• Added a View preference to show the measurement level on the measurement thumbnails, for new measurements that will use the units selected on the signal generator
• When a toolbar window is...

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[John Mulcahy]

I've some problem on update 59 and 60 in the RTA, MacOS 10.15.6.
When in the Signal Generator I select some waves, for example SMPE, the RTA does not show anything (input at 192KHz; soundcard RME ADI2 pro).
I've to press start/stop more times to see something. And when I see something, the RTA has some problems to sync with the wave, selecting any window. Selecting instead the Stepped Sine button, there is no problem reading the waves.

I think I found the cause of this. It appears to be a side-effect of the workaround to cope with format or sample rate changes being made in Audio Midi Setup while REW is running, but would only occur for interfaces that show both inputs and outputs in a single entry in Audio Midi Setup and when the generator was started before the RTA. I'm guessing that CoreAudio actually starts input and output for those interfaces when the generator starts (there is a prompt to allow mic access on starting the generator) which triggers the issue. All appears to be OK if the RTA is started first. I have disabled the Audio Midi Setup change workaround in beta 61.