Really, really confused

[TheHammer12 10+ year member]

Hi, I'm relatively new to car audio and really confused. I have just put an Alpine MRP-M500 amplifier and a Rockford Fosgate P3 12" in my car and am running it at 2 ohms. Can someone help my out with setting up my amplifier, I am getting alot of clipping at any volume over 24 (volume goes to 36). I am also tapped into the factory speaker wires and when I fade to the back the sub stays on when I put the balance to the right, but when I balance to the left the sub barely has any volume? Also, when faded to the back I can get alot more volume without clipping than when faded to the back and the front? does anybody have any advice? Please forgive me for the newbiness.

Click to read more...

 

[vforvengence 10+ year member]

Sounds like you need to go over your wiring again. Why didn't you run RCA's from the deck?

 

[Pl8er 5,000+ posts]

How did you set your gains up?

Also, how did you wire the amp? Did you use speaker wires to turn on the amp? Give a better description of your install or pics would really really help.

 

[iamamp3pimp 5,000+ posts]

he probbaly either has a LOC or used the hi level inputs on the amp (if available)

nothing wrong with either...

 

[TheHammer12 10+ year member]

I don't have RCAs because it is a stock HU, and my gains are set at .5 and the bass boost is at 8.

 

[iamamp3pimp 5,000+ posts]

i was gonna also say put your gains up pretty high

connecting using the stock radio generally gets you terrible voltage at the RCA inputs of the amps.

 

[iamamp3pimp 5,000+ posts]

did u connect RCA's to the amp?":

 

[TheHammer12 10+ year member]

oh, sorry the amp has speaker level inputs and they are going in through that

 

[vforvengence 10+ year member]

I don't think he has RCAs at all. I would say get a HU then see if there is a problem Your out put depends on how good of a signal you get fom the HU and splicing in to stock speaker wires ain't gonna give you much

 

[mazzasec 5,000+ posts]

**** dude! Your like the 3rd new guy from Kennesaw in the last week! I am in Woodstock and work at the Fedex plant in Kennesaw right by Hooters. Let me know if I can help with anything.

 

[Pl8er 5,000+ posts]

so the gain is at .5, but how did you determine that? By ear or did you use a multimeter?

 

[vforvengence 10+ year member]

I think he looked at the dial?

 

[iamamp3pimp 5,000+ posts]

he doesnt want to get a new hu (or hed already have one) so thats not logical

turn your radio up to your maximum comfortable listening level

then turn gain up on the sub amp until you hear clipping, then back it down a little

turning the bass down on the hu also helps.

 

[TheHammer12 10+ year member]

I just guessed on the gain, and if I need to I think I will just get a new HU, and if I can't figure this out I think I might take you up on that offer Mazzasec

 

[iamamp3pimp 5,000+ posts]

turn the bass boost down as well...