Quick question about setting gains with and oscope.

[snyderd758 10+ year member]

I'm going to give this a try my main question is when I am setting the gains do I need to leave the speakers hooked up? It seems to me I would otherwise the output voltage would go up when I do hook them up causing the amp to clip? Thanks for any and all replies.

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[Babykinns 10+ year member]

I'm going to give this a try my main question is when I am setting the gains do I need to leave the speakers hooked up? It seems to me I would otherwise the output voltage would go up when I do hook them up causing the amp to clip? Thanks for any and all replies.

No. Unplug the sub leads and put the dmm leads in. Turn the gain and bass boost setting on the amp all the way down and turn your hu to the max volume you listen to then +1. Then set it.

The +1 is so you don't ever accidentally clip because a lot of songs are recorded at different volumes. So some will use more voltage than others

 

[snyderd758 10+ year member]

No. Unplug the sub leads and put the dmm leads in. Turn the gain and bass boost setting on the amp all the way down and turn your hu to the max volume you listen to then +1. Then set it.
The +1 is so you don't ever accidentally clip because a lot of songs are recorded at different volumes. So some will use more voltage than others

i know how to set a gain with a dmm. My question concerns an oscope thanks for the reply though.

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

...so you don't ever accidentally clip because ...

This is an incorrect statement because clipping does not instantly blow speakers. You can "soft" clip your amplifiers over and over and your system is going to be just fine, as long as you're listening to music and not pure tones. People who set their amps with an oscilloscope with 0 gain overlap and no chance of clipping are wasting their amplifier's power.

 

[Babykinns 10+ year member]

This is an incorrect statement because clipping does not instantly blow speakers. You can "soft" clip your amplifiers over and over and your system is going to be just fine, as long as you're listening to music and not pure tones. People who set their amps with an oscilloscope with 0 gain overlap and no chance of clipping are wasting their amplifier's power.

It didn't show the oscope part in the title when I clicked the thread so I didn't realize he was using one.

 

[snyderd758 10+ year member]

This is an incorrect statement because clipping does not instantly blow speakers. You can "soft" clip your amplifiers over and over and your system is going to be just fine, as long as you're listening to music and not pure tones. People who set their amps with an oscilloscope with 0 gain overlap and no chance of clipping are wasting their amplifier's power.

I usually use a -3db test tone which might still be conservative I run some decently expensive equipment and better to be safe than sorry. Any input on my initial question? I have searched and searched all the videos and tutorials I have seen don't have the load hooked up and it doesn't make sense to me.

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

I usually use a -3db test tone which might still be conservative I run some decently expensive equipment and better to be safe than sorry. Any input on my initial question? I have searched and searched all the videos and tutorials I have seen don't have the load hooked up and it doesn't make sense to me.

Not all amplifiers behave the same way without a load. I recommend using reference material and your ears to set gains on a system with amplified speakers. Here is a good tutorial: CDT Audio Amp Gain Settings

 

[gunz4me2 10+ year member]

Not all amplifiers behave the same way without a load. I recommend using reference material and your ears to set gains on a system with amplified speakers. Here is a good tutorial: CDT Audio Amp Gain Settings

Some amplifiers will go up in smoke if you try to set them without a load.