eq/speakers probs

crzystng · Post by **crzystng** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 9:42 pm

well I have run into some problems now. I have no clue what is going on and have never heard this type of sound before in any of my systems. it is almost like the mr/tw are being zapped at mod to high volumes, on certain songs. Well some songs sound fine at high volumes and others it sounds almost like they are pluged into the wall socket or something. honestly I dont think the gains are set wrong. but I havent had a line driver hooked up internally like this either. Kicker says it has a 9V line driver installed inthe eq and my output gain is set ~ well look at the pic LOL
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ ... 772fb1.jpg
and here is the input gains. (btw the gains on the amps are set to the far left which is 4V)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ ... a32769.jpg

Another thing i noticed while playing with the RTA software is that -12db isnt enough to cut some points and there are a few areas where i actually need +12 db (and still need more)to get close to the reerence line. mid bass is one area that is still lacking specifally the 280hz area. it still has a dip in it while everything from 100-250hz is maxed out.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ ... 32410d.jpg
here is the other half of the eq
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/ ... 3957f1.jpg
there is another problem area and the is ~1.8khz. I dont have the ability to cut that band and it is 2-3db over the line. 1.6 is cut all the way, 2K has to be boosted casue it is normally low, and 2.5 & 3.3khz are cut all the way, yet there is a big spike in the 1.8 range that I cant get rid of.

but my main concern right now is to figure out what is going on with the zapping type of noise. I cant turn the volume up to a decent listening level and I dont want to strat frying these speakers.

system equipment consists of
(X2) JBL 80.4 amps bridged for 160X4 rms
(X1) JBL 1200.1 sub amp
(X1) Kicker KQ30 EQ Line driver
front stage is boston acoustics pro 6.53X 3 way comps (biamped from the dual 80.4's)

JeremyC · Post by **JeremyC** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 9:58 pm

crzystng wrote:well I haveAnother thing i noticed while playing with the RTA software is that -12db isnt enough to cut some points and there are a few areas where i actually need +12 db (and still need more)to get close to the reerence line.

Ok I don't have time to go all the way into it, but I did notice something that stands out. (See above) Right now I would worry about setting your crossovers, and cutting in the areas that need it. Don't worry about boosting anything cause your refrence line will drop once you get all the peaks smoothed out. (if your setup works like the eclipse stuff I am used to)

Ok here is what I would try. Set everything to flat, and reset your gains. Then start on your crossover points. With the eclipse deck I can adjust the x over points and slope on the go, and then do a pink noise sweep (rough RTA) and see where I am. I even had to cut my sub by 4db to get my refrence point down where i could really work with it. (with the eclipse decks it sets the refrence line way to high if you have something out of wack) Once I got everything tamed down with my crossover points I started to dail in the PEQ.

I hope that helps. I need to get to bed or I would try to help more.

crzystng · Post by **crzystng** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 10:06 pm

not really cause I think you are thinking that I am running active on my front stage. not the case, I am biamping the passive xovers. The first pass I did with the rta did NOT include my sub

, besides it is below 80hz anyways. the problem line that i am refering to is more in the 2.5-5K range cause there are a few in there that I cant cut enough to get to a reference line while 1-2others in that same range I cant boost enough to get up to the reference line. this is off by 2-3DB's. the midbass is prevelant when everything below 320hz is maxed out. not something that I like to do but is necessary to get up to the reference line and there is still a dip in there that I simply dont have enough boosting power to bring up.

BTW the xover point that I have set on the h/u is the front hp@63hz -24db and the sub @ 63hz lp -12db

Set everything to flat, and reset your gains

hahaha I did that prolly 4 times now? I thought I was doing something really wrong cause things are not suposed to be boosted that much. Finalyl I gave up for the day.

JeremyC · Post by **JeremyC** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 10:22 pm

Sounds like the x over poing between your mid and high might be a little off. Did you try turning one or the other down a tad and see where that got you.

crzystng · Post by **crzystng** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 10:51 pm

JeremyC wrote:Sounds like the x over poing between your mid and high might be a little off. Did you try turning one or the other down a tad and see where that got you.

Again man.
not really cause I think you are thinking that I am running active on my front stage. not the case, I am biamping the PASSIVE xovers.
Passive means that I can NOT adjust the xover points on them.

thses are 3 way passive units built for these comps. where the xover points are, well your guess is as good as any.

The ONLY reason I am even using the h/u's high pass feature is so I can be 100% certain that they are not going to try and play lower than they really can

BTW I am not sure if you realize how much power is going on here but for clarifaction reason this is 320+RMS PER SIDE. or 160X4 biamped. the manual and the techs at boston have said they can handle 500 rms per side without complications.

crzystng · Post by **crzystng** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 11:00 pm

Here is the whole picture for those intrested.

JeremyC · Post by **JeremyC** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 8:24 am

No I knew what you were talking about the second time. I was asking if you turned the gain downon your mid, or high and see how it is. If one or the other is turned to hi it could cause a peak where the two overlap.

geolemon · Post by **geolemon** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 9:00 am

crzystng wrote:but my main concern right now is to figure out what is going on with the zapping type of noise. I cant turn the volume up to a decent listening level and I dont want to strat frying these speakers.

The sound you describe could be a bunch of things, including (but not necessarily limited to) these sort of things:

1) overexcursion - which could happen from having your crossover set too low. But more likely an issue with your tweeter (from the specific sound you describe) than the mid. Unfortunately, tweeter overexcursion can be permanently damaging (not that mid overexcursion can't too!)

2) air leakage. If the mid isn't sealed down to it's baffle, there might be an air noise - which could be anywhere from a huff to a squeak. Probably not likely with a door speaker... but it could be.

3) tinsel lead slap - related to overexcursion. At high excursion levels, the leads can go tappity-tap on the back of the cone - and at 400, 500 cycles per second can sound like a zappy sort of sound. But more likely that's a defect in the speaker, and you'd be reaching disproportionate excursion levels relative to the output you'd be expecting from the speaker... and this would be purely a result from sending the speaker too much bass, so this might be the case if you hear this zappy noise only when the bass hits.

4) amplifier / HU / signal noise - could be something electronic, but usually those things don't scale with volume... it would sound scratchy and ugly at all volume levels. Usually. But it's still a possibility.

crzystng · Post by **crzystng** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 9:33 am

JeremyC wrote:No I knew what you were talking about the second time. I was asking if you turned the gain downon your mid, or high and see how it is. If one or the other is turned to hi it could cause a peak where the two overlap.

(btw the gains on the amps are set to the far left which is 4V)
the eq has two output gain control. one is for the left ch and the other for the right.

crzystng · Post by **crzystng** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 3:39 pm

Well I have some good news to report. As odd as this sounds I didnt touch anything inside the vehicle relating to the stereo. (jsut the gear selector, accelerator and brake occasionally :lol ) and umm well, I can't for the life of me recreate what was happening yesterday and during the first little portion of the drive this morning. on my way back from a freinds house, I noticed that it sounded a lot different from what it did when I left it maybe an hour ago.

I am wondering if by chance that the caps inside the amp have something to do with this effect? You know them not having enough storage capicty built up or something? again I didnt touch ANYTHING.