My Curent Project

[uusmatt]

Right, just thought i would tell everyone about my project.

 

the aim is to get the best sound posible without having any visible mod's, so that means using the standard head unit (6000e)

 

Line level feed for the sub is easy, just put 1 of those line level converters in parallel accross the rear speaker feeds, available from Halfords.

 

fitted 17cm speakkers in the front door cards with high pass filters set at 150 hz. Still easy.

 

Fitted new rear speakers, this is where we hit my first snag.

 

1) the amp power is not enough to drive them (Easily solved with a 4 * 60w amp) will get back to this problem.

 

2) You can't fit a high pass filter to the rear speakers using the standard head unit because.......

 

the simplest highpass filter is a capacitor in serise on the + side of the speaker. e.g. a 220uf cap rated @ 50v will act as a high pass filter @ 150 hz rolling off 6db per octive.

 

Unfortunatley, the standard for headunit's are designed for both 2 and 4 speaker installs, if when it puts a DC voltage accross the speaker it can't see 4ohm so it removes the function to alter the fade controll as the cap(high pass filter) blockes the dc signal)

 

This is where i am at, curently getting a mate to design me a circuit that will enable the head unit to see what it wants, but switch back after the 1st second or so and enable the speaker + high pass filter.

 

Anyone else ever attempted anything like this? Anyone wants what i have found / will find in more detail?

[Stu]

Unfortunatley, the standard for headunit's are designed for both 2 and 4 speaker installs, if when it puts a DC voltage accross the speaker it can't see 4ohm so it removes the function to alter the fade controll as the cap(high pass filter) blockes the dc signal)

 

That is quite interesting. I am/was intending to do pretty much the same thing off the head unit (no amps, just some nice replacement speakers with a ~80-120hz filter in place).. Hmm..

[uusmatt]

The 2 Bigest problems that i can see are

 

1) the one i'm on at the moment, if it works i may be able to sell some modules to sort this out.

 

2) The fact that the amp in the 6000 serise head unit is 15w per channel and that's being generous.

 

3) the EQ in the headunit is rubbish.

 

i'm working on 1 at the moment. 2 is just a case of using some 60w per channel amps and the line level converter, 3 is difficult, it is possible but it's finding the time to do it.

 

All possible tho. if me + my electronics tecky mate can find the time we will design the most advanced EQ in a car ever, as EQ'ing a system properly is the key to a quality sound.

[uusmatt]

I Will have some modules to sort that problem for sale eventually, very reasonable prices. Can't say how much yet because i don't know how much they are costing me yet.

[Stu]

I'm an electronics engineer too if you need some help

 

Not sure how you're going to make the 'best' EQ ever. An EQ is just an EQ by nature, all you can do is increase the SNR to the best you can get by using high quality parts. Feel free to use a DSP, but a lot of audiophiles prefer to use analogue.

[uusmatt]

Hoping to get a 12 band Fully parametric EQ, It would certianly be the best i would have seen in a car. It's not all about Signal to noise ratio, it's the fully parametric bit that will make the difference if it's set up by someone with a good ear. IT will enable me to find all those nasty resonant frequency's and smooth them out. Set it up with a bit of white / pink noise and a spectrum analyser and away we go.

 

Much easier / less time consuming than trying to create naturally good acoustic's in a car. If you can't adjust the environment, adjust the noise.....

 

I'm not too bothered about the signal to noise ratio as it's coming from a ford head unit at the end of the day.

 

I'm a profesional Sound Engineer By the Way. I work for The Leadmill in Sheffield.

[Stu]

Cool, I produced music for 10 years but gave it up a couple of years ago

[geordie_aaron]

i like sony

 

i know the 'basics' of electronics and you's 2 have just flew straight over my head! lol

[uusmatt]

Cool, i'm busy spending £20000 on a new 2nd room PA at the moment at work, it's so satisfying spending someone elses money.

 

U Produces anyone i might know?

[Stu]

Cool, i'm busy spending £20000 on a new 2nd room PA at the moment at work, it's so satisfying spending someone elses money.

 

U Produces anyone i might know?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Only my own crap, so no

[uusmatt]

Basically Equalisation is the key to a good quality sound system, be it in a car, Night club, house whatever. It enables you to alter the sound volume at each frequency, basically if there is too much Sub you can remove it with more acuracy than just turning the amp down.

 

There are fixed and parametric EQ's, a fixed eq is what you see on a Quality home stereo or in you head unit in your car (Bass / treble is a 2 chanel Fixed EQ). A parametric EQ rather than working on a fixed set of sound frequencies can have the frequencies it alters changed dynamically. E.G in most car's the High frequencies tend to get distorted due to the shape of the car. A Parametric EQ enables you to change how it sounds more acuratley than a fixed EQ and is easier and just as effective as sound profing your car.

 

The downside of a parametric EQ is you really have to know what you are talking about to get the most out of it.

 

Any Questions?

[uusmatt]

Cool, i'm busy spending £20000 on a new 2nd room PA at the moment at work, it's so satisfying spending someone elses money.

 

U Produces anyone i might know?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Only my own crap, so no

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Fair enough, I don't have time to do any production stuff, i'm kept plenty busy by the wave of crap indy music that's floating about at the moment. I'd like to at some point tho.