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When music is played back through a sound system, it sounds different to how it sounded when it was originally recorded. There are many reasons for this but the major one is the frequency response of the system. Ideally the frequency response should be flat, i.e. all frequencies are played back at the same volume, unfortunately it almost never is. There are two main reasons for this. The first is that speakers cannot produce a flat frequency response across the whole range of audible sound (20Hz to 20KHz). Manufacturers try to compensate for this by using multiple speaker cones, covering different frequencies, but the result is far from perfect. The second factor is the acoustics of the room. Unless the walls of the room are sound damped, certain frequencies will create standing waves which sound louder than waves at other frequencies. As a general rule, the larger the room, the lower the frequenices at which standing waves occurr.

Many systems are equipped with graphic equalizers to counter these problems. They work by having a frequency response which is the inverse of the sound system, creating an overall flat response. Unfortunately in order to work correctly the inverse frequency response must be set by adjusting the sliders, a task which is almost impossible to achieve by ear. Furthermore the settings must be adjusted every time the sound system is moved or a component changed. This is where SAGE comes in. SAGE listens to the frequency response of the sound system and the room, and outputs the correct settings for a given graphic equalizer. Only a microphone with a calibration chart and the frequencies on the graphic equalizer are required. Both hardware and software (e.g. Winamp) graphic equalizers are supported.

SAGE can also balance the stereo and correct for any problems with the sound system, such as a broken tweeter on one of the speakers.

To start using SAGE, simply download it and follow the simple step-by-step instructions to optimise your sound system. SAGE is shareware. This means that you may try it for free but are required to register it if you continue to use it. Also, the non-registered version is limited to a maximum frequency of 4KHz while the registered version will go all the way up to 20KHz. For more information please see Registration.

Requirements: A soundcard capable of 44KHz sampling rate and duplex operation. Windows 95/98/2000/Me/XP. DirectX 8.0