# Your SQ Tuning Steps in Simple Terms



## mennitti (Aug 10, 2009)

There are lots of complicated threads on specific tuning stages. Post your methods step-by-step for tuning a vehicle start to finish - draw it in crayon - keep it simple easy to understand English. 

Forinstance:

1. Set gains (refer to DIY tutorial blah!),
2. Set Crossovers,
3. RTA,
4. Adjust center image for each frequency using cd "X," tracks 1-8 (refer to DIY tutorial www.MarkEldridgeIsGod.com),
5. Adjust EQ using cd "Y," tracks 40-60,
6. Fine tune EQ using music cd "Z," tracks,
7. Improve depth and width by manipulating 5K,
etc.

I'm interested in seeing the basic tuning strategy that the rest of you use.


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## lechuck (Aug 24, 2009)

I don't know if you refer to that but for me SQ tuning mean beforehand designing the speakers configuration:
1-choose between active or passive crossover
2-I choose active because I'm an active addict
3-choosing your crossover point and slopes (I like a two way active for 80hz to 20Khz)
4-I choose 1700 Hz cause it is balanced in most of the systems I know that are made that way
5-I choose 24db slope known as Linkwitz Riley crossover because it is standard in audiophile and 12db slope or less doesn't cut the mustard for my standards
6-I choose the drivers according to that
7-I mount the kit as cleanly as I can
8-fine tuning of the seperate high and low frequency gains with known mixes (CDs that you have listenned to forever in audiophile or home systems)
9-I had the subwoofer fitted and working (24db/octave slope would be ideal but I don't have the funds) then I fine tune again
10-Finally fine tuning of the kit together with the above mentionned CDs
11-Voilà!!!! which is french for Ta Da!!!!!


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## michaelsil1 (May 24, 2007)

Trail and error until it sounds good.


There's a lot to tuning and without all the experimentation you don't know what works in your car and what doesn't.


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## 60ndown (Feb 8, 2007)

allow 2 hours, take soda and food and tools to somewhere where i can make some noise without disturbing anyone, take a few of my favorite well recorded songs.

set hu volume to 85% and all hu settings to flat or 0, and adjust everything and anything else till it sounds 'best' when im done like that, do fine tuning/ tweaking with hu eq etc.


i do it about 3 times a year and each time things get better.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

Roll a fat one . . . take time to smell the roses, fiddle with the knobs until the speaker pops and spits then increase x-over frequency and volume, avoid those certain songs that always drive you nuts [ girls voice is horrible on certain letters . . . esses n ennns and such ].

Eat something right about 35-45 minutes into the tuning and decide which way to go for further refinement . . . a drink is usually fine at this point , now play some acoustic music and see how things sound . . . OK , just start staring at anything around the hour and half mark . . . mebbe the sky or a cloud in the sky . . . zzzzzzzzzz's


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## ixi (Jul 26, 2009)

a$$hole said:


> Roll a fat one . . . take time to smell the roses, fiddle with the knobs until the speaker pops and spits then increase x-over frequency and volume, avoid those certain songs that always drive you nuts [ girls voice is horrible on certain letters . . . esses n ennns and such ].
> 
> Eat something right about 35-45 minutes into the tuning and decide which way to go for further refinement . . . a drink is usually fine at this point , now play some acoustic music and see how things sound . . . OK , just start staring at anything around the hour and half mark . . . mebbe the sky or a cloud in the sky . . . zzzzzzzzzz's


You make tuning sound like a vacation. I think I'll go to the garage.


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## michaelsil1 (May 24, 2007)

a$$hole said:


> Roll a fat one . . . take time to smell the roses, fiddle with the knobs until the speaker pops and spits then increase x-over frequency and volume, avoid those certain songs that always drive you nuts [ girls voice is horrible on certain letters . . . esses n ennns and such ].
> 
> Eat something right about 35-45 minutes into the tuning and decide which way to go for further refinement . . . a drink is usually fine at this point , now play some acoustic music and see how things sound . . . OK , just start staring at anything around the hour and half mark . . . mebbe the sky or a cloud in the sky . . . zzzzzzzzzz's


Hey, stop sharing my secret to tuning!


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

Good One Michael


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## pionkej (Feb 29, 2008)

If tuning where that simple, everyones car would sound like a concert hall. Why do you think there are threads with 13 pages discussing different techniques? It isn't simple. It varies from car to car, and driver to driver. It varies from 2-way to 3-way. It varies from passive to active crossover setups. It varies from use of l-r rear fill to not using any. Taste vary from person to person. 

If you don't want to learn how, don't read and pay somebody. If you are asking for somebody to put together a "how-to" with links to all the pages to make a "one stop shop" tuning guide, why would somebody do the work because you asked? If you went through, gathered all the information into one post so you could learn and then help future readers....well, that would be mighty cool of you.


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## matdotcom2000 (Aug 16, 2005)

1. set gains
2. go an get some whataburger andsome beer
3. crossover
4. tell my wife i will be back in the house in 45
5. rta (reset cossovers if needed, take out peaks, balance the sides and drivers)
6. go get my son and jam some Thriller album and center each set of drivers by ear(3way baby). 
7. T/A


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

^ ^ ^ Carry son in house after he falls asleep and apologize to wife in morning when she wakes up 

*Time spent tuning 7 hrs and MJ sounds like he has his nuts in a vise on every song*


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## spmpdr (Nov 5, 2009)

mennitti said:


> There are lots of complicated threads on specific tuning stages. Post your methods step-by-step for tuning a vehicle start to finish - draw it in crayon - keep it simple easy to understand English.
> 
> Forinstance:
> 
> ...


Here is some info I found quite useful it is a step by step as well.

HOW TO SET GAINS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The ADD version -

1. Play a typically loud music CD in your headunit. Set volume to 75%. Wear ear protection.
2. Starting with the amp gains at their lowest setting, slowly raise one gain at a time until you hear clipping from the corresponding speaker. This will sound like audible distortion.
3. Once you've found the clipping point, back the gain down until you no longer hear the distortion.
4. Repeat for any addt'l gains on the amp/amps.
5. Your new maximum volume setting on the headunit is 75%, never exceed that for happy, healthy speaker life.

(This is the quick & dirty method, it'll get you 80% to proper settings. Read on for the other 20%.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


How to do things right -

What's gain?
Also known as input sensitivity, gains are the small, typically recessed "volume knobs" on most equipment between the speakers & the headunit. All amps have them, also many EQ's, line output converters, some crossovers.

What's it for?
The idea is to properly match the output from different pieces of gear so that each communicates the cleanest signal to the other, resulting in maximum performance and minimal noise & risk of damage.

Know your enemy - Clipping.
Clipping is the tech term for the distortion that occurs when an amplifier is pushed beyond it's capabilities. In simple terms it sounds like significant distortion of the musical peaks. So for instance a big drum strike will sound muddy or distorted when turned up, but remains clear at a lower volume. That's clipping. What's happening is the amp momentarily runs out of power.

To properly understand this w/o an engineering degree you need to know the difference between constant power (RMS) and peak power. Constant power, very simply, is the amount of juice your amp can produce consistantly. Since there are some standards for measuring this it is one of the few benchmarks we have for amplifiers. But since sound waves are exactly that - waves, with peaks & valleys - understand that an amp's output is never constant, it has to increase & decrease with the music signal.

The amp's "reserve power" is what it uses to deal with the peaks in the music. This is called peak power, or my favorite, headroom. Headroom is typically about twice the RMS power of an amp, but can only be sustained for a few milliseconds before the amp gets totally winded.

So a good way to think of this is a 10 yr old jumping on a bed - that's the music signal. The bed is the amp's RMS power, the ceiling above is the headroom limit. If the kid jumps too high he whacks his head - that's clipping. Do it a couple times & he'll survive. Do it repeatedly & there WILL be permanant damage. This is the single biggest speaker killer out there.

So the object of the game is to adjust the bed height (by using the gains) to the right height so the kid can jump around like a caffeinated monkey without ever whacking into the ceiling. So setting the gains properly allows you to get the amp's maximum output without overtaxing the equipment. With me so far?

A few other basics -
To do this properly you'll need a few things:

Ear protection. Stuff some cotton in your ears if you don't have anything better.

A test CD with a sine wave set to 0db, a 50-80hz stereo tone is ideal. This is important - it's far more accurate than using a music CD. You can purchase these at most any guitar or pro music stores, Amazon, or download a program to make your own. Making your own isn't recommended since there are a lot of variables in computers that can affect the final product.

If you have a crossover, you'll need test tones within the frequency range for each amp. For instance if you have a dedicated sub amp crossed over at 80hz, get a 60hz test tone. For your mains, work with a 120hz tone. If you have a 3-way or more crossover, adjust appropriately, just be sure the test frequency is within the bounds of the speaker range. Test each frequency seperately.

Fader, tone controls, loudness/expansion, etc.
Ideally you'll have the sound from your headunit/EQ completely flat on a normal basis. If so, be sure everything's this way before you test. However, if you KNOW you'll have the bass boost activated, some sort of expansion, or the tone controls preset in some way then go ahead & set them before you test.

Otherwise it's best to have everything flat. If you choose to adjust the tone controls later & leave them that way you can always repeat the process. Regardless, be sure the fader & balance are zeroed out.

Dedicated sub volume controls
A lot of amps have outboard sub volume knobs & headunits frequently have dedicated internal sub volume adjustments. If you plan on using these they should be maxed before setting your gains. If you're not going to use them, best to de-activate them.

Set all amp gains to their lowest point before starting. Usually full counter-clockwise.

Input sensitivity switches
If your amp has a selector switch for different input sensitivities, start by setting it to the highest setting. These are typically expressed in voltages, for example .2-1v, 1-3v, 3-8v. Start with the higher numbers (ex. 3-8v) (lowest sensitivity). If you can't get the amp to clip at those settings, try the next one down until you find the clipping point. You can disregard generally what the markings themselves say since there's no real standard for measuring that stuff. Never trust your system's well-being to those voltage numbers, they're just a guideline best ignored.

Work with one gain at a time.
For example, if you have a L&R gain for your front speakers, you'll be working with each side seperately. If multiple amps, unplug all but the amp you're working with. If a 4+ channel amp, typically you'll have only a single L & R gain, so treat it like a 2 channel. If it has more gains, isolate each & adjust seperately.

Play your test tone thru the headunit. Adjust your headunit volume to 75% of max.
This doesn't need to be precise, just be sure you know where this setting is b/c it's now the HIGHEST you'll ever turn up the volume on the headunit.

(But the amps go to 11...! You're using 75% volume because some CD's will be louder than others. Also b/c there's a small amp in the headunit that will clip if pushed too far. Trust me on this one.)

Now turn up the gain you're working with until you hear the tone quality change - it'll be a distinct change in the tone, there will be distortion. This is where your amp clips. Now turn the gain back down to just below where that distortion occurs. That gain's now set. Repeat for all other gains. Repeat for all other amps.


Final tweaking -
Have an EQ? Want to use the "loudness" button? Want to adjust the bass/mid/treble controls? If you're making minor tweaks (+/-1) there's no real need to worry about gains. If you're talking about bigger changes (+4/-3, etc) you may want to run the tones again to be sure you're still set right.

Also now that the gains are properly set you can adjust them DOWN to balance your system. Need more front volume but don't have a fader? Turn down the rear gains. Sub underpowered? Turn down the mains. The important thing is to never turn them UP from where they are, just down.


A few other notes -

Can't I just use an O-scope or DMM to set gains?
Sure, IF you know the exact output (rarely the rated output) of your amp and you're a freakin' genius with your toys. Generally more accurate & far easier to use your ears.

What about the gains on the EQ/X-over/line-output converter?
Ooh, good question. The general idea here is to follow the same process but use the gains that are the furthest UPSTREAM (I.E. closest to the headunit) and set all the others to their lowest setting. This will send the hottest signal possible thru all the components. Just remember that anywhere the signal splits you'll have to set them there also. For example, if you have a LOC & an outboard crossover you'll need to set gains on both, starting with the LOC. This can get tricky. Let your ears guide you.

What if my headunit says "9v output" and the amp only says "5v input?"
Eh, doesn't really matter. Again, there isn't really any set standard for measuring this stuff & it's usually just marketing. Also remember that music is a wave, not a line, so that rated output is usually a max, not a constant. Just set everything according to the above process, nothing changes.


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## mennitti (Aug 10, 2009)

THANKS TO THE D.B. who moved a relevant discussion to Dumb Question Forum, no wonder it never went anywhere....my opinion differs. Everyone has a different system for tuning which is clear the more you read.

PIONKEJ; you missed the point with your comments. K.M.A.


Back on topic, here is what Mark Eldridge advises for proper steps:
"Put the speakers in the right place, make sure everything is in polarity, adjust the crossovers, set the amplifier gains properly and then EQ. " 

other advice

"sometimes you can add a second tweeter up high and add a little salt and pepper to the high-frequency range without affecting the overall wave front. If you do that, it should have a higher crossover frequency like 8[kHz] to 10,000Hz."
- CAE 8-11-10 Car Stereo Questions and Answers - Car Audio Fundamentals, Myths, Misnomers & General B.S.
Talking with the Pros
Car Stereo Questions and Answers - Car Audio Fundamentals, Myths, Misnomers & General B.S. - Guides - Car Audio and Electronics


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

take frequent breaks to give your ears a rest.

Although I LOVE drinking, do not drink alcoholic beverages, it screws up your perception of high end.

If you get a buzz on and decide to make changes, save old tuning in a preset, and use a paper and pencil often.


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## BowDown (Sep 24, 2009)

-Set Crossovers
-Set Gains
-Set Time Alignment
-Adjust EQ by Ear
-Adjust component phasing by ear (if needed)
-Double-check w/RTA to see if there's any big deviations 
-Enjoy


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

chad said:


> take frequent breaks to give your ears a rest.


This one is critical to me. If I listen critically for longer than about 30 min, weird stuff starts to happen and I end up making changes that I usually discover are bad ideas later. I'm not saying set your gains on Monday and your crossovers on Tuesday, I'm just saying make sure you get out of the car and go listen to silence for a while if you start feeling fatigued.


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## M-Dub (Nov 29, 2006)

a$$hole said:


> Roll a fat one


This one is critical to me


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