Equalizers....?

[spin dB 10+ year member]

I am looking to run an EQ. I am looking to have an Eclipse 21010 EQ or possibly a Soundstream MPQ-6XO EQ, either or but I am going to mount this in the 1/2 din section under my HU. I am then going to have it run to a 30 band Eclipse 2102 Parametric EQ. From there I am going to run into my Line Driver and finally into my amps, I am looking at having about 34Vrms pre-out signal when it is all said and done.

I first want to know if anyone has done something this crazy and if so what problems you had, if any. Theroedically this should not cause a problem, provided the amp gain the LD gain and the settings on the EQ's are correct!, this would however allow me to same all my midstage equipment by setting the eq's to do the work for me.

Finally does anyone have any other suggestions on the EQ's that I should be looking at?

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[noob with an RS 10+ year member]

why would u want to have an indash EQ when u have a 30 band in the trunk???? why would u want 34 volt preouts? isnt that like 15 times more than the average head unit?

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

So you want to run two EQs, am I correct? Bad idea if that's what you meant...

30 band parametric EQ? Yikes...hope you have an RTA //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

I don't know of any 12VDC amps that will accept a 34V signal without modification...not like it's going to be an improvement over 8V anyway //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[spin dB 10+ year member]

What is a RTA? I have used a LD in this install already which has bumped up the Pre-out signal to an additional 9Vrms so I am currently seeing a 14Vrms signal to the amps with out a problem. I know that it is a vast improvement over the setup with out the LD, I do not have the problem with clipping that I used to have. I am a SPL junkie and I have been trying to find a way to increase the SPL of this system. I do not want to buy new equipment! I am convinced that too many people run to that answer before looking at the possibility that the system is just not complete! With the equipment that I currently have the addition of the 2 separate eq's would allow me to have unlimited control over virtually all aspects of the system frequencies. This would allow me to adjust the signals as needed. I could have one set of settings for SPL shows and another for when I am just listening to the system around town!

Why would it be a bad idea to run both eq's, especially if I go with the soundstream eq which is also a parametric eq?

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

*sigh*

Graphic and parametric EQ's take two different approaches, and they shouldn't be used in conjunction. http://www.bcae1.com has a nice little writeup on EQs and how they should be used.

I have used a LD in this install already which has bumped up the Pre-out signal to an additional 9Vrms

More than likely, you're sending a 9V signal to the amps...unless you can show a picture of a DMM reading otherwise //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[AK SloPok 10+ year member]

It looks like you have an amp that will accept a "higher" than average input voltage...

Input Sensitivity:100mV-16V

If you have actually measured your claimed 14V you have plenty. More volts to the amps input will NOT change your SPL.

I too agree with the above statement re EQs. If you are an "SPL Junkie" why do you want so much EQ channels? If you are still hyped about EQs and many bands... get a DQXS from Audio Control. You will have plenty to play with, 30 bands front, 19 rear, and 10 or something for sub, PLUS programmable parametric bands, 2 for each channel. They claim somethingl ike 130+ bands of eq.

 

[spin dB 10+ year member]

I am looking to clean up my frequencies in the entire system not just in the Sub stage. I am a SPL junkie but I have to drive my car everyday and my wife wants to be able to listen to her music every day! I am looking for ways to give me on the fly adjustability (ie the one in the dash) and long term fine tuneing ( ie the 30 band in the trunk) that is why I want to run both eq's, and why I would like to run the eq's to begin with. I am not neccesarily looking to get the 34 Vrms out of the setup. I am looking to find out if anyone has run their system with anywhere close to that kind of pre-out voltage and to what degree they had problems. I am not that worried about obtaining this kind of voltage, I just want the flexability that comes with the eq's and the pre-out voltage happens to be the side effect, hence I asked about it here before I did it.

I still want to know if anyone has had a system with what I am calling "extreme Pre-out Voltage" and if so what problems they had. I am also interested in running two parametric eq's with one in the dash (4 band for on the road adjustability ) and the 30 band in the trunk ( for long term / more perminant settings)

 

[AK SloPok 10+ year member]

The DQXS has everything you want and you can even get a remote and a dash mount with 8 programmable settings one for SQ, SPL, wife, you, kids, dogs.... etc.

Pushing your inputs higher than what the manufactuer recommends may not be the best idea. Have you set your gains with a DMM to make sure you are seting your gains correctly? If you can leave your gains at minimum you need not increase the voltage.

 

[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

whatever the voltage is of the last LD/processor right before the amps will be the voltage you'll get, but ONLY with 0dB material @ or near full volume

 

[spin dB 10+ year member]

The DQXS has everything you want and you can even get a remote and a dash mount with 8 programmable settings one for SQ, SPL, wife, you, kids, dogs.... etc.
Pushing your inputs higher than what the manufactuer recommends may not be the best idea. Have you set your gains with a DMM to make sure you are seting your gains correctly? If you can leave your gains at minimum you need not increase the voltage.

Thank you for this I will check this one out, by the way who makes it?

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

AudioControl makes it.

Processors that boost voltage are not additive. The output of any processor is simply a low current amplifier, and just like a power amp, you can clip the processor by overdriving the output. Most every large format EQ that I know of will act as a line driver as well. Adding another line driver will only add to the noise floor and increase the chance of inducing ground loop noise.

I used to have a setup similar to what you are suggesting. It consisted of an Orion half-DIN preamp with a master volume, sub-crossover and level control and a 3 band parametric EQ. From there the high freq signals went to a pair of AudioControl EQT 31 band EQ and then on to the mid/high amps. The idea behind all this was 1) to get a sub crossover and level control (this was over 10 years ago when remote gains and built in crossovers were not at all common, especially in competition amps) and 2) provide a set of tone controls that could let me screw around a bit but be set to 0 and the system EQs could do their job for serious listening. In the end the only one that really mattered was the first one. All an indash EQ is is an overglorified set of tone controls not a serious EQ. I never messed with the EQ portion. Unless you are a person that messes with the treble and bass control on your HU all the time, don't bother with an indash EQ.

 

[spin dB 10+ year member]

AudioControl makes it.
Processors that boost voltage are not additive. The output of any processor is simply a low current amplifier, and just like a power amp, you can clip the processor by overdriving the output. Most every large format EQ that I know of will act as a line driver as well. Adding another line driver will only add to the noise floor and increase the chance of inducing ground loop noise.

I used to have a setup similar to what you are suggesting. It consisted of an Orion half-DIN preamp with a master volume, sub-crossover and level control and a 3 band parametric EQ. From there the high freq signals went to a pair of AudioControl EQT 31 band EQ and then on to the mid/high amps. The idea behind all this was 1) to get a sub crossover and level control (this was over 10 years ago when remote gains and built in crossovers were not at all common, especially in competition amps) and 2) provide a set of tone controls that could let me screw around a bit but be set to 0 and the system EQs could do their job for serious listening. In the end the only one that really mattered was the first one. All an indash EQ is is an overglorified set of tone controls not a serious EQ. I never messed with the EQ portion. Unless you are a person that messes with the treble and bass control on your HU all the time, don't bother with an indash EQ.

Thank you for the in depth insight. This is what I have been looking for. I just wanted to know if anyone had tried this and is seems that you have and found that it is really not the best option for what i am looking to obtain. Thank you! I will continue to look at different options and I will probably end up going with a larger 30 band Parametric eq in the trunk and saving myself the hassle down the road.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Get a 30 band graphic EQ not parametric. Trust me on this. The 30 or 31 band graphic will give you more than enough adjustment potential. A parametric with that many bands will be nothing more than a nighmare to try to adjust.

 

[spin dB 10+ year member]

Thanks for the input. I will keep all this in mind