Smaart 7.2.1.1: How to Install, Activate and Update the Professional Audio Software

Smaart 7.2.1.1: A Powerful Tool for Audio Professionals

If you are an audio professional who works with sound systems, you know how important it is to measure, analyze and optimize their performance. Whether you are designing, installing, tuning or troubleshooting a sound system, you need a reliable and accurate tool that can help you achieve the best results.

Smaart 7.2.1.1

That's where Smaart 7.2.1.1 comes in handy. Smaart is a professional audio software that allows you to perform real-time sound system measurement, analysis and optimization using your computer and a microphone or a measurement interface.

Smaart 7.2.1.1 is the latest version of Smaart, developed by Rational Acoustics, a company that specializes in acoustic test and measurement software. Smaart 7.2.1.1 is a completely new code base that offers many new features, performance enhancements and bug fixes compared to previous versions.

Some of the main features and benefits of Smaart 7.2.1.1 are:

• It supports multiple input channels and multiple simultaneous measurements.

• It has three powerful measurement modes: Real-Time, Impulse Response and SPL.

• It has a flexible and user-friendly interface that can be customized to suit your preferences and workflow.

• It has advanced data management and display options that allow you to organize, view and compare your measurements in different ways.

• It has a comprehensive set of tools and parameters that allow you to adjust your measurements according to your needs and goals.

• It has a built-in web server that allows you to remotely monitor your measurements using a web browser or a mobile device.

• It has a user manual, online resources, technical support and software updates available from Rational Acoustics.

In this article, we will show you how to install and activate Smaart 7.2.1.1 on your computer, how to use its three measurement modes, and how to get support and updates for it. How to Install and Activate Smaart 7.2.1.1

Before you can use Smaart 7.2.1.1, you need to install and activate it on your computer. Here are the steps to do so:

• Download the Smaart 7.2.1.1 installer from the Rational Acoustics website. You can choose between Windows and Mac versions, depending on your operating system.

• Run the installer and follow the instructions on the screen. You will need to accept the license agreement, choose the installation folder, and select the components you want to install.

• After the installation is complete, launch Smaart 7.2.1.1 from your desktop or start menu.

• The first time you run Smaart 7.2.1.1, you will be prompted to activate it using your license code. You can find your license code in your email confirmation or in your Rational Acoustics account. Enter your license code and click Activate.

• If the activation is successful, you will see a confirmation message and Smaart 7.2.1.1 will start normally. If the activation fails, you will see an error message and Smaart 7.2.1.1 will run in demo mode, which has limited functionality and expires after 30 days.

• If you have any problems with the installation or activation process, you can contact Rational Acoustics technical support for assistance.

How to Use Smaart 7.2.1.1

Once you have installed and activated Smaart 7.2.1.1, you can start using it to measure, analyze and optimize sound systems. Smaart 7.2.1.1 has three measurement modes: Real-Time, Impulse Response and SPL. Each mode has its own interface, tools and parameters that allow you to perform different types of measurements and analyses.

To switch between the measurement modes, you can use the buttons on the top left corner of the main window or the keyboard shortcuts (F5 for Real-Time, F6 for Impulse Response and F7 for SPL). You can also access the measurement modes from the Mode menu on the top menu bar.

In this section, we will give you an overview of each measurement mode and explain how to use them.

Real-Time Mode

Real-Time mode is the default measurement mode of Smaart 7.2.1.1 and the most commonly used one by audio professionals. Real-Time mode allows you to perform real-time measurements of sound system frequency response, phase response and impulse response using a microphone or a measurement interface connected to your computer.

Real-Time mode has three types of measurements: spectrum, transfer function and live impulse response. Each type of measurement has its own display window that shows different graphs and data related to the measurement.

To perform a real-time measurement, you need to configure your input channels, select your measurement type and adjust your measurement settings according to your needs and goals.

Spectrum Measurements

Spectrum measurements allow you to measure the frequency content of a sound signal using a microphone or a line input connected to your computer.

Spectrum measurements have two display windows: RTA (Real-Time Analyzer) and Spectrograph.

• The RTA window shows a single line graph that represents the amplitude (level) of each frequency band in the sound signal over time.

• The Spectrograph window shows a color-coded graph that represents the amplitude (level) of each frequency band in the sound signal over time and frequency.

To perform a spectrum measurement, you need to select an input channel from the Input Selector on the top right corner of the main window or from the Input menu on the top menu bar.

You can also adjust various settings for your spectrum measurement such as:

• The FFT size, which determines the resolution and speed of your spectrum analysis.

• The averaging type and time, which determine how your spectrum data is smoothed over time.

• The weighting type, which applies a filter to your spectrum data to simulate how humans perceive sound levels at different frequencies.

• The display range, which determines the minimum and maximum levels shown on your spectrum graph.

• The display scale, which determines how your spectrum graph is scaled vertically (linear or logarithmic).

• The display color scheme, which determines how your spectrum graph is colored according to level (grayscale or rainbow).

You can access these settings from the Spectrum Settings dialog box by clicking on the Spectrum Settings button on the top right corner of the RTA or Spectrograph window or from the Spectrum menu on the top menu bar.

You can also view additional information about your spectrum measurement such as:

• The peak frequency and level, which show the highest level and its corresponding frequency in your spectrum data.

• The SPL (Sound Pressure Level), which shows the overall level of your spectrum data in decibels.

• The LEQ (Equivalent Continuous Sound Level), which shows the average level of your spectrum data over a specified time period.

• The NC (Noise Criteria), which shows the noise rating of your spectrum data according to a standard curve.

You can access these information from the Info Bar on the bottom of the RTA or Spectrograph window or from the Info menu on the top menu bar.

Transfer Function Measurements

Transfer function measurements allow you to measure the frequency response, phase response and coherence of a sound system using a reference signal and a measurement signal connected to your computer.

Transfer function measurements have three display windows: Magnitude, Phase and Coherence.

• The Magnitude window shows a single line graph that represents the amplitude (level) difference between the reference signal and the measurement signal over frequency.

• The Phase window shows a single line graph that represents the phase difference between the reference signal and the measurement signal over frequency.

• The Coherence window shows a single line graph that represents the coherence between the reference signal and the measurement signal over frequency. Coherence is a measure of how well the two signals are correlated at each frequency.

To perform a transfer function measurement, you need to select a reference channel and a measurement channel from the Input Selector on the top right corner of the main window or from the Input menu on the top menu bar. You also need to make sure that both channels have the same sample rate and are synchronized.

You can also adjust various settings for your transfer function measurement such as:

• The FFT size, which determines the resolution and speed of your transfer function analysis.

• The averaging type and time, which determine how your transfer function data is smoothed over time.

• The delay time, which compensates for the time difference between the reference signal and the measurement signal due to distance or processing.

• The display range, which determines the minimum and maximum levels shown on your transfer function graph.

• The display scale, which determines how your transfer function graph is scaled vertically (linear or logarithmic) and horizontally (linear or logarithmic).

• The display color scheme, which determines how your transfer function graph is colored according to level (grayscale or rainbow).

You can access these settings from the Transfer Function Settings dialog box by clicking on the Transfer Function Settings button on the top right corner of the Magnitude, Phase or Coherence window or from the Transfer Function menu on the top menu bar.

You can also view additional information about your transfer function measurement such as:

• The peak frequency and level, which show the highest level difference and its corresponding frequency in your transfer function data.

• The phase offset, which shows the average phase difference between the reference signal and the measurement signal over the entire frequency range.

• The group delay, which shows the average time difference between the reference signal and the measurement signal over the entire frequency range.

• The coherence average, which shows the average coherence between the reference signal and the measurement signal over the entire frequency range.

You can access these information from the Info Bar on the bottom of the Magnitude, Phase or Coherence window or from the Info menu on the top menu bar.

Live Impulse Response Measurements

Live impulse response measurements allow you to measure the impulse response of a sound system using a reference signal and a measurement signal connected to your computer. An impulse response is a representation of how a sound system responds to a short burst of sound (an impulse) over time.

Live impulse response measurements have one display window: Impulse Response.

• The Impulse Response window shows a single line graph that represents the amplitude (level) of the impulse response over time.

To perform a live impulse response measurement, you need to select a reference channel and a measurement channel from the Input Selector on the top right corner of the main window or from the Input menu on the top menu bar. You also need to make sure that both channels have the same sample rate and are synchronized.

You can also adjust various settings for your live impulse response measurement such as:

• The FFT size, which determines the resolution and speed of your live impulse response analysis.

• The delay time, which compensates for the time difference between the reference signal and the measurement signal due to distance or processing.

• The display range, which determines the minimum and maximum levels shown on your live impulse response graph.

• The display scale, which determines how your live impulse response graph is scaled vertically (linear or logarithmic) and horizontally (linear or logarithmic).

• The display color scheme, which determines how your live impulse response graph is colored according to level (grayscale or rainbow).

You can access these settings from the Live Impulse Response Settings dialog box by clicking on the Live Impulse Response Settings button on the top right corner of the Impulse Response window or from the Live Impulse Response menu on the top menu bar.

You can also view additional information about your live impulse response measurement such as:

• The peak time and level, which show the highest level and its corresponding time in your live impulse response data.

• The RT60 (Reverberation Time), which shows the time it takes for the sound level to decay by 60 dB after the impulse.

• The EDT (Early Decay Time), which shows the time it takes for the sound level to decay by 10 dB after the impulse.

• The C50 (Clarity), which shows the ratio of the sound energy in the first 50 ms to the sound energy after 50 ms.

• The D50 (Definition), which shows the percentage of the sound energy in the first 50 ms to the total sound energy.

You can access these information from the Info Bar on the bottom of the Impulse Response window or from the Info menu on the top menu bar.

Impulse Response Mode

Impulse response mode allows you to capture, analyze and compare impulse responses of sound systems using different methods and tools. Impulse response mode is useful for performing offline measurements and analyses that require more processing and accuracy than live impulse response mode.

Impulse response mode has one display window: Impulse Response. However, unlike live impulse response mode, you can open multiple impulse response windows and compare them using different tools and parameters.

• The Impulse Response window shows a single line graph that represents the amplitude (level) of the impulse response over time.

To perform an impulse response measurement, you need to capture an impulse response using one of the following methods:

• Using a measurement interface that can generate and record an impulse signal, such as a pink noise burst or a sine sweep.

• Using an external source that can generate an impulse signal, such as a starter pistol or a balloon pop, and a microphone connected to your computer.

• Using a recorded audio file that contains an impulse signal, such as a WAV or MP3 file.

You can access these methods from the Capture menu on the top menu bar. You can also adjust various settings for your impulse response capture such as:

• The input and output channels, which determine which channels are used for generating and recording the impulse signal.

• The sample rate and bit depth, which determine the quality and size of your impulse response data.

• The capture length, which determines how long your impulse response data is recorded.

• The trigger type and level, which determine how your impulse response capture is started and stopped.

You can access these settings from the Capture Settings dialog box by clicking on the Capture Settings button on the top right corner of the Impulse Response window or from the Capture menu on the top menu bar.

After you have captured an impulse response, you can analyze it using different tools and parameters such as:

• The FFT size, which determines the resolution and speed of your impulse response analysis.

• The window type and length, which apply a filter to your impulse response data to reduce noise and improve accuracy.

• The smoothing type and amount, which smooth your impulse response data to reduce fluctuations and improve readability.

• The scaling type and amount, which scale your impulse response data to adjust its level and range.

• The display range, which determines the minimum and maximum levels shown on your impulse response graph.

• The display scale, which determines how your impulse response graph is scaled vertically (linear or logarithmic) and horizontally (linear or logarithmic).

• The display color scheme, which determines how your impulse response graph is colored according to level (grayscale or rainbow).

You can access these tools and parameters from the Analysis toolbar on the top of the Impulse Response window or from the Analysis menu on the top menu bar.

You can also compare multiple impulse responses using different tools and parameters such as:

• The overlay mode, which allows you to overlay multiple impulse responses on the same graph and compare their amplitude, phase and coherence.

• The subtraction mode, which allows you to subtract one impulse response from another and compare their difference.

• The averaging mode, which allows you to average multiple impulse responses and compare their mean.

• The alignment mode, which allows you to align multiple impulse responses by time or level and compare their similarity.

• The zoom mode, which allows you to zoom in or out of a specific region of your impulse response graph and compare its details.

• The cursor mode, which allows you to place a cursor on your impulse response graph and compare its values at different points.

You can access these tools and parameters from the Comparison toolbar on the top of the Impulse Response window or from the Comparison menu on the top menu bar.

SPL Mode

SPL mode allows you to monitor and log sound pressure levels of a sound system using a microphone connected to your computer. Sound pressure level (SPL) is a measure of how loud a sound is at a given distance from the source.

SPL mode has one display window: SPL Meter.

• The SPL Meter window shows a single line graph that represents the sound pressure level over time. It also shows a digital meter that displays the current, peak and average sound pressure levels in decibels.

To perform an SPL measurement, you need to select an input channel from the Input Selector on the top right corner of the main window or from the Input menu on the top menu bar. You also need to calibrate your microphone using a known sound source such as a calibrator or a reference speaker.

You can also adjust various settings for your SPL measurement such as:

• The weighting type, which applies a filter to your SPL data to simulate how humans perceive sound levels at different frequencies. The most common weighting types are A-weighting, C-weighting and Z-weighting (flat).

• The time constant, which determines how fast your SPL data is updated. The most common time constants are Fast (125 ms), Slow (1 s) and Impulse (35 ms).

• The peak hold time, which determines how long your peak SPL value is displayed before it is reset.

• The display range, which determines the minimum and maximum levels shown on your SPL graph.

• The display scale, which determines how your SPL graph is scaled vertically (linear or logarithmic).

• The display color scheme, which determines how your SPL graph is colored according to level (grayscale or rainbow).

You can access these settings from the SPL Settings dialog box by clicking on the SPL Settings button on the top right corner of the SPL Meter window or from the SPL menu on the top menu bar.

You can also log your SPL data using different formats and options such as:

The CSV format, which saves your SPL data as a comma-separated values file that can be opened by spreadsheet application