Stop Letting Car Audio Shops Cook Your Subwoofers!! Get Oscilliscope or SMD DD-1…Fact!

D’amore Engineering SMD DD-1 link
damoreengineer...

[@303nitzubishi4]

Lots of folks in our society don't fully understand the difference between SPENDING money and INVESTING money. Whenever a person purchases a tool, be it a DD1 or an O scope or a table saw or a router or a million other things, that money will eventually come back in the form of having a useful tool on hand to use again and again. I agree with you completely but I'd take it a step further to say that if you (as a customer) can afford to pay a shop hundreds or thousands of dollars on purchase and install of a system, then you can INVEST a little more to buy a tool to verify the settings the shop applied to your system. There are a million resources on the Internet to walk an inexperienced person through the process it's just a matter of setting aside some time

[@M.B.Enclosures]

@@303nitzubishi4 fact

[@williamtuhey1578]

Liumy also has an oscilloscope/multimeter thats only 50 bucks i been using it the past few years u should do a video on that amazing tool. 200 bucks is alot. Im talkin theres people just getting by and this hobby takes money. And u can set gains with a multi meter but not crossovers youre the man not me i just wanted to help somone whos as broke as i am

[@tcc3248]

Good ol trusted liumy. I get these back tires next week, & order some from mbe, It ll be on the channel soon

[@humbleshootertm2687]

When I went to Car Toys, they said they set the gain by Ear. I was blown away! Called around to a few independent shops, and they said they also set the GAINS BY EAR! The car audio industry needs to do BETTER!!

[@b-luv339]

By chance is Car Toys in Niles Ohio? Noel?

[@aestheticdetailstudio3939]

I trust a lot of things. But I will never trust gains set by ear by anyone on this earth ever!!!

[@arizonaf2503]

You can hear distortion so what's the problem.

[@myevilbanana]

⁠@@arizonaf2503there’s a couple problems tuning by ear. Hearing is subjective, what you hear now you won’t hear the same later. Setting values in electrons is a science so why would you do it subjectively especially when the tools aren’t expensive? Even with the best of hearing with a high powered system you’ll end up with one of two things setting gains by ear 1) by the time you hear clip you’ll be so far into clipping just backing it off a little won’t really get you out of it only lessen it. 2) if you are lucky enough to turn it down so you are not clipping you’ve probably gone too far and are leaving amp power on the table.

[@arizonaf2503]

@@myevilbanana My comment was statement not a question. I left behind the worrying about gain setting years ago its not worth setting your stuff to the edge for an unnoticeable difference. Not to mention a clip is a very high frequency so at least for amp used to power a subwoofer the amps filter will offset it. I don't how guys cant hear distortion, actually I believe they do but in their desire to squeeze an extra ounce of volume they ignore it. Set a bit short and most stuff will last a lifetime, set to the limit and Robot Underground is buying your subs and rebuilding them with devils jizz. Since we're name dropping I was hoping SMD wouldn't get to MBE but hey whatever pays the bills.

[@astro54541]

Bought me a $40 Oscope on Amazon. I have set over 120+ cars with it, and I have never had anyone come back due to subs blowing. MB speaking facts ! I cringe when I hear someone say “ My gain is only set to halfway”….. that’s not how that works Fam 😂

[@M.B.Enclosures]

@@astro54541 fact

[@travisa3510]

After watching, I remembered a video about using a speaker and cap to detect clipping. Barevids has a demo about the whole process.

[@Pwnag3Inc]

MY MAN! I own a multimeter, Clamp, oscilloscope and DD1+. In the denver area i offer to set your gains for $50. (self installs mostly.) Of course i check the subs and ohm load before even beginning to let them know if they are already cooked or not.

[@M.B.Enclosures]

@@Pwnag3Inc perfect.

[@trollmode3863]

I set my own gains by ear because I know how I want my music to sound. Done had loud music since 94...😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ndoc8889]

Same. Started in home audio though so having a good frame of reference helps. Never fried a coil in my life. It’s shocking that people have no clue what music is supposed to sound like. So, by extension, they have zero insight as to what distortion and mechanical stress sounds like. The old adage, “If it sounds like shit, turn it down”, doesn’t apply if you don’t know what shit sounds like…

[@josemedina6414]

Stop hating on those stereo shops

[@marcovaldovinos5009]

This is exactly the reason why I don't go to shops anymore, I learned the basics on installing audio and now i work on my own cars.

[@12Messenger]

I remember going to a shop a year ago and my bass wasn't as deep and loud. The dude came out with no oscilloscope or device. He grabbed a flat head, popped the trunk and start turning the gain 3/4 of the way 😂

[@RaYhEnRiX]

One key features i like about the JL audio rd amps is they come with a gain control light on them. And its extremely accurate because I set mine with a multimeter just out of curiosity and the light for the gain setting came on at the exact number the math gave me for the multi meter.. It makes me wonder if JL uses a multimeter when they were building the RD amps!!! This is a great KeyPoint because most audio shops won’t have a clue about an oscilloscope or the Steve Meeds device

[@M.B.Enclosures]

Fact.. I’ve sold customers good subs in proper boxes , and these shops claiming they been in business so many years killing subs… I hate it when it’s such a simple fix!

[@MatthewGuynn-ki8rn]

Often clip lights are very accurate bc they are working off rail voltage.. 🤘👍

[@NateHarrisCreations]

And don't forget after that grab your calculator on sq route setting and set the voltage output to how much power you want the amp to put out to the speaker

[@bb996]

I set gains by smell and smoke.😂😂😂

[@dce428]

Oscillscooe is tbe best way by far. Another way is to use a fluke meter off the rca outs very few people. Can set the gains by ear. And get it right. I did this for a living years ago i use to build compitition systems and demos then i got out if it. I just got back into it. Every thing has changed but. Nothing has changed just put a mild system in my dully alpine reciver. Kenwoold. 802-5. 5 channel amp. The booklet on the alpine. Did not have specs on the rca. Outputs. Max volume on the knob is 35. But 28 is the max before distortion so that is my max. I set the gains down to 5 volts lowest setting. Then played a veriaty of music. By ear i setteled at 2 volts on the gains by crepping up on it a few weeks later we found in the internet the output on the Alpine rca s. Is. 2 volts. I got it right by ear then the scope confermed it. Im a old scool car audio guy. I was a judge at the first. Alpine nathionals back in the 80s. In atlanta. And still can do it by ear. Very few can. The scope is the best way. to be sure We used the scope a month after i did mine. Just to check. I was spot on. No adjustmet was required now just because im able to do it. Does not mean a lot of other people can. Its not easy. As some might sugest put a scope on it ti be sure that my 2 cents 🖖

[@Blackice2097]

Man my boy went to this shop and his stuff sounded weird...they tried to upsell him a bass knob withOUT a clip light but he had one WITH a clip light already that i gave him...i checked his amp and his gain was maxed...his bass boost was all the way up and basically everything was just UP...i think they just wanted to blow the subs i gave him so he would have buy more from them

[@M.B.Enclosures]

They do this.. yes

[@High-Tech-Redneck]

So glad we still have honest people trying to help us achieve our goals.

[@daviddiosdado6558]

So Real...Had a installer told me me has been in car audio for 30 years and he tuned my car AUDIO SYSTEM. And my subs sounded like crap a few months later and realize they were damage. And then I did buy the DD1.

[@illx2367]

Had a shop work on my car that was newer to them at the time and once I left the shop, both my 12s were blowing at full bass running through them I couldn’t even turn the volume down. Turned back with them still blowing hard as they could for 3 min. The Active noise control on my cars mic was trying to cancel the sound out and lost its mind. I had to google it for them trying to figure it out with absolutely 0 prior knowledge in car audio and the way it worked with installing.. 2 years later I religiously started watching installs and more on car audio and once I tore my car apart to see how things were done I was surprised it wasn’t on fire. I saved up for real wiring and did everything right myself. 1/0 ofc and now I’m getting no dimming running 2 amps for door speakers 3 in. Super tweeters and a better pair of 2 12s. Car sounded amazing. Do it right by doing it yourself. Don’t cheap out on yourself by having some lazy guy with a drill run your wiring. You drive that car and you spend money on your equipment, do it right yourself. Be proud of your sound. Don’t turn the gain up so high. You want a clean sound with clean power.

[@PoppaTInstall]

Couldn't have said it better! I've tuned quite a few after their shop visit.

[@livebig6414]

I do agree! but some people just won’t accept the turth and they keep yapping about ‘i’ve been doing this for ~20years’ no way you can find a clipping point by your ears😀

[@M.B.Enclosures]

Fact

[@marioaragon9713]

I set up my gains and rest of the settings with my laptop connected to Audiocontrol D6.1200 amp.

[@down2earth838]

Turn volume all the way up on head unit , then start cranking up gain on amp till you hear sub bottom out a few times then back off gain slightly 😂

[@wooo297]

my gain is all the way up and nothing has happened to my amp or sub yet . it sounds great

[@scamchan]

HA AH!! Give it time

[@user-zh5ob4ri1c]

Yes Sir I find that out the hard way

[@myevilbanana]

In the 90’s oscilloscopes were expensive, entry-level bench top models starting around couple thousand (not sure if there even were hand helds yet) plus paying to have someone trained to use it, so ya that would’ve been a big investment back then and most small shops didn’t have them. But today you can get a hand held for $50 or an entry-level bench top for a couple hundred and learn the basics to set gains with it on KZbin in 15 minutes, with a small shop’s whole existence based on word-of-mouth advertising if you’re not willing to make a small investment in the tools to provide quality service you won’t be around long

[@rubenflores2870]

I still use the voltmeter that you used in the video with the phone at a 40 Hertz test tone 💯 💪

[@TheLawlessGang]

i use a multi meter to set all my settings on my amp t1000 bdcp

[@jamesalvarez8543]

I wish I knew this earlier... Man I blew 4 subs already cause I had so much faith in the shop. Custom sounds. I had heard a pair of jbls they had on the shop floor. Tried em out with the same amp I wanted to buy. They hit stupid hard... So I wanted them over the kickers... I blew out the subs in like 4 months after properly breaking in never touched the amp... I went back for a Warrenty claim... They replaced as promised. Now I have two paper weights . They say im past the warranty. Yeah sure. I wish I knew the proper questions before I went... It was custom sounds. I've been going there for a long time and never had problems up until this point...I'm pretty upset honestly... Especially since money's tight and can't just dish for new woofers... Probably a rookie they let install. But it's very very upsetting and now my amp is in safe mode or whatever u call it and now gotta figure out where to go to get my new subs I get installed and my amp working

[@Mr_R287]

Great topic as always mb it’s a 50/50 as if the shop is setting your amp up moderately then you may not have any problems however if you go to a fly by night shop as we call them in South Africa and they just take chances and set the gain like a volume knob then problems are around the corner In terms of shops like why would you go through the process of setting up a shop if you don’t have the equipment to actually do the job it just doesn’t make sense However we have companies like Jl audio and Rockford fosgate they may be others however those 2 have included a clipping light on their amps to help either the customer if they are installing the amp themselves or the installer

[@big1cam]

Oscope for short. 40-80 bucks on Amazon all day long rechargeable too. If you don’t have dd1 money. That’s what I use after I fried about 8 woofers, and two amps. 😂

[@bennietgek]

Thats what i did dd1 to expensive for that couple times that i set the gain

[@JasonWW2000]

Being able to see the audio signal at any point in your sound system is extremely helpful. 👍

[@cruznfl340]

Bruh... I got an amp pushing 2 12 subs installed by a local shop here in Miami. It sounded decent, but a couple weeks later, I decided to check the amp settings. The gain was ALL THE WAY UP. And the bass boost was at about halfway. Two huge no-no's in car audio. I turned the bass boost completely off and the gain down about half way and adjusted it somewhat by ear until I can get to another shop that can get it right.

[@M.B.Enclosures]

@@cruznfl340 buy a SMD DD-1…know for yourself…really are you that trusting to get scammed againf

[@scamchan]

Bass boost is my friend to the end

[@iwpllcproperty9645]

I disagree with categorizing veteran installers. I've got 30 plus years experience and have installed many many sound systems in my career. With that said I can't tell how many times I installed the system, had the customer sign off on it only to return later and the customer says their system doesn't sound right. Then to find out they friend tampered with it and now they got problems. Thats why I mark my settings and document them.

[@ashcoleman8866]

I’m always curious to the distortion that comes out of the head unit and out of the RCA going back that’s usually where people skip on. If you have a dirty signal going to the aunt, the gang could be at nothing and still be trash, just saying.

[@ashcoleman8866]

Amp not aunt, my bad

[@CapeFearSurvival]

True, most head units can't max volume without clipping.

[@fatstacks89]

I know from experience these shops don't know anything imagine getting a head unit installed and they crossed the wires

[@VALAREZ]

I'm weird, I don't know if it's a running thing or not but I guess the emphasis in this video on the pronunciation of "Oscilloscope" was done for a reason. In any case, the 1st C in the word makes an S sound because it's immediately followed by an i. Example words like "city" "citation" "circle" or any other word you can think of where an i follows the c, the c will have an s sound. The S preceding the C in the word doesn't change this rule. Example words "sci-fi" "science" scissors" the C is basically ignored and only the S remains. The "S-K-E" pronunciation in this video when S is involved only happens if the second letter is a K rather than a C. examples "Ski" Skit" "Skill" "Skin" "Skip" etc.... So to summarize, The letter K is not affected by an i following it, but C changes to S when an I follows it........Just 1 of those rules in the English language that makes it a hard language to learn as seen here even native speakers in struggle with some aspects of it at times. os·Sil·lo·scope

[@M.B.Enclosures]

@@VALAREZ yeah you need a better life my brother. I don’t think anyone really cared about the pronunciation, you got the gif of what I meant

[@scamchan]

I have probably not set the gain incorrectly on my equipment but then again I didn't pay anyone to do it badly.

[@kamrenmy7007]

You forget that most shops have an oscope and use them to tune amplifiers... the issue occurs when customers abuse equipment by turning their knobs all the way to the right, bass, volume, etc...

[@M.B.Enclosures]

I have not visited every shop in the US, to know what they have. I simply stated and still state, if they do not have the equipment do not let them do the install .

[@TruckerAK]

I blew my sundown 12 cause I was told from the audio dude just set the gain to your liking. lol boy was he wrong I cooked that thing within 2 months.

[@liftedcj7on44s]

This is cool and all but you also have to factor in the end user here. You can set gain's properly all day long but the instant the end user either changes the source of their music or even worse decides to constantly play below tuning then it will be the same old story of the installer didn't set my gain's properly. Lot's more to blowing a subwoofer than just gain's alone and until people get educated with how enclosures work and how music recording's work we will always have complaint's from both the end user and the installer.

[@swurtz060506]

Oh you wrecking them now!! Good Stuff!!

[@jbhouseofshinedetails8827]

Before all these tools they set by ear wasn’t a issue back then

[@BassAddict91]

Straight to the point 💪🏾💪🏾

[@theplatinumcaraudio]

Yeah but the customer will just cook them themselves because you know....more gain=more volume and it is ok to clip. I've set gains properly and they tell me they were able to get it louder by turning the gain up.

[@M.B.Enclosures]

@@theplatinumcaraudio unfortunately this is a fact

[@demigodq6083]

Excellent point

[@b-luv339]

Great advice

[@brandonedge1276]

I swear MB got some new audio mics...the sound quality seems to be improved

[@tamaraproveaux2926]

I've been installing stereos way over 35 years and I'm telling you if you blow up your speakers it's because you're not listening to them

[@milesbachelor8747]

A lotta of these shops hire the homies to work for em, zero certified skills. Had to follow behind sloppy work a couple times.

[@S_Carolina_Pyro864]

Facts Not FICTION 💪🏾💪🏾💥💥💯

[@davidrobertson9522]

I hear shops all the time saying we tune it by ear I tune my on I have a cc1 and a Oscilloscope no cooking my system

[@jamesstewart1794]

What about amps that have built in clipping indicator lights ?

[@M.B.Enclosures]

@@jamesstewart1794 you don’t need it then if you trust the brand

[@DibeezyTheGifted]

Been setting my gains with a DD1 and a dmm for years. I set my filters with a CC-1. CC-1 is great for gain matching as well. I know an amps max voltage Everytime. I run 3 Salt 6's in my setup... 88Vac on EA one. They're clean to 90Vac but I dial them back 2 volts just for head room.

[@cdellbrumley]

Is the Fosgate C.l.e.a.n function accurate?

[@terryburton971]

I have a Aukuyee oscope i got off of Amazon sikkk little tool

[@lowridr2]

if they dont got neither they not an audio shop they CARpenters lol

[@arizonaf2503]

The problem is guys trying squeeze out every ounce from their equipment. The difference in output is not enough to justify setting to the edge. Set a lil short and your equipment will last you a lifetime ... And sound better.

[@BradyonyungG]

wait, its bad if i dont set my gain properly?

[@ausarmanntv]

I'm the guy that's been building enclosures and installing car audio since 1984. If you don't know what you are doing I guess you should buy the junk he's promoting. But it's totally unnecessary.

[@roblinprasad528]

Had a shop tune my amp by so-called with the ear. 😢 ended up blowing my subwoofer and was blamed for it. Shop told me that it was my fault. Bought a different amp and went to a different shop had them tuned my amp using smd meter.

[@patrickbennett439]

I guess. However by ear, ive set every gain from every system ive had over a 20 year time and i never blow subs. I just listen and if it sounds like its trying too hard, turn it down. If its sounds good, then your good. I even have a clipping light these days. I never used to have those. 18s, i even get away with turning the bass boost knob on the amp up some and that knob was always a no no. Yea if i push em as hard as I can for a good 40 minutes, they get pretty warm. Yes i barely clip sometimes. Yes my volts are good. I never cook woofers. All by ear. Never touched sillyscope in my life. I guess when you had stereos all your adult life, you can get away with it. Oh and buy decent brand subs that dont blow right away. Oh yea i did blow a sub in like 4 days once, lightning audio, garbage brand.

[@youdig3691]

the "c" is silent btw..

[@ceciljones1248]

I hate when a subwoofer blows thats why if you truly into car audio you would have multiple subwoofers and amplifiers for backup?

[@M.B.Enclosures]

@@ceciljones1248 I’ve never have had to recone a subwoofer…Never

[@FrankStPeter]

😅. wow

[@mikesilverthorn911]

I have the dd1 and the output level meter. SMD voltmeter as well. Very simple. You see blue your good. You see yellow you have gone too far. Idiot proof.

[@tcc3248]

Mbe went to sounding off like a spelling bee, lmao

[@jerryruff6456]

I hope Steve is paying you to advertise his product or you working for him for free bro

[@dcaudio1]

Well i can...very well to. I set the gains first then verify i am indeed correct with the DD1+....thats talent. FNF

[@M.B.Enclosures]

@@dcaudio1 another ‘set by ear been in the game 30 years’ guy. Please mark this guy subscribers and do not listen to any thing he says ever on any topic. He will mess up your system …severely

[@JAM-ur8tj]

Yes sir, it's absolutely vital to set your gains correctly. Any decent audio place should have the correct devices.💯👍