Gain Setting confusion with DD-1??

[Kyblack76]

They should be fairly similar.

But, if you can, rip the tracks from damores web site to a flash drive or your phone, and use that if your able.

I did talk to Tony & he did suggest if you jam 90% of your music from a drive/iPod/whatever this is the best method.

But, you'll be hella close using the supplied disc off your HU. IF IF IF your memory music is clean. That is key.

[a21cuda]

They should be fairly similar.

But, if you can, rip the tracks from damores web site to a flash drive or your phone, and use that if your able.

I did talk to Tony & he did suggest if you jam 90% of your music from a drive/iPod/whatever this is the best method.

But, you'll be hella close using the supplied disc off your HU. IF IF IF your memory music is clean. That is key.

So let's recap real quick.

One of my problems is that I need to use USB instead of headphone jack.

My next problem is that I need to set the gains on the head unit before setting sub gains.

Another problem is that I need to use the -5 or -10 db track for setting sub gains after setting head unit gains with 0db track. Is there anything else that I am leaving out?

[Swordlordboy1234]

Play music which you know more about it, such as decaf. We all know what db he records it at so we can set our gains accordingly if that's all we play. But generally a -5 or -10 is best

[a21cuda]

Play music which you know more about it, such as decaf. We all know what db he records it at so we can set our gains accordingly if that's all we play. But generally a -5 or -10 is best

So if I'm playing music all downloaded from iTunes, does that mean that they can all be recorded at different dbs and some songs could still distort so I'm just screwed?

[a21cuda]

Is there any way to estimate close to where the head unit distorts without me having to pull the dash and check the head unit?

[a21cuda]

Basically, as long as the dd-1 shows that there is no distortion then that means there is no distortion, right?

[Kyblack76]

Check the HU first.

What Hu is it?

You have to have a clean source, or know where its clean, or the rest don't matter.

[KickersintheTrunk]

It has to do with the nagative db that the music was recorded with in conjunction with the pre out voltage of the signal. If you put in the dd1 cd it would be loud again as long as you put it on the same track you set the gains with. Say it was -5db at 40hz. Then let's say you played some decaf songs which are recorded at -5db... It would be loud. Now let's say you don't touch your gain and you play a radio station that plays a song with a -9db bass line, and you have weak signal because its a radio station, you might actually be playing bass at a -13db level, and since your gain is only adjusted for -5, now you have 8db the signal needs to rise to get the full potential of your system.

But that doesn't mean adjust your gains to -13db. It means get a iPod USB cable (not a 3.5mm connection) or use CD's and control what music you play and it will sound fine.

Cool, always wondered why bass on the radio was quieter than listening to my ipod.

[a21cuda]

Check the HU first.

What Hu is it?

You have to have a clean source, or know where its clean, or the rest don't matter.

It's a kenwood excelon KDC-X497.

[a21cuda]

I tried tuning the hu by ear where it sounded like distortion stopped and I put the amp gains where the dd-1 showed no distortion but when I play it, it just sounds like it's distorting or something now. Maybe I'm just paranoid, I don't know. It's an L7 in a single cab console box that is sealed, and maybe the plastic is rattling and I just think its distortion, but I don't know. Can it still be distorting if the dd-1 shows no distortion?