# Project Silvermist has begun



## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

My "New" Daily driver.
2002 Mitsubishi Lancer OZ
Silver

my BMW wont be completed anytime soon, so I am going to build a relatively simple install on a budget to compete this year then my wife will compete with this car when my Bimmer is ready to hit the lanes again.










So 1st issue I had was this giant molex connection box that interferes with any decent unobtrusive kick panel build.









So i removed the holder, pushed all the plugs out. and used some heavy wire ties to secure them up under the dash and out of the way.









Next power wire was run through the inner fender. Im not big on drilling holes in firewalls so I look for available grommets or openings when applicable.
This car has wires and the hood release cable that come in front the engine compartment via the fender area.

I simply, made a hole in the rubber boot and fished the wire through. loosened the fender and pulled the power wire to the battery.









Then it was run down the driver side, as close to the edge as possible. there was actually a small channel that it happened to fit in nicely.









Car was gutted to dampen and run some wires



















I got a ridiculous deal on original Dynamat material, so I figured why not.
2 layers were done in areas that would contribute to tactile perception.









2 layers were done where the seats mount to decouple the seats. an additional layer of rubberized material will be used under the seat mounts as well.









The seat rail channels are hollow. so I filled both with white insulation. Same as yellow, but our Home Depot quit selling the yellow stuff.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

Last project for today.
1/4" Neoprene was added on top of the damping material to act as a barrier layer.
General Trim adhesive was used to set it in place. then the edges were covered in aluminum tape.


















Goal is to have majority finished for the Baltimore Meet/Shows May 29.


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## chefhow (Apr 29, 2007)

Subscribed....


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## BowDown (Sep 24, 2009)

Awesome. Going to keep tab on this install. Looking forward to the Baltimore meet!


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## tintbox (Oct 25, 2008)

Rock n Roll. Looking good bro. I'm trying to come up in the next few weeks so maybe I could lend a hand.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

Door Sealing and Damping

Stock Door









Ixos Gamma braided speaker wire run through Door boot inside door










Wire run inside through boot










Wire Run on Pass side, inside Door










1/8" hardboard was sealed and then attached to the openings with liquid nails. Then edges were further sealed with HVAC Aluminum tape.










All Openings were covered with 1/8" hardboard and then covered in Aluminum tape to seal the door as much as possible










Door was then covered in a layer of Second Skin Butyl dampener. a Dynamic Control DynaXsorb was also secured inside the door behind the speaker



















*Currently awaiting 6.5" Mid to go in the doors to complete the Project.*


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## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

Sub'd


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## Gary Mac (May 12, 2009)

Watching


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

i'm in on this one...


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## Cablguy184 (Oct 7, 2010)

interesting ... I'm tuned in ...


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## strakele (Mar 2, 2009)

I've got a very similar car so I'll be watching this one too. Looks good so far!


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## BowDown (Sep 24, 2009)

Count me in.


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## yuri (Apr 11, 2009)

did you damping the outer door skin ? as i can't see from the photos ..


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

yuri said:


> did you damping the outer door skin ? as i can't see from the photos ..


I dampened what was accessible.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

So the Goal is to have superb Sound Quality as needed for my daily driving and also be very competitive in both IASCA and MECA.

The Decision was made to mount the door midbass speakers in aperiodic enclosures so I can get quick, detailed midbass response without having to rely heavily on EQ to tune the system.


1st step was to get a baseline of what each speakers response was in infinite baffle inside each door.
To do this, I used an audio control RTA, IASCA Disc track 28 (pink noise) set to roughly 90db per side. Measured at the headrest of the driver seat.

Only thing playing each time is one side from [email protected]/octave










Next-Response was measured (Driver Side)



















Passenger Side



















So the Goal is to flatter some of the peaks, to give a smoother response without relying heavily on EQ.


foam XTC baffles were taped and then glassed to get a shape for the "enclosure"
(I didnt take a pic of this step)

After cured to and cut down









Next the baffle was attached and some "pet screen" was used in place of grill material.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

Next, fiberglass insulation was used for the membrane material. I believe this is 1.5lb density. Same as yellow insulation, but Lowes here quit carrying yellow for some reason..



















Next the speakers were wired. Terminals were soldered and heatshrunk. Then quick disconnects on the ends.











1/4" Volar foam is secured to the door with adhesive. This will help decouple the baffle from the door to reduce energy transmission which can lead to unwanted resonance and vibration.









Which was then covered in a later of Second Skin dampening material.









Same treatment on pass side









Speaker connected









Level set again









BIG difference (driver side)










Passenger Side









Both Side relatively flat with a small peak on each side.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

Once tuning is done
speakers were removed for "Final installation"

foam weather stripping to help seal the speaker in the baffle, also add some decoupling









Speaker secured in baffle with stainless screws. Silicone used to seal the baffle edges


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

Next we move on to the low end.

I havent used a rear mounted subwoofer in years and the idea of building a car without a front mounted sub irks me.

There is just something about having everything up front where it should be!:rockon:

this car has a ton of empty voids under the dash and could be pretty easily rebuilt to accommodate a sub in the dash, but to stay in certain classes, that isnt permitted, so alternate location had to be found.

front passenger floorboard/firewall
this location worked VERY well in my BMW-so why not









carpet was removed again and 1/4" volar foam was laid on top of the 1/4" neoprene foam that was put down earlier. the OEM carpet jute was also left in place and foamed over top.
The idea is to create a barrier to reduce tactile energy transfer from the sub/enclosure to the listener










Area was taped off and glassing started
I am using primarily Knytex Biaxial. Its used alot in Marine applications where you need alot of strength and also quick lay ups.
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc241/Mic10is/2011-05-08135851.jpg


Next baffle was roughly put in place. I'll be using an 8" sub.









Next, mold was pulled from car (to make sure it actually came out)
Then put back in for recheck










Skipped a few picture steps.
3/4" baffle Secured
Then top plate secured on top of baffle
Then coated with resin and edges sealed with fiberglass









Some more sanding and filling.
Then Enclosure was checked for airspace as well as how well it is sealed.









Total was 6 liters which equals .211 cu ft which is exactly how much airspace is required for the 8 I will be using.:thumbsup:

thats as far as I am right now

Car will be "finished" by May 27.......:laugh:


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## chefhow (Apr 29, 2007)

Looks AWESOME!!


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## slade1274 (Mar 25, 2008)

Looking good- hope I get up to hear it this year.


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## Melodic Acoustic (Oct 10, 2005)

Agreed, pure sweetness!


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## 3cyltrbo (Apr 11, 2011)

great build

BTW, do you have more info on this .... _Baltimore Meet/Shows May 29_. ????

Thanks

Will


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## tintbox (Oct 25, 2008)

Mikey likey!!!


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## strakele (Mar 2, 2009)

Lookin good! Can't wait to see how the footwell sub turns out. I was throwing around the idea of doing something similar in my Lancer. What sub are you planning on using?


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## BowDown (Sep 24, 2009)

Wow man. I can't wait to hear it! That's pretty trick on the enclosures. Might have to give that a shot. I really need to purchase/get access to an RTA so I can make more intelligent changes.


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## BlueAc (May 19, 2007)

Must be nice to have skills like this...


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

BlueAc said:


> Must be nice to have skills like this...


eh, no real skill. Just willingness to learn over the years from people who actually do have skill


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## BowDown (Sep 24, 2009)

So you just hot glued the insulation onto the back of the cylinder shaped baffles?


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## BowDown (Sep 24, 2009)

3cyltrbo said:


> great build
> 
> BTW, do you have more info on this .... _Baltimore Meet/Shows May 29_. ????
> 
> ...


http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...ltimore-meet-iasca-meca-sound-off-thread.html


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

BowDown said:


> So you just hot glued the insulation onto the back of the cylinder shaped baffles?


Nope. There isn't much room behind the enclosure for window clearance. I think both sides have about. 1/32 clearance. So the insulation is being compressed by the magnet. . This was the best solution to make a sanwhich without building out in either direction


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## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

diggin' the AP enclosures in the doors. I think Howard said you guys did the same in his car. A buddy of mine did the same with some metal he machined out at work but this is the first time I've seen pictures of someone doing this.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

bikinpunk said:


> diggin' the AP enclosures in the doors. I think Howard said you guys did the same in his car. A buddy of mine did the same with some metal he machined out at work but this is the first time I've seen pictures of someone doing this.


Thanks. Howards we just used Scan Variovents.
I didnt have clearance to use them in mine, but I ended up using more insulation that comes in a variovent as well to get the desired response

We'll have to chat about doing this bc it has some interesting results that took a couple phone calls to figure out:surprised:


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## chefhow (Apr 29, 2007)

Mic10is said:


> eh, no real skill.


I cant believe you actually said this in public...


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

Well I gotta do mine now. You think I should do the polys ap mic? I don't have the ac rta, but I might be able to get some ok results. I've done ap once before.


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## funkalicious (Oct 8, 2007)

Mic10is: Do you mind sharing what the "interesting results" were for your AP enclosures?


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

funkalicious said:


> Mic10is: Do you mind sharing what the "interesting results" were for your AP enclosures?


Entire Q of the system changed. Had to retune completely. XO points,Phase, EQ, TA--everything changed.
was not expected--but is better than before now after being able to tune some in beltway traffic


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## funkalicious (Oct 8, 2007)

Interesting. I've never heard of that happening before with AP systems. Was it something specific to your install or something to watch for in general when using AP enclosures? Would it have been different if the AP enclosures had been on subs? Just trying to understand as I would like to AP my mid bass speakers.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

funkalicious said:


> Interesting. I've never heard of that happening before with AP systems. Was it something specific to your install or something to watch for in general when using AP enclosures? Would it have been different if the AP enclosures had been on subs? Just trying to understand as I would like to AP my mid bass speakers.


It would have probably been very different with subs, espec if subs are located in the rear.
but my Mids play enough midrange that it made some other changes.

basically from what I understand, I went from a fairly high Q system to then a much lower Q system by doing AP


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## funkalicious (Oct 8, 2007)

Thanks for sharing this info. It will help me if I encounter this problem in my own install.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

Glad I can help. Im still tweaking and will do a full tune later this week before its debut show next weekend.


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## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

So how do you like these compared to the xs mids?


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

Brian_smith06 said:


> So how do you like these compared to the xs mids?


Kevlar cone gives it a bit more edginess in the upper midrange. It definitely has its own tonal color and character--whereas the XS were very Neutral.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

Subwoofer wired. Its a dual 4ohm coil, so its wired in Series for an 8ohm mono load. Genesis Profile amps dont do well at 2ohm mono











Sub secured in its new home
0.25 cu ft enclosure with plenty of insulation










Grill in Place
Simple wood frame with perforated steel Grill Material covered in black grill cloth










Center Console covered in 1" acoustic pyramid foam to to absorb reflections.











Console in place after being covered in black Suede acoustic material


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## SouthSyde (Dec 25, 2006)

ive always been a fan of your work Mic!! again greatttt job!


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## tintbox (Oct 25, 2008)

Nice sub.


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

i like what you did with the center console mic


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## Melodic Acoustic (Oct 10, 2005)

Sweetness!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Cdub (Feb 3, 2006)

Can you give us any more info on the sub? Listening impressions, size, specs, availability etc?


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## ecbmxer (Dec 1, 2010)

Wait, is that an actual Audible Physics sub or just stickers?


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## slade1274 (Mar 25, 2008)

Look a lot like...
Dayton NS210-44 8" Neodymium Low-Profile DVC Subwoofer


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## fish (Jun 30, 2007)

I definately like the foam & suede on the center console. I've been trying to come up with something/somehow to put there. Is this a remedy you've used when horns were installed?


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

slade1274 said:


> Look a lot like...
> Dayton NS210-44 8" Neodymium Low-Profile DVC Subwoofer


Shush!! no it doesnt


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

fish said:


> I definately like the foam & suede on the center console. I've been trying to come up with something/somehow to put there. Is this a remedy you've used when horns were installed?


in other systems I had removable panels. So Id either use melamine or fiberglass the sides of the console and then use velcro to attach the panels when done.


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## Horsemanwill (Jun 1, 2008)

Mic10is said:


> So the Goal is to have superb Sound Quality as needed for my daily driving and also be very competitive in both IASCA and MECA.
> 
> The Decision was made to mount the door midbass speakers in aperiodic enclosures so I can get quick, detailed midbass response without having to rely heavily on EQ to tune the system.
> 
> ...


dang that rta sure looks familair


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## chefhow (Apr 29, 2007)

And thanks for letting him keep it, we appreciate it


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## Horsemanwill (Jun 1, 2008)

KEEP IT? LOL Its on "loan"


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Fantastic job Mic - and I will hear it this year (maybe not on the 29th, but sometime this year ). I'm also intrigued with your AP 'enclosures' and center console treatments - great stuff!


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## funkalicious (Oct 8, 2007)

How did you determine the amount of insulation to use in the AP enclosures?


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## BowDown (Sep 24, 2009)

Did you cover the console because of midrange freq coming from the doors, or from some kind of horn application?


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## SSSnake (Mar 8, 2007)

Nice looking build! You didn't happen to do before and after measurements to capture the effects of the acoustic material on the console did you? If so, post them up! I'd love to see the impact. My console is considerably larger so I think the effects would likely be more dramatic but there is about 1.5" of carpet padding below the carpet in that area... Just looking for data points.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

funkalicious said:


> How did you determine the amount of insulation to use in the AP enclosures?


Ive been doing this long enough and reading and talking to people for years that I took an educated guess as to how much Id need and on the driver side it worked out perfectly. On the pass side I needed an additional 1/8"
But its just get a base measurement. add some. remeasure, see what the effects are--too much cut you remove some, not enough add




SSSnake said:


> Nice looking build! You didn't happen to do before and after measurements to capture the effects of the acoustic material on the console did you? If so, post them up! I'd love to see the impact. My console is considerably larger so I think the effects would likely be more dramatic but there is about 1.5" of carpet padding below the carpet in that area... Just looking for data points.


That would make way too much sense for me to do
I actually have a spare console coming, I'll measure sometime this summer if you really want to know.
It has definitely helped solidify imaging. Not as much freq dependent wandering


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## BigRed (Aug 12, 2007)

do you always rta in 4db steps?


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## strakele (Mar 2, 2009)

Any further updates on this? I love seeing/learning from someone else with a Lancer.


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## DAT (Oct 8, 2006)

Nice Job, more PICS?


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

*Someone has a new Toy*










*Will Install Monday since I have team mate cars that need attention 1st*


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

SON OF A *****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CANT WAIT TO SEE/HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
I LOVE IT ON PAPER!


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

rexroadj said:


> SON OF A *****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CANT WAIT TO SEE/HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> I LOVE IT ON PAPER!





According to Brax/Helix USA distribution--P-DSP is scheduled for US release End of October/early November.

C-DSP at last update is awaiting for hard to find parts but will follow a few months behind the P-DSP


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

By the way......nice shoes  There about what I expected from you!!!!!!!!!!















obviously joking  there in the pic......had to see it coming 
Seriously....if there is anyone I wanted to get there hands on this to put it through the paces its you! 
I will not likely end up with any dsp in my jeep but before my truck melted down this was #1 on my list so I still hope it is all that it seems! Hope it works out great for you!


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## hybridspl (May 9, 2008)

Mic10is said:


> Subwoofer wired. Its a dual 4ohm coil, so its wired in Series for an 8ohm mono load. Genesis Profile amps dont do well at 2ohm mono


Sorry about the off topic, but cousins?
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=295-136

Anyway, great so far! How do you like that sub? I am using an H-Audio front stage and contemplating a new sub.


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## nepl29 (Mar 25, 2007)

Have you install it?? listening impressions? Would to hear what you think about it.


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