I set my gain with a DMM

[groundpound4200 5,000+ posts]

That's because the DMM method is fail x 100. I hate when people recommend it because it is retarded. It is a method for noobs who don't understand box rise and the fact that *gasp* not all amp companies tell the truth when they rate their amps whether it be underrated or overrated.

 

[Beatin' 10+ year member]

So is a ported box always louder than a sealed box, all else being equal? What if the ported box is designed to have the largest bandwidth possible and tuned very low, will it have a dip in the middle frequencies or will it still be generally louder than a similar sized sealed box?

 

[PapaGeno21 10+ year member]

Ported is louder. Period.

 

[TaylorFade 10+ year member]

Jeebus... cut the guy some slack on his gear. He's obviously trying to do it the right way and most importantly, he's a music lover just like you and me.

I've done a ton of simultaneous DMM/OScope gain setting and it's usually pretty close. Granted, all of the amps I set/test are "good" amps that do rated and then some, but still; to say the DMM method is garbage and useless isn't entirely accurate.

When I set my amps with a 0db tone, my gains are waaaaay down from where I know they should be. So, go with a -3db tone, man. You'll be fine. Or, set it by ear. It's pretty easy to tell when you're clipping. It'll sound good... sound good... sound good... sound like ass. You want to back it down from ass.