Switching from Smaart to SonaVyx — Complete Migration Guide

Why Smaart Users Are Looking at SonaVyx

Smaart by Rational Acoustics has been the industry standard for dual-channel FFT measurement since the late 1990s. It is excellent software. But the world has changed: engineers now carry laptops, tablets, and phones. Audio interfaces are not always available. License management across multiple devices is a friction point. And many measurement tasks — especially quick system checks and site surveys — do not require a full Smaart rig.

SonaVyx runs in any browser. No installation. No license dongle. No audio interface required for many measurements. It implements the same DSP algorithms (and several that Smaart does not) in Rust compiled to WASM, running at native speed on your device.

Feature Mapping: Smaart to SonaVyx

This table maps every major Smaart v9 feature to its SonaVyx equivalent:

• RTA Mode: Smaart Spectrum → SonaVyx RTA tab. Both offer 1/1 to 1/24 octave smoothing, A/C/Z weighting, spectrograph view.
• Transfer Function: Smaart Transfer Function → SonaVyx TF tab. H1 estimator, magnitude/phase/coherence, configurable FFT (1024-65536), Blackman-Harris window. SonaVyx adds AI-powered EQ recommendations.
• Impulse Response: Smaart IR → SonaVyx IR tab. Log sweep and MLS excitation, Schroeder integration, T20/T30/EDT. SonaVyx adds C50/C80/D50/Ts/G per ISO 3382.
• SPL Meter: Smaart SPL → SonaVyx SPL tab. A/C/Z weighting, Leq/Lmax/Lmin, percentiles. SonaVyx adds L10/L50/L90, octave bands, NC curves, noise dose tracking, traffic light display.
• Delay Finder: Smaart Delay → SonaVyx delay finder in TF controls. Sub-sample accuracy using cross-correlation peak.
• Trace Store: Smaart Store/Recall → SonaVyx Traces Panel. Up to 10 named, color-coded traces with CSV/FRD/JSON export.
• Multi-Trace Overlay: Both support overlaying stored traces on the live measurement. SonaVyx adds target curve overlays with deviation visualization.

What SonaVyx Adds Beyond Smaart

Several SonaVyx features have no Smaart equivalent:

• AI Diagnostic Engine: Claude-powered analysis that reads your measurement data and produces prioritized recommendations with specific EQ settings
• Problem Detection Suite: Automated detection of feedback, hum, polarity issues, comb filtering, clipping, and THD — running in real-time via WASM
• Equipment Scanner: Point your camera at a mixer or processor and get immediate model identification with control documentation
• STI/STIPA: Full IEC 60268-16 speech intelligibility measurement (Smaart does not include STI)
• Sound Insulation: ISO 717-1 Rw and ASTM E413 STC calculations
• Noise Dose: OSHA and ISO 9612 occupational exposure tracking
• Guided Workflows: Step-by-step wizards for system check, PA tuning, SPL compliance, room analysis, and feedback elimination
• Cross-Pollination Metrics: Crest factor, kurtosis, spectral flatness, envelope analysis, and acoustic anomaly scoring

Workflow Translation

The most common Smaart workflows map directly:

1. Quick system check: In Smaart: connect interface, open TF, play pink noise, check response. In SonaVyx: open /measure, select TF tab, use built-in loopback or mic capture. No interface needed.
2. Main/delay alignment: In Smaart: measure main, store trace, measure delay, use delay finder. In SonaVyx: identical workflow in TF tab, plus AI-suggested delay values.
3. Ring-out monitors: In Smaart: watch RTA during gain-before-feedback. In SonaVyx: use the Feedback Elimination Workflow with automated peak detection and notch filter suggestions.

Keyboard Shortcut Equivalents

SonaVyx uses similar keyboard shortcuts to Smaart where possible:

• Space: Start/Stop measurement (same as Smaart)
• S: Store current trace
• C: Clear stored traces
• 1-5: Switch measurement modes
• R: Reset zoom
• F: Fullscreen toggle

Try It Side by Side

The best way to evaluate SonaVyx is to run it alongside Smaart on the same measurement. Open the SonaVyx Workspace in one browser window and Smaart on the same machine. Compare the transfer function, coherence, and phase plots. The results will be functionally identical — because the DSP math is the same. Then try the features Smaart does not have.