Sub problem

Chris7024

Torque Junkie
Points
60
Car
peugeot 207 1.4
I've got a problem with my sub which really annoys me. When I play a song on using my subwoofer and amp the bass drum in the song is too loud and ruins the song, all you can hear is bang bang bang. I want the actual bass in the song to be emphasised more than anything else. I listen to dance, house etc. So I don't want the bass drum to be loud, I want the bassline to be loud and vibrating. How can I change the settings to make it this way? On the sub/amp there's 'bass', 'level' and 'low pass filter'. Should I change these settings in some way? Should I only change the settings here and leave the settings on my car's EQ the way they are? Or is it ok to change both of them
 
I've got a problem with my sub which really annoys me. When I play a song on using my subwoofer and amp the bass drum in the song is too loud and ruins the song, all you can hear is bang bang bang. I want the actual bass in the song to be emphasised more than anything else. I listen to dance, house etc. So I don't want the bass drum to be loud, I want the bassline to be loud and vibrating. How can I change the settings to make it this way? On the sub/amp there's 'bass', 'level' and 'low pass filter'. Should I change these settings in some way? Should I only change the settings here and leave the settings on my car's EQ the way they are? Or is it ok to change both of them

If your head unit has a sub control the turn it down to 0. Your eq will want setting up yes but do this with the sub turned off so you can fine tune your cars normal speaker... Once you have set the stereo eq up then start to play with the Bass,Level And Low pass filter.... Start with them all set at nothin and work your way up with them and listen for the sub to distort. When this happens just relax them all a little. Remember when setting your stereo an sub up turn the volume up to the highest level that you would play at. For example my stereo goes up to 34 on the volume and I have it sat at 25 max. I use the amp to really drive the subs....
 
But whenever I increase the bass the bass drum is really loud and it's hard to hear basslines over the thumping bass drum. I don't understand how I can turn it down
 
But whenever I increase the bass the bass drum is really loud and it's hard to hear basslines over the thumping bass drum. I don't understand how I can turn it down

Goes through all your Bass settings on the head unit and turn them all the way down. Past 0 and all the way down the minus. Check to see if your head unit has seperate Bass control for the sub. Also turn all the settings on the amp down to nothin. Then turn up the head unit and start to tweak the amps settings slowly. You will have to work at this for a while. Mine usually takes me around 30 mins or so to setup properly. Take your time and have a play with the settings. You'll get there in the end....:D
 
When you say head unit you mean the car EQ right? There's no sub control on the car audio settings just ambience (pop/rock, jazz/blues, techno etc.), bass, treble, loudness, fader left right front rear and auto volume (whatever that is). But there is a remote unit for the sub which came with it, it's just a bass dial that I've got stuck by the dashboard.
 
turn that right down.
you HU doesnt have remote bass then other wise you would have a Sub control sumwhere to turn up and down
. set the eq to off or normal.
Whats the LPF set at ? Put the LPF to around 40Hz and try it from there
 
also have a look on the amp itself does it have a gain . (this might be your bass or level)

go somewhere quiet, a layby outo town for example, and remove the fuse from amp
turn up your volume on the HU until your speakers start to distorte the music (sounds crackely) then knock it back down a few settings.
Level the volume set at this or tke a note of it.
Switch the ignition off
Replace fuse on amp
make sure all settings on amp are at min.
turn on the ignition again (make sure its still up loud)
turn your gain up until it starts to distort then back down a little.
then adjust the LPF until your happy (mines was set around 40-45Hz and it gave a wonderful thump without being too loud)
 
oh should say after that you can turn your volume back down on the HU.
only time you should have to turn up that control is when you want the THUMP THUMP
 
So you want me to turn the remote bass setting for the sub right down?
What is the 'head unit?'
I don't know how to find out what hz it is at. I'll check the book it should say
I've got both bass and level, no gain though so I'm not sure which one of those replaced the gain
I can't find anywhere quiet to go around here it's busy everywhere. I've tried going to car parks early morning and late at night there's always people there. Even at the car parks by the beach there's people there, and it's winter!
 
I don't want too much thump either. I want the thump to be alot lower and the bassline to be alot higher and vibrating the car. I want the bassline to be thumping not the bass drum
 
follow the instruction i put up earlier
if your still getting too little vibration turn the LPF higher to allow more frequenies to be put through to the SUB.

if you paid for installation i would have thought they would have set it up properly to begin with
 
So just turn everything down then LPF half way, then what?
I have a 12" sub

That is why you are getting too much bass. 12 inch subs are great for raw bass. But for what your describing i'd say you would be better off with a 10 inch sub as these drop to the low notes quicker than a 12. With a 10 you will get the thump thump but it will be able to get down to the basslines quicker....
 
Ok I followed your instructions and it sounds alot better now. But there isn't much vibration. I think the LPF is turned to the lowest possible setting, which is 40hz. But I remember when I turned the dial the other way before it sounded quieter. When I make it a higher setting will it sound quieter but more vibration? Or am I wrong and do I already have it on the highest setting and not the lowest after all.
 
Chris, what are you wanting from your audio system. Music or repetitive noise?

Bass is not about thump, thud, or bang. It's about carefully articulated notes, whose pitch and timing can be appreciated. I like to hear the start, pitch, articulation, and end of bass notes.

Without those notes themselves, obscuring other parts of the music to which one is listening.
 
I just want less thump, thud, bang and more bassline. But obviously I want to hear the rest of the music as well
 
Try setting all the EQ to flat initially then. +-0dB.

What you want to avoid is having the bass signal coming from the sub and the other speakers. This will lead to phase cancellation which gives the effect you're describing ie. one note bass syndrome.

Subs are subtle devices - they're supposed to compliment the existing system, not complete with it.
 
What do you mean? Leave the sub settings as they are but put all the head unit settings to minus or normal?
 
Put all the head settings to 0dB gain (ie centre, no boost, no cut). Now bring up the sub level gradually until you have the low end volume you're after. Leave the LPF right off at this stage.
 
Ok so I'll set the head settings to default, the way they were originally. Then I'll only change the settings on the sub. Should I turn the LPF dial all the way to the left or all the way to the right?
 
You need to keep the LPF as far out of the mix as possible. So set the cross-over frequency as high as possible.

Next, ramp up the sub level until the apparent bass level doubles.

Adjsut the LPF in small stages until the apparent bass level justs starts to drop.

Now readjust the sub level so that you have an even bass volume.

You might need to go around a few times fine tuning with differnet music etc.

Whilst doing this you'll get used to what effect the controls have which will make it simpler in future.
 
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I have to adjust my head unit for differents styles of music. The amps stay at the same setting I just adjust my head unit when needed. To get what your after buddy i'd suggest ditching the 12 in favour of 2 10 inch subs as these can drop to the low notes alot quicker than 12's so you will get the sound your after....
 
If I knew this before I bought and installed the sub I might have got them.. but it's too late now.
HDi, you said to put the LPF off by putting it on the highest frequency. Then you said to adjust it until the bass level drops. But if the LPF is on the highest, when I adjust it it will make the bass level increase...
 
If I knew this before I bought and installed the sub I might have got them.. but it's too late now.
HDi, you said to put the LPF off by putting it on the highest frequency. Then you said to adjust it until the bass level drops. But if the LPF is on the highest, when I adjust it it will make the bass level increase...

Bass is the low end of the frequency range. So if you raise the LPF then you will be raising the frequency. Yes if it is all the way up an you drop it then yes it will increase the bass....
 
HDi, you said to put the LPF off by putting it on the highest frequency. Then you said to adjust it until the bass level drops. But if the LPF is on the highest, when I adjust it it will make the bass level increase...

No I didn't say that at all.

I said that you need to leave the LPF as open as possible before adjusting the signal level to the sub. (IE THE VOLUME, OR GAIN CONTROL)

Having adjusted the sub level so that the bass seems twice as apparent you then lower the LPF frequency cut-off until the bass level starts to appear marginally lower. By doing this you will find the natural extent of the LF response of your other speakers.

Once this is identified then you readjust the SUB level (ie gain, be it positive or negative) to get what is an even distribution of bass levels between the car's own speakers and the sub.

Can you find some specs for the active sub/power amp combination.

What is the rolloff slope of the low pass filter. This should be quoted in dB/octave.

TN69, you, too, are completely wrong.
 
No I didn't say that at all.

I said that you need to leave the LPF as open as possible before adjusting the signal level to the sub. (IE THE VOLUME, OR GAIN CONTROL)

Having adjusted the sub level so that the bass seems twice as apparent you then lower the LPF frequency cut-off until the bass level starts to appear marginally lower. By doing this you will find the natural extent of the LF response of your other speakers.

Once this is identified then you readjust the SUB level (ie gain, be it positive or negative) to get what is an even distribution of bass levels between the car's own speakers and the sub.

Can you find some specs for the active sub/power amp combination.

What is the rolloff slope of the low pass filter. This should be quoted in dB/octave.

TN69, you, too, are completely wrong.

Bass is at the low end of the frequency range. Where as tweeters are at the high end of the frequency range? Explain?
 
20-200Hz is thought of as the bass region
200-2kHz is thought of as the midrange region
2kHz-20kHz is thought of as the treble region

This is what I was on about so how am I wrong?
 
Just accept it and move on...
HDi I tried. I tried putting the LPF off then adjust put the level up. Then adjust the LFP. And I had everything on the head unit back to default. It still has the bass drum really loud and the bassline isn't loud enough
 
. But if the LPF is on the highest, when I adjust it it will make the bass level increase...
. Yes if it is all the way up an you drop it then yes it will increase the bass....


think this is where HDI is saying your wrong.
the LPF only adjusts what frequencys are used by the amplier. it dosent increase the bass level itself.

for instance mine allow me between 30Hz and 100Hz its set for 40Hz which gives me a nice punchy bass without all the extra vibrations due to the higher, 40-100Hz, being allowed through and amplified.
 
I knew he was wrong... that's why I said he should move on.. but now this has happened. I'm sorry it had to come to this turbo.
 
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