amp question - gain vs. eq knob
05-05-03, 05:41 PM
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amp question - gain vs. eq ****
This might be a novice question but here goes. I have an MTX Thunder 280 amp (its old) pushing a 12" MTX Thunder 6000 sub in a sealed box. On the amp there is a Gain Control **** and a Thunder EQ ****. This is what the MTX specs say about the *****:
Gain Control - This control is used to match the input sensitivity of the amplifier to the particular source unit. This control is factory set to a level (.5VRMS) that matched most preamp source units.
Thunder EQ - The narrow Q circuit allows you to dial in the amount of bass boost you desire. The circuit is centered at 40Hz and allows for up to 18dB of boost at that frequency.
So whats the difference between these controls? In novice terms? Are there certain settings for each that might work better or worse? The obvious response there is its a users choice, but is there certain levels that i should start with or aim towards? Any help is much appreciated!
Mark
Gain Control - This control is used to match the input sensitivity of the amplifier to the particular source unit. This control is factory set to a level (.5VRMS) that matched most preamp source units.
Thunder EQ - The narrow Q circuit allows you to dial in the amount of bass boost you desire. The circuit is centered at 40Hz and allows for up to 18dB of boost at that frequency.
So whats the difference between these controls? In novice terms? Are there certain settings for each that might work better or worse? The obvious response there is its a users choice, but is there certain levels that i should start with or aim towards? Any help is much appreciated!
Mark
05-07-03, 07:11 AM
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Where you set your gains depends totally on the pre output voltage of your head unit. When set properly, it will not audibly effect your system. When set improperly, it can induce clipping. Back in the day, .5V preouts would have "matched most preamp source units." Today, however, 4 volts is the most common. If you still have the gains set to .5 volts, you're most certainly clipping the hell out of the amp. What head unit are you using and what is the least sensative voltage rating on the gains?
As for the bass boost, it does just as it says. I would highly recommend setting this to +0, as significantly altering this would not be ideal for a flat frequency response and will induce distortion.
As for the bass boost, it does just as it says. I would highly recommend setting this to +0, as significantly altering this would not be ideal for a flat frequency response and will induce distortion.
05-07-03, 09:48 AM
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The head unit I'm using is an older Pioneer DEH-P4000. Here are the specs:
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/Pi...29,126,00.html
It says that the preouts are 2V. So where does that lead me to set the gains? I really dont know what the least sensative voltage rating is on the gain since it basically only has a (-) to (+) arrow on it. Im sure that doesnt help much.
As for the bass boost, to set at +0 means to basically have it all the way off or (-)? Or does +0 mean in the middle.
Sorry for the novice questions, I just really dont have a clue about this stuff. Thanks for the response!
Mark
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/Pi...29,126,00.html
It says that the preouts are 2V. So where does that lead me to set the gains? I really dont know what the least sensative voltage rating is on the gain since it basically only has a (-) to (+) arrow on it. Im sure that doesnt help much.
As for the bass boost, to set at +0 means to basically have it all the way off or (-)? Or does +0 mean in the middle.
Sorry for the novice questions, I just really dont have a clue about this stuff. Thanks for the response!
Mark
05-07-03, 10:10 AM
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It's not really a big deal that you don't know the exact sensitivity on the gains so long as you have an idea of what clipping sounds like. To get an idea, check out the wav file towards the bottom of this page:
http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/2ltlpwr.htm
(I would recommend reading as much of the website as possible if you're interested in making car audio a hobby)
First, being that you don't know which way to turn the gain to increase/decrease sensativity. Set your HU to a moderate volume. Turn the **** clockwise. If it gets louder, turn the **** as far to the left as possible. If the music gets quieter, continue turning clockwise as far as possible.
Set your head unit to a volume a bit above the loudest that you would listen to (don't turn the head unit to the max volume as you will most definitely cause the preouts to clip). Begin turning the gain **** until you hear a distortion similar to that in the wav. file. Then just turn the gains down a bit and you're set.
If that's a bit confusing (I really didn't explain it very clearly), there should be a gain setting guide on that website.
As for the bass boost, turn it all the way off.
http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/2ltlpwr.htm
(I would recommend reading as much of the website as possible if you're interested in making car audio a hobby)
First, being that you don't know which way to turn the gain to increase/decrease sensativity. Set your HU to a moderate volume. Turn the **** clockwise. If it gets louder, turn the **** as far to the left as possible. If the music gets quieter, continue turning clockwise as far as possible.
Set your head unit to a volume a bit above the loudest that you would listen to (don't turn the head unit to the max volume as you will most definitely cause the preouts to clip). Begin turning the gain **** until you hear a distortion similar to that in the wav. file. Then just turn the gains down a bit and you're set.
If that's a bit confusing (I really didn't explain it very clearly), there should be a gain setting guide on that website.
As for the bass boost, turn it all the way off.
05-08-03, 03:39 PM
#5
Since you asked for novice terms:
The Gain Control sets the attenuation vs. boost of signals at all frequencies that the amp can pass. The Thunder EQ control sets the boost only for signals within a narrow frequency band (around 40 Hz in this case). The width of that frequency band is determined by the 'Q' of the circuit. The narrower the Q, the more precisely you can change the relative level of a narrow band of freqs without affecting the surrounding freq levels as much. (A 'parametric EQ' has tunable 'Q's so that you can adjust the bandwidths to best fit the system frequency response needs.)
The gains from these two controls SUM only within the bandwidth affected by the Thunder EQ control. Outside that band, the gain is determined only by the Gain Control setting.
You can use what El Guapo said to help you in setting these. You MAY want some bass boost, depending on the characterisitcs of your system, your woofer, and how much bass you like. Try without any first, as El Guapo stated.
The Gain Control sets the attenuation vs. boost of signals at all frequencies that the amp can pass. The Thunder EQ control sets the boost only for signals within a narrow frequency band (around 40 Hz in this case). The width of that frequency band is determined by the 'Q' of the circuit. The narrower the Q, the more precisely you can change the relative level of a narrow band of freqs without affecting the surrounding freq levels as much. (A 'parametric EQ' has tunable 'Q's so that you can adjust the bandwidths to best fit the system frequency response needs.)
The gains from these two controls SUM only within the bandwidth affected by the Thunder EQ control. Outside that band, the gain is determined only by the Gain Control setting.
You can use what El Guapo said to help you in setting these. You MAY want some bass boost, depending on the characterisitcs of your system, your woofer, and how much bass you like. Try without any first, as El Guapo stated.
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