System tuning, Use Eq's or not?

[JettaGLI 10+ year member]

When tuning a system, I know to start out with everything flat. However, I have the avic N2 and there is a lot of tweaks you can make with the deck itself.

Do you people normally go flat and tune with just the amps, or do you get into fine tuning with the eq? I think most of the avic n2's adjustments are boosts or mutes of the each high, mig, and low, as well as frequency selection.

Anyone here familliar with the avic n2 and its different eq settings? I am soooo confused. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crying.gif.ec0ebefe590df0251476573bc49e46d8.gif

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[req 5,000+ posts]

im not familliar with that particular unit, but i have an active setup with 62 bands of EQ (31 per side)

what i would do for your situation, is put everything flat, and go AT MOST +3 or -3 on all settings. set your crossovers first too.

3-band EQ-EX parametric equalizer with presets

6-channel preamp outputs with 2-way crossover

so you can set your mid and high crossover points. but you CAN NOT bandpass anything. so your kinda stuck there. the parametric eq will get you to where you need to be, but like i said, no more than +\- 3 notches - but thats imo..

 

[RCwhat 10+ year member]

the ideal way to set an eq would be with a rta but not too many people have one handy. maybe try calling your local shop and see if they have one that they could help you tune with...

 

[JettaGLI 10+ year member]

im not familliar with that particular unit, but i have an active setup with 62 bands of EQ (31 per side)
what i would do for your situation, is put everything flat, and go AT MOST +3 or -3 on all settings. set your crossovers first too.

3-band EQ-EX parametric equalizer with presets

6-channel preamp outputs with 2-way crossover

so you can set your mid and high crossover points. but you CAN NOT bandpass anything. so your kinda stuck there. the parametric eq will get you to where you need to be, but like i said, no more than +\- 3 notches - but thats imo..

Ok, now I am feeling stupid. What do you mean by "I cannot bandpass anything"?

What are your 2 lines-- 3-band EQ-EX parametric equalizer with presets &

6-channel preamp outputs with 2-way crossover referring to ?

Another thing I don't understand is, how many freaking crossovers do you need? I mean, I have my HPF on my deck at 80, but why do I need to use that when my component set has a passive crossover network? And, with the High, Mid, and Low eq on the deck, there is 4 crossover selections as well (for each band). I mean, shouldn't all these crossovers just be canceling out the next one? I have the amp crossover, the passive crossover, the HP crossover on the deck, and then the 3 band eq with 4 crossovers for each band.

 

[JettaGLI 10+ year member]

the ideal way to set an eq would be with a rta but not too many people have one handy. maybe try calling your local shop and see if they have one that they could help you tune with...

I have read about that. Will a shop take me seriously with my eqipment?

Pioneer avic N2

JL Vr 6.5 comp set up front

JL VR 6.5 Coax for rear fill - Both powered by a 300/4

2 JL 12w6v2's for subs- powered by 2 500/1s

I would'nt mind having it done, but it kind of takes the fun out of learning.

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

lol, i didnt know you had components.

nevermind about the onboard crossovers then. keep them off if you can. use the crossover on the amplifier to lowpass the coaxials ONLY at like 150~250hz (whatever sounds best)

all you need to do is play with the parametric equalizer in your deck then. turn the build in crossovers off.

those two lines are what your avic n2 has built in.

also, if you have passive crossovers on your front speakers, turn any crossover that effects those channels off (im guessing 1\2 are front left\right, and 3\4 are rear left\right), so use the lowpass for the coax's and set the fronts to fullrange (possibly lowpass them also if you have a sub)

i wouldnt use any crossovers inside that headunit if i didnt have to, im not a fan of it.

and if you can get ahold of an RTA, that would be cool, but 3 bands isnt going to give you any controll for an RTA tuning. honestly. just set it how you think it sounds best with the equipment you have, but NO MORE than +\- three for mid\low\high!!

 

[RCwhat 10+ year member]

Ok, now I am feeling stupid. What do you mean by "I cannot bandpass anything"?
What are your 2 lines-- 3-band EQ-EX parametric equalizer with presets &

6-channel preamp outputs with 2-way crossover referring to ?

Another thing I don't understand is, how many freaking crossovers do you need? I mean, I have my HPF on my deck at 80, but why do I need to use that when my component set has a passive crossover network? And, with the High, Mid, and Low eq on the deck, there is 4 crossover selections as well (for each band). I mean, shouldn't all these crossovers just be canceling out the next one? I have the amp crossover, the passive crossover, the HP crossover on the deck, and then the 3 band eq with 4 crossovers for each band.

he means that your crossover is only 2-way capable, just high pass and low pass. No bandpass which would come in handy in an active setup for your mids. Ideally in an active setup the mids would be highpassed around 70-90hz and lowpassed somewhere around 2-4khz making it a bandpass (only passing frequency bands between 70 and 4khz or whatever you set them to.

but seeing that you have components with passive crossovers you have no need for a bandpass filter anyhow.

Make sense?

edit: grrrr, req you beat me, i took too long writing....lol.

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

lol, what he said //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[RCwhat 10+ year member]

I have read about that. Will a shop take me seriously with my eqipment?

Pioneer avic N2

JL Vr 6.5 comp set up front

JL VR 6.5 Coax for rear fill - Both powered by a 300/4

2 JL 12w6v2's for subs- powered by 2 500/1s

I would'nt mind having it done, but it kind of takes the fun out of learning.

they would be pretty stupid to not take you seriously seeing as how much you've spent on your system already. but as req stated, you really need a more robust eq to take advantage of an rta. something like an audiocontrol eqt would be ideal for tuning your system and wouldn't break the bank (usually around $100 on ebay).

 

[JettaGLI 10+ year member]

lol, i didnt know you had components.
nevermind about the onboard crossovers then. keep them off if you can. use the crossover on the amplifier to lowpass the coaxials ONLY at like 150~250hz (whatever sounds best)

all you need to do is play with the parametric equalizer in your deck then. turn the build in crossovers off.

those two lines are what your avic n2 has built in.

also, if you have passive crossovers on your front speakers, turn any crossover that effects those channels off (im guessing 1\2 are front left\right, and 3\4 are rear left\right), so use the lowpass for the coax's and set the fronts to fullrange (possibly lowpass them also if you have a sub)

i wouldnt use any crossovers inside that headunit if i didnt have to, im not a fan of it.

and if you can get ahold of an RTA, that would be cool, but 3 bands isnt going to give you any controll for an RTA tuning. honestly. just set it how you think it sounds best with the equipment you have, but NO MORE than +\- three for mid\low\high!!

Ok, first I just want to say thanks for the help, you can't find this kind of stuff in the search function that easily.

1)Now, when you say on board crossover, I am assuming you mean the amplifier crossover pertaining to the front channel (component set) right? I have turned it off, however, there is no full range setting, just 1x and 10x.

2) YOu say, turn the built in crossovers off, I am assuming you mean the HP filter on my deck?

3)On the parametric eq on the deck, the frequency selections on each high, mig, and low..... are those crossovers, or do they simply amplify the selected frequency?

And, I promise, I won't go +/- 3 on the level settings.

 

[JettaGLI 10+ year member]

he means that your crossover is only 2-way capable, just high pass and low pass. No bandpass which would come in handy in an active setup for your mids. Ideally in an active setup the mids would be highpassed around 70-90hz and lowpassed somewhere around 2-4khz making it a bandpass (only passing frequency bands between 70 and 4khz or whatever you set them to.but seeing that you have components with passive crossovers you have no need for a bandpass filter anyhow.

Make sense?

edit: grrrr, req you beat me, i took too long writing....lol.

Yes, thanks!

 

[JettaGLI 10+ year member]

Ok, so I have the component channels on the amp set to filter off (full range) and the rear channel set to LP filter at a frequency of 200. WHat a difference! THanks!

I do have a sub, 2 of them, and you mention that if this is the case, to possibly turn on the lowpass filter on my amp for my components that have the passive crossover. If the signal goes out of the amp, and through the passive crossovers of the components, shouldn't the passive crossovers filter out anything that passes through them? So turning on the low pass would be useless becasue of this... or am I missing something?

And what the hell is eq-ex function for? Do you reccomend using it or not? The only purpose I can see it being used for is to adjust the bass and trebel.

1 last question, and this is importand for me to know. Under each band eq on the head unit, there are frequency selections. Are these crossovers, or simply used to amplify the selected frequency.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[noob with an RS 10+ year member]

hey REQ, u mentioned something about not going over +/-3 DBs when EQing. do u mean do not raise or boost more than 3 dbs between each knob?? or do u mean overall the highest boost minus the lowest boost should equal no more than three? cuz right now in my car the eq kinda looks like it goes from +0 at 1 khz then it boosts +3 at 2khz and then around 8 khz its around +5.

 

[JettaGLI 10+ year member]

hey REQ, u mentioned something about not going over +/-3 DBs when EQing. do u mean do not raise or boost more than 3 dbs between each knob?? or do u mean overall the highest boost minus the lowest boost should equal no more than three? cuz right now in my car the eq kinda looks like it goes from +0 at 1 khz then it boosts +3 at 2khz and then around 8 khz its around +5.

Don't be a thread hi jacker please. PM him if you would like to know. Thanks.

 

[noob with an RS 10+ year member]

Don't be a thread hi jacker please. PM him if you would like to know. Thanks.

don't be such an *******