snafu

This also went out via Email to all SMD Members - so be sure and take advantage of this sale!

It seems like yesterday that I got a call from a giggling Steve Meade about a demo at which some "chick's eye popped out" . . . Success is always about timing. Steve, your timing has always been excellent.

It normally takes two days to reach everyone. I got mine Saturday at 7:19 PM.

Full details are coming to you via Email so keep an eye out!

That thing is NO JOKE!

I saw it - many, many props Steve! Top 20 . . . Top 10 . . . hell, you're gonna' have to tune in to see just how well Steve ranked!

sexy for sure!

He was the messenger, no doubt. If D'Amore hadn't gone to such lengths to show why this method delivers inaccurate results, I also would agree that people wouldn't care. But he has, and it's now our job as super enthusiasts to spread the word. This isn't about selling amp dynos - it's about educating ourselves about what's right and what isn't. Once you've accepted that, then it's up to you whether collecting such data is important to you. This argument is really similar to the Butt Dyno vs. the Chassis Dyno . . . I think the topic of "clamping" is just one of many that illustrates that we as an industry have much yet to learn and that in many cases we are hesitant to do so. Learning begins with getting an excellent education in high school and taking advantage of all that is in front of you. ANY car audio enthusiast should go out of their way to make math and science their strong suits. Not only will that provide them with a strong foundation to build off of as they build sick car audio systems, it'll also open the door for an excellent future. Spread the word guys . . . spread the word. When you hear someone use the word "clamping," help them to understand why it isn't the right way to obtain the data they're looking for. After all, you're now educated.

Let me say this a different way . . . Tony, thank you for proving to the world that 1 + 1 = 2. However, a lot of guys currently believe that 1 + 1 = 5. So, it's more convenient for them to continue believing that 1 + 1 = 5 versus come to the realization that 1 + 1 really isn't 5 at all. So, even though it's obvious that the foundation for the thinking that 1 + 1 = 5 has been proven to be unstable, it is still possible to build upon that foundation.

Did someone just use the word "clamping" in the D'Amore engineering forum?

Wow! That was a really good spot. Willie B was definitely diggin the products.

And this is exactly why we're so very proud to have Second Skin as one of our longest active SMD Partners!

My suggestion would be to keep a sharp eye for the newsletter, which will go out by mid-week!

Way cool!

Coming to you via your email! We just sent it out last night so it will take about 30 hours to reach all members.

LOL . . . fixed. Just goes to show you how busy Kevin is processing orders!

Very well done indeed!

My ex hates my guts now as well . . .

Hint - if you have a girlfriend, she can hear better than you as women generally speaking have better hearing and are more sensitive to pitch than men. I used to give my ex full access to my 1/3 octave EQ and let her have at it. She asked me what each of the knobs do and I told her to raise and lower each to their maximum and minimum positions and she could get a feel for what area they affected. Then, I'd let her have at it. Of course, I'd give her something that had all of the basics nailed - all speakers were in phase with respect to one another, crossover points were fine tuned to eliminate peaks / dips in the frequency response, no panel rattles or vibrations, etc. She would sit in the car for a few hours and listen to her favorite music and just tweak away. When she was done, I was typically blown away by the results and typically left the EQ settings exactly as she set them. If I looked at her results on an RTA, it was really quite amazing how smooth the response was from one octave to the next. Occasionally, I could pinpoint a problem or two that she was unable to resolve just by listening that could be simply corrected with like 1/8th turn on the respective control on the EQ and done. This is also a great way to get your significant other involved in your hobby. When you're giving your demos, she'll be telling your buddies, "I tuned it."

The difference between my 'stang in the SQ mode and Bass Mekanik Mode (typical): SQ - Volume at 60, Punch EQ at 9 o'clock, Sub level at -18 Bass Mekanik - Volume at 62 (max), Punch EQ at 12 o'clock, Sub level at -10 Equalization, crossover settings, etc. all stay the same in either mode. It's kind of funny really how a car stereo is treated so radically different from a home stereo. For example, when was the last time you turned the volume, bass, and treble knobs to their maximum setting (simultaneously) on your home stereo? Why then do so many do that in their cars?

Guys, let me be VERY clear. I don't care what kind of music you listen to - SQ, gangster rap, or bass discs. You simply do not know what your system IS capable of until you spend the time to tune it properly. BITD, if we built a system in a suburban to play Dr. Dre - we didn't tune it with Dr. Dre . . . we tuned it with Jennifer Warnes, Amanda McBroom, Clair Marlo, or Michael Ruff (or all of the above). If you can nail that stuff, then you can play Dr. Dre all day long . . . and it will sound like nothing you've heard before.

Interesting exchange. Guys, the 6-mic array and the associated hardware are utilized to provide the nth degree in performance from a well designed good sounding audio system and they can easily point the tuner in the direction of addressing minor problems before any equalization is done - IE frequency response issues caused by phasing issues at crossover points between speakers, improper time alignment settings, etc. The process of equalization itself is one of personal preference. As Steve points out, "flat" typically sounds dull and lifeless - especially as we grow older and our hearing "tops out" at 16 Khz . . . or lower. The old saying, "the one who equalizes least equalizes best" really rings true in this area. The process of equalizing should be to remove peaks and dips in the response and have a somewhat smooth response from octave to octave. This is something that only a handful of people I've encountered since the 80s can do by ear - Mark Fukuda and Terry Soohoo are the two standouts that were able to demonstrate this to me personally. For the rest of us, having tools such as these at our disposal can help to get us there. FWIW, my mustang underwent the 6-mic array when I was employed at Rockford in like 2006. Mark Fukuda and I got it pretty close by ear and then Mike Cozza took it from there with the 6-mic array. He made several very slight changes to the equalization over a period of several hours. The results were amazing to my ears - so amazing that I've never touched it since. It's unbelievable. Steve, be sure and save a back-up of that file and document the gains of each amplifier by voltage at a set volume setting should you ever be required to swap an amp down the road.

And now we have that with CJ18 and Corona_Jeff. Unlocked - carry on.