CarPC help

[///M5 2,833]

i dont trust using a software crossover.

id use the EQ, but like i said, i want a KNOB volume control, to control the master volume. i dont want to have to control it through the touchscreen or PC. i hate button volume controls.

You can easily still have a knob, Windows volume control supports external knobs.

plus, i already have the coustic 3 way xover, paid like 45 bux i think new. im going to use it. lol

STUPID reason

[JimJ 11]

Windows volume control supports external knobs.

The sound card I have both has a knob, and a remote.

[shizzzon 461]

i thought about doin this a couple yrs ago because a pc is a pc, it can do almost anything, HU maint only does audio or for more can do video and GPS...

I am very fluent with building computers but after doin the research about carpcs and the way i am, i always want the best out there as long as it isn't celebrity pricing only, i'll buy it.

The prices of prebuilt carpcs vs building your own vs buying a screen\GPS and a phone that has the internet, there was no need for me to do it.

I remember i was gonna spend about $1500 on a nano-itx build that i was researchin and i was gonna have the best of everything in there basically.

For the trouble, i instead got a double din screen with a dockable GPS(blackbird II) and i can receive and make calls from my stereo as well as external storage(ipod) and DVD-mp3 capability(awesome feature) and it's a HU, it wont crash and it doesnt require maintenance every once in a while. It boots up the same speed everytime i want to use it, it's simple.

And, it only cost me $1,200 even which is cheaper than the carpc build itself. I got a full qwerty size keyboard on my phone i use to surf the net so it works out perfectly.

[pimpedout97x 4]

would this work? or is this right?

Should work just fine. Certainly not the best idea, but it can work

how else should i wire it up?

i dont trust using a software crossover.

id use the EQ, but like i said, i want a KNOB volume control, to control the master volume. i dont want to have to control it through the touchscreen or PC. i hate button volume controls.

You can easily still have a knob, Windows volume control supports external knobs.

i didnt know that. ill just do that, and run an EQ on the PC. thanks for that info

plus, i already have the coustic 3 way xover, paid like 45 bux i think new. im going to use it. lol

STUPID reason

i know. i might JUST use the crossover. instead of the EQ and crossover. i dont want to bother with a software crossover. id rather just have a physical one, which i have, which should work fine.

Windows volume control supports external knobs.

The sound card I have both has a knob, and a remote.

do you run the sound blaster you showed me earlier, or a different one? im looking at running a Micro ATX slim case, which accepts an internal "low profile" card, such as the sound blaster audigy SE. would this work? looks like its 5.1, with sub/front/rear outs (1/8" of course) but thats still stereo right?

never really thought about running a carpc, so im learning. i know running that external EQ just for a volume knob is dumb, so i will do as M5 said, get a knob, or as you said Jim, and use one on a soundcard, if the one i choose has a knob.

will this setup be better? (using a software based EQ) and a knob from the soundcard, or to control windows volume.

[JimJ 11]

do you run the sound blaster you showed me earlier, or a different one?

Yeah, that's the one I'm using...

[ANeonRider 3]

i dont trust using a software crossover.

Interesting, that's what the H701 is! I'd trust it over something like the XM-6 anyday.

There are programs out there that make the H701s flexibility look feeble too, like Console.

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26023

[pimpedout97x 4]

i dont like that type of knob though. if i get that card, i would put it in the glove box or somewhere hidden. i want a knob like a knob on a head unit.

[///M5 2,833]

*refrains from making a knob joke

You can pretty much use any knob...

[pimpedout97x 4]

i dont trust using a software crossover.

Interesting, that's what the H701 is! I'd trust it over something like the XM-6 anyday.

There are programs out there that make the H701s flexibility look feeble too, like Console.

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26023

that looks bad ass. i didnt really mean i wont "trust" it, its just, with the speakers im using, the coustic will be fine. if i was into top notch SQ, as most of you are, i would see the need for that. but honestly, with PA speakers, the coustic will suit my needs fine, and i wont have to fool with the software crossover.

i was looking at some EQs, theres some crazy EQ's out there, 31+ bands, etc... i want one of those on the PC when i get it built.

*refrains from making a knob joke

lol its okay.

[JimJ 11]

but honestly, with PA speakers, the coustic will suit my needs fine, and i wont have to fool with the software crossover.

Which is why I questioned why you need a carPC over the functionality that you'd get with a traditional head unit in the first place.

[pimpedout97x 4]

well becuase i wanted dvd/navigation, and for a few hundred more than a pioneer or something, id rather take advantage of the 3.4" bigger screen, and hard drive space, internet, GPS, etc.

[///M5 2,833]

But you are in way over your head, you seem to always forget the KISS principle and it will always negatively affect your installs

[JimJ 11]

But you are in way over your head, you seem to always forget the KISS principle and it will always negatively affect your installs

KISS always has a sneaky way of biting me in the ass...

I would seriously question if you need all those things. Is a three and a half inch difference in screen size worth learning about what you're going to have to do, or end up installing something that injects so much noise into your setup it's worthless? GPS can be done with head units that are on the market today...

[///M5 2,833]

In particular with the rest of the mess going on. I would simplify.

[freat 0]

You probably should try out the mp3car.com forums as they kind of specialize in this.

As for car PC's being expensive... heh I jammed an old PIII 866 in my trunk and use it purely for audio processing. It's linux running BruteFIR. I have the stock BMW HU running into it then I apply linear phase crossovers (calculated using Octave) between the sub (Soundsplinter rli-8) and fronts (Vifa components) and output that on the soundcard. Holy crap using that XO vs the ones on the Rockford Fosgates is night and day. My new Sundown 100.2 is coming in tomorrow and with the amp it frees up I'll be able to actively XO the fronts. Once that's done I'll be doing Digital Room Correction. So... there's tons you can do with a computer. But then again that's what I do for a living (programmer).

If you're going the car PC route I think you may want to just buy the software on mp3car.com. It isn't cheap but it'll do everything for you.

For a soundcard, consider staying away from Soundblaster. Almost all their cards resample from 44.1 to 48khz. This causes some issues. The M-Audio revolution cards are consumer oriented but come from a company that specializes in pro sound cards. You can get a revolution 5.1 or 7.1 for under $100. They also have great drivers including bass management software that comes with them.

The resampling issue is described here: http://www.pcmus.com/choosecard.htm#resam

Sorry my post is kind of rambling... I'm tired. -Ron

[Guest zedman]

What did u do on this?

[pimpedout97x 4]

thanks for the info Ron.

zedman, i ordered my 10.4" vga touchscreen (samsung LCD) and i need to make a mdf frame for the lcd panel, and mold it in the dash.