Sonarworks XREF 20 Measurement Microphone (2015) user manual

In this Manual:

1. Disclaimer

Sonarworks SIA (“Sonarworks”) makes no representations or warranties concerning this user manual (“Manual”), and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, expressly limits its liability for breach of any warranty that may be implied to the replacement of this Manual with another. Sonarworks reserves the right to revise this Manual at any time without incurring an obligation to notify any person of the revision.

The information provided in this Manual contains general descriptions and/or technical characteristics of the performance of the Product. This Manual is not intended as a substitute for and is not to be used for determining the suitability or reliability of the Product for specific user applications. Any such user or integrator must perform the appropriate and complete risk analysis, evaluation, and testing of the Product concerning the relevant specific application or use thereof. Neither Sonarworks nor any of its affiliates or subsidiaries shall be responsible or liable for misuse of the information contained herein. Please notify us if you have any suggestions for improvements or amendments, or if you have found any errors in this manual.

All pertinent state, regional, and local safety regulations must be observed when installing and using this Product. The Product shall only be used by persons who have fully read and understood the contents of this Manual. It is the Product owner's responsibility to make sure each person who uses the Product has read this Manual and follows the instructions and warnings provided. Failure to do so may result in damage to property and/or severe or fatal injuries.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, please contact the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” using the contact information below.

2. Product identification

This Manual applies to Sonarworks XREF 20 Measurement Microphone (2015) ("Product"). The Product can be identified by the profile number ("Profile ID") associated with the individual microphone calibration profile ("Microphone Profile"). The Profile ID is printed on the measurement microphone ("Microphone") product element. Learn more in Section 7.1.

The Product can be identified by Profile IDs in the 34A001-36K018 range in alpha-numerical order. 

For other (older/newer) Sonarworks microphone products with a Profile ID outside the 34A001-36K018 range, see these user manuals:

3. Product documentation

The latest version of the documentation is available under the Legal page on the Sonarworks website. Supplementary documentation is available under the Support, and Downloads pages:

To receive documentation, user instructions, and technical information, or provide documentation feedback, or obtain information about special tools, materials, and service-related questions, contact Sonarworks Support or Legal teams by submitting a Support Request, or by using the contact form under the Contact Us page on Sonarworks website:

4. Intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse

The Product is intended to be used as a tool for making high-precision measurements of acoustic sound pressure and acoustic pressure differences within the audible frequency spectrum of 20Hz to 20kHz.

The Product shall be used with the following software and components only:

Note: The instructions and visuals in this Manual represent Product use with Reference 4 software, but it is fully compatible with SoundID Reference software too, and can be used with it as shown in this article. 

6. Sonarworks XREF 20 Measurement Microphone

6.1. Specifications

6.2. Dimensions

Figure 1: Microphone dimensions

6.3. Frequency response

Figure 2: microphone frequency response, measured in an anechoic chamber

Note: Individual Microphone units are subject to deviations from the frequency response shown in the Figure 2 graph above. Deviations are compensated for via the included Microphone Profile, as explained in Section 7.1.

6.4. Polar pattern

Figure 3: Microphone polar pattern

6.5. Operating panels

The interface of the Microphone consists of a single male XLR connector, to be used as a point of connection between the Microphone and a peripheral audio interface. The Microphone XLR connector is intended to be connected to a balanced XLR female connector only.

Figure 4: Microphone pinout diagram

1.

Ground / shield

2.

Positive / hot

3.

Negative / cold

6.6. Product compliance

This product complies with all relevant European Union Directives and the following relevant product safety standards:

While using the Microphone, magnetic fields generated by other electronic devices may induce non-destructive noise on the Microphone capsule. The distortion introduced by electromagnetic fields is not damaging to the Microphone or the accuracy of the intended acoustic measurement: Product performance deviations and performance thresholds are accounted for when used with the SoundID Reference software ("Sonarworks-native use").

7. Sonarworks XREF 20 Microphone Profile

7.1. Microphone Profile and Profile ID

The frequency response of each Microphone unit has been individually measured, and a unique Microphone Profile is provided containing the measured frequency response data. The individual Microphone Profile is associated with a Profile ID, printed directly on each Microphone unit, as shown in Figure 5 below:

Figure 5: Microphone Profile ID (example)

Each Product unit includes a unique Microphone Profile, associated with three separate profiles to be used for various angle measurements:

For Sonarworks-native use, the Reference 4 Measure application ("Measure app") employs the 30° profile for 2.0 stereo configuration measurements. 

7.2. Sonarworks-native use

To achieve optimal results with Sonarworks-native use of the Product, the Microphone Profile must be employed during the measurement process:

Once the Profile ID is entered, (see example below), the profile is applied automatically, see the example shown below. Reference employs the 30° profile.

7.3. Microphone Profile downloads

For offline use, third-party software/hardware use, or general backup purposes (in accordance with Section 4), the Microphone Profile files can be downloaded in a ZIP archive from the Sonarworks website:

1.

Go to the Downloads page on the Sonarworks website: https://www.sonarworks.com/soundid-reference/download

2.

Navigate to the "Measurement microphone profile downloads" section.

3.

Enter the Microphone Profile ID and click on the 'Download profile' button.

4.

Extract the downloaded ZIP archive to access the Microphone Profile files.

The download will contain two files in the Sonarworks-native SWMIC file format and three files in TXT file format for third-party use:

7.4. Offline and third-party use

For Sonarworks-native offline use, the Measure app allows for the Microphone Profile to be loaded manually, in case there is no internet access on the computer ("Machine") used for the measurements at the given moment:

For third-party use, the Microphone Profile files can be downloaded and employed in TXT file format as described in Section 7.3.

Note: Sonarworks is not responsible for any compatibility-related issues assiocated with third-party use of the Microphone Profile. It is the user's responsibility to resolve any such issues according to the third-party software/hardware legal guidelines, documentation, and other sources of information.

9. Safety information

9.1. Vulnerable users

This Product is not suitable for use by children. If children use any product element, make sure that they use it according to all safety instructions specified in this Manual.

9.2. Intended use

Do not use this Product for anything other than its intended use, as described in Section 4 of this Manual.

9.3. Installation

Make sure +48V Phantom Power is turned OFF while the XLR connections are being made to protect the internal electronic components of the Microphone from electric surge damage.

9.5. Maintenance

Prevent the device from being exposed to dust, sweat, ink, oil, and chemical products, such as cosmetics, antibacterial spray, hand cleaners, detergents, and insecticides. The exterior and interior parts of the device may be damaged or it could result in poor performance. If your device is exposed to any of the previously mentioned substances, use a lint-free, soft cloth to clean it.

Do not use chemicals or detergents to clean the device. Doing so may corrode the outside of the device or may result in electric shock or fire.

When cleaning the device, avoid hitting, poking, piercing, or otherwise touching the tip of the Microphone to prevent damage to the trancducer.

9.6. Service and repairs

Do not attempt to take apart, open, modify, disassemble, or repair your device. If your device needs servicing, contact Sonarworks. Any evidence of any attempt to open and/or modify the device will void the warranty.

9.7. Disposal

Handle and dispose of the device with care. Never dispose of the device in a fire. Follow all local regulations when disposing of the device.

10. Disposal and recyclyng

Dispose of the Product via a collection point for recycling electrical and electronic equipment waste if you live within the EU or in another European country that operates separate collection systems for electrical and electronic equipment waste. By properly disposing of the Product, you help to avoid possible hazards for the environment and public health that could otherwise be caused by improper treatment of waste equipment. The recycling of materials contributes to the conservation of natural resources. Therefore, do not dispose of your old electrical and electronic equipment with unsorted municipal waste.

Household users should contact either the retailer where they purchased this product, or their local government office, for details of where and how the items can be environmentally safely recycled. Business users should contact their supplier and check the terms and conditions of the purchase contract.