What does clipping SOUND like? (other than "dog tirds")

[Foote 10+ year member]

Seriously...I dont know how to identify the sound of clipping with bass. In high sounds its pretty obvious, but the lower bass I just dont know what to listen for. How do you identify it? Can someone describe it to me in detail exactly what it is that makes clipped bass stand out audibly?

I just got a new system (pics soon in another thread today) and right now ive got the gain set at only 1/4th (just for breakin period)...but later ill set it up and im not sure ill be able to reccognize if im clippin or not. Help plz? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

P.S: Please try to stay way from responses like "sounds like crap." or "sounds like dog tirds" or other non helpful things like that as Crap and dog tirds dont ACTUALLY make sounds at which I can compare the sound of clipping to. Thanks //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

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[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

extremely hard to hear it, try getting your hands on an oscope.

 

[fwb_1234 10+ year member]

Well, if you do it to the extreme it will sound like a flattening of the range. All the bass notes will become this one loud but unmusical tone.

Like, the tone it goes to isn't one in the song.

 

[bk12321 10+ year member]

you can sometimes kinda hear if ur pushin the sub too hard, which would be an indicator that youre clipping, but there is no real sound for clipping because you are just sending your sub a square sin wave instead of a regular one, it doesn't have a special sound or anything

 

[bk12321 10+ year member]

Well, if you do it to the extreme it will sound like a flattening of the range. All the bass notes will become this one loud but unmusical tone.
Like, the tone it goes to isn't one in the song.

That can also happen if you have RCA cables getting pinched somewhere when youre installing. it will just have one loud long note that doesnt stop

 

[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

clipping does to have a sound, it's called harmonics.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

It sounds like this: *makes clipping sounds*

You're welcome.

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

listen to this video.

watch the graph and listen to the sound

http://www.icixsound.com/iv/view_video.php?viewkey=c13838ff95ccfa94cebd&page=1&viewtype=&category=mv

thats audible clippage. some clippage is not audible. so be careful.

 

[Foote 10+ year member]

listen to this video.
watch the graph and listen to the sound

http://www.icixsound.com/iv/view_video.php?viewkey=c13838ff95ccfa94cebd&page=1&viewtype=&category=mv

thats audible clippage. some clippage is not audible. so be careful.

well....should i be safe with playing 2 15 L7s off a kicker zx 1500.1 (1757 at birth) with the gain a tad below half way? I have a Pioneer DEH-P5900 and no bass boost and the highest i turn sound is between 40-46 depending on the song. Should i be safe? I have no oscillo //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[Decado2 10+ year member]

It sounds like this: *makes clipping sounds*
You're welcome.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

 

[Foote 10+ year member]

We can't tell you what's safe and what's not. All you can do is whip out the DMM to set your gains. If you don't have one, get one. It's the most useful tool in car audio.

yah I know...was just looking for "sounds like that shouldnt be too high" or a "thats most likely going to be too much on the gain" from someone with a similar or same headunit and amp. (that is what the gain is for right..to match the HU with the amp...)...

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

dunno. i have personally never looked at eaither manual for eaither product.

but, what you could do, is look in the manual for the kicker amp, and find the description of the gain\level setting. there should be little 'tick' marks around the amp, and the manual should explain where 'x' voltage is in respect to each mark.

then go into the manual of the pioneer headunit, and find where it gives you the RMS value of the preout channels.

then match the gain knob to the voltage of the preout channels.

voila. gain setting without insturments. now - i would always recommend doing this, then using a multimeter to see how accurate it is. but if one is not in your possession - do this, then listen, and possibly turn it down a bit more.

good luck.

 

[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

or use an RTA ...

 

[nauc 10+ year member]

use this and a 50hz, 0db tone

http://subwoofertools.com/forum/setgain.asp

realm has tones in their DL section

http://www.realmofexcursion.com/

 

[nauc 10+ year member]

use this and a 50hz, 0db tone

http://subwoofertools.com/forum/setgain.asp

realm has tones in their DL section

http://www.realmofexcursion.com/