audio tuning
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2001
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From: Canton GA
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St. Jude Donor '03-'05-'06-'10-'11-'12
Whatever sounds the best to you, that is unless you're going to compete in IASCA.
Face it, you are the one that is going to listen to it, tweak it until it sounds good to your ears.
Face it, you are the one that is going to listen to it, tweak it until it sounds good to your ears.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,572
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles Ca
yeah... i was hoping to learn about a more precise way to set it up though. I could be tweaking for ever if i just did it by ear. When you calibrate a video screen you have some colorbars to get you in the right range easily, i was wondering if there was something along those lines for audio.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,306
Likes: 2
From: Wesley Chapel Fl
RTA is the only way scott. Then you need a 1/3rd octave eq to adjust. Here is how I tune. Start with xovers and gains. Then to the adjusting the eq with the RTA. Generally there will be 2 to 5 hours with the RTA. Incase you do not know as tweeters get hot their frequency response drops so while tuning you should take breaks to let the tweeters cool. The RTA shows exactly when this starts to happen. Once I happy with the curve then I go back in and listen to it. Often make adjustments by ear and then with the RTA again to make sure those adjustments did not though it too far off.
As Shawn mentioned it is your car and you can tweek it by ear but if you want to maximize what you are using a 1/3rd octave eq is needed and the use of a RTA.
As Shawn mentioned it is your car and you can tweek it by ear but if you want to maximize what you are using a 1/3rd octave eq is needed and the use of a RTA.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,458
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I did mine with a Autosound 2000 test CD that has tones from around 10hz-20,000hz, a Radio Shack digital SPL meter and some graph paper. This was back before I had a computer and Excel. I think you can buy a computer RTA program nowadays as well.
It graphed out showing all the highs, lows and holes in my system but not as perfectly as an RTA but damn close enough to get me in the right ball park. It takes time because you have to go back and make a new graph each time you make a EQ change but it can be done and is actually fun and much cheaper than a RTA.
You still have to tune by ear to get the final result which takes even more time.
BTW, you can tune 3 different ways: Empty car, driver in car, driver and passenger in car. Each will affect the sound of your system.
It graphed out showing all the highs, lows and holes in my system but not as perfectly as an RTA but damn close enough to get me in the right ball park. It takes time because you have to go back and make a new graph each time you make a EQ change but it can be done and is actually fun and much cheaper than a RTA.
You still have to tune by ear to get the final result which takes even more time.
BTW, you can tune 3 different ways: Empty car, driver in car, driver and passenger in car. Each will affect the sound of your system.
Last edited by 65 Hardnoks; May 20, 2005 at 12:54 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,306
Likes: 2
From: Wesley Chapel Fl
65....you did exatly what an RTA does just you did it manually. It is very cool you did that. That is ALOT cheaper then using a RTA and proably easier to read. It takes some time to be able to read a RTA screen. Especially if you try to use the Acoustic RTA. Depending on your EQ you can also tune left and right and sometimes front,rear,center, and sub...talk about time consuming...lol.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,572
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles Ca
wow, that is really cool. I don't know if i'm going to be able to do something like that but it may be worth a try, I could always just revert back to the default if i screw it up to badly.
If i was to take the easy way out and just do it by ear, is there a test cd that would make it easier or do i just pick some classical music and tweak it till it sounds good?
If i was to take the easy way out and just do it by ear, is there a test cd that would make it easier or do i just pick some classical music and tweak it till it sounds good?
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,572
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles Ca
Originally Posted by deiaggie
if you have a laptop you can use it as an RTA...you can buy a test mic and powersupply for around $80
unless you have a great ear, an RTA is really the only way
unless you have a great ear, an RTA is really the only way
could you tell me more about the text mic and power supply? i have access to a great senhiezer mic, would that work?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,306
Likes: 2
From: Wesley Chapel Fl
There was a product called PCRTA. I am not sure if it is still around but it is a software based RTA. Do a search and you can proably find where to get it. That would be another cool item to have on board.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 6,059
Likes: 2
From: Texas
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...324556165&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW
i believe you will also need an adaptor to convert the XLR to 1/4" style plugs
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW
i believe you will also need an adaptor to convert the XLR to 1/4" style plugs
Last edited by OrthoAggie; May 22, 2005 at 12:18 AM.
