.. _frvsmics:

Frequency Response vs Microphones
----------------------------------

Both the :ref:`Frequency Response Panel<frequencyresponse>` and :ref:`Microphones<mics>` can give insight as to the frequency response of individual :ref:`sources<sourcetypes>`, and complete system designs. This section covers their differences, and where to use each.

**The Frequency Response Panel**
    The :ref:`Frequency Response Panel<frequencyresponse>` plots the frequency response at points sampled automatically along the :ref:`audience<ear>` for the selected array - one thin trace per point, plus an energy-averaged mean curve. The traces are automatically updated as the loudspeaker's position and angles are adjusted.

    **When Should the Frequency Response Panel Be Used?**

    * The :ref:`Frequency Response Panel<frequencyresponse>` is ideal for quickly setting the inter-element angles of a line array, as it updates automatically and does not include interaction from any other :ref:`source<sourcetypes>`.
    * Assessing the response of a single array along the whole audience can be achieved in the quickest way by using the :ref:`Frequency Response Panel<frequencyresponse>`.

**Microphones**
    :ref:`Microphones<mics>` in the application are analogous to that of their real-world counterpart - measurement microphones. In the same way as measurement microphones can be used to determine a transfer function in real life, :ref:`Microphones<mics>` can do the same thing within System Optimiser. :ref:`Microphones<mics>` placed within the :ref:`3D View<3dview>` show the complex summation of all loudspeaker sources that are currently unmuted.

    **When Should Microphones Be Used?**

    * :ref:`Microphones<mics>` can be used for evaluating the frequency response of whole systems, or parts thereof, as they include complex summation of all :ref:`sources<sourcetypes>` which are unmuted.
    * :ref:`Microphones<mics>` can be used to align :ref:`sources<sourcetypes>`, for example, a Main Hang to a Sub Array, by observing the comb filter whilst changing the delay value in a :ref:`Source Controller<sourcecontrollers>`. Summation can be observed when the :ref:`sources<sourcetypes>` are aligned.


**Recap: What Are The Differences?**

* :ref:`Microphones<mics>` are placed manually by the user, whereas the :ref:`Frequency Response Panel<frequencyresponse>` samples its points along the audience automatically as described above.
* The :ref:`Frequency Response Panel<frequencyresponse>` acts as if the selected array is soloed, IE every other source in the :ref:`3D View<3dview>` is muted, so there is no interaction shown, only the pressure calculation of the selected array. :ref:`Microphones<mics>` show the complex response of all loudspeakers within the :ref:`3D View<3dview>` that are unmuted.
*  When viewing graphs using :ref:`Microphones<mics>`, there is typically much more interference than with the :ref:`Frequency Response Panel<frequencyresponse>`, this is the nature of having multiple sources enabled, with the multipath arrivals that happen in real life.