Setting the gain wth a dmm.

[pmureika 31]

How close can you set the gain using the dmm method?

[no_username 2]

Let the stats start!

[pmureika 31]

Let the stats start!

Seems nobody has an answer.

[no_username 2]

Log in peeps. I know your out there

[pmureika 31]

Log in peeps. I know your out there

There is a thread on this forum on how to do it. Are some of you saying it it totally wrong?

[no_username 2]

Do you do it with a dmm pm?

[emh9009 199]

There is a thread to do this. It's not wrong, it's just not optimum. With that method you set the gain for that one tone; since music is so darn dynamic it doesn't make an sense to tune just for one tone, no?

[pmureika 31]

There is a thread to do this. It's not wrong, it's just not optimum. With that method you set the gain for that one tone; since music is so darn dynamic it doesn't make an sense to tune just for one tone, no?

I understand, but you cant change the gain for every song or cd or what ever.

[emh9009 199]

There is a thread to do this. It's not wrong, it's just not optimum. With that method you set the gain for that one tone; since music is so darn dynamic it doesn't make an sense to tune just for one tone, no?

I understand, but you cant change the gain for every song or cd or what ever.

No, that's why you get to know your setup and adjust constantly 'till you find a happy median where every part of your system works well off of each other.

[Sir-Lancelot 216]

I don't know why people make such a big deal out of gain setting.

Its really quite simple.

Unless you are just dumb its pretty hard to blow a well made sub.

[pmureika 31]

There is a thread to do this. It's not wrong, it's just not optimum. With that method you set the gain for that one tone; since music is so darn dynamic it doesn't make an sense to tune just for one tone, no?

I understand, but you cant change the gain for every song or cd or what ever.

No, that's why you get to know your setup and adjust constantly 'till you find a happy median where every part of your system works well off of each other.

I agree that its not perfect and adjusments will have to be made. I am just trying to get a point to start at and adjust from there.

[Sir-Lancelot 216]

OKay my phone just made a mess out of that.

I hit post but it didnt show as posted so I hit again, same thing. Gave up on the lap top now.

Maybe its just new, but I am not liking this upgrade so far.

< all this facebook twitter youtube crap needs to go while I am throwing a fit.

[emh9009 199]

You could do that. The only problem i could see happening is that from the start you're going to be trying to set it at the max rms. The first song you play may very well go beyond that and possibly start to strain your equipment. As long as your smart with it I don't see any problems to occur, as long as your on top of what's going on.

[emh9009 199]

OKay my phone just made a mess out of that.

I hit post but it didnt show as posted so I hit again, same thing. Gave up on the lap top now.

Maybe its just new, but I am not liking this upgrade so far.

< all this facebook twitter youtube crap needs to go while I am throwing a fit.

They'll fix it sooner or later. It glitches out here and there for me as well. Don't really see the function of the FB and twitter stuff on the left..

[Impious 1,476]

OKay my phone just made a mess out of that.

I hit post but it didnt show as posted so I hit again, same thing. Gave up on the lap top now.

Maybe its just new, but I am not liking this upgrade so far.

< all this facebook twitter youtube crap needs to go while I am throwing a fit.

I got rid of the quadruple post.

To remove the items on the left, download Adblock+ and block them.

As for gain setting, the DMM method is good for giving someone with absolute no experience a general starting point from which to make more fine adjustments. Generally a -6db or so test tone will provide good results. Most people will probably not be happy with the results from a 0db test tone as that's rather conservative.

[pmureika 31]

I just like a plce to start and adjust from there.

[no_username 2]

Ok so i have one question

say your gain should be set at 24, now how much under & over can you go and still be good playing / not clipping amp?

[Impious 1,476]

Ok so i have one question

say your gain should be set at 24, now how much under & over can you go and still be good playing / not clipping amp?

I don't know of any gain that has a setting of "24". The input sensitivity ("gain") is a range of voltages, not a numerical range like a volume setting, and that range is determined by the design of the amplifier. Where the input sensitivity needs set is based on the input voltage of the preamp signal. For example, the range of input sensitivity would be .2V - 8V. The gain would be set somewhere in that range based on the level of the input signal.

Anyways, you can set the gain as low as you want. Being too low doesn't hurt anything, you are just not receiving all of the output power capabilities of the amplifier. Getting "close enough" is good enough because under most circumstances you are not going to hear a 25% difference in power (in reality the percentage can be higher, I'm just trying to keep it simple here for you). So if you set the gain too "low" and undershoot power output by 25% you are not going to know because you are not going to hear a difference.

As for setting the gain too "high", you are safe for a while. A little clipping isn't going to hurt anything. Clipping is a little worse on speakers than subs because it will probably end up being more audible, but it probably won't hurt anything unless you are already pushing the drivers thermal or mechanical limitations (which is the only time a loudspeaker is damaged). Clipping in and of itself doesn't hurt anything, other than possibly making things sound worse because of the added distortion. A driver, any driver, is only damaged when it's thermal or mechanical limits are exceed. Clipping may be the reason the driver's thermal or mechanical limits are exceeded, as a clipped signal contains more average power over time than a pure sinewave. But it's the increase in power as a result of clipping, not the shape of the waveform or the "clipping" of the signal itself that does the damage.

This is why people recommend just setting the gain by ear. Small differences in either direction aren't going to matter. Set the gain a little too low and you won't hear a difference because realistically you need a substantial difference in power to actually hear the difference. Set the gain a little high and the small amount of clipping isn't going to damage anything....with speakers it might sound worse because of the distortion, but generally with subs the clipping won't really be audible. Now obviously you don't want to completely overshoot the gain setting because it is possible to start damaging equipment if you run into heavy clipping and you are exceeding the driver's thermal/mechanical limits. But you need to be really far off and/or running unnecessary bass boost/etc before you reach this territory.

If you are absolutely lost, the DMM method is a good place to start and tune the gain from there.

[no_username 2]

Alright that helps alot. Thanks! Got everything hooked up finally. Boy was that a pain

Time to set some crossovers and gains ! Thanks