iPad built-in speaker frequency profile

I don't know why everyone is raining on your question, I think it is a good one. If I were a professional audio producer creating content for devices, as I authored content I would want to know how my content would sound on the devices without having to load it on each device and test it with each small change I make. For example using a production tool to simulate the frequency response of different devices based on standard profiles.

I am sure you plan some level of final testing on the actual devices, but it would be a big time-saver to simulate the device audio profile during incremental content authoring.

This could improve the end-user experience because you could more easily adjust the content for different device types. Doing that would be very time-consuming if you had to load the audio on a device each time you tweaked something.

I don't have an answer for you. A poor-man's solution would be to have your production tool publish the audio content to a web server with each build. You would then have to pick up a device, browse that web site, and start the audio. Not very friendly if you are currently focusing on 5 seconds of a 3-minute track.

Apple iPad 2 review:

Tech Notes: iPad Audio Specifications

Does anybody know the frequency range of the built-in microphone of an ipad 2?

SignalScope

FuzzMeasure Pro 3

and on and on.

Note the last two are actually programs to turn your mac into a signal processing device so you can make the measurements yourself

Some posters here seem to be numpties, excuse me if that is not the case but they seem to be missing the point of the question. I post as an ex recording engineer and can appreciate what you mean [ I think!! :-) ] and what you are trying to achieve

Hope my contribution helps. I have no axe to grind and hope I have understood your question correctly. You do not state what your audio is to be used for but that really needs to be considered and you will have to make your own judgement. For some uses (see below) the iPad seems to be ideal already! If I tell you what you already know, I apologise in advance.

The frequency curves already mentioned, as you state, have no relevence to playback whatsoever but may well give a clue to the low frequency handling capability!

It would be useful, as has been pointed out, to have full specifications of response (not just the frequency range) for the units and any other useful tips for those developers who wish to produce the best quality audio output. That is not necessarily to reproduce the full audio range and as will already be evident to some listeners the ipad like other instruments can get away with a low output level in the base region without too significant a loss. Yes, it's not ideal as a playback device (you will alraedy know that!) but it is good quality for a portable device and incidentally well matched ( at least sometimes) for those who have cochlear implants as it stands, so I have been informed. Excellent for speech clarity but poor for music in the latter circumstance.

It would be hoped that the designers at Apple have made the unit respond best when fed with a standard audio signal i.e. a flat response with no compression etc. in the original waveform that sounds great when recorded/played on reference/studio quality equipment. Who knows?

In the absence of that information, and how well the dsp processes the sounds such as bit rate handling etc. it will be, without a lot of expense and time with measurement equipment for the sound output, a matter simply and for ease, trial and error. Trying to 'measure the characteristics' othewise is not easy, though not impossible, to get an estimation.

Harking back to the 'good old bad old days' heavy compression and pre-equalisation were used. It is worth experimenting to get empirical results with tracks pre recorded as flat, and some base boost and separately treble boost to see what the handling capabilities are without harmonic or other processing distortions occur on payback on the iPad. I suggest a few steps of 5dB boost at 200Hz initially but heavy bass cut below that frequency initially. Then also the same at about 10KHz. These will determine the maximum you could apply. All this done when playing back at high levels. It might be useful to use your intended sounds and also a range of others such as full frequency response music and speech as what can sound OK for on type (artificially enhanced) can sound awful with others. Once you hace the max capability established then chose pre equalisation within those parameters that will sound best and balanced.

As for compression, it does give the impression of greater loudness, but at best it is avoided as the loss of dynamic range becomes tiring for the listener. The digital reproduction and processing does not have the issues associated with older noisy recording/playback systems so ought not to be used to give a better s/n ration impression. However, as we will not be in an ideal world, it may be necessary. Certainly a bit of limiter use on the recording would be good to avoid digital overload. If the use of the sound you are producing is for within a noisy (or non quiete domestic) environment, then compression would improve the 'sound to background noise' ratio and therefore clarity. Much the same technique as was very popularly used (and still is in many cases) on some music for domestic playback on cheap equipment. However the iPad is quite good quality and clarity, so go easy on all these corrections.

If headphones are used the variety is too great to take into account so another reason to not overly apply any pre-corrections as if they all add up the result could be poor.

Hope this helps. Without definitive information (and I have not found any) it's probably best to just use your ears!

Are you aware the iPhone is a mobile, handheld device?

If you have a question about Cubase, you should ask them. It seems they know something about iOS apps.

So what is the point? Do you just want to use your iPhone as a speaker?

As for the frequency response, I don't think too many people care. It's a phone. How much bass are you going to get out of it? Is this good enough?

It sounds like you expect to use the iPad as a studio reference speaker.

It's not a studio reference speaker.

Get a studio reference speaker.

Good luck.

cugnai wrote:

The problem is the iPads obvious inability to play lower frequencies. I need to use the iPad as a reference (with all its flaws) speaker

...

It's very straight forward.

At the risk of clouding up your straightforward thread...

1). It's an iPad

2). It's an iPad

3). It's an iPad

The only frequency response information you are going to find is something developed in an ideal environment. The iPad is a mobile device. The sound it is going to output is based primarily on the surface it is stitting on or the way you are holding it. The sound from a disassembled iPad speaker is going to be completely different from a functioning iPad. Do you really think there is some magic setting that is going to turn an iPad into Surround Sound?

No one is going to have any workflow that makes an iPad sound like anything other than an iPad. I have already provided links to the information you are looking for and to apps that do what you ask. What more do you want?

Did you bother to look at any of the links I posted?

Thought your question was serious, guess not.