Smaart
Encyclopedia
Smaart is one of the most widely used audio and acoustic measurement tools, a software application
for the analysis portion of acoustical measurements and instrumentation
. Introduced in 1996 by JBL
's pro audio division, it was designed to help the live sound engineer
optimize the linearity of sound reinforcement system
s during the public performance unlike most earlier analysis systems which required specific test signals sent to the sound system, ones which would be unpleasant for the audience to hear. It was also intended to assist audio engineers in analyzing the output of loudspeaker
s, audio amplifier
s and other audio gear, as well as helping the acoustician analyze room acoustics
. The software product has been known as JBL-Smaart, SIA-Smaart Pro, EAW Smaart, SmaartLive, and simply Smaart, while the acoustician version has been offered as Smaart Acoustic Tools. Smaart is an acronym
which stands for Sound Measurement Acoustical Analysis Real Time tool.
Smaart has three modes: transfer function, real-time analyzer (RTA) and impulse response
. The first two modes use dual- and single-fast Fourier transform
(FFT), and the impulse response mode uses either FFT or maximum length sequence
(MLS) analysis.
Smaart has been licensed and owned by several companies since JBL, and is now owned and developed by Rational Acoustics. First written as a native Windows 3.1 application to work within Windows 95
on IBM-compatible computers
, in 2006 a version was introduced that was compatible on both Windows and Apple Macintosh operating systems. In 2011 Smaart was in its 7th version.
(FFT) analysis, including dual-FFT audio signal
comparison, called "transfer function", and single-FFT spectrum analyzer
. It includes maximum length sequence
(MLS) analysis as a choice for impulse response, for the measurement of room acoustics. The FFT implementation of Smaart is a multi-time window (MTW) solution in which the FFT, rather than being a fixed length, is made increasingly shorter as the frequency increases. This feature allows the software to 'ignore' later signal reflections from walls and other surfaces, increasing in coherence as the audio frequency increases.
The latest version of Smaart 7.1 runs under Windows 7, Vista, or XP, and under Mac OSX 10.5 or 10.6. A computer having a dual-core processor with a clock rate
of at least 2 GHz is recommended. Smaart can be set to sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz or 96 kHz, and to bit depths of 16 or 24. The software works with computer audio protocols ASIO, Core Audio
, WAV
or WDM
audio drivers.
and the second channel is connected to a microphone
placed in the audience listening area, usually an omnidirectional test microphone with a flat, neutral pickup characteristic. The direct mixing console audio output is compared with the microphone input to determine how the sound is changed by the sound system elements such as loudspeakers and amplifiers, and by the room acoustics indoors or by the weather conditions and acoustic environment outdoors. Smaart displays the difference between the intended sound from the mixer and the received sound at the microphone, and this real-time display informs the audio engineer's decisions regarding delay times, equalization
and other sound system adjustment parameters.
Before the audience arrives, random or pseudo-random noise is used as a stimulus signal, usually pink noise
. Such noise signals provide equal energy at all the audio frequencies the sound system can reproduce, unlike a stimulus signal of music or speech which emphasizes some frequencies over others. Once the audience enters the performance venue, the main output of the mixing console is substituted as the stimulus signal.
Transfer mode can also be used to examine the frequency response
of audio equipment, including individual amplifiers, loudspeakers and digital signal processor
s such as audio crossover
s and equalizers. It can be used to compare a known neutral-response test microphone with another microphone in order to better understand its frequency response and, by changing the angle of the microphone under test, its polar response.
Transfer mode can be used to adjust audio crossover settings for multi-way loudspeakers; similarly, it can be used to adjust only the subwoofer
-to-top box crossover characteristics in a sound system where the main, non-subwoofer loudspeakers are flown or rigged
but the subwoofers are placed on the ground. One of the traces in the Smaart display shows phase response
. To properly align adjacent frequency bands through a crossover, the two phase responses should be adjusted until they are seen in Smaart to be parallel through the crossover frequency.
The transfer mode can be used to measure frequency-related electrical impedance
, one of the electrical characteristics of dynamic loudspeakers. Grateful Dead
sound system engineer "Dr. Don" Pearson worked out the method in 2000, using Smaart to compare the voltage drop through a simple resistor
between a loudspeaker and a random noise generator.
of individual channels, several selected channels, or various mixes. Spectrograph mode can be used to display room resonances: pink noise is applied to the room's sound system, and the signal from a test microphone in the room is displayed on Smaart. When the pink noise is muted, the display shows the lingering tails of noise frequencies that are resonating.
touring sound engineer Jim Yakabuski calls such delay locator programs as Smaart a "must have" item, useful for quickly aligning sound system elements when setup time is limited.
Smaart has been compared to other software-based sound system measurement tools such as SIM by Meyer Sound Laboratories
and IASYS by Audio Control, both of which offer delay finder tools. Smaart has been described as "a newer, slimmer and much cheaper—but not necessarily better—version of the Meyer SIM system." MLSSA
, developed by DRA Laboratories in 1987, and TEF, a time delay spectrometry product by Gold Line, are other products predating Smaart that are used to tune loudspeakers such as studio monitor
s. A software tool that reached Mac users in 1997 was named SpectraFoo, by Metric Halo. At the same time, some early Smaart users found that after tweaking their MIDI drivers they could get Smaart to work on an Apple computer, the software running inside an x86 emulator such as SoftWindows "with varying results".
audio was undertaken by Don Pearson, known by his nickname "Dr. Don", while working on sound systems used by the Grateful Dead. Pearson published articles about impulse response measurements taken during setup and testing of concert sound systems, and recommended the Dead buy an expensive Brüel & Kjær
2032 Dual Channel FFT analyzer, made for industrial engineering. Along with Dead soundman Dan Healy
, Pearson developed methods of working with this system to set up sound systems on tour, and he assisted Meyer engineers working on a more suitable source-independent measurement system which was to become their SIM product. As well, Pearson had an "intimate involvement" with the engineers who were creating Smaart, including a meeting with Jamie Anderson.
Smaart was developed by Sam Berkow in association with Alexander "Thorny" Yuill-Thornton II, touring sound engineer with Luciano Pavarotti
and The Three Tenors
. In 1995, Berkow and Thorny founded SIA Software Company, produced Smaart and licensed the product to JBL. First exhibited in New York City at the Audio Engineering Society
's 99th convention in October 1995 and described the next month in Billboard magazine
, in May 1996 the software product was introduced at the price of $695, the equivalent of $ in today's currency. Studio Sound magazine described Smaart in 1996 as "the most talked about new product" at the 100th AES convention in Copenhagen, exemplifying a new trend in software audio measurement. Calvert Dayton joined SIA Software in 1996 as graphic designer, technical writer and website programmer.
Smaart was unusual because it helped audio professionals such as theatrical sound design
ers do what was previously possible only with highly sophisticated and expensive measurement devices. Audio system engineers from Clair Brothers used Smaart to tune the sound system at each stop during U2
's PopMart Tour
1997–1998. As it increased in popularity, engineers who used Smaart found mixed results: touring veteran Doug Fowler wrote that "misuse was rampant" when the software first started appearing in the field. He warned users against faulty interpretation, saying "I still see bad decisions based on bad data, or bad decisions based on a fundamental lack of understanding of the issues at hand." Nevertheless, Clive Young, editor of Pro Sound News, wrote in 2005 that the introduction of Smaart in 1995 was the start of "the modern era of sound reinforcement system analysis software".
In 1998, JBL Smaart Pro won the TEC Awards
category for computer software and peripherals. Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) bought SIA Software, and brought in Jamie Anderson to manage the division. Version 3 was introduced under EAW's ownership, with the additional capability of accepting optional plug-ins which could be used to apply sound system adjustments, as measured by Smaart, to digital signal processing (DSP) equipment. The external third party DSP would perform the corrections indicated by Smaart.
Versions 4 and 5 were built upon the foundation of version 3, but with each major release, the application was getting more and more difficult to write, and further improvements appeared practically impossible to implement. For version 6, the designers decided to tear Smaart back down to its basics and rebuild it on a flexible multi-tasking, multi-platform framework which would allow it to be used on Mac OS X
and Windows machines. Writing it took two years, and it was released in a package which included the earlier version 5 because there was not enough time to incorporate all elements of the existing feature set. Anderson said in 2007, "we released Version 6 without all of the features of 5, but we are adding those features back in." Smaart 6 was nominated for a TEC Award in 2007 but did not win.
EAW developed a digital mixing console
prototype in 2005, the UMX.96; a console which incorporated SmaartLive 5 internally. Any selected channel on the mixer could be used as a source for Smaart analysis, displaying, for instance, the real-time results of channel equalization. The console could be configured to send multiple microphone inputs to Smaart, and it offered constant metering of sound pressure level in decibels. When it was put into production in 2007, band engineer Don Dodge took the mixer out on a world tour with Foreigner
, the first concert mixed in March 2007. With its 15-inch touchscreen
able to serve both audio control and Smaart analysis functions, Dodge continued to mix Foreigner on it throughout 2007 and 2008.
Rational Acoustics was incorporated on April 1, 2008. On November 9, 2009, under the leadership of Jamie and Karen Anderson, programmer Adam Black and technical chief Calvert Dayton, Rational Acoustics became the full owner of the Smaart brand. Rational released Smaart 7 on April 14, 2010; a version which uses less processing power than v5 and v6 because of efficiencies brought about in the redesigned code. Smaart 7 was written using a new object-oriented code
architecture, it was given improved data acquisition. Other new features include graphic user interface changes and delay tracking. Users can run simultaneously displayed real-time measurements in multiple windows, as many as their computer hardware will allow. Smaart 7 was nominated in 2010 for a TEC Award but did not win. In April 2011, Smaart 7 was named one of four Live Design Sound Products of the Year 2010–2011.
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
for the analysis portion of acoustical measurements and instrumentation
Acoustical measurements and instrumentation
Analysis of sound and acoustics plays a role in such engineering tasks as product design, production test, machine performance, and process control. For instance, product design can require modification of sound level or noise for compliance with standards from ANSI, IEC, and ISO. The work might...
. Introduced in 1996 by JBL
JBL
JBL is an American audio electronics company currently owned by Harman International. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing. Their primary products are loudspeakers and associated electronics. There are two independent divisions within the company — JBL Consumer and JBL Professional...
's pro audio division, it was designed to help the live sound engineer
Live sound mixing
Live sound mixing is the art of combining and processing a number of audio signals together to create a "mix" that the audience or performers at a live show hear. There can be a variety of different mixes required, depending on the performance requirements...
optimize the linearity of sound reinforcement system
Sound reinforcement system
A sound reinforcement system is the combination of microphones, signal processors, amplifiers, and loudspeakers that makes live or pre-recorded sounds louder and may also distribute those sounds to a larger or more distant audience...
s during the public performance unlike most earlier analysis systems which required specific test signals sent to the sound system, ones which would be unpleasant for the audience to hear. It was also intended to assist audio engineers in analyzing the output of loudspeaker
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
s, audio amplifier
Audio amplifier
An audio amplifier is an electronic amplifier that amplifies low-power audio signals to a level suitable for driving loudspeakers and is the final stage in a typical audio playback chain.The preceding stages in such a chain are low power audio amplifiers which perform tasks like pre-amplification,...
s and other audio gear, as well as helping the acoustician analyze room acoustics
Room acoustics
Room acoustics describes how sound behaves in an enclosed space.The way that sound behaves in a room can be broken up into roughly four different frequency zones:...
. The software product has been known as JBL-Smaart, SIA-Smaart Pro, EAW Smaart, SmaartLive, and simply Smaart, while the acoustician version has been offered as Smaart Acoustic Tools. Smaart is an acronym
Acronym and initialism
Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word. These components may be individual letters or parts of words . There is no universal agreement on the precise definition of the various terms , nor on written usage...
which stands for Sound Measurement Acoustical Analysis Real Time tool.
Smaart has three modes: transfer function, real-time analyzer (RTA) and impulse response
Impulse response
In signal processing, the impulse response, or impulse response function , of a dynamic system is its output when presented with a brief input signal, called an impulse. More generally, an impulse response refers to the reaction of any dynamic system in response to some external change...
. The first two modes use dual- and single-fast Fourier transform
Fast Fourier transform
A fast Fourier transform is an efficient algorithm to compute the discrete Fourier transform and its inverse. "The FFT has been called the most important numerical algorithm of our lifetime ." There are many distinct FFT algorithms involving a wide range of mathematics, from simple...
(FFT), and the impulse response mode uses either FFT or maximum length sequence
Maximum length sequence
A maximum length sequence is a type of pseudorandom binary sequence.They are bit sequences generated using maximal linear feedback shift registers and are so called because they are periodic and reproduce every binary sequence that can be reproduced by the shift registers...
(MLS) analysis.
Smaart has been licensed and owned by several companies since JBL, and is now owned and developed by Rational Acoustics. First written as a native Windows 3.1 application to work within Windows 95
Windows 95
Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products...
on IBM-compatible computers
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
, in 2006 a version was introduced that was compatible on both Windows and Apple Macintosh operating systems. In 2011 Smaart was in its 7th version.
Use
Smaart is based on real-time fast Fourier transformFast Fourier transform
A fast Fourier transform is an efficient algorithm to compute the discrete Fourier transform and its inverse. "The FFT has been called the most important numerical algorithm of our lifetime ." There are many distinct FFT algorithms involving a wide range of mathematics, from simple...
(FFT) analysis, including dual-FFT audio signal
Audio signal
An audio signal is an analog representation of sound, typically as an electrical voltage. Audio signals may be synthesized directly, or may originate at a transducer such as a microphone, musical instrument pickup, phonograph cartridge, or tape head. Loudspeakers or headphones convert an electrical...
comparison, called "transfer function", and single-FFT spectrum analyzer
Spectrum analyzer
A spectrum analyzer measures the magnitude of an input signal versus frequency within the full frequency range of the instrument. The primary use is to measure the power of the spectrum of known and unknown signals...
. It includes maximum length sequence
Maximum length sequence
A maximum length sequence is a type of pseudorandom binary sequence.They are bit sequences generated using maximal linear feedback shift registers and are so called because they are periodic and reproduce every binary sequence that can be reproduced by the shift registers...
(MLS) analysis as a choice for impulse response, for the measurement of room acoustics. The FFT implementation of Smaart is a multi-time window (MTW) solution in which the FFT, rather than being a fixed length, is made increasingly shorter as the frequency increases. This feature allows the software to 'ignore' later signal reflections from walls and other surfaces, increasing in coherence as the audio frequency increases.
The latest version of Smaart 7.1 runs under Windows 7, Vista, or XP, and under Mac OSX 10.5 or 10.6. A computer having a dual-core processor with a clock rate
Clock rate
The clock rate typically refers to the frequency that a CPU is running at.For example, a crystal oscillator frequency reference typically is synonymous with a fixed sinusoidal waveform, a clock rate is that frequency reference translated by electronic circuitry into a corresponding square wave...
of at least 2 GHz is recommended. Smaart can be set to sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz or 96 kHz, and to bit depths of 16 or 24. The software works with computer audio protocols ASIO, Core Audio
Core Audio
Core Audio is a low-level API for dealing with sound in Apple's Mac OS X and iOS operating systems. It includes an implementation of the cross-platform OpenAL library....
, WAV
WAV
Waveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
or WDM
Windows Driver Model
In computing, the Windows Driver Model — also known at one point as the Win32 Driver Model — is a framework for device drivers that was introduced with Windows 98 and Windows 2000 to replace VxD, which was used on older versions of Windows such as Windows 95 and Windows 3.1, as well...
audio drivers.
Transfer function
Smaart's transfer function requires a stereo input to the computer because it analyzes two channels of audio signal. Using its dual-FFT mode, Smaart compares one channel with the other to show the difference. This is used by live sound engineers to set up concert sound systems before a show and to monitor and adjust these systems during the performance. The first channel of audio undergoing analysis is connected directly from one of the main outputs of the mixing consoleMixing console
In professional audio, a mixing console, or audio mixer, also called a sound board, mixing desk, or mixer is an electronic device for combining , routing, and changing the level, timbre and/or dynamics of audio signals. A mixer can mix analog or digital signals, depending on the type of mixer...
and the second channel is connected to a microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
placed in the audience listening area, usually an omnidirectional test microphone with a flat, neutral pickup characteristic. The direct mixing console audio output is compared with the microphone input to determine how the sound is changed by the sound system elements such as loudspeakers and amplifiers, and by the room acoustics indoors or by the weather conditions and acoustic environment outdoors. Smaart displays the difference between the intended sound from the mixer and the received sound at the microphone, and this real-time display informs the audio engineer's decisions regarding delay times, equalization
Equalization
Equalization, is the process of adjusting the balance between frequency components within an electronic signal. The most well known use of equalization is in sound recording and reproduction but there are many other applications in electronics and telecommunications. The circuit or equipment used...
and other sound system adjustment parameters.
Before the audience arrives, random or pseudo-random noise is used as a stimulus signal, usually pink noise
Pink noise
Pink noise or 1/ƒ noise is a signal or process with a frequency spectrum such that the power spectral density is inversely proportional to the frequency. In pink noise, each octave carries an equal amount of noise power...
. Such noise signals provide equal energy at all the audio frequencies the sound system can reproduce, unlike a stimulus signal of music or speech which emphasizes some frequencies over others. Once the audience enters the performance venue, the main output of the mixing console is substituted as the stimulus signal.
Transfer mode can also be used to examine the frequency response
Frequency response
Frequency response is the quantitative measure of the output spectrum of a system or device in response to a stimulus, and is used to characterize the dynamics of the system. It is a measure of magnitude and phase of the output as a function of frequency, in comparison to the input...
of audio equipment, including individual amplifiers, loudspeakers and digital signal processor
Digital signal processor
A digital signal processor is a specialized microprocessor with an architecture optimized for the fast operational needs of digital signal processing.-Typical characteristics:...
s such as audio crossover
Audio crossover
Audio crossovers are a class of electronic filter used in audio applications. Most individual loudspeaker drivers are incapable of covering the entire audio spectrum from low frequencies to high frequencies with acceptable relative volume and lack of distortion so most hi-fi speaker systems use a...
s and equalizers. It can be used to compare a known neutral-response test microphone with another microphone in order to better understand its frequency response and, by changing the angle of the microphone under test, its polar response.
Transfer mode can be used to adjust audio crossover settings for multi-way loudspeakers; similarly, it can be used to adjust only the subwoofer
Subwoofer
A subwoofer is a woofer, or a complete loudspeaker, which is dedicated to the reproduction of low-pitched audio frequencies known as the "bass". The typical frequency range for a subwoofer is about 20–200 Hz for consumer products, below 100 Hz for professional live sound, and below...
-to-top box crossover characteristics in a sound system where the main, non-subwoofer loudspeakers are flown or rigged
Entertainment rigging
Entertainment rigging. Rigging in the Entertainment world can be broken down into two main subjects - Theatrical rigging and Arena Rigging. All the same skills apply in both genres. One takes place in a theater, the other in an arena or "exposed structure venue" such as a convention center,...
but the subwoofers are placed on the ground. One of the traces in the Smaart display shows phase response
Phase response
In signal processing and electrical engineering, phase response is the relationship between the phase of a sinusoidal input and the output signal passing through any device that accepts input and produces an output signal, such as an amplifier or a filter....
. To properly align adjacent frequency bands through a crossover, the two phase responses should be adjusted until they are seen in Smaart to be parallel through the crossover frequency.
The transfer mode can be used to measure frequency-related electrical impedance
Electrical impedance
Electrical impedance, or simply impedance, is the measure of the opposition that an electrical circuit presents to the passage of a current when a voltage is applied. In quantitative terms, it is the complex ratio of the voltage to the current in an alternating current circuit...
, one of the electrical characteristics of dynamic loudspeakers. Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
sound system engineer "Dr. Don" Pearson worked out the method in 2000, using Smaart to compare the voltage drop through a simple resistor
Resistor
A linear resistor is a linear, passive two-terminal electrical component that implements electrical resistance as a circuit element.The current through a resistor is in direct proportion to the voltage across the resistor's terminals. Thus, the ratio of the voltage applied across a resistor's...
between a loudspeaker and a random noise generator.
Real time analyzer
In Spectrograph mode, Smaart displays a real-time spectrum analysis, showing the relative strength of audio frequencies for one audio signal. Needing only one channel of audio input, this capability can be used for a variety of purposes. With Smaart's input connected to the mixing console's pre-fade listen (PFL) or cue bus, Spectrograph mode can display the frequency responseFrequency response
Frequency response is the quantitative measure of the output spectrum of a system or device in response to a stimulus, and is used to characterize the dynamics of the system. It is a measure of magnitude and phase of the output as a function of frequency, in comparison to the input...
of individual channels, several selected channels, or various mixes. Spectrograph mode can be used to display room resonances: pink noise is applied to the room's sound system, and the signal from a test microphone in the room is displayed on Smaart. When the pink noise is muted, the display shows the lingering tails of noise frequencies that are resonating.
Impulse response
Smaart can be used to find the delay time between two signals, in which case the computer needs two input channels and the software uses dual-FFT mode. Called "Delay Locator", the software calculates the impulse responses of two continuous audio signals, finding the similarities in the signals and measuring how much time has elapsed between them. This is used to set delay times for delay towers at large outdoor sound systems, and it is used to set delay times for other loudspeaker zones in smaller systems. Veteran Van HalenVan Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
touring sound engineer Jim Yakabuski calls such delay locator programs as Smaart a "must have" item, useful for quickly aligning sound system elements when setup time is limited.
Market
Smaart is primarily aimed at sound system operators to assist them in setting up and tuning sound systems. Other users include audio equipment designers and architectural acousticians. Author and sound engineer Bob McCarthy wrote in 2007 that because of Smaart's widespread acceptance at all levels of live sound mixing, the paradigm has reversed from the 1980s one of surprise at finding scientific tools in the concert sound scene to one of surprise if the observer finds that such tools are not being used to tune a sound system.Smaart has been compared to other software-based sound system measurement tools such as SIM by Meyer Sound Laboratories
Meyer Sound Laboratories
Meyer Sound Laboratories is an American company based in Berkeley, California that manufactures self-powered loudspeakers, multichannel audio show control systems, electroacoustic architecture, and audio analysis tools for the professional sound reinforcement, fixed installation, and sound...
and IASYS by Audio Control, both of which offer delay finder tools. Smaart has been described as "a newer, slimmer and much cheaper—but not necessarily better—version of the Meyer SIM system." MLSSA
MLSSA
MLSSA is an acronym for 'maximum length sequence system analyser'. Such analysers have become popular in the testing of loudspeakers and listening rooms for colouration caused by resonance effects....
, developed by DRA Laboratories in 1987, and TEF, a time delay spectrometry product by Gold Line, are other products predating Smaart that are used to tune loudspeakers such as studio monitor
Studio monitor
Studio monitors, also called reference monitors, are loudspeakers specifically designed for audio production applications such as recording studios, filmmaking, television studios and radio studios where accurate audio reproduction is crucial....
s. A software tool that reached Mac users in 1997 was named SpectraFoo, by Metric Halo. At the same time, some early Smaart users found that after tweaking their MIDI drivers they could get Smaart to work on an Apple computer, the software running inside an x86 emulator such as SoftWindows "with varying results".
History
As early as 1978, field analysis of rock concertRock concert
The term rock concert refers to a musical performance in the style of any one of many genres inspired by "rock and roll" music. While a variety of vocal and instrumental styles can constitute a rock concert, this phenomenon is typically characterized by bands playing at least one electric guitar,...
audio was undertaken by Don Pearson, known by his nickname "Dr. Don", while working on sound systems used by the Grateful Dead. Pearson published articles about impulse response measurements taken during setup and testing of concert sound systems, and recommended the Dead buy an expensive Brüel & Kjær
Brüel & Kjær
Brüel & Kjær is a subsidiary of UK-based Spectris plc. Brüel & Kjær is a manufacturer and supplier of sound and vibration measurement apparatus. The company headquarters is based in Nærum, Denmark...
2032 Dual Channel FFT analyzer, made for industrial engineering. Along with Dead soundman Dan Healy
Dan Healy (soundman)
Dan Healy is an audio engineer most famous for his work with the American rock band the Grateful Dead. He succeeded Owsley "Bear" Stanley as the group's chief sound man...
, Pearson developed methods of working with this system to set up sound systems on tour, and he assisted Meyer engineers working on a more suitable source-independent measurement system which was to become their SIM product. As well, Pearson had an "intimate involvement" with the engineers who were creating Smaart, including a meeting with Jamie Anderson.
Smaart was developed by Sam Berkow in association with Alexander "Thorny" Yuill-Thornton II, touring sound engineer with Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
and The Three Tenors
The Three Tenors
The Three Tenors is a name given to the Spanish singers Plácido Domingo and José Carreras and the Italian singer Luciano Pavarotti who sang in concert under this banner during the 1990s and early 2000s. The trio began their collaboration with a performance at the ancient Baths of Caracalla, in...
. In 1995, Berkow and Thorny founded SIA Software Company, produced Smaart and licensed the product to JBL. First exhibited in New York City at the Audio Engineering Society
Audio Engineering Society
Established in 1948, the Audio Engineering Society draws its membership from amongst engineers, scientists, other individuals with an interest or involvement in the professional audio industry. The membership largely comprises engineers developing devices or products for audio, and persons working...
's 99th convention in October 1995 and described the next month in Billboard magazine
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, in May 1996 the software product was introduced at the price of $695, the equivalent of $ in today's currency. Studio Sound magazine described Smaart in 1996 as "the most talked about new product" at the 100th AES convention in Copenhagen, exemplifying a new trend in software audio measurement. Calvert Dayton joined SIA Software in 1996 as graphic designer, technical writer and website programmer.
Smaart was unusual because it helped audio professionals such as theatrical sound design
Sound design
Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
ers do what was previously possible only with highly sophisticated and expensive measurement devices. Audio system engineers from Clair Brothers used Smaart to tune the sound system at each stop during U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's PopMart Tour
Popmart Tour
The PopMart Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 1997 album, Pop, the tour's concerts were performed in stadiums and parks from 1997 through 1998...
1997–1998. As it increased in popularity, engineers who used Smaart found mixed results: touring veteran Doug Fowler wrote that "misuse was rampant" when the software first started appearing in the field. He warned users against faulty interpretation, saying "I still see bad decisions based on bad data, or bad decisions based on a fundamental lack of understanding of the issues at hand." Nevertheless, Clive Young, editor of Pro Sound News, wrote in 2005 that the introduction of Smaart in 1995 was the start of "the modern era of sound reinforcement system analysis software".
In 1998, JBL Smaart Pro won the TEC Awards
TEC Awards
The TEC Awards is an annual program recognizing the achievements of audio professionals. The awards are given to honor technically innovative products as well as companies and individuals who have excelled in sound for television, film, recordings and concerts...
category for computer software and peripherals. Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) bought SIA Software, and brought in Jamie Anderson to manage the division. Version 3 was introduced under EAW's ownership, with the additional capability of accepting optional plug-ins which could be used to apply sound system adjustments, as measured by Smaart, to digital signal processing (DSP) equipment. The external third party DSP would perform the corrections indicated by Smaart.
Versions 4 and 5 were built upon the foundation of version 3, but with each major release, the application was getting more and more difficult to write, and further improvements appeared practically impossible to implement. For version 6, the designers decided to tear Smaart back down to its basics and rebuild it on a flexible multi-tasking, multi-platform framework which would allow it to be used on Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
and Windows machines. Writing it took two years, and it was released in a package which included the earlier version 5 because there was not enough time to incorporate all elements of the existing feature set. Anderson said in 2007, "we released Version 6 without all of the features of 5, but we are adding those features back in." Smaart 6 was nominated for a TEC Award in 2007 but did not win.
EAW developed a digital mixing console
Digital mixing console
In professional audio, a Digital Mixing Console , is an electronic device for combining, routing, and changing the dynamics of digital audio samples. The digital audio samples are summed to produce a combined output. A professional digital mixing console is a dedicated desk or control surface...
prototype in 2005, the UMX.96; a console which incorporated SmaartLive 5 internally. Any selected channel on the mixer could be used as a source for Smaart analysis, displaying, for instance, the real-time results of channel equalization. The console could be configured to send multiple microphone inputs to Smaart, and it offered constant metering of sound pressure level in decibels. When it was put into production in 2007, band engineer Don Dodge took the mixer out on a world tour with Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
, the first concert mixed in March 2007. With its 15-inch touchscreen
Touchscreen
A touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touching the display of the device with a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus...
able to serve both audio control and Smaart analysis functions, Dodge continued to mix Foreigner on it throughout 2007 and 2008.
Rational Acoustics was incorporated on April 1, 2008. On November 9, 2009, under the leadership of Jamie and Karen Anderson, programmer Adam Black and technical chief Calvert Dayton, Rational Acoustics became the full owner of the Smaart brand. Rational released Smaart 7 on April 14, 2010; a version which uses less processing power than v5 and v6 because of efficiencies brought about in the redesigned code. Smaart 7 was written using a new object-oriented code
Object-oriented programming
Object-oriented programming is a programming paradigm using "objects" – data structures consisting of data fields and methods together with their interactions – to design applications and computer programs. Programming techniques may include features such as data abstraction,...
architecture, it was given improved data acquisition. Other new features include graphic user interface changes and delay tracking. Users can run simultaneously displayed real-time measurements in multiple windows, as many as their computer hardware will allow. Smaart 7 was nominated in 2010 for a TEC Award but did not win. In April 2011, Smaart 7 was named one of four Live Design Sound Products of the Year 2010–2011.
Version history
- May 1996 – JBL-Smaart 1.0
- March 1997 – JBL-Smaart 1.4
- 1998 – SIA-Smaart Pro 2
- April 1999 – SIA-Smaart Pro 3
- 2000 – SIA SmaartLive 4
- October 2000 – SIA SmaartLive 4.1
- April 2001 – SIA SmaartLive 4.5
- September 2001 – SIA SmaartLive 4.6
- June 2002 – SIA SmaartLive 5
- October 2003 – SIA SmaartLive 5.3
- 2006 – EAW Smaart 6
- April 2010 – Smaart 7
- October 2010 – Smaart 7.1
- April 2011 – Smaart 7.2
- July 2011 – Smaart 7.3
External links
- Rational Acoustics Home Page
- Smaart Basics: Example System Overview, video with Jamie Anderson