Set my gains right.......FTL.

[flakko 5,000+ posts]

interesting... i max out my hu (kenwood) 35/35 set my gains to the max and leter rip! no problems whatsoever... could i possibly get more output from my system if i set it at a lower volume level?

 

[mannyb18b]

lol

I gave up on setting gains with dmm's or even an o-scope.

My ear works best....sub starts hitting back plate....turn it down a lil.

 

[flakko 5,000+ posts]

^^^wordup

 

[BassAddictJ 5,000+ posts]

lol
I gave up on setting gains with dmm's or even an o-scope.

My ear works best....sub starts hitting back plate....turn it down a lil.

x2

i use the dmm when i wanna get an idea howmuch wattage is going out...mathmatical formulas ftw

 

[noob with an RS 10+ year member]

So should i wire my setup up to 1 omh? Will the m1005 handle that?

you need to put on 3D glasses (stunna shades will also work) and ask your amplifier, "hey there little buddy, can you handle 1 ohm or will the excess current fry your guts?" if you do not get an answer, take two doses of LSD.

 

[noob with an RS 10+ year member]

Set them with the 3 to 1 ratio. You'll get more "bump" out of them.
Find the clipping point of your deck. using a 0 db reference tone.

Then use a -3db tone and set your amp to the voltage you require.

EDIT: its -10db tones not -3db //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

my system can get loud as a mofo when i use -10 db test tones. but when i set my gain that way, the noise level goes through the roof when i do //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crying.gif.ec0ebefe590df0251476573bc49e46d8.gif i hear hissing 24/7 even with the volume all the way down. whYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

 

[GrnEydDvl 10+ year member]

my system can get loud as a mofo when i use -10 db test tones. but when i set my gain that way, the noise level goes through the roof when i do //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crying.gif.ec0ebefe590df0251476573bc49e46d8.gif i hear hissing 24/7 even with the volume all the way down. whYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

All stereo systems have some noise. By cranking your gains you are amplifying your noise floor to an audbile level.

Solutions are to either :

A. Lower the noise floor by trouble shooting where the noise is coming from and/or choosing less noisy components.

or

B. Boost the pre-amp line voltage by getting a head unit with higher voltage outputs or getting a line driver. This way you won't have to turn the gains as high to reach clipping at -10db of ABH but your music will be just as loud as before (minus the noise).

 

[noob with an RS 10+ year member]

All stereo systems have some noise. By cranking your gains you are amplifying your noise floor to an audbile level.
Solutions are to either :

A. Lower the noise floor by trouble shooting where the noise is coming from and/or choosing less noisy components.

or

B. Boost the pre-amp line voltage by getting a head unit with higher voltage outputs or getting a line driver. This way you won't have to turn the gains as high to reach clipping at -10db of ABH but your music will be just as loud as before (minus the noise).

A) IF ANYTHING, i would think it may have to do with the Audiuocontrol EQX i have between the amps and head unit. i have some frequencies boosted as high as +6, but to compensate i have the input gain (which is the LINE DRIVER) down -6 or so to compensate. if this is the case, should i cut those frequencies more and boost the input gain? or

B) if i boost the pre-amp line voltage (which is the input gain knob right?) should i bring down the boosted frequencies to compensate?

then again, if u say i can just boost with the line driver THEN can't i just set gain with 0 DB test tone, and then boost the line driver 10DB? the input gain knob goes from -12DB to +12DB. will this achieve the same exact effect as using a -10 db test tone minus the noise? if so, can't it bring my signal closer to clipping? all these variables make me go crazzy thinking about them! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif

 

[GrnEydDvl 10+ year member]

A) IF ANYTHING, i would think it may have to do with the Audiuocontrol EQX i have between the amps and head unit. i have some frequencies boosted as high as +6, but to compensate i have the input gain (which is the LINE DRIVER) down -6 or so to compensate. if this is the case, should i cut those frequencies more and boost the input gain? or
B) if i boost the pre-amp line voltage (which is the input gain knob right?) should i bring down the boosted frequencies to compensate?

then again, if u say i can just boost with the line driver THEN can't i just set gain with 0 DB test tone, and then boost the line driver 10DB? the input gain knob goes from -12DB to +12DB. will this achieve the same exact effect as using a -10 db test tone minus the noise? if so, can't it bring my signal closer to clipping? all these variables make me go crazzy thinking about them! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif

What you want to do is have all of your components prior to the amp clip at the same time. So, you find where the head unit clips using a 0db tone - use that volume setting. Then at that volume setting set the gains on your EQX so it it just shy of clipping. Finally, use a -10db test tone at that same volume setting to set your amps to clip. This will make it so everything prior to the amp clips at the same time and give you a 3:1 final gain overlap.

If your preferred EQ setting has you boosting some frequencies 6dB, then yes to prevent any clipping prior to the amp you would have to set your gain using a tone at that boosted frequency. This will eat up considerable amount of your 10dB gain overlap at all the other

 

[noob with an RS 10+ year member]

What you want to do is have all of your components prior to the amp clip at the same time. So, you find where the head unit clips using a 0db tone - use that volume setting. Then at that volume setting set the gains on your EQX so it it just shy of clipping. Finally, use a -10db test tone at that same volume setting to set your amps to clip. This will make it so everything prior to the amp clips at the same time and give you a 3:1 final gain overlap.
If your preferred EQ setting has you boosting some frequencies 6dB, then yes to prevent any clipping prior to the amp you would have to set your gain using a tone at that boosted frequency. This will eat up considerable amount of your 10dB gain overlap at all the other

so i should set the gain with the highest boosted frequncy?

 

[GrnEydDvl 10+ year member]

so i should set the gain with the highest boosted frequncy?

Yes, just make sure when setting your amp you only worry about frequencies within the useable limits of that amp. For example if you have 1khz boosted and you are setting the gain on your sub amp you would not use 1khz to set the sub amp.

Sorry if that was incredibly obvious but just want to make sure you are ok.

 

[noob with an RS 10+ year member]

Sorry if that was incredibly obvious but just want to make sure you are ok.

i was born on a yesterday but not last yesterday!

 

[mazdakid 5,000+ posts]

i think you said that wrong

 

[xluben 10+ year member]

i was born on a yesterday but not last yesterday!

that made me laugh

no EQ for me and the 3:1 overlap gave me way more output //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif, along with some clipping //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif