New DD-1 user

[Uncle G]

Just got my new DD-1 yesterday and used it to set my gains last night and my system has never sounded better !

Gonna put a sub system in my daughter's car. How do I go about finding the max clean headunit volume of the stock headunit from the speaker wire outputs from it ? I want to use a 2 channel Audiocontrol unit with it but feel I need to know the max clean volume first. Thanks !

[MrSkippyJ]

you can check the levels of everything through the amp. I'm pretty sure the manual explains how to do this but I am not 100% sure.

[xpoppadaddyx]

I'm hoping someone can chime in on this because I used a high end LOC and still couldn't use the DD-1 properly on a stock unit. Tony never did clear this up but here is the video if you can make it out.

[Uncle G]

There is no speaker wire input on the DD-1, only RCA, and I am not going to use an LOC, the audiocontrol unit accepts speaker wire input, outputs the improved bass via RCA, and also gives a trigger to the amp. Must find the headunit max clean volume level BEFORE connecting the speaker wire input to the Audiocontrol unit.

[audiofanaticz]

I'm hoping someone can chime in on this because I used a high end LOC and still couldn't use the DD-1 properly on a stock unit. Tony never did clear this up but here is the video if you can make it out.

Because you are using a generic LOC, almost every LOC is instant distortion before you even turn the volume up.

I have tested several makes/models of LOCs from Axxess, Pac, Metra, Scosche, and so many more generic brands and brands I cant even remember.

All of them the same way and had the distortion light illuminate on the DD-1 with the LOC knobs all the way down and little to no volume.

The only LOCs that I have found to be clean are the AudioControl units such as the LC2i, which would be your cheapest method for around $65ish shipped.

SMD/D'amore Engineering had a few prototype LOCs, but they never made it to market yet. Maybe someday but for now the LC2i from AudioControl is what you need.

There is no speaker wire input on the DD-1, only RCA, and I am not going to use an LOC, the audiocontrol unit accepts speaker wire input, outputs the improved bass via RCA, and also gives a trigger to the amp. Must find the headunit max clean volume level BEFORE connecting the speaker wire input to the Audiocontrol unit.

The DD-1 should have came with a harness if you bought it new.

It will either have 2 test probes on it, or a test probe and a mini alligator clamp, or possibly both will be mini alligator clamps.

This harness plugs into the RCA plug on the DD-1, and you can use that to test the speaker wires.

Also you dont need to test the speaker wire signal before the LC2i unit.

You can hook the LC2i up first to the speaker wires, then connect the DD-1 to the LC2i via the rca plugs.

Then turn the sensitivity/gain knobs all the way down on the LC2i, and then you can play the 40hz 0db track (for subwoofers), or 1khz 0db track (for mid/tweets).

Once you find the max headunit volume you can then go on and set the sensitivity/gain on the LC2i changing the track to the corresponding overlap you want using the -5db or -10db tracks

You can even do this with the amp hooked up and the DD-1 connected to the amps speaker output section using the included harness.

All that should be in the manual (measuring through an amp) I think its called in the manual index.

The probes should look like one of these.

[Uncle G]

Thank you. I plan on using the Audiocontrol LC2iB. It corrects the bass drop out from OEM headunits. So, I want the max clean volume output of the OEM headunit before the LC2iB corrects the bass. Will the DD-1 pick up the distortion from the OEM headunit using the speaker wires with the above probes and the 40 hz 0db track ?

[audiofanaticz]

Yes it should.

The DD-1 does not know if its hooked up to an amp, crossover, aftermarket head unit, stock head unit, etc and it doesnt need to know.

It is simply looking for a 40hz or a 1000hz signal to be played in to it.

So as long as your able to provide the DD-1 with either of those frequencies it should work as intended.

[Uncle G]

Thanks again. I just now finished resetting gains on my system. This time I used Signal Generator by mediapunkstudios.com app on my iPod since I only ever use that source. The DD-1 picked up 41hz 0db as 40hz and 1002hz 0db as 1000hz, not that it matters, just a little trivia. My Pioneer media/cd head does not distort with 1000hz even when maxxed out at 62. The 40hz distorts at 59/62 so I use 58 as the max clean volume. Set the amp gains with 0db also, since my 10" downfire sealed sub gets a tad too loud for me when Kid Rock, Michael Jackson AfroJack edit, some others comes on. I love the way my system sounds now. Some songs I have to turn the sub down from +6 to 0 and still shakes the mirrors well.