Total Noob Question Here (please bestow thy wisdom)

[dowork]

I'm about as noob as you can get. I paid for my first install, about 3 months ago, from Stereo Warehouse here in Seattle and it was so effed up I decided to just learn this shit myself.

After I fixed all the stuff they did the lazy way or just staight up wrong (harmful), I've started upgrading based on my new found facination for car audio. I've got a Hummer H2 so plenty of room to go forward with.

This is my set up right now:

Electric:

Yellow Top Optima

Big 3

Stock Alternator

1 run of 1/0

Head Unit:

Pioneer AVH-2400BT

Mids/Tweats:

Pioneer TS-D1720C

Hertz ECX 165

Subs:

2 x Pioneer 12" Champion Seriers Pro - wired in parallel 1000w each at 1ohm

Atrend Vented Box tuned to 41

Amps:

Pioneer PRS-D2000SPL

Alpine MRX-F35

- I have the H/U high-pass filter set to 63Hz

- I have the H/U subwoofer Level at +3 and the Frequency at 63Hz

- The sub amp's subsonic filter is ON and the LPF is at 40Hz and the gain is set to NORMAL till I get the SMD DD-

- The 4 channel amp's HPF is set to OFF - since the HPF on the H/U is ON.

Here are my questions:

1. My 4 channel amp's HPF is set to OFF - since the HPF on the H/U is ON. Is this legit or no? Seems that you should filter the signal before amplifiing it?

2. I'm not too stoked on the SQ of my mids/tweets up front - they just sound shitty, the tweaters are too bright and the mids are just muddy. Should I upgrade to something better and what would you reccommend in the (no more than) $5-$600 range?

3. I want more mid bass. My (noob) thought right now is to install an 8" somewhere, I have an extra Alpine mono amp lying around that could power it. Is it common to mix 12's and an 8 in the same system?

4. How do you go about wiring more than the two amps I have right now? I know about master/slave which my sub amp will do, but how are guys running lots and lots of mids and tweets when there are a finite number of pre-out RCAs from a H/U? I've seen builds with 6-8 speakers per door? I can't imagine you'd want to just y-split the RCA?

5. I'm currently using a LC-1 level controller inline with the RCA's on my sub amp. Is this legit or a bad idea? I'm using it so I have some remote control over the level of bass - like for when the kid or wife are in tow, I can just back it off. I thought that this might be a better soution than the bass boost remote that plugs into the amp since that seems to only control a particular frequency - correct?

6. Any additional suggestions are welcomed.

[skittlesRgood]

1. the amp should be filtering before it amplifies but the way you have it is fine. however, i would set it to 80hz. it will help your mids sound less muddy.

2. the pioneers are a pretty decent set from what i hear. i had the older model and loved them but these are fairly different. im a big fan of image dynamics if you want to look for a good set.

3. you could do that but installing one midbass speaker means you lose stereo. so drums and bass guitars sound like they come from that one spot.

to edit in your later post, a mono amp would give you the same problem. almost the same problem anyways. you can increase midbass by sealing all those big holes on the inner metal skin of the door. people usually do this with some sheet metal, screws and deadener (second skin, dynamat, etc). start with that and see how you like it.

4. you can y-split RCAs. some amps have a pass through for the RCAs. some people wire more than one speaker to a channel. there are several options, all of them can be done horribly wrong or perfectly fine.

5. great call on the LC-1. thats the best way to do it.

6. do a lot of reading here. look at build logs. they will be long and full of bullshit but look at the pics and see what people are doing. get a jump start and learn some basic ohms law, its very useful.

Edited May 11, 2012 by skittlesRgood

[dowork]

OK so install two 8's and a mono amp in addition to the existing 12's and their mono amp.... how do I run a signal to the new mono amp?

Currently the H/U sub RCA is running through the LC-1 and to the existing sub amp.

[rubbernutz1]

im not trying to be a dick or anything here man but the best thing you can do is find a friend that lives near you that has a good basic understanding of audio. cus if we try to explain these things to you this thread will go 500 pages long and if you havent ever dealt with some of the problems you can run into like ground loops and things like that its going to drive you crazy. a lot of the "knowledge" of audio is really things you need to be shown rather than told. just my thoughts on it and every1 is going to have thier own opinion of what gear to run is best. alot of guys go for SQ gear and alot go for budget. it just all depends on what you like. something that sounds good to you might sound shitty to the next guy. you just gotta look around and see what you like the sound of and find what falls in the budget

[grim83]

1. I agree with skittles about raising the hpf im trying to remember but you should be on a 12 or 18db slope meaning that once you get one octave below the frequency you'll be 18db quieter than the frequency your set at, an hpf (or any filter for that matter) doesnt just cut off the other frequencies so much as reduce their power, if that makes any sense lol

2. I've heard alot of good things about that set of speakers so i would be curious to see how the install is set up (and given what youve already told us i wouldnt be surprised if its a shitty job), it is true that a great install can make shit speakers sound good and a bad install can make great speakers sound like shit. the best speakers ive dealt with as far as being easy to work with and being able to overcome shitty installs is the boston pro's but some people hate their sound where as others love it.

3.for what your talking about i wouldnt recommend it

4. most people running 9 gazzillion amps use whats called an rca gang box which is basically a giant y splitter but you wont lose voltage on the out put side

5.this is kinda like the old pronunciation joke about tomatoes if u catch my drift

6.i would look long an hard for a really reputable shop in the area attend shows and you should find some, and have your stuff redone for instance get rid of that damn prefab box and have a better box made. Or spend time looking and try to do the shit your self as my granfather used to say you can take a mans hammer but you cant take his mind

[dowork]

1. I agree with skittles about raising the hpf im trying to remember but you should be on a 12 or 18db slope meaning that once you get one octave below the frequency you'll be 18db quieter than the frequency your set at, an hpf (or any filter for that matter) doesnt just cut off the other frequencies so much as reduce their power, if that makes any sense lol

2. I've heard alot of good things about that set of speakers so i would be curious to see how the install is set up (and given what youve already told us i wouldnt be surprised if its a shitty job), it is true that a great install can make shit speakers sound good and a bad install can make great speakers sound like shit. the best speakers ive dealt with as far as being easy to work with and being able to overcome shitty installs is the boston pro's but some people hate their sound where as others love it.

3.for what your talking about i wouldnt recommend it

4. most people running 9 gazzillion amps use whats called an rca gang box which is basically a giant y splitter but you wont lose voltage on the out put side

5.this is kinda like the old pronunciation joke about tomatoes if u catch my drift

6.i would look long an hard for a really reputable shop in the area attend shows and you should find some, and have your stuff redone for instance get rid of that damn prefab box and have a better box made. Or spend time looking and try to do the shit your self as my granfather used to say you can take a mans hammer but you cant take his mind

Helps a lot - thanks!

[dowork]

im not trying to be a dick or anything here man but the best thing you can do is find a friend that lives near you that has a good basic understanding of audio. cus if we try to explain these things to you this thread will go 500 pages long and if you havent ever dealt with some of the problems you can run into like ground loops and things like that its going to drive you crazy. a lot of the "knowledge" of audio is really things you need to be shown rather than told. just my thoughts on it and every1 is going to have thier own opinion of what gear to run is best. alot of guys go for SQ gear and alot go for budget. it just all depends on what you like. something that sounds good to you might sound shitty to the next guy. you just gotta look around and see what you like the sound of and find what falls in the budget

Fair enough - thanks!

[skittlesRgood]

oh, another piece of advice. remember this is the internet and people are not always subtle in their communication. if someone tells you something you did "sucks" dont take offense. they dont mean it as an insult or a personal attack. just be cool and listen to the advice on how to fix it.

[stevog]

any pics of said failed install.

[skittlesRgood]

oohh, ya. we like pics.