“I've used Reference 4 so far. To be honest, I didn't feel the need to upgrade to Sound ID, so I only used the existing version. However, I upgraded it because I had a big discount on Black Friday, and I regretted not upgrading it until now. EQ customizable targets are extremely flexible and useful. Transition checks are also very useful, especially I like the car audio option. If you are considering upgrading from reference4, I can confidently recommend it.”
“I've been using SoudID Reference for a few weeks now. I bought the upgrade from Reference 4. It was dirt cheap. The installation and setup were a breeze since I had done it before several times with Reference 4. Measuring the room was similar to the old version, no problem there. The software guides you through the process.
I have a well-treated control room with Neumann KH 310 speakers, which are pretty flat. Still, there is a nasty dip of minus 8dB around 70 Hz, due to the first reflection from the front wall. (This type of dip happens in every studio using nearfield monitors. It is unavoidable.)
SoundID Reference corrected this problem and smoothed out the top end, too. So, I'm pretty happy with it.
I like the included reference curves from NS10s and Auratones. You can sort of check your mix through these speakers and listen if the midrange is OK.
One must remember that this type of correction system does not fix the problems in the time domain. For example, if the 300 Hz has a longer decay time than 2K, this will still cause masking problems no matter how flat your speakers are. So, you need to make sure you treat your room with enough bass trapping, wide band absorbers and maybe diffusers, too.
To conclude, SoundID Reference clearly improved the listening in my control room. I will be using it on every mix I do from now on.”
“For studios with less than ideal acoustics Sonarworks is essential. Even with a lot of acoustical treatment the plugin makes a big difference. In my experience Reference ID makes the biggest difference on less expensive monitors, making them sound amazing in your room. The headphone correction aspect is critical, as headphones from different companies sound completely different from each other, and none are flat.”
