REW

Definition

Room EQ Wizard (REW) is free, open-source room acoustic measurement and analysis software. It generates test signals, captures microphone measurements (typically via a UMIK-1 or similar calibrated measurement mic), and produces frequency response plots, waterfall plots, RT60 decay measurements, and other acoustic analysis data used to evaluate and optimize room treatment.

Context

REW is the community’s standard tool for measuring room acoustics before and after treatment. Josh Bowman’s weekend renovation story — moving his desk because “it’s insanely better looking on the REW graph” — exemplifies how REW data drives studio design decisions. The software pairs with calibrated USB measurement microphones (miniDSP UMIK-1 being the most common) and is used alongside Sonarworks SoundID for room correction.

The community consensus is that REW measurements should be taken before and after every treatment change to verify improvements rather than relying on subjective listening alone.

Discord Source

Channel: show-your-setup, monitoring-talk Key context: Josh Bowman (desk/treatment REW workflow), Will Melones (corner treatment measured +6dB improvement at 135Hz), jonmatteson (cloud installation measurement)

Related Terms

• Sonarworks SoundID — Software room correction
• Acoustic Treatment Guide — Treatment planning using measurements
• Studio Design and Setup — Room design informed by measurements

See Also

• Speaker Design and Crossover Theory — Speaker measurement and analysis
• Acoustics — Acoustics navigation hub