Set Crossovers with a Multi-Meter, the CORRECT way!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ส.ค. 2024
- In this video I show you the RIGHT way to set up the crossover on your amp with a simple DMM. No need for expensive tools!
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as someone who has only recently gotten into car audio, your videos have been extremely helpful and its a sin you arent more popular. Props!
I appreciate that. TH-cam is a slow grind my channel will be big one day, it just takes time.
On my life, all the way from Chicago boss man lol. You need your own company or podcast that goes national, because I was screwed over on my sounds, but I cleaned up nicely after watching your videos. Mad respect ✊🏾
Out of all the youtubers doing audio equipment, your videos have definitely been the most helpful. Especially in showing that you don't need a fancy $300 SMD DD-1 to properly set the gain or other parameters.
Those are great tools and I would love to have one. But you can't really justify spending that much unless you are doing it for a living.
I totally agree. Do you need one for personal use? No. I do it for a living and it comes in super handy. You don't need a mobile detailing trailer to wash your personal car but if you do it for a living, a bucket, rags and dish soap won't cut it😉
All your videos are great and this one in particular has been extremely helpful as I’ve struggled to setup the crossovers on my four channel amp. Spent 30 mins this morning setting the gain and crossovers and my car sounds fantastic. Thank you, sir. Subscribed :)
Awesome! I'm glad I was able to help.
You are definatley one of my favorite audio TH-camrs. Great info. Great contribution not only to the diy guys but the industry as a whole. Keep up the great work bro
I'm just a normal guy with a camera and some power tools! If I can do this stuff anybody can.
@@DIYAudioGuy do I put one lead on positive and one on negative speaker terminal?
Im so glad i found this video again. Recently got a new set up and its in need of some tuning. Thanks for your help!
Glad to help.
Your videos are Awesome! Thank you for simplified but correct ways to get where we're going!!
Thanks!
This is the correct way to do it proved with the DSP. Great Vid!
Either that or my DSP does it wrong. 😆😆😆
Pro tip, double tap the recent app button to toggle your last used app... Great crossover info! Thank you.
Cool, thanks!
one of the best, if not the best, crossover setting videos out there. thank you! if you felt like it & had the interest, .... you can record voltages over a frequency band/range and adjust the crossover to max/min and test the amplifiers crossover slope. then you can graph results and see if the crossover slope is as claimed! :)
Old but gold, today I just finish tweaked x-over regarding to your guidance. 12db/oct by amp & 6db/oct (Butterworth) by HU at same spot 100Hz. No need to switch polarity in sub cause 180degree phase (3rd order). My system now mixed micracle. Thank you!
Nice work!
Saved me $180 .. Subscribed! Thanks!!
Glad I could help!
best crossover video on you tube!!!
I like to think so! I have been doing some research on different crossover alignments and if I ever get them all figured out I will make an even better video!
Just what i needed!! Thank you
Glad I could help!
I've always dependes on the 2 object on the side of my head. Called ears if it don't sound nice and clear something's amiss. Kind of like timing my trucks engine you can hear a miss . Nothing fancy just ears. Great video I also keep my volt meter in my pocket it's am everyday everything tool.
Gentleman you have a new subscriber
Welcome to the adventure!
My amp manual tells me to do this by ear using a 75% volume set point which for me is impossible and entirely guess work. I look forward to use your multimeter method. Thank you very much.
You can spend a little bit more and get an oscilloscope and be even more accurate. th-cam.com/video/oBNETr9AHwA/w-d-xo.html
this is way better than what the amplifier manuals tell you to do
Interesting, I have never read the manual. At least not the part on setting the crossover.
@@DIYAudioGuy the manual on my JBL subwoofer amp says something like "turn the frequency down until you can't hear any mids and highs." really appreciate the video!
Well this is a nice video on crossovers that I’ll definitely be using in the future.
Normally I don’t need exact crossover settings, but this’ll come in handy for my highpass that needs to be set at 17 or 18Hz 2nd order. And I’ll want that to be almost perfectly set because I’d rather not bottom out my lil Ultimax under 18Hz.
Wish I had DSP in the car because in the house my Inuke DSP makes it so simple just type in the number and select the slope and done. (Though it doesn’t let you DSP below 20Hz sadly)
What size Ultimax?
@@DIYAudioGuy It's the 10" that I've mentioned in another comment on another video of yours. (The one I've planned with 3 10 inch passive radiators)
Awesome video
Thanks!
Your 1st dude I seen set x-over settings with a multimeter, very informative. Can the same process be done on a external 4way x-over made by zapco or prv or whoever
Yes!
Love the videos
Thanks!
thanks bro....save me confusion. i didnt know the knob of the screw to set the htz mids to highs even tho knob set on the number dont mean its the number...wow....amps are sometimes hard to figure out at times
Thanks
I like the way you explain everything. I don't have a DSP, so I was looking at using the crossover on my amp. How do we find A:the db/octave slope that our amp uses?
And B: the "unfiltered voltage"? Should we just leave the crossover off, and see what voltage we get out of the speaker terminals, and use that?
I have the SKAR audio RP-150.4AB for my mids and highs and
And Hifonics Zeus ZRX2400.1D for my sub. Bought my sub and amp years and years ago, and am now trying to do a proper setup in my car.
Unfiltered voltage is just that, it's the voltage without any filters on. It does not really matter what the starting voltage is. I recommend turning the head unit up until you get 10 volts just to make the math easier.
Your owner's manual should tell you what your crossover slopes are and the type of crossover.
Thanks mate really knowledgeable
One thing I have got amplifier but no gain knobs only bass eq , LPF,HPF, Levels,crossover and subsonic
So don’t no how to set the gain for subwoofer please
The levels might be your gain knobs.
Love your videos. I cannot find any info on my 4ch amp for the hpf cut off slope. Should I assume that is a -12db slope before I do my calculations. Cheers
Yes, that would be a safe bet.
Great video very informative.. I have a question. do u do this crossover settings after setting your gain with a 40 or 50 hertz tone?
Yes, set the gain first.
@@DIYAudioGuy Greetings! To follow up on your reply. In my case, it was not possible to set the gain first. I had to do the LPF and HPF (subsonic) tunings. Reason I couldn't do my gain first was because I could not reach my "required" 31.6V for the 1000W for my sub. The minimum reading on the DMM was 32.0+ V on the absolute lowest gain setting. Only after once I set the crossover points on the LPF and HPF first, did my gain gain knob actually give sensible voltage values. Does this seem correct to you? Does it actually make a difference which you tune first? Thank you!
edit: my sub level on the headunit was to 0.
Sounds like it worked out fine for you. What frequency test tone did you use to set the gain and what is your crossover frequency?
@@DIYAudioGuy First I set the subsonic filter by playing a 30Hz 0dB tone. Then I set the LPF by playing a 80Hz 0dB tone. Finally I adjusted the amplifier's gain knob (headunit was 85% of max volume) by playing a 40Hz -3dB tone to bring it to the ~31.6V. Anything that jumps at you that you would do differently? Thanks!
@@acmilanshevachels If you are happy with the sound and you are not clipping, then it is good.
I like the video and details but I must have missed the one that explains how you choose which frequency you are targeting?
For instance how do you know how high of hz to set your subwoofers frequency? 80, 100, 120. What frequency range your mids can play, and what frequency is the lowest frequency your tweeters can handle ?
I did not cover that in this video. I don't think I have a video that talks about that specifically.
Wanting to get a voltage reading of your crossover for the technicality is cool (awesome job on showing us!), but is it really necessary? I find that crossovers have to change according to what you're listening to. At my home entertainment system, when I'm watching a movie, I set my crossover on my subwoofer to about 80 htz so that the dialogue doesn't come through. When I'm listening to music, I set it to about 120-180 htz (depending on the type of music) so that I can hear the upper-ish mid frequencies of the bass guitar and not just the kick and floor tom. It's set all by ear. No multi-meter required. Don't beat yourself up guys if you can't get this math right. Lower your crossover to cut off the frequencies you do not wish to hear through your sub (that's what it's designed to do). If it sounds muddy, cut some more out. If you want more beef/punch, raise it up some. Again, don't worry about the numbers. Hear it.
I don't disagree. The ear is the best test instrument.
How do you choose what test tone for what you want
Maybe i missed something but if your unfiltered voltage is 50v and you are driving a 1ohm load. At 80hz 24db/oct slope your target voltage is 25volts. You have to apply the 0.251 to the wattage ( @1ohm load. 50v x 50v = 2500watts ; 2500 x 0.251 = 625watts ; square root of 625w = 25v. Take it or leave it guys . Not trying to argue with anyone. DIY guy you are still awesome.
Crossovers are not based on watts, they are based on DB. You have to convert from DB to volts to find the crossover point.
Hi DIY Audio Guy, I've learned so much from the few videos I've watch. Love learning the math portion of this.
I am bit confused see i have a dm-810 dsp, do I match the slope of amp on my dsp so they are the same. Do I set the crossover on both the dsp and amp or just one of them? Thanks for taking the time and doing these videos.
If you have a DSP you can just turn off the crossovers on the amp and use the DSP.
@@DIYAudioGuy awesome i was using both crossovers on dsp and amp. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I look forward to watching more of your videos.
@@DIYAudioGuy one last thing if my amp is 12db, should my dsp be set to 12db to match the amp or could I set it to what I want I have 12db and 24db on dsp.
Either is fine. Set it so it sounds good and blends well with the rest of the system.
The key advantage to the steeper slope is it gives you more flexibility when matching up drivers. You can for example cross a tweeter over a little bit closer to its resonant frequency when you jump up to a 24 DB per octave slope. An aluminum cone mid-range is going to have some really nasty cone break up at the upper end of the frequency, a 24 DB crossover slope makes it a lot easier to filter that out.
If you don't trust your ear then you will need to find a friend with a golden ear to help you tune it or see about getting your hands on an RTA. You can build a cheap one with a smartphone and a few parts that you probably have lying around. th-cam.com/video/7orJovlXvBM/w-d-xo.html
@@DIYAudioGuy yes 24 db slopes help avoid crossover phase issues too❤
Bonjour je voulais vous poser une question comme le réglage du crossover modifie la tension je devrais régler le crossover avant le gain ? Merci pour votre retour
I really appreciate your videos, I'm not sure what I am doing wrong, but I have a 1200.1d amp, 24/oct variable amp, 32hz tuned ported box. Does it matter if I set LPF or SS first? I tried both, but am unable to get the HPF down to 2.51, It will only go to 5 dropped to the lowest. 24 hz tone for SS and 80 for HPF. Thank you for your videos.
It's really hard to say without being there to troubleshoot the amp. But you probably should be okay, a 24 DB slope is very steep so you can get away with setting it as slightly higher frequency.
Main thing is to take it easy with the volume knob until you're certain that you're not unloading a little frequencies.
I have a NVX JAD1200 and its a 24octave amp. I put my volume at 28 and played a 75hz tone. I put the crossover the highest it could go and I got a reading of 31.5v. I multiplied the unfiltered voltage to 0.251 and it's 8.85. I lowered the level on the crossover and did not lower more than 20v. So I lowered the volume and Got it to 8.0v (by luck) I Tried getting to 8.8v but the next notch jumps to 9.5.
That's a solid amp, I have the 4-channel version. I wish they still sold the JAD line, I am not fond of the newer VAD line. I am sure they are good amps, I just don't like the look.
I have been doing a lot of research on crossovers and have had some good feedback from viewers, here is what I have learned: There are different crossover types (bessel, buttworth, linkwitz-riley), they are all implemented differently, and not every company implements them as intended. I think for that amp your best bet is to set the crossover using .708 (the -3 db down point).
Most importantly, set it so that it sounds the best. The technical stuff is fun, but the music is what matters.
I hope to get some updated crossover videos out when it warms up!
@@DIYAudioGuy I love this amp, it fits under my passenger seat and it swallows lots of juice and the power sounds clean. I'm also using their 2ohm VCW 12" Sub in a vented enclosure at 32hz.. That's interesting I did not know that there's different crossover types.
I'm also using the Audio Control LC2i LoC and it sends about 9v pre amp out put. Can that affect the reading on the multi meter? .. At the end I put the crossover on the amp one notch over because it sounded better.
@@kevinc6073 The voltage from the LC2i will not impact the crossover setting, but it will impact the gain, with that much input voltage you can keep the gain low. You will have less noise in the system.
@@DIYAudioGuy I used your other video to help guide me to set my gain. I had a feeling it would impact my gain setting because my subwoofer is pretty loud and it is a 1/4" Turn before the half gain mark on the amp. I might even have to turn it down one more notch. Wanted to give the woofer exactly 1000rms
Sorry for my poor english but I have an question for you. I followed this video tutorial yesterday when I tweaked an 4x80w 4 ohm´s amplifier (GAS 80,4 Pro) with a crossover. The strange things where that the output voltage did not change at all when I switshed between HPF and Full range. I could see a minor difference when I screwed the wheel but it was way under 1 volt. I had an unfiltered voltage of around 10,05v and it was almost the same when I swithed to HPF. If I connected the speakers I could hear the difference in sound so it seemed that the filter worked correctly. I suppose I did something wrong,
I also tried to use an oscilloscope on the speaker outputs both on the 4x80w 4ohm amplifier (1000hz -5db test tone) and the 1000w GAS 1.1000 PRO 1-4 ohm (40hz -5db testtone) to get the correct gain but the curves on the ocilloscope looked distorded way under the max output that those amplifier should have left. For example the 1000w amplifier had a clean signal only up to 17v. The head unit where correctly tweaked with the oscilloscope and the volume where set to that maximum level.
In the end I just put the voltage at 17,8v at the 80.4 amplifier and 34.6v (600w 2ohm) at the 1.1000 amplifier and it sounds just fine in my opinion but it was really annoying that I could'nt do it the way that i had planned from the beginning. The HPF screw where just put around where I thought 80hz where.
I am sorry it did not work. It is very difficult to trouble-shoot in TH-cam comments. If it sounds good to you then it should be fine.
Seems informative, but I must have missed how to calculate the voltage factor, or is that standard related to the slope. I like knowing where and why…I’m not the “because that’s what they said” guy. Great videos by the way.
I used the formula for DBv th-cam.com/video/4kDxUcGCe8M/w-d-xo.htmlsi=3XMWroosrXic56Iz
I have a skar RP 1200.1D. The specs says it’s a 24 dB/OCT. It also had a subsonic filter that goes from off to 50hz. The LPF goes from 50 hz to 220. I have the LPF at its highest like you said l. Whenever i multiply the unfiltered voltage by .251, the number i get is too low. No matter how low I go on the LPF, I can’t get the multimeter to that number i calculated. Could that be a result of a cheap multimeter? Or what could it be?
Glad i found you, but i only have one question. How did you come up with the voltage factor?
It's based on the DB formula that I explained in this video th-cam.com/video/4kDxUcGCe8M/w-d-xo.html
@@DIYAudioGuy Thank you sir.
Ty it was always such a pain to guess where 80hz on the crossover is. I never understood why they have like 30hz and like 150hz on a crossover and no other marks.
Glad I could help. Don't forget the most important thing. How does it sound? The math is just there to get you close. Let your ears do the rest.
Can I use the same principles for home audio? Let's say building a crossover, which I'm trying to avoid, but I'm using a couple crown xls 1000'swhich have the adjustable high pass,low pass built in ?
Yes.
Hi do you have a different site for more detailed correspondence? I’m starting a project but have quickly realized I may be in over my head a bit but I want to learn so I want to do it myself. You might be able to help with some more detailed question answers.
You can email me DIYaudioguy@gmail.com.
great video, you need more views and more likes,
do i need a true rms dmm?
Yes, you can get a decent true RMS DMM dirt cheap these days.
@@DIYAudioGuy very big thank you for the video but I've got a little question. If my amp Xover can do only 12db/oct should I multiply the first voltage by the factor you showed at the begining of the video for 12dv/oct?
@@longdee5192 That is correct.
You set crossovers at full power. Can you also do this work at any given voltage? say 1v output so you can do it with speakers hooked up. doesnt the speakers impedance affect the voltage output of the amp?
What I do now is I pick a lower voltage, and something that makes the math easy. So I'll adjust the head unit until I get something like 10 volts. There are some who suggest you should do these settings with the speakers connected I disagree because you run the risk of damaging your speakers by pumping test tones through them. Plus test zones are hell on your ears.
Does this formula work at any volume level? I assume the reference voltage is the voltage at whatever volume you are at.
Yes, it does. What I've started to do lately is to set the volume so that the voltage is at a nice round number to make the math easy. If the starting voltage is 10 then all you have to do is move the decimal in order to do the math.
how fo i set my lpf on a monoblock? im trying to set it to somewhere between 60-80hz
Nice dog 🐕
Had a question I wanted to ask you, What’s your take on this?, why wouldn’t every amplifier that comes with a crossover adjustment, not give you the option to have it adjustable down to 0. For example, the infrasonic filter on most bass amplifiers in today’s market are adjustable from say 20-50hz or 15hz-35hz. This doesn’t allow someone the opportunity to not use the filter, because even at its lowest point, it is still cutting the voltage. What I hear from most people is that you shouldn’t notice that much of a decrease in loudness in those range of frequencies from having it at 15hz as compared to an amp that doesn’t have one, but I beg to differ. Some of these amps nowadays have 24 dB slope on the Filter, and that really does affect a 20hz tone even having the filter it at its lowest point of 15hz. Sorry for the long winded comment and question. Keep up the great content!
Now that you mention it, that seems kind of odd. when I get to my computer I will try to type up a thoughtful response for you.
OK, here is what I think! Let's say you set the subsonic filter to 20 HZ, and it is a 6DB per octave linkwitz riley, it will be down 3DB at 20 HZ. Then down 6DB at 15 HZ and down 12DB at 7.5 HZ. Down 3DB at 20HZ is not much at all, but it is kind of a moot point since most subs are going to roll off before they get down to 25 HZ. Setting the subsonic to 15 HZ is practically the same as setting at at zero. But this is just my best educated guess.
@@DIYAudioGuy i appreciate the response. In my experience, 99% of amps that have the subsonic filter on the amp, is either 12db per octave or 24. i think rockford had one amp that had 18db per octave but was a one off idea. 6 db down at 20 hz is definetly noticable to me, especially when listening to full orchestra performances i have on cd's or watching movies in my car, like at a family camp trip when i show off lol. But i see your point, subs would roll off some by that point and most music that is Mastered correctly with "real" music doesnt dip below 25hz. Just thought id pick your brain on the subject. Thanks again, have a good one!
And also would I set my gain to to the appropriate level with the low pass and subsonic open before I set the low pad and subsonic filter
When you set the gains you want all of your crossovers off and any EQ settings set to zero or flat.
Do you use the same test tone as you used for gain setting? Like if you used a -5db 1000hz for gain setting a 4 channel, do you use a -5 db tone at specific hz to set crossover?
If you are setting the crossover at 80 hz use an 80hz tone, if you are setting the crossover at 1500 hz use a 1500 hz tone. The volume of the test tone does not matter. I tinker with the volume on the head unit so that I start with 10 volts, that way the math is super easy.
So, if I want an 80hz crossover frequency then if I take my unfiltered voltage and do the math then I will be down by x amount of DBs at that crossover frequency. So should I play a test tone that is one octave below my crossover point so that I will be at 0db until that point? (oops, meant below not above ... or wait, did I mean below????)
new to your channel, a newbie question. if my head unit come with crossover function for the front speaker, can I set my 4 channels Kicker amp to "Full"? Moreover my front speakers also came with a pair of passive crossover! is it good enough for preventing blowing my system? thanks
Yes. I prefer the crossover on the head unit since it is easer to set -- no multimeter needed. I would need to know more about your passive crossover to give you a complete answer, there are several ways that those can be configured. If you are running a two -way component set then crossover will protect the tweeter and the crossover on the head unit will keep the low bass out of the midrange driver.
What level does the volume need to be at if I already know where I'm clipping?
You'll need something more advanced than a multimeter to know for sure. The 75% rule of thumb is just a rule of thumb, it works for most people and will get them close enough. Without more measuring and testing the only thing you can do is turn it up until it sounds bad then turn it back down a notch.
Hi thanks for all your videos, really helps a lot. I have a question, where are you getting your starting voltage from (could it be where the head unit and amp are set at the moment) and do you set this before setting the subsonic filter? Thanks
I saw it in your other video thanks
Awesome!
I have a taramps bass 15 it has a high pass and low pass filter, because it's a amp for subs do I turn the high pass filter all the way up to block out higher frequencies? Basically how do I set these 2 controls to keep the pure sound of bass?
I'm going to take a screenshot of this and answer it on our live stream tonight because there are a ton of people with questions about that specific thing. You can tune in or you can watch the replay.
lets say i played a 38hz test tone and adjusted the subsonic filter, then to set the lpf should i take the original unfiltered voltage i used for the subsonic and do the calculation or the “new” voltage and redo the calculation but with a 80hz for the lpf?
That is a great question, join us on our next live show and we will try to give a detailed answer: bit.ly/3PYKG5P
Great Video. I noticed that this math seems to apply to a 12db crossover amp. How would these numbers change if the amp has a 24db built in crossover?
th-cam.com/video/KUvJNhC-BAE/w-d-xo.html
I understand the video at the different crossover points. My problem is that I’m at 19.8 of unfiltered voltage at 80 hertz. When I do the math it comes to be 4.96 volts. When I adjust my low pass filter my voltage is rising not lowering.
@@josephbassil4171 What happened when you turned it the other way?
I cannot turn it the other way I’m just turning it to the right. The gain it on point. 31.68 1000 watts at 1ohm Skar audio amp.
Is there a high pass/low pass switch or an off/on switch?
Question, does the bass knob at all affect the voltage setting in any way while setting crossovers. I know you said turn the volume you enough to get a read out.
th-cam.com/video/4kDxUcGCe8M/w-d-xo.htmlsi=mq7uMEWpYDC6p1mg The idea here is to use the DMM to look for a 3 or 6 db drop. When you run that through the db formula the starting point does not matter. Down 3 db from 10 volts and down 3 db from 20 volts is still down 3 db.
Say im using a DSP, do i need to set the crossovers on the amps too? If not, do i just set the switch on a 4ch to Full Range? And for the HPF/LPF knobs, where do i set them If they don't go to zero (both for sub and mids/high amps)
No need for the crossovers on the amplifiers if you're doing it all with the DSP. Yes, If the crossover has an off switch, go ahead and turn them off.
If you don't have an off switch, then set your low pass filters to the highest frequency, most of the time. This means turning it all the way to the right. Then set the high pass crossover to the lowest possible frequency, typically this means turning them all the way to the left.
Does this same trick work on high pass filter? Or low pass only?
Yes.
Great video DIY Audio Guy. i watch a lot of videos i'm still cunfused to set crossover sittings how i can know the slope or OCT for my amp? i dont found any information from anywhere
The crossover slope should be in the manual, if you can't find a manual online, I can't help you much. You can just assume that it's a 12 DB per octave slope and go with it.
@@DIYAudioGuy i send you a message in instagram please check
@@mohavved I'm not seeing your message in Instagram. Feel free to ask your question here, I'll try my best to answer it
@@DIYAudioGuy i send you some pic for my amp to help my username is @9.3
I am setting up the Alpine mono 500w amp (31.62V) you have in your gain setup vid (..My sub can rated to 200w so I juices it to 240w, so thats 22v. I assume when you start the LPF your still playing to same 40/50 htz test tone at 75% vol. The Alpine amp is 24db Octave and therefore the voltage should be 5.59v. Does that sound correct
You want to play a tone that equals your desired crossover frequency. th-cam.com/video/bNauOkzdTRM/w-d-xo.html
Is the multiplying factor always the same for each slope type? Or does that need to be calculated depending on different factors?
It's different for each slope.
@@DIYAudioGuy the voltage factors are as shown? So for future reference if I were to do the math. A 6db per octave slope will always have a voltage factor of 0.708?
Yes!
@@DIYAudioGuy ok, thanks! Isn't math fun? Lol
I think so.
I am a little confused. on the spreadsheet you used 20volts as the unfiltered voltage and that 20 was used for the formulas in the calculations but then show 13v as the starting voltage. What is the difference between the 20v and the 13v? Is there as filter that is on that filters the 20 to 13? I am assuming there is. Thanks again.
The starting voltage is going to depend on where you have the volume set. What I have been doing lately is I have been turning the head unit up until I got 10 volts. That makes the math a whole lot easier.
Enjoying your videos! Sorry if I have multiple questions on different videos, but what do you mean unfiltered voltage? Is this with a tone playing? Volume set to highest without clipping?
Unfiltered, as in the crossover is not on, or not doing anything. it is with the tone playing with the volume does not have to be set to maximum. You just need enough volume so that you can read a voltage on the multimeter.
Keep the questions coming. I'm sure there are others with the exact same question that would like an answer. If people are asking questions it means that I need to make another video on the topic.
@@DIYAudioGuy awesome and thanks again. Definitely made a new subscriber.
@@DIYAudioGuy where did you get voltage factor
@@chevy1560 =10^((slope/2)/20)
Question: Does turning up volume make the voltage go up? Not sure what level to play the test tone?
Yes. I like to turn the volume up till I get about 10 volts. That makes the math really easy.
The way you set crossover seems to be different from others. On other videos, people will play the frequency that they want their crossover set at, and whatever the voltage is when the frequency is playing, they will adjust the knob until voltage starts to drop and that’s where we would set it at.
One of us has to be wrong.
Take a look at what happens around 11:20. I turned the crossover on and I turned the knob all the way to the right. So the crossover is set to 500 Hertz. At that point the voltage is just slightly less than the starting voltage. So if you use the other method your crossover would be set to 500 hz, not 50. Those other videos have thousands of views. Which means there are thousands of people out there with crossovers that are off by an order of magnitude. You will notice that in this video I verified my math by comparing my predicted results against the result I got from the digital signal processor.
The crossover frequency point is always -3dB. So setting to crossover to 80hz means that there will be a -3b or 30% reduction in voltage at 80hz. This video shows exactly that
Crossovers can get pretty complicated. I'm not 100% sure that I have it right. But I've seen some TH-cam videos, from larger channels that should know better, that absolutely have it wrong. Not trying to cast shade on them, just trying to help people.
Most amps have fixed slopes. The setting up for a target crossover, at an assumed frequency where the amp labelling is, could be inaccurate. If say one rotates the knob to a 90 hz lowpass, the only sure way to know IT has kicked in at the right frequency, is to start Sweeps and record the voltage where it changes. Burst tones are more accurate, at increments of one.
There are audiophile test cds with these tones. The track number and test tone at certain frequency is given.
Hello , awesome video , just having a brain fart , when I set my gains on my sub amp , the LP filter should be at its lowest setting , then when I set the crossover turn to highest setting , get my target voltage around 10v multiply by my amps 12db slope at .501 then turn down until I get 5.01 volts correct?
Think of the crossover as a choke (some people even use that term for an inductor in a passive crossover) on a carburetor it limits the airflow into the engine.
Step one is to turn off the choke or open it up as much as possible. For a low pass filter the lowest setting is full choke, nothing gets through. For a high pass filter the highest setting is full choke, nothing gets threw. You want to open it up. Set the gain and leave it open. Then use the instructions in this video to set the crossover to your exact desired position.
@@DIYAudioGuy awesome thank you very much !
If I'm using the crossover in the DSP I just set the AMP x-over to FULL and start in on setting the signal gain and don't have to do any of this, correct? Didn't you make a video on setting the amp signal gains accurately with a DMM? Can you link that here as well? Thanks.
Correct, and Yes. th-cam.com/video/MBcGOoRJ4Ro/w-d-xo.html
Where can I find the Q multipliers? Is there a chart 📉 or something available?
I don't have a chart, but you can just hit pause at about the 1:00 mark and take a screen shot. Here is the formula that I used to calculate them: 10^(-(slope)/2)/20)
I have a Skar audio 1500.1D mono running 2 12’ kickers L7q at 0.5 ohz im still trying to figure out the amp settings please help i want it to hit. Fyi running a stock radio
It is difficult to trouble shoot over the internet. I have several videos on setting up an amp. Have you seen this one? th-cam.com/video/oBNETr9AHwA/w-d-xo.html
Two questions. 1- If I set my low pass on my sub to 120HZ, then my 4 sets of components on the 4 channels high pass to 120Hz do I run the risk of canceling out in certain areas where the speakers won’t play sound? 2- if I want my rear 6x9s to act as my mid range and play a full/band pass so I can play between 120hz-500Hz how would I do this if setting the voltage for channels 3/4 would require tuning the same channel for proper cut off on the other end?
1) Yes, a 2nd order Linkwitz-Riley crossover will have a null at the crossover point. It is easy to fix just flip the polarity on the sub. If it sound better then keep it that way, if not then flip it back.
2) Set the voltage the same, you just need a bandpass crossover.
Can I apply this same method and math to set my subsonic filter at 30hz?
Yes! th-cam.com/video/iWRoIho7A7c/w-d-xo.html
How do you set a gain and xover for tweeter @125rms and xover @6000hz? I can do this for 150hz, 50hz, etc but the multimeter isn’t reading the way i expected.
Interesting, what is the multimeter doing? Most multimeters can read the frequency, try a 6,000 hz test tone and see if the multimeter can read the frequency.
@@DIYAudioGuy yep I did and the voltage didn't read like a 150 tone, it read like 4.3 instead of 22.00
I honestly don't know what to tell you.
How can you figure out what cross over slopes your amplifiers have on them weather it be butterworth or linkwitz Riley.?
That specification should be provided by the manufacturer. Without knowing that, you could play test tones that are one octave apart and then back it out using the voltage factors that I show in the video. I might have to give that a try and make a video. When you combine a high pass and a low pass a Linkwitz-Riley will be flat at the crossover point and a Butterworth will have a "bump". I am not sure how you would measure that to verify. I will put that on my list of things to learn, if I figure it out I will make a video!
Thanks watching my video and thanks for your question!
@@DIYAudioGuy thanks for your quick response can i use this method to set sub sonic filter?
@@sameermohammed2657 Absolutely. A subsonic filter is just a high pass crossover.
Another work around is to just use the -3db voltage factor. I have read some sources that claim -3db down should be the crossover point no matter the slope. But my testing showed that my DSP did not do it this way.
@@DIYAudioGuy doing some testing tonight your way is way more accurate your right in the sense that the -3db point is close but being accurate as your way is way better thanks for this video really helped alot
When doing crossovers like subsonic or LPF how do you know to use 6,12,18 or 24db slope? Meaning do you pick what slope to use or do you go by what Variable crossover your amp have? I have a skar rp-800.1d with a 24dB/OCT, VARIABLE CROSSOVER so do that mean I go by a 24db slope?
Yes, 24 db slope. Most amps only let you vary the frequency.
@@DIYAudioGuy thank you now I have one more question I used the information from your subsonic filter video to get my subsonic and I used my voltage x .708 so should I reset my subsonic by using the 24db slope too?
@@yoshi86 Yes
@@DIYAudioGuy ok I’m sorry I just wanna make sure I understand for subsonic for an example my box is tuned to 39hz so I take 39x.75=29.25 my voltage is 10 so I take 10x.251=2.51 then I play a 29.25 tone and adjust until I get 2.51? And for lpf I would just take my voltage”10” x 24db slope (10x.251=2.51) and set my lpf to 2.51
Sounds like you got it!
I'm a big fan of your videos but i have a question my amp says -12db could you explain me the difference please thank you for all you do
Not sure. What amp is it?
@@DIYAudioGuy taramps smart 5k bass thank you very much for replying most people never do
@@tonydize3944 I don't have any experience with that brand, so I can't say for sure. My best guess is that it's a bass boost and the - 12 is off. If you tried searching online for an owner's manual?
@@DIYAudioGuy thank you again friend you're always replying to your followers i see all the comments I watch your videos every day just to learn more in fact i was watching them right now keep up the great work you do 👏🏻
how do you know what test tune to use for the unfiltered voltage?
If you're trying to set the crossover at 80 Hertz then play in 80 Hertz test tone.
@@DIYAudioGuy ok so that's generally for subwoofer, correct? And what frequency should I play for full range speakers? These are probably dumb questions but I'm fairly new to all this.
@@mcfriedchicken1972 1,000hz. There are no dumb questions.
Hang on, I Just give you a terrible answer. Ithought you were asking a question on a different video. If you're trying to set the high pass on an amplifier for some coaxials or a set of components then you would also use 80 hertz. 80 hertz is kind of a standard starting point for crossovers.
what value level should be set at when doing this ?
It does not really matter. But It is best practice to set your gains properly before you set the crossovers. I always like tinker with the volume on the radio until I get a good round number for the first reading. This just makes the math easier.
These videos may help:
th-cam.com/video/MBcGOoRJ4Ro/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/iWRoIho7A7c/w-d-xo.html
How would you do this if using the head units lpf?
Most head units will let you choose the frequency. So just pick the one you want to go with.
But what if you Want more bass from your HPF filters? I just use an O-scope and set my input volume (phone) and headunit to max with my equalizer settings preferred and adjust both gain and hpf until I'm in no clipping territory and have achieved as low of hz as I want. I don't know howto do it more detailed and down to the science despite watching a lot of videos and reading.
If you are happy with the sound then you should be good.
@@DIYAudioGuy I really appreciate the response DIY Audio Guy. Really appreciate the content too. You are one of the guys I've been liking following closely on TH-cam. Thank you for all the work your doing on us newer guys behalf and putting it out here for us! 💛
Would I set my gain first and then do the crossover after?
Yes
So when I go to set my lpf my read output voltage is 50 volts. So I go to play an 80hz test tone and start turning from left to right my lpf to roughly 25 volts as I have a 12b/octave slope on my lpf and the lpf bottoms out at 36 volts?? What shall I do now!Help plz DIY Audio Guy
That's odd, not sure what to tell you. It is hard to trouble shoot without having the equipment in front of me.
On my pdx-1.1000 alphine amp the db/oct slope shows as a negative numbers and not a positive like this -> (-24dB/oct) would I use the positive 24 voltage factor ?
Yes, the negative sign just indicates that it's cutting by 24 DB per octave.
@@DIYAudioGuy Thank youuu for always getting back with my questions , I really appreciate it 👍🏽
What "noise" should I use to do these settings? I need to set two amps. One with subs and one with 6x9's.
Play a test tone equal to the frequency of the crossover point you wish to set. So if you want to set your crossover at 80 hertz play in 80 hertz test tone.
@@DIYAudioGuy Do you have any base test tones you would suggest for the speakers mentioned? Sorry, I’m a total newb. Lol.
I guess I should add that the 6x9’s are 2-way.
When you use bandpass do you have to set the high pass also?
Yes -- you would be shocked how much midrange and high frequency will still get through the port.
@@DIYAudioGuy do you have a video on that
Are the gains set before this or after?
Before.
How do I calculate voltage factor for my amps? I may have missed this step in video
I don't show the calculations in the video, I just show the results in the video. The formula used for the calculation can be found here: th-cam.com/video/4kDxUcGCe8M/w-d-xo.html
@@DIYAudioGuy thank you il give it a go
How or what is the starting voltage? i just wane make sure.
Any voltage will do. I recommend but you pick one to make the math easy, like say 10 volts.
Is the volume all the way up before clipping?
You don't need the volume all the way up when setting crossovers. It's just a matter of comparing the voltage before and after. I show how to check for clipping in this video: th-cam.com/video/L0ZXq2eo-OM/w-d-xo.html
DIY Audio Guy ty sir. Getting ready to do a install in my 300 as soon as my package comes in
what if the slope is variable as is in the case of skar 800.1d
Then pick the slope you want to use and do roughly the same thing.
Does the DMM have to be true RMS for this to work?
Yes! BUT! Oscilloscopes have gotten so cheap lately that I would just skip this and grab an O-scope. th-cam.com/video/oBNETr9AHwA/w-d-xo.html
So if my sub amp has a 12db slope and I want my cutoff frequency to be 30hz...would I multiply 30×.501? And set my voltage accordingly?
Correct.
Thank you for your time!
Is it ok to bridge a 4 channel amplifier! I’ve a Rockford fosgate punch 400!
Most four channel amps can be bridged to two channels, and most are four ohm stable wind bridged. You will need to check the owner's manual for the details for your particular amplifier.
DIY Audio Guy thanks 🤘🏾! One more question! Do you recommend me getting a equalizer or crossover for my car! Is one better then the other ?
That depends on what you're trying to accomplish and what your other gear looks like.
Some amps have a great crossover section and most head units have an decent EQ. So you may not need either. Honestly I wold skip an external EQ/crossover for a DSP. You can get a basic DSP for $160 (amzn.to/301SgUa), or just skip it altogether and get a kicker key, which will automatily set the crossover, time alignment and EQ (bit.ly/3kBLY5q).
Another good brand is MINI-DSP: bit.ly/33RToun
They have everything from entry level 4-channel DSPs up to 12 channel DSPs.
DIY Audio Guy nice thanks sir ! I’ll check into that soon! Yes my systems sounds clean and crispy! Super tweeters pioneers in dash ! Alpine 5.25 Es in doors. Alpine 6x9s in back! Jbl 751ez mono ! Rockford fosgate punch 400 that has clean technology set up! Kenwood excelon x303 head unit! In a 1993 Cadillac deville! Two 12 skars svl in a ported ground shaker box!
Here is my question, I am running a set of Polk DB652 6.5" 2Way speakers on my motorcycle, The guys at polk audio stated that I should set my HP filter to 60Hz, My amp is 12dB, so to set the filter would I use a 60Hz test tone, then read the voltage and proceed as per your steps?
Yes, exactly.
Awesome, thank you so much for your videos, very helpful, I am installing these polk along with an MB Quart amp and LC2i LOC on my bike this weekend, so off to buy a MM
@@darrenbritton2434 Get an auto-ranging, true RMS, digital one. You don't have to drop $100 on a state-of-the-art fluke meter, but you will definitely want those features.
I will, but here is a secondary question, on your video for setting the gains, the head unit on my bike does not have any aux/rca outs, so I am using the LC2i LOC to capture the line level signal from the speakers wires, i know the steps to level match the LC2i so i am getting the strongest and cleanest signal to my amp, when I go to set the gains due to still follow the 75% rule on the volume level? I used the 75% when I do the level matching on the LC2i...my gut tells me I am correct, but just checking
@@darrenbritton2434 Yes set the head unit at 75% and then start working downstream at the LC7I and then move to the amp.
I'm curious as to why you're going with an LC7i instead of just using an amp with line level inputs?
That was really hard to follow. I can see your calculations are sound but I was confused as to which filter you were referring to.
If you would, please consider redoing this vid but dumb it way down.
Solid info just hard (for me) to follow.
Thanks man!
th-cam.com/video/bNauOkzdTRM/w-d-xo.html
The sound from my 3 way gets distortion so which speaker driver do i put a inductor or capacitor in series to help please ? Midrange seems to not be active enough since the adjustments allowed me to go 6db max higher than flat on my crossover but it that's all so is it just not enough db' from the midrange causing distortion ? Thanks
Is it a three way component set with a crossover? Honestly not much you can do unless you plan to rebuild the crossover from the ground up. I would get a DSP and go active. lddy.no/1k6jq
@@DIYAudioGuy I purchased a low frequency DSL from Dayton and adjusted the db's curve of the midrange and the results in stereo are really impressive and educational .Boom gone, but plenty to learn Thank you .
I got a fosgate 1200 r2 mono amp with some fosgate t1d4 12 inch subs. If I am doing this correctly my gain should be 28.28 volts. Now that is for the 800 rms for the speakers. The amp is dynoed at 1478 watts so that would be 38.44 volts. I am struggling on the frequency for the subs. I do not know the tune to the custom ported box. Could you please help me finish tuning this amp?
The box tuning is not relevant for setting gains, to set the gain you disconnect the subs and play a test tone (40 Hz or 50 Hz, either is fine). Since the amp puts out more power than the subs can handle set the gain to get 800 watts.
@@DIYAudioGuy what will the voltage be for each one?
@@thomasdearing7718 The voltage is measured at the amp. 28.28 volts
@@DIYAudioGuy ok I am at exactly 28.28 on my gains what about the frequency and infrasonic?
th-cam.com/video/iWRoIho7A7c/w-d-xo.html
My amp has no shut offs and my high pass and low pass are both always on…. Gus’s I just have to use a processor to but how do I set these ?!?. Not sure how to do it with both active at the same time.
Start with the low pass on it's highest setting and the high-pass on it's lowest setting.
Hi my friend I want to ask something I have 14.8 voltage in my 1 ohm amflifier what volt i must have for that to my output?
I am not sure what you are asking.
@@DIYAudioGuy hi my friend I have 1500 watt amp and I want you to tell me in 1 own what voltage I must have in my out put?
Just plug the ohms and the watts into the formula I gave you in the video.
@@DIYAudioGuy ok my friend have a good day
What should the settings be on your head unit when you do this?
I like to set the volume knob so that I have 10 volts, that makes the math easier.
@@DIYAudioGuy What about subwoofer and bass setting. My Head unit has a separate subwoofer control. Ive heard some people say to turn the subwoofer setting all the way up and others say have it all the way down. Also I would assume to set the equalizers to "flat"? Thanks