LOC configurations and recommendations

[Xlite]

Morning everyone,

 

I've found my way back to this fourm after having watched Steve's most recent video on LOCs. 

 

The current LOCs I'm running in my system were the first in the video (PACS SNI-15) and they performed less than well to say the least... So, I'm here for advice!

 

Back when I was in highschool, I had a shop install an after market system with a 4 channel mids amp, sub amp and new door speakers ran on a factory radio. They opted to use two Pacs locs zip tied together to integrate with my stock radio.

 

Fast forward to today, I'm realizing that my current setup is less than ideal, and I want to replace my locs with a tried and true product, but my question is, what are those options, and what's the best configuration for running a 4 channel mids amp and a sub amp?

 

Is it better to run a single device like a lc7i that has 6 channels so the whole system can be ran off one device? Or do people just use multiple 2 channel locs like Steve's SMD hlc-2? If you were to use the hlc-2's for a system like mine with a 4 channel mids amp and a 2 channel sub amp, how many would be needed to do it 'right'?

 

I know some of these questions are quite basic, but I really have had no personal experience with locs, so any info is greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks!

 

Chase | Xlite

 

 

[Dafaseles]

What kind of car is it? Basically, does it have a "high end stock system" that might use a bass roll off in order to protect the stock speakers? 

 

[audiofanaticz]

Best way to go is to add up all the channels/speakers of your factory stereo such as
(for example my car)
front center channel
front left tweeter front right tweeter

front left door front right door midbass
rear left door rear right door midrange

rear left deck rear right deck tweeter
rear deck factory sub
So in this case 10 channels/speakers, but maybe you don't care about keeping the center channel so then don't count/include that one, and since I already have the front tweeter inputs I don't need to worry about the input signal from the rear deck tweeters since its already the same as the front tweeters so I dont include those 2 channels as well. So now I know I need a HLC or a DSP with 7 channels of input

With todays factory stereos in vehicles they have built in crossover slopes that you cant adjust so having a better HLC/DSP that allows you to input all of the above needed factory speaker signals into the device so that it can sum all those channels together for a full bandwidth output. Almost every DSP will allow you to do this and only a handful of HLC's (such as the multi channel Audiocontrol HLC's).
So in this example with 7 channels needed look at getting the Audio Control LC8i, or a DSP that will give you more control than the LC8i will with things like a EQ, Active crossovers, Time Alignment, and so much more for every channel output with the Audio Control DM-810
Without summing the channels together for a full bandwidth signal you're stuck using the factory crossover settings that come from which ever speaker your current converter is hooked up too. So in my case not a single speaker has a full bandwidth output and depending on what speaker I tap into I will either get highs, midbass, midrange, or bass, which means if I wanted to put a full range speaker like a 6by9 in my doors all it will play is mid bass and not give me in treble unless I got installed a HLC or a DSP that takes all those factory signals and sum them together to create that full bandwidth signal that was once separated due to the factory crossovers that cant be changed. 

Running multiple 2 channel LOCs like you currently are is not going to solve any problem and only allow you to regurgitate the factory signal but with more power due to your added amplifiers.
Granted every vehicle is different with how they go about their crossovers where as some may just have a basic radio, but if you have a nicer factory system that you don't want to replace the headunit with then a multichannel HLC or DSP with channel summing is the only way to go.
My cadillac has a motorized touchscreen that raises from the dash and it offers me surround sound, usb, aux, bluetooth, dvd, gps, internal harddrive for music, siruisxm, backup camera, and a couple other things. Replacing my factory radio will make me use some ugly dash kit and lose the factory motorized screen and the only thing I gain is rca preouts from it so a DSP is a much better option plus the DSP will give me more ability to fine tune the settings besides just the basic fader/balance/bass/midrange/treble controls (but if you don't want the ability to eq each channel then something like the LC8i will be fine).
The Audiocontrol DSPs look nice but Ive never used them, Im currently using a Rockford 3Sixty.2 DSP, and an Audison BitOne DSP

[Xlite]

On 3/25/2022 at 3:39 PM, Dafaseles said:

What kind of car is it? Basically, does it have a "high end stock system" that might use a bass roll off in order to protect the stock speakers? 

 

It's a 2012 Buick Verano. Did not come with a high end audio system.

 

On 3/26/2022 at 4:48 AM, audiofanaticz said:

Best way to go is to add up all the channels/speakers of your factory stereo such as
(for example my car)
front center channel
front left tweeter front right tweeter

front left door front right door midbass
rear left door rear right door midrange

rear left deck rear right deck tweeter
rear deck factory sub
So in this case 10 channels/speakers, but maybe you don't care about keeping the center channel so then don't count/include that one, and since I already have the front tweeter inputs I don't need to worry about the input signal from the rear deck tweeters since its already the same as the front tweeters so I dont include those 2 channels as well. So now I know I need a HLC or a DSP with 7 channels of input

With todays factory stereos in vehicles they have built in crossover slopes that you cant adjust so having a better HLC/DSP that allows you to input all of the above needed factory speaker signals into the device so that it can sum all those channels together for a full bandwidth output. Almost every DSP will allow you to do this and only a handful of HLC's (such as the multi channel Audiocontrol HLC's).
So in this example with 7 channels needed look at getting the Audio Control LC8i, or a DSP that will give you more control than the LC8i will with things like a EQ, Active crossovers, Time Alignment, and so much more for every channel output with the Audio Control DM-810
Without summing the channels together for a full bandwidth signal you're stuck using the factory crossover settings that come from which ever speaker your current converter is hooked up too. So in my case not a single speaker has a full bandwidth output and depending on what speaker I tap into I will either get highs, midbass, midrange, or bass, which means if I wanted to put a full range speaker like a 6by9 in my doors all it will play is mid bass and not give me in treble unless I got installed a HLC or a DSP that takes all those factory signals and sum them together to create that full bandwidth signal that was once separated due to the factory crossovers that cant be changed. 

Running multiple 2 channel LOCs like you currently are is not going to solve any problem and only allow you to regurgitate the factory signal but with more power due to your added amplifiers.
Granted every vehicle is different with how they go about their crossovers where as some may just have a basic radio, but if you have a nicer factory system that you don't want to replace the headunit with then a multichannel HLC or DSP with channel summing is the only way to go.
My cadillac has a motorized touchscreen that raises from the dash and it offers me surround sound, usb, aux, bluetooth, dvd, gps, internal harddrive for music, siruisxm, backup camera, and a couple other things. Replacing my factory radio will make me use some ugly dash kit and lose the factory motorized screen and the only thing I gain is rca preouts from it so a DSP is a much better option plus the DSP will give me more ability to fine tune the settings besides just the basic fader/balance/bass/midrange/treble controls (but if you don't want the ability to eq each channel then something like the LC8i will be fine).
The Audiocontrol DSPs look nice but Ive never used them, Im currently using a Rockford 3Sixty.2 DSP, and an Audison BitOne DSP

This was all I could've asked for and more! thank you so much for taking the time to write up a detailed, informative reply. I will look at purchasing on of the configurations you recommended and getting that situated asap. Thank you!~