Upgrading my budget system [Help Wanted] 6/29/2016

[Jcdanible]

Learn as much as you can, tell him that you plan on getting MECA certified while you work there(get it ASAP and google it). Be organized and efficient and know some basic safety stuff while installing.
Here's a cite for most basics, read over it.

Basic Car Audio Electronics

you can run active with your pioneer head unit, no need for a dsp. Its only 3 way active though not 4 way. but you arent running a 3 way front stage so it doesnt matter.

Higher gain is only bad if you are being dumb and going up to 62 after you set your gain higher... Gain settings are just a way to match your head unit's pre-out voltage to your amp's voltage. As long as you arent at 70% up or something, you should be fine.

Does the sub rattle or the car rattle? most likely its the car and you need to do rattle treatment and deadening. Not really the sub's fault if its that.

I dont really care for in dash ipad kits, its mainly aesthetics, you can do it if you want, music via ipad cable is similar to USB so audio quality should still be on par.

Learn as much as you can, tell him that you plan on getting MECA certified while you work there(get it ASAP and google it). Be organized and efficient and know some basic safety stuff while installing.
Here's a cite for most basics, read over it.

Basic Car Audio Electronics

you can run active with your pioneer head unit, no need for a dsp. Its only 3 way active though not 4 way. but you arent running a 3 way front stage so it doesnt matter.

Higher gain is only bad if you are being dumb and going up to 62 after you set your gain higher... Gain settings are just a way to match your head unit's pre-out voltage to your amp's voltage. As long as you arent at 70% up or something, you should be fine.

Does the sub rattle or the car rattle? most likely its the car and you need to do rattle treatment and deadening. Not really the sub's fault if its that.

I dont really care for in dash ipad kits, its mainly aesthetics, you can do it if you want, music via ipad cable is similar to USB so audio quality should still be on par.

Car doesn't rattle that much just depends on the song really doesn't rattle at all unless it's a specific song. It's just not as good as I know it could be.

So I got called in and I spent from around 10:30 Am till 4:00 pm learning about how they tint windows and just basic stuff like that, I helped a little bit with that and helped them with a new system they installed on a car as well as helped put the seats back. I didn't do a whole lot but I learned a lot and they taught me some stuff and explained how things work. By the sounds of it I think he's wanting to hire me, but I'll find out for sure tomorrow. Either he's gonna call me tomorrow or I'll call him and find out If I can start getting a schedule and put my 2 weeks in at my current place or what. I'll figure that out hopefully tomorrow. Honestly all of the car audio stuff they do I understood so I was a little surprised I could actually handle my own with that but with the window tinting I'm of course going to have to learn. I can work on getting my MECA but They don't seem to care about that from the looks of it. It's more of a locally owned shop where they only have 4 guys working and one of them is his brother. It seems pretty chill so I doubt they will care for that but If they do I'll plan on getting it. Any advice based on that?

Oh also they are a dealer of Cerwin Vega just wondering if you know anything about that stuff? They have the more high-end cerwin vega stuff so If i get hired there wondering If I should pick that stuff up?

So how does running active work through the head unit...?

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Car doesn't rattle that much just depends on the song really doesn't rattle at all unless it's a specific song. It's just not as good as I know it could be.
So I got called in and I spent from around 10:30 Am till 4:00 pm learning about how they tint windows and just basic stuff like that, I helped a little bit with that and helped them with a new system they installed on a car as well as helped put the seats back. I didn't do a whole lot but I learned a lot and they taught me some stuff and explained how things work. By the sounds of it I think he's wanting to hire me, but I'll find out for sure tomorrow. Either he's gonna call me tomorrow or I'll call him and find out If I can start getting a schedule and put my 2 weeks in at my current place or what. I'll figure that out hopefully tomorrow. Honestly all of the car audio stuff they do I understood so I was a little surprised I could actually handle my own with that but with the window tinting I'm of course going to have to learn. I can work on getting my MECA but They don't seem to care about that from the looks of it. It's more of a locally owned shop where they only have 4 guys working and one of them is his brother. It seems pretty chill so I doubt they will care for that but If they do I'll plan on getting it. Any advice based on that?

Oh also they are a dealer of Cerwin Vega just wondering if you know anything about that stuff? They have the more high-end cerwin vega stuff so If i get hired there wondering If I should pick that stuff up?

So how does running active work through the head unit...?

cerwin vega is meh at best, Their high end is FAR from high end. just let us know the model numbers and what you are getting it for and we'll tell you if its a good deal or not. Just be chill with them, sounds like they cool with you working there with how laid back that sounds.

There's a little dipswitch at the bottom of the head unit that turns things into active network mode so the 3 pairs of RCAs are not front rear and sub anymore it will be high, mid and low.

 

[Jcdanible]

lll

cerwin vega is meh at best, Their high end is FAR from high end. just let us know the model numbers and what you are getting it for and we'll tell you if its a good deal or not. Just be chill with them, sounds like they cool with you working there with how laid back that sounds.
There's a little dipswitch at the bottom of the head unit that turns things into active network mode so the 3 pairs of RCAs are not front rear and sub anymore it will be high, mid and low.

ok

 

[Jcdanible]

cerwin vega is meh at best, Their high end is FAR from high end. just let us know the model numbers and what you are getting it for and we'll tell you if its a good deal or not. Just be chill with them, sounds like they cool with you working there with how laid back that sounds.
There's a little dipswitch at the bottom of the head unit that turns things into active network mode so the 3 pairs of RCAs are not front rear and sub anymore it will be high, mid and low.

Yeah tbh there stuff looked decent but not anything I should get too excited for. Honestly JL and JBl look way more appealing than there stuff. But I guess it depends on the deal they give me. Is there any products you like from cerein vega? Im trying to pick up a new sub, and two new amps eventually.

So going active is just splitting the crossovers manually and based on frequency rather than sub, tweeter, woofer? And a dsp is just a tool to help you with going active? If I went active with my system what would it really change besides being able to pick exact frequencies and get it sounding better? Does it allow you to play louder or more clear? What are the other perks and how would I do it? Just through my head unit and then using a laptop?

So today was my third day of training and he finally clarified that I will be getting paid for these past 3 days I was coming in for because at first I wasn't really sure, He added up my hours that kind of stuff and he's having me come in again on Monday and he told me not to put my 2 weeks in yet but I should keep training and see where it leads. I'm positive he just wants to see me having the will to learn everything and understanding it fast since they do mostly window tints. I'm excited about the work and trying to show I want to work hard and understand so I can get the job and stay there for a while. Most of my confusion was clarified but the only thing I don't know is how much I'm currently getting paid and/or how much he would hire me for. I'm currently making $10.00 at my current work and minimum is $7.50 here but I want to try and at least get $8.50 since I have to drive so far. I would take a pay decrease for this job though since it's awesome and the hours work out. Just as long as there is room for raises I'm perfectly fine with starting low. Any idea how much I should expect to get paid?

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Unless you are a very high end installer. Like top 100 material. The pay isn't good.

 

[Jcdanible]

Unless you are a very high end installer. Like top 100 material. The pay isn't good.

I'm not wanting or expecting anything insane just hoping for at least $9.00 an hour.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

So you don't care about your future?

How about finding a career instead.

9 a hour won't even pay for a trailer park

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

I'm not wanting or expecting anything insane just hoping for at least $9.00 an hour.

so I wrote a long @ss reply but the site went ape sh*t on me and now its all gone... POS...

Well... read up on what crossovers are, high pass, low pass, band pass etc... google is your friend. then Look up on passive VS active crossovers pros and cons (again... google is your friend) proceed onto reading my posts.

First watch this vid, shows you what an RTA is and what to do when you tune with your EQ. Take notice of the peaks and valleys aka the "the big mountain in the graph"



I'm just gonna leave some pics explaining what crossovers are...

So refer back to that youtube vid where he had a nasty peak. Instead of EQing, he could choose a different crossover point and slope to tame those peaks. So if the RTA measures a peak and your new crossover point is now right at that peak, you are taming that peak without having to fk with the crossover and this method results in much better, smoother and detailed sound vs just EQ'ing to tame things.

This is a slope btw.

PS: loud and clear is baby sh*t. Soundstage and detail is the next level stuff that transcends hearing noise to actually hearing music properly for the first time in your life (loudly as well)

 

[Jcdanible]

So you don't care about your future? How about finding a career instead.

9 a hour won't even pay for a trailer park

I'm in high school, I just want decent pay with a job I enjoy that gives me a good schedule. On top of that what career can you go into that will pay for anything better than a trailer park without schooling? You aren't making any sense. I never ever said I don't care about my future. This is a job I plan on having for like a year or two max, until I pick a career or go to college.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

to be honest if he's not paying you at least what you are making now, walk away. There's no money to be made in car audio unless you are your own boss.

 

[Jcdanible]

to be honest if he's not paying you at least what you are making now, walk away. There's no money to be made in car audio unless you are your own boss.

well the only reason I wanted to take the job other than pay is for the hours, scheduling, and I enjoy what I'm doing. I'm currently averaging around $10.00 since there are tips, But the scheduling is awful and I don't get very many hours unless I want trash shifts. On top of that the job is the worst and most boring job I've ever had. I still don't know how much I would be making but If I make at least $9.00 I'm going to stay and then hope for a raise in the future to $10.00. Seems like they do alright.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

There are plenty of well paying jobs without schooling. Many deal with electronixs. The military has thousands of options. And they pay for school. And they pay for food and a roof. And they pay to move. And medical/dental.

But that's not for everybody.

 

[Jcdanible]

There are plenty of well paying jobs without schooling. Many deal with electronixs. The military has thousands of options. And they pay for school. And they pay for food and a roof. And they pay to move. And medical/dental.
But that's not for everybody.

I'm still in high school, that's the point and I actually was thinking military but again still have a year until any of that.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

I'm still in high school, that's the point and I actually was thinking military but again still have a year until any of that.

Look into the delayed entry program.

 

[Jcdanible]

so I wrote a long @ss reply but the site went ape sh*t on me and now its all gone... POS...
Well... read up on what crossovers are, high pass, low pass, band pass etc... google is your friend. then Look up on passive VS active crossovers pros and cons (again... google is your friend) proceed onto reading my posts.

First watch this vid, shows you what an RTA is and what to do when you tune with your EQ. Take notice of the peaks and valleys aka the "the big mountain in the graph"

So, I'm even more confused than I was before. I learned a little bit but IT just brought me more and more questions. To start What is a band pass filter? What is a high Pass filter? and what Is a low pass filter? And how do I know how to use each one? Also how the hell do I go active? I'm extremely confused do I need to buy an RTA? or a DSP? or another amp? I have absolutely no Idea what all these equipment does and what I would do to go active? Another thing I really, really don't understand Is the "peak" What is a peak and why is it bad and why do you want to fix it? Also why do you want to play pink noise and do all this fancy stuff with a microphone?