Just wondering what methods people use these days to set the gains on their amps. I just finished up installing a nice simple little system in my new DD as follows:

- Kenwood DDX419 head unit
- 6.5" MTX 2 way components in front doors
- 6.5" MTX 2 way in rear doors
- 10" Kicker CompVR sub in a ported box in rear hatch area
- Alpine MRX-V60 5 channel amp under passenger seat

Front and rear speakers are running at 4 ohms, sub is running at 2 ohms. I am using the crossover built into the head unit for the front and rear, and the the amp's crossover for the sub. I would use the head unit's crossover for the sub as well, but the amp's sub crossover cannot be switched off.

Did a quick check last night that everything was working properly with all the gain controls set at the min setting. Going to start tuning the system later today, using the same discs that I have used for the last 20yrs or so for doing this job. A lifetime ago, I worked at a high-end car audio shop as an installer, and I also competed on the IASCA circuit for sound quality. I still own an IASCA test disc that I use. I find that current discs seems to be recorded extremly loud compared to discs from the past, and if I use them to tune a system, older discs always seem too quiet at the same volume levels. So I tune with the older discs, and just turn down the volume for the newer discs.

I have never used any high tech way for setting the gains on my amps, I have always relied on my analog meters - my ears!

My method has always been as follows:

-set tone controls to flat
-set volume to approx 75%
-use numerous discs with very dynamic tracks that I am very familiar with
-raise gains until audible distortion, and then back off slightly

What methods do you use?

 

That's pretty much how I've been doing it. Most HU have a noticeable difference between sources, so I try to use the loudest source when tuning so I don't have to worry about clipping a speaker if I have the top out on I-20.

The only tricky part is blending fronts and rears with the sub so it all sounds good regardless of the music you're listening to. Set all channels to max possible with just one playing (fronts/rears/sub), then listen to all together and figure out which ones need to be turned down to blend with the 'max' of the lowest volume set. Odds are the fronts will be the limiting set, so rears and sub will need to be turned down from max available volume.

Get everything sounding as good as possible with HU settings at 0 for fade/balance/sub boost. I carried a flashlight and tweeker in my car for over month after my last install so I could pull over and adjust the amps if I felt the need. Once I made it a week without tweeking I figured I was as close as it would get. When amps are set then you can fine tune any individual songs as needed with the HU, but if you got it right you probably won't ever touch it.

 

I have a control screwdriver in the center console, and I left the bolts for the passenger seat finger tight so I can remove them quickly to play with the gains and sub crossover! I don't even have to remove the seat from the car; I found that if I remove the bolts, I can just tilt it back to get at the amp quickly!

I agree that getting the front/rear/sub(s) sounding balanced is the hardest part. I always start with just the fronts, adjusting them until I am happy. Then just the rears, then just the sub, and then all together. I find I spend the most time on the fronts and sub(s).

 

Before you get too far along....

If the front components and amp can handle it (without looking up specs, I think they will), have you considered bridging your amp to 3-channels and using HU internal amp to power rear speakers? That would get you a lot more volume in the front that may be able to match the max setting of the sub.