Smaart System alignment

It’s just a phase I’m going through

Reading the Phase

trace

What is the Phase trace in Smaart indicating? How can we use it for System Alignment
Our Measurement model

Smaart Measurement Delay

System
Input Delay Measurement
Signal

Smaart
Delay Reference
Signal

Our measurement model

This is our Dual FFT measurement model, we have the Input split to the system where we take
our measurement and directly to the reference channel.

The measurement channel has a system delay (time-of-flight or in the case of an electrical
measurement the system latency, or both)

We need to add the internal Smaart delay to the reference channel to get these signals into
alignment.
Phase Trace Slope

Phase Trace Slope Shows

Delay
Time Phase Trace Slope

Meas
System

Smaart
Ref

Measurement Signal Lags Reference Signal

In this first example, as the signal travels through the model in time (Red arrow) the REF signal
arrives first. So the measurement signal is behind or lags the reference signal the slope of the
phase trace is heading down (Yellow arrow).
 Phase Trace Slope Shows
Delay
Time Phase Trace Slope

Meas
System

Smaart
Ref

Measurement Signal Aligned to Reference

Here the Smaart delay is just set correctley so the signal arrives synchronised and the two
channels are aligned. Here the phase trace shows a horizontal line (Yellow arrow)
 Phase Trace Slope Shows
Delay
Time Phase Trace Slope

Meas
System

Smaart
Ref

Measurement Signal Leads Reference Signal

Here in this example, the measurement is ahead of the reference signal (Leads) and the slope of
the phase trace is now rising.

So by looking at the slope of the phase trace we can get an indication of what frequency arrived
when.
Phase trace Example

Phase Trace

Here we see a “Smiley” phase trace with a horizontal section between 200Hz to 1kHz.
So this is when that energy arrived with this reference delay setting, the energy arriving below
200Hz is Lagging and above 1kHz is leading
Tip: adding delay to the reference causes the slope to move up and subtracting delay causes it
to move down
Case Study Sub and LF

Phase Alignment
LF
Phase

Magnitude

*Don’t change delay time

So here’s a measurement of the LF section of an array showing 80Hz-250Hz and we can see that
the Phase is showing that the 200Hz point is the arrival time with the Smaart delay
 Phase Alignment

Phase

SUB
Magnitude

*Using LF timing

Now WITHOUT changing the Smaart reference delay time, we mute the LF and measure the Sub
and we can now see the arrival time from the phase trace.
In this example I’ve added extra delay to the sub
 Phase Alignment

Phase

SUB
&
Magnitude
LF

Here we display both the Sub and LF traces and we can see the crossover point (Green dotted
line) and we can also see the phase offset at this point (red arrow)
 Phase Alignment

Phase

SUB
Re-timed

Magnitude 120 degrees @80Hz

=
4.16ms

Here by removing delay from the subwoofer we can see that the phase has now moved to the
crossover point
White trace = old measurement
Yellow = re-timed.
 Phase Alignment

Phase
LF
&
re-timed
Magnitude SUB

Now if we show the LF trace BLUE and the re-timed sub Yellow we can see that the slopes agree
at the crossover point.
Summation:

Phase Alignment

Phase
LF
+
SUB
Magnitude

Here we measure BOTH Sub + LF together and see addition at the crossover point (CYAN trace)
Sanity check:

Phase Alignment

Phase
LF
+
SUB
Magnitude Rev pol

And as a sanity check we invert the Polarity of the Sub and again measure the Sub + LF together
and we see cancellation at the X-Over point
(Orange Trace) red arrow.

Don’t forget to put it back!