Advanced Tuning
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 537
Likes: 86
From: FL
Like I posted earlier I did my initial tune by ear and thought it sounded great but I am at/near my max volume (tuned at 44/50) at speed. I went back with the DMM and when I set the gains this time they were set way higher and it sounded like tons of distortion so I slowly backed the gains down till I had clean audio and they ended up about where I originally had them. I think I need to pick up a DD1 and try it with that.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 3,829
Likes: 984
From: Southern Virginia
You guys are making setting gains and headunit volume much more complicated than it needs to be. Its voltage.
Like a lot of us though sometimes what sounds good in the basement or garage doing things "right" may not always sound the best on the road. Rockford Fosgate has a good article out there discussing gain overlap that helped me tweak my lid speakers a little bit. A slightly higher voltage input signal on my rear amp made it sound a good bit warmer to my ears.
Oh BTW Haze, I know a lot of what you do is your bread and butter but we do appreciate when you drop by. Some of us don't have access to other bikes to listen to for comparison so advice from folks that have a LOT of experience with this stuff is appreciated.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 478
Likes: 13
I believe I had my wire lengths pretty close. We cleaned up the hornets nest under my fairing and now they are not equal. I didn't notice any difference.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,440
Likes: 185
From: Fond du Lac WI
Thats not time alignment its something you can set on DSP
Novice
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 20
Likes: 2
From: Oklahoma
Time alignment delays a speakers signal in order to have all speakers play at the same time. That's a basic statement.
Another thing that might be worth trying when setting gains, is to use a test tone and a db meter. Set your rear speakers, or lowers, and read you db's at ear level while seated. Then set the rest from there. That way your closest speakers dont overpower the others. Testing db levels can also be used for tuning to flatten any spikes or dips in your curve.
Before I get picked apart, that was a very brief and lacking write up.
Another thing that might be worth trying when setting gains, is to use a test tone and a db meter. Set your rear speakers, or lowers, and read you db's at ear level while seated. Then set the rest from there. That way your closest speakers dont overpower the others. Testing db levels can also be used for tuning to flatten any spikes or dips in your curve.
Before I get picked apart, that was a very brief and lacking write up.
Thread Starter
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 2,843
Likes: 574
From: Lockport Illinois
Time alignment delays a speakers signal in order to have all speakers play at the same time. That's a basic statement.
Another thing that might be worth trying when setting gains, is to use a test tone and a db meter. Set your rear speakers, or lowers, and read you db's at ear level while seated. Then set the rest from there. That way your closest speakers dont overpower the others. Testing db levels can also be used for tuning to flatten any spikes or dips in your curve.
Before I get picked apart, that was a very brief and lacking write up.
Another thing that might be worth trying when setting gains, is to use a test tone and a db meter. Set your rear speakers, or lowers, and read you db's at ear level while seated. Then set the rest from there. That way your closest speakers dont overpower the others. Testing db levels can also be used for tuning to flatten any spikes or dips in your curve.
Before I get picked apart, that was a very brief and lacking write up.
Novice
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 20
Likes: 2
From: Oklahoma
Pink noise and rta is definitely a better option.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 3,789
Likes: 277
From: Hawkeye state
Rob has made some excellent points as well as many through the thread. This can go way deep or follow the kiss method depending on the equipment, the baselines used, etc. Always start at the input and output. Get your master gain set. Then focus on setting amp gains and look at pre and post eq. After that is done then work your crossovers, eq frequencies, q factor, and make small increment adjustments. I don't trust phone for rta and pink noise, so unless I drop the coin on a audio control dm rta I use my ears, My scope , and mainly my ears. All the rta is going to do is get you flat. You correct the peaks and valleys. But that sounds like ****. Your ears and small adjustments will refine the sound to the point where you can be satisfied. Not always a factor but there is always a 3db per octave rule that used to be used. Never deviate more than 3db per octave. Throw that out the window with pro audio and sled audio combined. Happy tuning.
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 3,829
Likes: 984
From: Southern Virginia
Not always a factor but there is always a 3db per octave rule that used to be used. Never deviate more than 3db per octave. Throw that out the window with pro audio and sled audio combined.
Also that American Hardbag article about bass got my to try tightening up my Q settings on the low end to lessen the boominess of the vocals that I had gotten when toning down some of the mid frequencies.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 478
Likes: 13
Time alignment delays a speakers signal in order to have all speakers play at the same time. That's a basic statement.
Another thing that might be worth trying when setting gains, is to use a test tone and a db meter. Set your rear speakers, or lowers, and read you db's at ear level while seated. Then set the rest from there. That way your closest speakers dont overpower the others. Testing db levels can also be used for tuning to flatten any spikes or dips in your curve.
Before I get picked apart, that was a very brief and lacking write up.
Another thing that might be worth trying when setting gains, is to use a test tone and a db meter. Set your rear speakers, or lowers, and read you db's at ear level while seated. Then set the rest from there. That way your closest speakers dont overpower the others. Testing db levels can also be used for tuning to flatten any spikes or dips in your curve.
Before I get picked apart, that was a very brief and lacking write up.