In this step-by-step case study, see how FIR Designer (using averaged measurements captured in Rational Acoustics’ Smaart®) was recently used to tune a system using only IIR filters – no FIRs at all – at a newly-renovated church in Australia.

FIR Designer & FIR Designer M have been newly updated to include a Biamp Tesira IIR filter mode that provides emulation of 48kHz IIR filter behaviour in the Tesira range of Biamp products and aids mixed IIR+FIR Tesira preset creation. IIR responses in the new Biamp Tesira IIR mode can be converted to/from Lake, Linea Research, Powersoft, Q-SYS, Symetrix, BSS & Marani IIR modes using the IIR Reference Editor.

The IIR Reference Editor (in FIR Designer 3.4 & FIR Designer M 2.5) enables the automated conversion of IIR filters between brands in a single click. This ensures IIR response matching when working with different amplifiers & processors, and solves the problem of standard filter settings producing different results on various amplifier/processor brands (learn more). Check out this video tutorial of the IIR Reference Editor to see how it works. (Note, the video demonstrates the original non-automated conversion process which usually required manual parameter adjustments to complete the match; these manual adjustment have been replaced by one-click conversion in more recent versions of the FIR Designer software).

FIR Designer M Release Notes

FIR Designer Release Notes

*When using FIR Designer to convert IIR filters for brands not listed, we recommend trying all modes within the FIR Designer IIR tab, & comparing the plots displayed with the IIR plots generated by your own control software to determine which mode produces the closest match.

Here’s a few of the features added to FIR Designer in 2022 so far…

More brands & file formats supported. FIR filter export for Xilica TXT files & REW magnitude/phase text file import are both now supported. Lake XP modules can now have 96 kHz output channels (in addition to 12, 24 and 48 kHz). Marani Pro Audio specific IIR filters have been added to the list of brand specific IIR filter modes.

Automatic IIR Conversions. The IIR Reference Editor now automatically converts IIRs from one brand to another in a single click, eliminating the need for manual adjustments entirely. Supported brands include Lake, Marani, Linea Research, Powersoft, QSC Q-SYS, Symetrix & BSS. Learn more.

Independent FIR sample rate export. The exported FIR filter sample rate can now be set independently of the workflow’s Design Sample rate. This allows the FIR filter to have a different sample rate to the IIR filtering and delay; ideal for processors that use one sample rate for the bulk of core processing, such as 96 kHz, but only accept FIR filters at a different sample, such as 48 kHz. Learn more.

Workflow speed improvements. Both the Auto Mag and Auto Phase computation can now be optionally paused to reduce program update lag while working in the IIR, Mag Adjust and Phase Adjust tabs.

Copy & Paste between windows & programs. Easily transfer filter table data across windows in FIR Designer and FIR Designer M, and also between products. Copy and paste buttons are available on the Target Mag and Phase, IIR, Mag Adjust, Phase Adjust and Voicing tabs and work between matching tabs (eg. Mag Adjust -> Mag Adjust).

Enhanced plot display customization. Both the IIR Filters tab and the IIR Reference Editor now have a BW/Q selector with each filter table list, enabling rapid switching between the BW & Q without having to change the setting in Preferences. In addition, on the Import tab time delay adjustment can now be viewed in mm, feet and inches.

FIR Designer M release notes       FIR Designer release notes       Download FREE DEMO versions

Differences in IIR filter definitions continue to be a challenge when working with multiple brands of processors. The same Q or BW setting, for common IIR filter types, does not result in the same response across brands. Q or BW on one processor needs to be adjusted, often significantly, to match the response on another processor.

The IIR Reference Editor was added to FIR Designer & FIR Designer M in 2019, making it possible to convert & match IIR filter settings across brands with different Q or BW interpretations. The editor performed a quick and close conversion, with additional manual parameter adjustments usually required to complete the match. (This video demonstrates the original process.)

FIR Designer is ideal for creating complete single channel and multi-way loudspeaker presets (that include mixed IIR + FIR filtering). When creating a preset, both the workflow’s design sample rate and the export file format can be chosen to match those of the processor/amplifier being used.

Loudspeaker measurements of any sample rate can be imported into FIR Designer’s workflow, which supports design sample rates of 12, 24, 44.1, 48 88.2, 96, 176.4 & 192 kHz for all preset processing.

Previously, the chosen workflow design sample rate was used for all preset elements including delay, IIR and FIR filters. This created a challenge when designing filtering for processors that use one sample rate for the bulk of core processing, such as 96 kHz, but only accept FIR filters at a different sample, such as 48 kHz.

Recent FIR Designer and FIR Designer M updates offer enhanced flexibility & customization by enabling the export of the FIR filter at a different sample rate than the other preset components, such as IIR filters. On the FIR Designer ‘Export’ tab, at the end of the preset-creation process, use the new drop-down menu to choose the output sample rate for the FIR filter, before choosing the desired file format for export.

With a separate FIR filter output sample rate selected, FIR filter truncation and windowing are applied at the selected output sample rate. The FIR filter is then resampled back to the workflow sample rate for plots such as the Wavelet view.

Learn which loudspeaker measurement file formats can be imported into FIR designer for use in preset creation.

Download a free demo of any our software products or watch a video tutorial to learn how to use FIR Designer to design loudspeaker processing, including presets.

* This data was exported from the Dayton Audio Test System: DATS
*
* Manufacturer: 
* Model: 
D 0.0 [mm]
Re 0.00 [Ohms]
Fs 0.00 [Hz]
Zm 0.00 [Ohms]
BL 0.00 [N/A]
Qms 0.000
Qes 0.000
Qts 0.000
Vas 0.000 [liters]
L10k 0.00 [mH]
n0 0.00 [%]
dBSPL 0.00 [1W/1m]
Ms 0.00 [grams]
Cms 0.00 [mm/N]
*
*
Freq Impedance Phase
1.029 6.856 -2.745 
1.059 6.856 -2.745 
1.091 6.856 -2.745 
1.122 6.856 -2.745 
1.155 6.856 -2.745 
1.189 6.856 -2.745 
1.224 6.856 -2.745 
1.260 6.856 -2.745
...
...

This quick video shows how to load an impedance measurement and how the impedance appears behind other responses in the filter design workflow.

FIR Designer M Release Notes

FIR Designer Release Notes

FIR Designer M version 2.2 now has a Marani IIR filter mode that provides emulation of IIR filter behaviour in Marani products and aids mixed IIR+FIR Marani preset creation. IIR responses in the new Marani IIR mode can be converted to/from Lake, Linea Research, Powersoft, Q-SYS, Symetrix & BSS IIR modes using the ‘IIR Reference Editor.’

The ‘IIR Reference Editor,’ in FIR Designer and FIR Designer M, provides fast conversion of IIR settings between brands to ensure IIR response matching when working with different amplifiers & processors, and solves the problem of standard filter settings often producing different results on various amplifier/processor brands (learn more). Check out this video tutorial of the IIR Reference Editor to see how it works. (Note, the IIR Reference Editor is not enabled in demo versions of the software.)

We’ve also made available a brief tutorial showing how to load FIR filters – as TXT or CSV files – into Marani product control software. See Marani FIR Filters: How to load into Marani amplifier modules and processors

FIR Designer M Release Notes

(The Marani mode will soon be available in FIR Designer.)

*When using FIR Designer to convert IIR filters for brands not listed, we recommend trying all modes within the FIR Designer IIR tab, & comparing the plots displayed with the IIR plots generated by your own control software to determine which mode produces the closest match.