why do other forums hate on the dd-1 so much?

[Miguels]

for the average joe the DD-1 will work. for those who compete the scope can help you push it a bit.. DD-1 is good enough for me

[DubNDodge]

I use the dd.1 and my nose. I use the -5db track to tune with, but not all music is the same and that is where my nose comes in. Smelling something coming from the port? Probably should turn it down a bit.

[gmoxley1]

I know this is the SMD forum and this won't be a popular opinion, but...

A scope is a better tool. And can be had cheaper.

BUT... you're paying for the convenience. It's a couple wires and a light (to operate). I personally don't think a scope is any more difficult to use than a DD-1, but I suppose I'm in the minority.

You hit the nail on the head though when you said, "It measures distortion... not all distortion is clipping." Think about your own statement for a sec.

not trying to be "that guy" honestly but what do you mean think about my own statement?

the guys on the other forums basically said you dont need to know when the amp distorts but rather when it clips. unless im mistaken clipping is always distortion but distortion does not necessarily mean clipping kind of like how a square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not always a square. please clarify with your post if you dont mind. thanks!

edit- do you mean for me to think about my statement as in some guys dont mind some distortion as long as its not clipped?

Edited January 4, 2015 by gmoxley1

[TaylorFade]

Clipping. You're overdriving it.

Distortion. Distorted waveform. Irrespective of clipping.

One sounds like shit. One creates heat and stress... and sounds like shit.

Hasn't this all been covered by Tony somewhere?

[Miguels]

yes he has

[gmoxley1]

Clipping. You're overdriving it.

Distortion. Distorted waveform. Irrespective of clipping.

One sounds like shit. One creates heat and stress... and sounds like shit.

Hasn't this all been covered by Tony somewhere?

hmmm interesting. so either distortion or clipping can be completely harmless ( from what i read as one just sounds like shit but does is not harmful?)

im not very adept in the car audio world so that just blew my mind if im understanding that correctly

not trying to say both are harmless but from the explanation one of them is harmless just sounds bad

Edited January 4, 2015 by gmoxley1

[meade916]

the DD-1, like it or hate it, has brought setting gains PROPERLY to everyone's attention. It's funny how all the O-scope experts came out of the bushes once the DD-1 was released though.......when before you never saw anyone except trained installers for high end shops using them. 1 in 100 shops if i had to guess. Which brings me to my next comment. To NOT believe in the DD-1 is to NOT believe in an O-scope. But the DD-1 is better because it is easy to use, more portable, easy to understand, and faster. Also the price vs. accuracy. Sure you can get a hand held scope for about the price of a DD-1.....but have you seen the resolution on those screens? Only expensive units have resolution that can get close to the DD-1. In other words what looks like a nice clean wave on that crappy screen really might not be. The DD-1 knows what is clean and what isn't.....and is on par with O-scopes worth 10's of thousands of dollars not just the $99 special online. Even my $400 TPI 440 scope cant touch the DD-1. The resolution is just not there. Also, half the people that have a scope aren't even using it right. For example someone a lot of you guys love even posted up a video on how to set gains with a O-scope and did it completely wrong. Everyone was like "wow, nice job" when it was a bunch of crap. My point is just because they claim to like a scope better and are against the DD-1 for whatever reason, that don't mean they are even using it right. At least learn the tool before you make your judgment. And most that use the O-scope correctly have no reason other than my name NOT to like the product.

Now don't get me started on the DD-1 PLUS. O-scopes can't read your overlaps before you start a tune up.......the same ones you record in your notes when sending a customer home, so you can see if the gains have changed since it was set up.

also, i might add, i have seen people gain DB from turning the gains DOWN to their correct position....so extra hard clipping doesn't always make extra DB.

regardless....scope or DD-1 lover, a REAL shop should use one or the other because if done properly it really saves a lot of equipment and SOUNDS BETTER.

[TaylorFade]

Clipping creates harmonics. Meaning, when a waveform is clipped... other shit gets included along with the fundamental. I'm not intimately familiar with how the DD-1 works, but I assume it "looks" for these harmonics. i.e.- play the 40hz or 1khz tone... if anything other than 40hz or 1lhz is detected... you get a red light.

Distortion, clipped or not, has harmonics present in the signal. Ever hear the term "harmonic distortion"?

Edit: that wasn't directed at you, Steve.

Edited January 4, 2015 by TaylorFade

[meade916]

FYI: almost 6,000 DD-1's sold to date (not including the Plus or the DD-1 HV)

99.99% 5 star ratings on every site i sell them on and also my dealer sites.

one guy got mad and left me a 1 star rating because his did not come with a 9v and he thought it should. For example...

over all, that is a LOT of people who are now setting gains properly that were not before.

Haters will be haters, not much i can do about it but keep on pushing forward....hell i bet most of them are mad because they did not think of it first. Even if they did, they don't have the amazing engineers that i have on my side. Nor do they have the drive to make it happen.

[TaylorFade]

the DD-1, like it or hate it, has brought setting gains PROPERLY to everyone's attention. It's funny how all the O-scope experts came out of the bushes once the DD-1 was released though.......when before you never saw anyone except trained installers for high end shops using them. 1 in 100 shops if i had to guess. Which brings me to my next comment. To NOT believe in the DD-1 is to NOT believe in an O-scope. But the DD-1 is better because it is easy to use, more portable, easy to understand, and faster. Also the price vs. accuracy. Sure you can get a hand held scope for about the price of a DD-1.....but have you seen the resolution on those screens? Only expensive units have resolution that can get close to the DD-1. In other words what looks like a nice clean wave on that crappy screen really might not be. The DD-1 knows what is clean and what isn't.....and is on par with O-scopes worth 10's of thousands of dollars not just the $99 special online. Even my $400 TPI 440 scope cant touch the DD-1. The resolution is just not there. Also, half the people that have a scope aren't even using it right. For example someone a lot of you guys love even posted up a video on how to set gains with a O-scope and did it completely wrong. Everyone was like "wow, nice job" when it was a bunch of crap. My point is just because they claim to like a scope better and are against the DD-1 for whatever reason, that don't mean they are even using it right. At least learn the tool before you make your judgment. And most that use the O-scope correctly have no reason other than my name NOT to like the product.

Now don't get me started on the DD-1 PLUS. O-scopes can't read your overlaps before you start a tune up.......the same ones you record in your notes when sending a customer home, so you can see if the gains have changed since it was set up.

also, i might add, i have seen people gain DB from turning the gains DOWN to their correct position....so extra hard clipping doesn't always make extra DB.

regardless....scope or DD-1 lover, a REAL shop should use one or the other because if done properly it really saves a lot of equipment and SOUNDS BETTER.

I'm not a hater. I appreciate the fact that it brought proper gain setting into the "mainstream" and promotes a better understanding of one's system. I just happen to use a scope. I may not even be using it right. I dunno. I hook it up and see waves and shit.

I didn't mean to insinuate that clipped is *always* louder. When I'm doing SPL testing... I don't even use my scope. I just turn it up until I stop gaining. Similar to the way I don't "tune" my SPL boxes. But I'm obviously in the minority there and I don't advocate that practice.