I have the M3's as well (no subs) with 7 2x4 panels a mix of 2" and 4" as well as 4 GIK diffusers. I think my room sounds pretty good but was going to try REW with the mic to get some measurements. Having never done this before and not really knowing graphs. Can anyone give me an idea of how to do this and what to look for? I downloaded the software and am awaiting the mic. Do I run test tones? Or do I play music? I appreciate any help you all can give me.
Thanks,
Rene
REW is a powerful tool but yes, make sure you have a look at a few tutorials. There is a built in test tone that will do a sweep of the frequency response range you set. Make sure that the microphone calibration file is the correct one. There is one for the mic upright and one horizontal. Have the microphone set up exactly where your head is when you listen. Off by a foot or two can have a big impact on the responses you record. You will also need to make a decision on smoothing the FR curves, because without smoothing you can't use them much. But the smoothing can make the response better than it really is if you aren't careful. If you are like most of us, you will get an annoying peak where you excite the resonant room frequency.
I have found that REW is most useful when you are tuning subs that have DSP. You may get frustrated by how little the responses change when you are only tuning with treatments. Also, don't forget to play around with your listening position when you are trying to smooth out the curves. You could be sitting in a bass node.
As many point out, a ruler flat curve may not be to your liking because our ears don't treat each frequency equally.
Finally, REW may highlight a peak that then you "tune into" and can't "not hear". For me, that is bass guitar. I've ordered a tone control from Schitt to play around and see if I can pull that down a bit. Ultimately, the best response is the one where nothing shouts at you.
You may find that the waterfall plots are more useful in fine tuning your room.