EQ and AMP settings?

[Eric Z]

I now have and equilizer that I will install today my question is where should I set my amps?
I have three amps one to run interiors one to run towers and a sub amp. Where should I run the freq. on the non sub amps. I know I will fine tune with the eq. I figure I will set them all around 3/4 to start on the volume side. The EQ has a fade so that will be handy for turning up the tower when someone is riding.

[cab13367]

I now have and equilizer that I will install today my question is where should I set my amps?
I have three amps one to run interiors one to run towers and a sub amp. Where should I run the freq. on the non sub amps. I know I will fine tune with the eq. I figure I will set them all around 3/4 to start on the volume side. The EQ has a fade so that will be handy for turning up the tower when someone is riding.

Confusing post. Are you asking where you should set your crossover frequencies or the gain?

[Eric Z]

Frequencies... I will put the gain at 3/4 or so. I have a crossover on my Polks and I can fine tune with EQ. Not sure if I should run the two amps that run the mids and highs all the way open....(Full range)

[cab13367]

Since u have a sub, run the cabins and towers on high pass. 80-100hz is a good starting point for the high pass frequency.

[philwsailz]

Eric-

3/4 is too high for most amplifiers. That gain knob is not a volume control, it is a matching device that allows you to set the amps at proper levels relative to each other and to the head unit.

Most of the time, you want to start at 1/4 and adjust up and down from there. Do a search on gain settings, you might even find it as a sticky topic here...

https://forum.moomba.com/showthread.php?t=9889

You want to run your full-range, (non-sub) amps on HI-PASS per the tutorial in the link above. I would write more here, but most of what you need to know and do is over in the "book" we wrote in the liked thread.


David at Earmark will chime in too with some more subtle suggestions. Trust him too, he is good at this stuff!

Good luck!

Phil
Kicker

[EarmarkMarine]

Not much to add since Phil has covered it very well in the above reference.
Tuning an open air system is very different from the confines of a closed vehicle cabin so 80 hz would be a very low crossover setting in most boats.
If you are setting your system up for sound quality, low distortion and maximum efficiency (which also equates to more thermal stability) the crossover setting will be higher. Your sub will require less gain for more percieved output. And by removing much of the unnecessary excursion from the coaxial's midbass drivers you will significantly clean up the amplification and fullrange sound. Then again, for a pure party system with tons of false emphasis, all bets are off.

David
Earmark Marine

[Brianinpdx]

Eric -

There is a lot of ways to look at your question and a lot of ways to answer your question. The key will be to set your system gains and eq and xover points at a level that will make sense for the specific gear you are running. It is very possible to have have dynamic range and sound quality and boom all wrapped up into one system.

I would be focused on making sure your speakers are optimized for the specific frequencies they can reproduce. As one would imagine, this would mean targeting higher frequencies for the cabin and towers than one might think. I get a lot of questions about what is the "correct" frequency... and honestly, most guys think its cool to have a tower or cabin speaker producing tons of bass. Only problem with that notion is the transducers are trying to reproduce notes outside of their effective range and this leads to distortion or destruction as the individual case may be.

This gets further complicated with other speaker zones (i.e. cabin, sub / tower). If your looking for a place to start and want to take one thing away from this post its this..... ask yourself, "why should I let my cabins and towers play lower down into the sub range when I have a subwoofer to do this for me?" If you take that to heart, good things will begin to happen in your overall output, freq overlap, and produce longevity in your speakers.

There is a balance between "elusive sound quality" and a party system and it will be different for EACH and every setup based on the components within that stereo setup. There is a lot of talk about the "pluck" of the low E bass string and smooth jazz but the reality is we live in a world of highly compressed mpg's downloaded at low bit rates compounded with users desiring sound systems for fun times on the water....

Here's the bottom line: design, setup and tune and gain your gear so it takes all of this into account. Take your time and do some objective listening to your system and ask for help along the way.

Cheers!

-Brian
Exile Audio

[kaneboats]

Good stuff, Brian. I wish I had a pro around here.