Curious. Anyone got experience installing a center channel?

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

For a center channel your only looking for frequency in the range of 400-4khz. That to me would be best provided by a 3-4 inch driver, there are a few ways to run it, you can either "bridge it" off the left and right channel of your fronts and put a potentiometer in line to control the volume along with a bandpass filter, or you can run it off an additional amp, (usually not necessary)

With MS-8 this has no bearing on how to apply a center channel.

 

[gimling]

With MS-8 this has no bearing on how to apply a center channel.

Yes this is true. An ms-8 is a processor and will do the settings for you. But if you don't have that kind of money to spend and are able to do the setup manually u can save yourself alot of money of course at an expense to your time. Center channel is more of a vocal fillin if your sound stage isn't sounding right possiblydue to speaker location or llimitations.

There are many ways to do it digital time correction, 31 band eq all make for a better sounding system it just comes down to what you have and what you can afford.

Ps I volunteer to test drive an ms-8 if you want to give me one

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

Yes this is true. An ms-8 is a processor and will do the settings for you. But if you don't have that kind of money to spend and are able to do the setup manually u can save yourself alot of money of course at an expense to your time. Center channel is more of a vocal fillin if your sound stage isn't sounding right possiblydue to speaker location or llimitations.
There are many ways to do it digital time correction, 31 band eq all make for a better sounding system it just comes down to what you have and what you can afford.

Ps I volunteer to test drive an ms-8 if you want to give me one

You need a DSP to do the work of deriving a proper center channel signal. It's more than just time alignment, EQ and crossovers. This has been discussed in depth repeatedly online so I won't rehash how MS-8 makes the center signal. Please do a web search with your favorite search site, or cut to the chase and find the giant MS-8 thread on DIYMA in which Andy Wehmeyer has posted probably a thousand times. Calling it "vocal fillin" is drastically understating what Logic 7 is capable of adding to music in the car. Rear speakers are an essential part of the package also.

 

[gimling]

You need a DSP to do the work of deriving a proper center channel signal. It's more than just time alignment, EQ and crossovers. This has been discussed in depth repeatedly online so I won't rehash how MS-8 makes the center signal. Please do a web search with your favorite search site, or cut to the chase and find the giant MS-8 thread on DIYMA in which Andy Wehmeyer has posted probably a thousand times. Calling it "vocal fillin" is drastically understating what Logic 7 is capable of adding to music in the car. Rear speakers are an essential part of the package also.

i know what logic 7 is, its for surround sound applications for every passenger in the car to hear exactly the same music and thats what logic 7 can do. but from what i get from his post is he wants a center channel for his front sound stage he isnt asking for a surround sound system. If he is then i am mistaken and go ahead and spend your money on a dsp, were comparing apples to oranges, On this forum i have rarely seen anyone thats putting together a front stage even mention that they have or use rear speakers. Im not knocking it at all. but a DSP is not necessary to have a really great sounding sound stage.

 

[bradl79 10+ year member]

i used an CDT ES-03 and CDT HD100 on an CDT EX540 crossover so its only 1 channel - crossed from 250hz to 4.2khz then tweet takes over

i used the middle part of F.A.S.T. Rings

I am going to eventually clean it up and curve the edges and then resin it and make it look better, but just a temp mock up for now, i have deadener between dash and foam, the foam is sticky on the bottom, i don't have any issues with it moving around and seems pretty stiff and sounds great.

 

[bradl79 10+ year member]

Does the center channel act like rear fill? Send the out of phase info up front?
As for rear fill. From what I got from Andy was the rear doors or sides do better than rear shelf speakers. Mine are low in the rear doors and 7.1 is spot on. Stage falls apart with logic off

no, just like a 5.1 home theater system, the center channel seems to have the main volume and then you have the sides as seperate and then the rear fill, the center is pretty pronounced thow and seems everything is up front with vocals, i had done many tests with some 5.1 dolby digital surround/3D sounds and it sounds amazing

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

i know what logic 7 is, its for surround sound applications for every passenger in the car to hear exactly the same music and thats what logic 7 can do. but from what i get from his post is he wants a center channel for his front sound stage he isnt asking for a surround sound system. If he is then i am mistaken and go ahead and spend your money on a dsp, were comparing apples to oranges, On this forum i have rarely seen anyone thats putting together a front stage even mention that they have or use rear speakers. Im not knocking it at all. but a DSP is not necessary to have a really great sounding sound stage.

I use rears. Only because of what the MS-8 does with them. And you don't know what 7.1 is

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

Car audio forums are usually a place where the same old ideas get rehashed and repeated a million times while very few people try something outside the accepted norms. This forum is no exception. Don't run these brands they're garbage. This is no good you'll never be SQ, you'll never be loud, you're wasting your money. When it comes to MS-8 I never stop seeing people try it and make a 180 on their opinion after hearing what it did to their vehicle. I don't even have a dog in the fight anymore as I no longer run MS-8, I no longer sell it, and I know it's a flawed DSP.

 

[The Camry]

When it comes to MS-8 I never stop seeing people try it and make a 180 on their opinion after hearing what it did to their vehicle. I don't even have a dog in the fight anymore as I no longer run MS-8, I no longer sell it, and I know it's a flawed DSP.

Seems like you are contradicting yourself.

I am curious to know what the surround system can do with a center channel.

What is flawed about it?

 

[The Camry]

i know what logic 7 is, its for surround sound applications for every passenger in the car to hear exactly the same music and thats what logic 7 can do. but from what i get from his post is he wants a center channel for his front sound stage he isnt asking for a surround sound system.

Correct. but i am curious as to what a surround sound system(rearfill thru ms8) does that adds to the sound stage as i am usually the only one in my car, sometime A passenger and i dont really care how it sounds for them.

 

[The Camry]

i used an CDT ES-03 and CDT HD100 on an CDT EX540 crossover so its only 1 channel - crossed from 250hz to 4.2khz then tweet takes overi used the middle part of F.A.S.T. Rings

I am going to eventually clean it up and curve the edges and then resin it and make it look better, but just a temp mock up for now, i have deadener between dash and foam, the foam is sticky on the bottom, i don't have any issues with it moving around and seems pretty stiff and sounds great.

Have you played with speaker direction for the center. How is your center running off the 600.4? Its a 4 channel amp. Ms8 should be sending the midrange and tweeter signals to channel 1+2 and 3+4 respectively. i dont understand how you are getting a full range signal to your passive crossover for your center stage...

 

[bradl79 10+ year member]

Have you played with speaker direction for the center. How is your center running off the 600.4? Its a 4 channel amp. Ms8 should be sending the midrange and tweeter signals to channel 1+2 and 3+4 respectively. i dont understand how you are getting a full range signal to your passive crossover for your center stage...

No I always had it up firing, also I have 3 amps, the 600.4 has tweets and Mids on crossover on ch 1 and 2 the center on crossover for ch3, 4 is empty

 

[The Camry]

No I always had it up firing, also I have 3 amps, the 600.4 has tweets and Mids on crossover on ch 1 and 2 the center on crossover for ch3, 4 is empty

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eyebrow.gif.fe2c18d8720fe8c7eaed347b21ea05a5.gif So your running tweets and mids passive??

 

[bradl79 10+ year member]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eyebrow.gif.fe2c18d8720fe8c7eaed347b21ea05a5.gif So your running tweets and mids passive??

Yes and midbass as active, only bc for tweets, mid Range, mid bass, rears, center and sub is a total of 10ch so I have to use passive for my mid range and tweets

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Yes and midbass as active,

You have to be missing out on something not having the DSP in full control of every speaker.

I'm guessing you have what I had going on when I ran a 3 way with my old 80prs. They where not passive, the amp did the crossover on my mid and highs. I always had one tweeter that would pull.