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How to Set Your Gains


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1967type-1 
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Member spacespace
Joined: November 06, 2009
Location: Maryland, United States
Posted: November 06, 2009 at 10:47 PM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote 1967type-1
If you guys are Installers,does your shop carry AudioControl products? If so you should know that you can use the AudioControl "SA-3051" to set the amp gains.The same SA-3051 real time spectrum analyzer  you use to measure SPL,or set up equilizers.It has a sine wave generator in it.You can use it to see exactly what frequencies are clipping and where in the signal they are clipping.You can also use it to check crossover points in electronic crossovers (especially if you build your own modules),check voltage coming from headunits going to amps,The spectrium analyzer and SPL meter are only two of the many things you can do with this piece of equipment..It is a very versitile and valuable tool to have in an install bay.Every shop should have one.
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slapinf350 
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Joined: October 25, 2009
Location: Missouri, United States
Posted: November 06, 2009 at 11:17 PM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote slapinf350

I dont recomend doing that use a o-scope thats the proper way to set your gains

If it flys floats drives or F***s rent it
dp1084 
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Joined: November 17, 2009
Location: Michigan, United States
Posted: November 17, 2009 at 8:41 PM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote dp1084
As far as I have heard before using ohms law to find the voltage given at RMS wattage for both the amp and the sub, the amp could be set with a DMM using the lower voltage. If this is true at what hertz would the highest wattage for a sub-woofer be used?
dp1084 
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Joined: November 17, 2009
Location: Michigan, United States
Posted: December 14, 2009 at 9:37 AM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote dp1084
So far the best idea for setting gains is using an O-scope? Must be rich people, show me a o-scope for cheap. figure that the voltage for a 4 ohm sub @ 250 watts is 31.6 volts this being true if your amp has a higher rms rating than the sub with the sub being 250 rms this works. get a test cd don't burn your own. turn all outputs such as bass boost and sub output to max. unplug the sub attach DMM leads to wires. find the frequency at which the amp you are using hits hardest. boost stereo to highest listening volume normally used. adjust amp accordingly to get a little below full rms.(leaving some headroom for higher power recordings) This is not foolproof if you use cd's and mp3 players it is recommended to copy the test disk and find which is putting out more power and adjust with that one.This is just what i have found to work for less than the price of your sub. If you don't agree then don't use it.
incognyto 
Copper - Posts: 64
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Joined: December 26, 2009
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posted: January 24, 2010 at 1:41 PM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote incognyto
this is the way that I set my gains also according to the jl audio manual's anyway's, i've setup some jbl amps in a chick's car this way. just going off the wattage the amp was rated for.
the equation is desired wattage or rated wattage x ohm load then square root the result. eg. I come up with 31.6 for my 500/1 into one of my 15" type r's dual 4 ohm paralleled. (500 x 2 = 1000 sqrt of 1000 is 31.6) this is with the gains set at 30/35 with sub cntrl at 10/15 with a 50 hz 0db signal then I have a bit of room for overlap or over driving. get's you very close to rated power output. then if the song's quiet most song's I hear won't even hit -6 db attenuation, you can turn it up past the 30/35 and 10/15. and also a 16+ db boost on amp if needed, i've used it on divetree music before haha makes the dixie chick's thump pretty hard!!
incognyto 
Copper - Posts: 64
Copper spacespace
Joined: December 26, 2009
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posted: January 24, 2010 at 1:47 PM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote incognyto
even with all this info you still have to listen for distortion or clipping, quite a few people are oblivious to this and crank the gains on the amp's to high, I'm actually guilty of this also when I first started getting boom in the trunk, A couple buddy's still crank the gain's and think it sounds good no matter how much I tell them it sounds like poo. even after telling them they have to lower the gains because at half volume the sub's are overpowering allllllll of the mid's. I like SPL but it has to sound reasonable!! sub farts aren't good.
sm00v31 
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Joined: March 31, 2010
Location: Arizona, United States
Posted: March 31, 2010 at 9:49 PM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote sm00v31
The discussion has only covered Subs. If using a DMM do the rules still apply the same to components? I have always set my stuff by ear.
mcintosh-asylum 
Member - Posts: 21
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Joined: November 17, 2010
Location: Indiana, United States
Posted: November 19, 2010 at 9:02 AM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote mcintosh-asylum
but what about the old stethiscope trick for doing spl?
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150.6 with 4000 watts
haemphyst 
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Platinum spaceThis member has been recognized as an authority in Electrical Theory. Click here for more info.spaceThis member has been recognized as an authority in Mobile Audio and Video. Click here for more info.spacespace
Joined: January 19, 2003
Location: Michigan, Bouvet Island
Posted: November 21, 2010 at 6:34 PM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote haemphyst
mcintosh-asylum wrote:
but what about the old stethiscope trick for doing spl?
And what trick would THAT be? How does using a stethOscope have any bearing on SPL?
imking7141 
Member - Posts: 4
Member spacespace
Joined: May 13, 2011
Location: California, United States
Posted: May 13, 2011 at 3:49 AM / IP Logged Link to Post Post Reply Quote imking7141
This is a very helpful guide, i will defitenatly try it tomorrow morning!
thank!
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