6/5/2020 Dirac Live 2

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Note: This page will be updated in the future when new information becomes available. Last update
24.04.2020

Dirac Live 2
After a lengthy development process and missed launch in Q1 2018, Dirac Live 2.1 has finally been released
on 23.11.2018. It features a completely new user interface while no major new features – like simplified
test signal/mic level setting, automated crossover selection or crossover splice optimization – have been
added. Some major bugs from version 1 still exist in version 2, e.g. wrong speaker distance detection of
upward firing Dolby enabled speakers. Some new bugs have been introduced.

Dirac Live is first and foremost a tool for automated room correction, so user experience and user interface
should be paramount. Unfortunately Dirac Research chose to prioritize cross-platform support and looks
over functionality. While beauty certainly lies in the eye of the beholder, a software user interface also has
objective functional aspects ("Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." –
Steve Jobs). Here Dirac Live 2 shows a strange tendency to favor decorative/less important elements
while functional user interface elements are non-native, dimmed down, hidden, unreadable or even missing.
As a result some tasks are actually harder to accomplish than in version 1. Some features have even been
crippled (e.g. test signal/mic gain adjustment) which makes Dirac Live 2 less useful to the user.
Problematic areas in the desktop version are highlighted in the screenshots at the end of this page.

Version 2.5.2 has been released on 08.04.2020 fixing a severe bug in the gain compensation algorithm.
Earlier versions should not be used. This is the first version that can be considered ready for prime time
since its first public release in 2018. It still can't handle upfiring Dolby Atmos enabled speakers though...

Good news is that Dirac Live 2 is available as a free upgrade to existing users. See
https://live.dirac.com/download/

How-to guides for Dirac Live 2

Configure microphone and setting speaker levels
Setting crossovers

Target Curves for Dirac Live 2

Dirac Live's default target curves are known to sound bass-shy. Here's a choice of target curves based on
Harman research. These target curves can be directly loaded from within Dirac Live 2. They differ in the
amount of bass boost.

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Note: Use the very same target curve for all your speakers including the subwoofer. Do NOT use different
target curves amongst speakers in the crossover region to the subwoofer(s) or you'll end up with a
combined response that no longer follows the intended curve. Adjust high frequency fall-off according to
your speaker's in-room response.

Target curves for Dirac Live 2.5.2 and later:

+4dB low frequency boost

+6dB low frequency boost
+8dB low frequency boost
+10dB low frequency boost

The fastest way for applying a custom target curve is to first group all speakers and then load a target
curve:

Bugs and quirks

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