After closing SW we open RightMark Audio Analyzer and select our sound card in Playback/recording settings, 16 bit e 44.1k Hz; de-select  Adjust playback/recording levels, since we are going to use our volume sets, the ones we saved with QuickMix:

With the SC connected through the LOOP CABLE as seen in the CABLES folder; some audio cards had problems with RMAA and SW Loop Cable: in this case just use a standard audio cable to connect Line In to Line Out.

Click on     and after few seconds we will see a windows in which we can save the results: give a name that remembers the settings used (sample rate, resolution and volume setting):

RMAA allows the compare up to four different results so we can test others volume settings to see which one is better, keeping the same frequency and sample rate; so just recall the volume files saved in QuickMix and rerun the test saving the result with a different name:

Here we have three different volumes (15k, 20k e 24k) all at 16 bit and 44k Hz.

Frequency response  has to be as close to 0 as possible: in this case we can notice how different volumes don't change the results.

Noise level  estimates a noise level in silence in the test chain. SNR is usually measured in dB FS A, which means sound level relative to the full-scale signal and is weighted with a special aural perception A-curve. Professional usage requires SNR more than –96 dB A, and in this case we see that the 15k set is the better one.

Dynamic range test estimates a noise level with a weak signal applied, and linearity of a sound device operating at low signal levels (which is very important for high-quality sound recording and playback): The higher the better. The 15k set wins again.

THD  defines a level of unwanted harmonics generated in a sound device. Usually high-quality devices have a low THD value (lower than 0.002%), but there are exceptions. Many tube devices have a quite high THD level, which makes their sound "warm". But transistor devices must have a low THD value because their (odd) harmonics don’t make sound pleasant. No big differences between the volume settings.

Intermodulation estimates amount of intermodulation distortions that occur when a complex signal passes through a test chain. The test signal consists of 2 harmonics of different frequencies. After passing through the test-chain, the resulting signal contains different harmonics and, possibly, a large number of harmonics resulting from D/A and A/D conversion oversampling filters and sample rate conversion inaccuracy. The lower the better, and our results are equals.

Stereo crosstalk  estimates leakage of a signal from one channel to another for various frequencies. If a sound device has poor crosstalk results, you can’t get a good stereo image from your sound recording. The higher the value the better, and the 15k set wins.

Once we know which is the best setting, save it clicking on . If our sound card supports higher than 44kHz sample rate, (SB Live! works at 48k Hz and Terratec DMX6Fire and Audigy at 96k Hz) it's a good practice to repeat the tests at those others S/R, always using the 3 different volumes, and save the best result for each sample rate. At the end we can compare the three best results  closing the window  "Test Results"  and click on    and select the saved files:

We see three different S/R (44k, 48k e 96k Hz) with the same volume (15k): the winner is the 96k Hz that will be used with Speaker Workshop.

Below I show some charts that show the frequency response we measured, but it's not a flat line as it should be: the tone control weren't in the flat position! Check it out, cause all the measurement will be invalided if this happens.    

So using RMAA we have understood which is the best sample rate and volume setting for our sound card, and how linear its frequency response is (that is very important to obtain right measurements). Now it's time for the calibration!