Dirac Live - Technical Description

True impulse response correction

Dirac Live® is the only system on the market which provides true working impulse response correction as measured over a large listening region. The impulse response is critical for stereo perception. Localization and stereo hearing, in general, depends on the similarity between and the quality of the left and the right channel impulse responses. Only Dirac Live® improves the precision and the clarity of the stereo image.

High-class magnitude response optimization

Dirac's patented methods offer just the right resolution. Based not only on an average response, the stationary frequency response correction looks at the variations between different measurement positions and carefully makes a correction whose level of detail depends on the frequency-dependent spatial variations.

Mixed-phase Dirac filter technology

Dirac's mixed-phase filter technology provides the highest performance available. Loudspeakers measured in rooms are mixed-phase and consequently only a mixed-phase correction can restore the intended impulse response. Minimum-phase filters only consider the magnitude response and fail to address time-domain problems. Some room correction systems employ FIR filters, others IIR. Regardless of which, as long as they only provide minimum-phase or linear-phase correction, they fail to improve an aspect with determines the perceived localization and clarity of a sound event.

Effective correction in a large listening volume

Dirac's comprehensive research and development in this area has yielded a stable method that can effectively be applied in volumes as large as big cinemas, without compromising the performance. The time- and frequency-variable resolution, depending on the amount of spatial variations, always strike the right balance between resolution and robustness.

Early reflections from the same direction as the speaker are reduced

These are the type of reflections that are known to cause smearing and shifting of the stereo image as well as reduced distinctness. The effects of side-reflections are quite different. They give a certain coloration of the sound, but actually make it easier to localize and distinguish different sound events. Dirac Live® only reduces the stationary spectral coloration that such side-reflections cause, but no attempt is made to remove them.

Efficient and flexible implementations

The Dirac Live filters can be implemented in terms of pure FIR filters or by an unorthodox combination of FIR and IIR filters. We always strive for the most computationally efficient implementation and work closely with our customers to tailor our filters to their needs and requirements. Various signal processors can be used.

Easy-to-use PC software room correction wizard

We have developed an easy-to-use wizard which works on both PC and Mac, and helps you to achieve the results you want fast and easy. It can be tailored to the customer's requirements and graphical profile. It is possible to strip out features or add them to strike the balance you desire between flexibility, performance and ease of use.

Flexible options for customers

We offer customers a range of hardware solutions relying on partners in the US, Europe, and Asia for hardware design and manufacturing: Ready-made solutions that may include I/O, DSP, chassis, and microphone are available. We offer purely software based PC and Mac solutions based on the proprietary Dirac Audio Processor, plug-in software solutions based on RTAS VST or AU, and finally we also offer pure software licenses. Most customer demands can be fulfilled without new development, whereas others may require some tailoring. We are flexible and work hard to keep our customers happy not just before the purchase but also afterwards. Our customers can testify to this.