Note: This page will be updated in the future when new information becomes available. Last update 09.06.2023

Dirac Live 2

After a lengthy development process and missed launch in Q1 2018, Dirac Live 2.1 has finally been released on 23.11.2018. It features a completely new user interface while no major new features – like simplified test signal/mic level setting, automated crossover selection or crossover splice optimization – have been added. Some major bugs from version 1 still exist in version 2, e.g. wrong speaker distance detection of upward firing Dolby enabled speakers. Some new bugs have been introduced.

Dirac Live is first and foremost a tool for automated room correction, so user experience and user interface should be paramount. Unfortunately Dirac Research chose to prioritize cross-platform support and looks over functionality. While beauty certainly lies in the eye of the beholder, a software user interface also has objective functional aspects ("Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." – Steve Jobs). Here Dirac Live 2 shows a strange tendency to favor decorative/less important elements while functional user interface elements are non-native, dimmed down, hidden, unreadable or even missing. As a result some tasks are actually harder to accomplish than in version 1. Some features have even been crippled (e.g. test signal/mic gain adjustment) which makes Dirac Live 2 less useful to the user.

Good news is that Dirac Live 2 is available as a free upgrade to existing users. See https://live.dirac.com/download/

Version 2.1.1 has been released on 10.12.2018 with usability improvements and bug fixes but generally all of the above still applies.

Version 2.1.2 has been released on 21.12.2018 with usability improvements and bug fixes but generally all of the above still applies.

Version 2.2.0 has been released on 26.02.2019 which finally provides a way of getting test signal and mic input level right.

Version 2.2.1 to 2.3 has been released during 2019 with usability improvements and bug fixes but some fundamental issues are still unresolved.

Version 2.4 has been released on 07.02.2020 with usability improvements and bug fixes but generally all of the above still applies.

Version 2.5.2 has been released on 08.04.2020 fixing a severe bug in the gain compensation algorithm. Earlier versions should not be used. This is the first version that can be considered ready for prime time since its first public release in 2018. It still can't handle upfiring Dolby Atmos enabled speakers though...

Dirac Live 3

Version 3 has been released on 03.06.2020. The user interface is virtually the same as in version 2 but it comes with a new feature, "Bass Control" (although technically "Bass Control" was already available in 2.5.x). "Bass Control" encompasses a number of tools for optimizing the crossover region between sub(s)/sats and seat to seat differences when using multiple subs.

"Bass Control" requires the AVR/P to run Dirac's own bass management DSP code. If the hardware supports it additional controls become available in the Dirac Live app.

Maybe there has been a hiccup in Google Translator from Swedish to English but the additional features couldn't be named in a more obscure and counterintuitive way. Here's a brief explanation what each button does:

• "Off": Regular single speaker optimization. Bass management has to be configured by the user in the AVR/P.
• "Upmix Only": Dirac bass management replaces the AVR/P's bass management. Still regular single speaker optimization including sub(s), although the output of each sub is reduced based on the number of individual subs. Visualization of crossover splice between sub(s)/sats.
• "Full Bass Optimisation": Same as "Upmix Only" but adds optimization of the crossover splice if a single sub is used (also applies to AVR/P's that split a single subwoofer signal to multiple outputs). If the AVR/P supports individually addressable subwoofer outputs "Bass Control" additionally reduces seat to seat differences besides optimizing the crossover splice.

Now that Dirac has the user thoroughly confused about what option to use in his or her particular setup, here's a list from best to good:

• "Bass Control" with multiple subwoofers on individually addressable subwoofer outputs
• "Bass Control" with single sub or subwoofer cluster on a single subwoofer output
• "Regular" DL or "Upmix only" with single sub or subwoofer cluster on a single subwoofer output

Avoid at all costs:

• "Regular" DL or "Upmix only" with multiple subwoofers on individually addressable subwoofer outputs

Naming has been changed beginning version 3.5.1. Upmix only = Bass management, Full optimisation = Bass Control.

There's a number of issues with version 3 listed at the end of this page.

If you're using Dirac Live "Bass Control", make sure you're running the latest version as there have been quite a few serious bugs along the way which made sound quality worse instead of making it better.

Latest changes can be found in the Dirac Live changelog.

Future versions

Announced about 10 years ago Dirac Unison is finally coming to consumers. The new name is ART – active room treatment. ART is currently in beta testing for StormAudio users and will be available for licensing to other companies after a 10 months exclusivity period ending in October 2023 (source). Dirac Live 3.6.5 is the first version officially supporting ART.

How-to guides for Dirac Live v2 & v3

• Configure microphone and setting speaker levels
• Setting crossovers

Target Curves for Dirac Live v2 & v3

Dirac Live's default target curves are known to sound bass-shy. Here's a choice of target curves based on Harman research. These target curves can be directly loaded from within Dirac Live 2/3. They differ in the amount of bass boost.

Note: Use the very same target curve for all your speakers including the subwoofer. Do NOT use different target curves amongst speakers in the crossover region to the subwoofer(s) or you'll end up with a combined response that no longer follows the intended curve. Adjust high frequency fall-off according to your speaker's in-room response.

Target curves for Dirac Live v2.5.2/3 and later:

• +4dB low frequency boost
• +6dB low frequency boost
• +8dB low frequency boost
• +10dB low frequency boost

Bugs and quirks

• Dirac Live is incompatible with ceiling-firing Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers
• Dirac Live is incompatible with tactile transducers aka "butt kicker" or "bass shaker"
• The calculated optimization results sporadically don't match the actual in-room response
• "Hump" at the low end of the subwoofer response
• Elevated group delay in the subwoofer response with DLBC
• Corrected response curves are lost in the app when the user switches between "modes"
• All settings within the "Volume Calibration" tab are lost when coming back from another tab
• When running calibration measurement sweeps using 96KHz mode (as with the UMIK-2), the animation showing which speaker is currently being measured progresses across the screen at twice the normal speed and is out of sync with which speaker is actually being measured
• 3.2.2 macOS: Issues controlling mic from the app
• 3.3.0 New target curve editor doesn't apply matching low frequency curve shape to speakers and sub(s)
• 3.3.0 Erratic results when using new target curve editor
• 3.3.0 Suggested auto-curves are lost after re-opening or when switching "modes"
• 3.3.0 Delay/gain sporadically not saved in AVR
• 3.3.1 Speaker level is based on average of all mic positions which can create imaging problems
• Misleading naming of basic functionality, e.g. "Upmix only"
• Gross translation errors in German localisation
• 3.3.3 Issues controlling mic from the app with Onkyo devices
• 3.3.3 Low frequency correction limited to about 15Hz
• Speaker delays sporadically set to zero
• Shelf editor applies up to 20dB boost whereas the regular target curve editor allows only for 10dB
• Shelf editor applies boost outside curtain