Measurement microphone for room correction

Updated: 22 October 2026

The chair you sit in is the measurement. The microphone is only how you hear the speakers from that chair.

The chair you sit in is the measurement. The microphone is only how you hear the speakers from that chair. A measurement microphone for room correction, on this shelf, is an omnidirectional capsule with a calibration file, used at one seat with the subwoofer included. Peter F. set this page from Dirac's help, Room EQ Wizard's British English notes, and the figures for 21 October 2026. We did not tune a room. If the laptop is the only instrument, start with the miniDSP UMIK-1. Other hosts go back to the measurement microphone comparison. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

Our top picks

Badge	Product	Pattern	Calibration path	Host	Note	Price	Offer
Best overall	Behringer Behringer ECM8000	Omnidirectional	Generic curve	Interface with phantom power	8.2	about £16.90	View offer
	miniDSP miniDSP UMIK-1	Omnidirectional	Serial file with sensitivity	Laptop, REW or Dirac	9.1	about £120	View offer
Alternative	Dayton Audio Dayton Audio iMM-6	Omnidirectional	In the app reviews	Phone with a 3.5 mm jack	8.5	about £42.12	View offer

Best overall

Behringer Behringer ECM8000

8.2/10about £16.90

View offer

Rank 2

miniDSP miniDSP UMIK-1

9.1/10about £120

View offer

Alternative

Dayton Audio Dayton Audio iMM-6

8.5/10about £42.12

View offer

On this page

1.Room correction measures the seat, not the microphone
2.One chair, ear height, subwoofer included
3.Dirac's first point fixes levels and delays
4.The graph is not a noise-at-work result

Room correction measures the seat, not the microphone

You are correcting the loudspeakers plus the room at the place your head sits. The pattern has to be omnidirectional so front, side, and rear sound are picked up at the same gain. A cardioid measures rear speakers at a different gain. Three vocal microphones were removed from this batch for that reason. Dirac suggests the UMIK-1 and says the microphone is not included with the software. Room EQ Wizard treats a calibrated USB microphone as the simple path when the laptop is the only instrument. If phantom power is already in the rack, use an XLR row from the main table. A DriveRack leaves for the RTA-M. Who should skip the UMIK-1 is on the best measurement microphone page.

One chair, ear height, subwoofer included

Put the capsule at ear height in the seat you use, on a stand, and include the subwoofer in that sweep. Leaving the subwoofer out, then blaming a hump, measures a system you do not own. A capsule on the subwoofer cabinet answers a different question. miniDSP says that for a subwoofer-only trace, either calibration file will do. That permission ends when the main speakers join. Then keep one aim and one file for the session. The how to use page owns capsule aim and the Windows bass problem. One chair is the boundary. Three regular listeners on a sofa are a reason to leave, not a prompt to average the cushions. Dirac's extra points around that same chair are not a second audience.

Testsieger

Behringer Behringer ECM8000

8.2/10about £16.90

View offer

Dirac's first point fixes levels and delays

The first Dirac position is the sweet spot, and it sets gains and delays. Later points do not replace it. Dirac asks for at least 30 cm between points. Wider spacing softens the correction, and points that are too close can sound dry. The miniDSP SHD Focused layout uses nine points. Nine is for that layout, not for one REW sweep. Measure the sweet spot first, then step at least 30 cm. The USB or XLR page matters only if you are adding a loopback. For one seat in REW, the USB microphone is enough.

The graph is not a noise-at-work result

A level in REW or Dirac is the sweep you just played. It is not an LAeq, not an LCPeak, and not a calibrator check. Do not call the curve Class 2. The Institute of Acoustics puts those classes on the complete meter. A peak on the trace is speaker and room behaviour at the seat, often a subwoofer mode. It is not a workplace peak. The UMIK-1 does not become a noise dosimeter.

Common questions

What measurement microphone do I need for one living-room seat?

For one seat, a laptop, and REW or Dirac, start with the UMIK-1 at £120. The bullets name a unique file with a sensitivity figure, and the pattern has to be omnidirectional. A cardioid measures rear sound at a different gain. If you already own phantom power, use an XLR row from the main comparison. A DriveRack owner should leave for the RTA-M.

Can I use a vocal microphone for Dirac Live?

No. Dirac asks for an omnidirectional measurement microphone and a calibration file. A cardioid, including the handhelds removed from this batch, does not pick up front and rear sound at the same gain. The UMIK-1 is the USB measurement microphone Dirac names. A voice preset does not change that.

How do I include the subwoofer without measuring the sofa?

Include it in the sweep of the one chair, at the same ear height. miniDSP says that for a subwoofer-only trace, either calibration file is acceptable. That permission ends when the main speakers join. Then match the 0-degree or 90-degree file to the aim, and stay at the chair you use.

Do I need Dirac Live, or is Room EQ Wizard enough?

REW is enough for a sweep of one seat you will read yourself. Dirac is the path when a processor builds the filter. It wants a first point that sets gains and delays, then more points at least 30 cm apart. You do not need nine Focused points if you are only saving a REW measurement.

Why does Dirac want several points for one chair?

The extra points describe the space around your head. The first point sets gains and delays. Further points should be at least 30 cm apart. Wider spacing softens the correction, and points that are too close can sound dry. Nine points belong to the miniDSP SHD Focused layout, not to a single REW sweep.

Will this tell me if the room is too loud for work?

No. A REW or Dirac level is not an LAeq or LCPeak, and it is not a Class 2 result. Action values at 80 dB(A) and 85 dB(A) belong to a sound level meter. A bass peak on a room curve is usually the seat and the subwoofer. This microphone's job stops at the chair.

Measurement microphone buying guide