MARTIN LOGAN 839PBK Perfect Bass Kit Room Correction System Owner’s Manual
- June 4, 2024
- MARTIN LOGAN
Table of Contents
839PBK Perfect Bass Kit Room Correction System
Owner’s Manual
Assembly, Installation and Setup for the Perfect Bass Kit
The PBK Kit includes:
- Microphone and microphone clip
- Telescoping stand and base
- Two USB cables: one for the microphone, one for the subwoofer
Steps to assemble stand and microphone:
- Screw the telescoping stand into the base and tighten it securely;
- Position the clip vertically and screw it onto the stand; tighten it;
- Connect the USB microphone cable to the microphone;
- Slide the microphone into the clip and point the microphone straight up (see section ‘Positioning the Microphone’ for more information.)
The Perfect Bass Kit (PBK) is for use with any MartinLogan® subwoofer with a PBK Interface to correct the effects of room boundaries on sound quality. PBK uses proprietary processing to compute the subwoofer’s in-room frequency response and then computes a target frequency response for the subwoofer to yield optimal in-room sound. PBK can be used with up to four MartinLogan subwoofers. The frequency response of each PBK microphone is measured precisely and this data is used to create the microphone’s calibration file included on the PBK software disk. The microphone can ONLY be used with the matching individual calibration file.
Before starting the procedure, note the following:
- PC requirements are Windows XP, Windows 7 or Vista; and two USB ports. If you are running a newer operating system than mentioned see the info about updating the PBK files.
- If you are using a laptop computer, check the power settings and battery meter before starting to ensure the procedure will not be interrupted.
Although systems vary, in general, if your home theater receiver/processor also has a Room Correction system, PBK should be set up and running before setting up your system’s ‘EQ’, especially if more than one PBK subwoofer will be in use.
IMPORTANT! Don’t stand too close to the microphone or make noise when sweep tones are playing (it would be best to keep younger or talkative family members and even pets out of hearing range). The program rejects continuous background noise (i.e. fans) but will give an error message requiring re- measurement upon sudden noise.
THE PROCEDURE
Installing the Software
IMPORTANT! PBK software and the unique calibration file required to operate your microphone must be downloaded to run PBK.
- Go to http://www.martinlogan.com/PBK/software
- Enter the serial number located on your microphone (a six-digit number beginning with ‘5’).
- Right-click on the downloaded .zip file and extract it to the desktop.
- Open the extracted folder and double-click on ‘ml-Pbk-v2.01.exe’ (version number may differ). Software installation instructions will appear on your screen.
- Once installation is complete, delete the downloaded file and extracted folder.
- Go to the Start Menu and run PBK.
Positioning the Microphone
IMPORTANT! During the measurement process, the microphone must point toward the ceiling and be positioned at ear level when you are seated.
- Position the microphone on or near the first position (see diagram above right). Remove cushions from seating, if necessary, to attain the correct height. To adjust the height of the telescoping stand, loosen the large black clamp in the middle of the stand by rotating it counter-clockwise; retighten once desired height has been achieved.
Five listening positions will be measured and this can be manually increased to up to 10 positions, although in most cases only five are needed. The first position must be at or just in front of the central seating position. Positions 2 and 3 should be symmetric to the left and right of the center line. The same applies to the remaining positions.
IMPORTANT: Even if your room has less than five seating positions, to
ensure optimal sound, measurements must be taken from five different listening
positions.
Each position should be at least 2 feet (60 cm) apart.
Measuring
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Using the two USB ports, connect the microphone and subwoofer to your computer. The first time you run PBK you will need to wait while Windows installs drivers for the microphone and subwoofer and indicates ‘new hardware is ready to use.
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Set the microphone in the first position;
3. Before starting to measure, set the subwoofer’s Gain control to its center detent position; set the Cut-Off Frequency to Bypass; and set Phase control to ‘0’. After running PBK, these controls can be adjusted as necessary as you complete the setup of your system. See the Owners Manual that came with your system for more details. -
Run the Perfect Bass Kit by selecting it from the Start Menu. The program will guide you through the steps and at the conclusion, will automatically load the correction data into your subwoofer. The entire measurement process takes about 5 minutes;
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Once the PBK program is finished you can disconnect the PC from the microphone and subwoofer;
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If the position of the subwoofer or listening positions change you will have to re-measure.
Sample PBK Analysis/Correction / PBK:
Measured
Calculated
Target Response
Perfect Bass Kit™ (PBK) and all associated proprietary and patented designs and technologies are registered trademarks of Paradigm Electronics Inc. and are used under license by MartinLogan, Ltd. Copyright © Paradigm Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained herein may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of Paradigm Electronics Inc. and we reserve the right to change specifications and/or features without notice as design improvements are incorporated.
Lawrence, Kansas, USA 785-749-0133
www.martinlogan.com