Few questions while I'm doing my first audio install

[Chowder Head 10+ year member]

Hey guys, you may remember me from previous threads. Well I'm finally installing everything I've purchased (check the sig). I already installed the RAAMat on the doors and floor and now I'm running the wire before I put the carpet and the interior pieces back on. I just had a few questions that I'm not too sure about.

1. I'm using a 4 gauge amp ground. What do I use to connect the ground cable to the amp? My amp has a screw I can loose but I don't know if I can just stick the end of the exposed wire in there, or if I need some special connectors to attach at the end of the cable in order for it to be attached to the amp itself.

2. This may be a little bit opinionated but here goes. Ok, on my Kicker amp there is a remote gain knob. I thought it was for bass, but thanks to this thread, I believe it's a gain knob. http://www.caraudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272872&highlight=bass+boost Anyway, since I'm installing everything for the first time, what would you all recommend? Install the knob, crank it all the way up and tune accordingly? Set the knob near the middle, tune accordingly, and that way, if I need to lower or add more gain, I can since it's near the middle. Or should I not even bother with it and just set it without it and be good to go? Really, besides hearing clipping or distortion, when would someone want to change the gain?

3. For those in the know, for these Pioneer 880PRS (800PRS might be the same) is there only ONE aux, which would be on the back of the front faceplate? I've heard rumors that one can run another aux cable from the wired remote in the back. Is this true or complete crap?

4. Just for clarification, does it matter where I plug the RCA cables into the amp? I'll be running a 4 channel RCA cable, two for both tweets and two for both mids. Is there a specific spot where they should go or as long as they are plugged in I should be good?

5. Similar to question 1 but for the remote turn on lead, how should I connect this to amp? It's awfully small so I'm guessing if I just strip it and plug it in the amp, I should be good right?

6. Two part question: My mids (Mach 5 MLI-65) not only came with screws but also some sticky stuff. Exactly what is this supposed to be used for? And the mounting bracket that comes with it, is that to use or should I stick to some MDF?

I think that's it for right now, ha. Any help that could possibly be provided would be greatly appreciated, thank you very much! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

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[blazinb2000 10+ year member]

You should just be able to put the stripped end of the ground, power, remote, and speaker wires into the slots and tighten up the allen wrench headed bolt.

I would just match the rcas coming out of the head unit to those on the amplifier.

 

[forceww 10+ year member]

1. You need to buy a ring terminal for 4 gauge wire to make sure its a solid connection and there are no loose exposed wire that could cause damage.

2. IMO I wouldnt use the knob at all as it gives you a better chance to want to turn it way up and clip your signal to your amp. If you really want to use the knob tune the amp with the know turned all the way up so that no matter how much you end up turning the knob you SHOULD be sending a clean signal

3. Dont know about this one

4. NOt sure what your askin here. Are you running rcas to different amps? The way its worded is that your rcas are plugged into your subs lol

5. You can strip it and wrap it around the screw you have on your amp but in the future would recommend just getting another small ring terminal and using that.

6. Sticky stuff is just used as extra support. Usually used to mount the speakers while you screw them in place. And not sure what your second parts asking

 

[Chowder Head 10+ year member]

Thanks for the replies guys! I have everything hooked up and will finally first this newly installed audio for the first time! Yeah, I'm a bit excited, can you tell? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

I just have three last final questions if you guys don't mind helping me once again.

1. My Kicker amp has a setting that is getting me confused. For AMP 1 and AMP 2, I have the option to set my own crossover switch. Here's what it says, word for word in the manual: "The crossover switch are used to set the internal crossover for the "full-range" audio channels (12dB slope per octave) In the OFF position the amplifier passes a full-range signal to the speakers. The HI position should be selected when connected which you do not want to receive any sub-bass information." What I though at first, was of, the AMP that my tweeters are at, I'll just put them on HI so no low notes go to then. Then I remembered I'm going active. Since I'm going active, should I leave both AMP channels, the one my tweeters and mids are on to OFF, then manually tweak the tweeters accordindly using my 880PRS? Or should I put the tweets on HI so no low notes go to them and then continue to manual tweak them?

2. What would you guys recommend I start with the crossover on my Mach 5 MLI-65 mids? I'm not looking for someone to spoon feed me, just a good place to start with that I can tinker with to get the optimal value for my car.

3. Same thing with my Seas Neo tweets. Any suggestions?

4. Last thing about the crossover. Should I set a crossover level on the amp, then fine tune it with the 880PRS? Or is there another method I should use?

5. Lastly, when setting gain, is it the general rule to apply as much gain as you can until you hear clipping, then back it off a bit? And what does clipping sound like exactly? Is it unmistakable or do I really have to focus on the music to hear it?

Thanks again for the help guys, it's greatly appreciated!

 

[Chowder Head 10+ year member]

Bump...anybody? I've heard 80hz-2.5khz is a good place to start with for the Mach 5's but I'm clueless on what I should start the tweets at and I'm still stuck on the amp HI and OFF settings.

Thanks!

 

[dragnix 5,000+ posts]

start the tweets at 2.5k and up so as not to have a gap in your audio range //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif

 

[Chowder Head 10+ year member]

LOL, that would make a lot of sense. Why didn't I think about that, haha. I guess I tend to make things seem much harder than what they appear, haha.

Ok so I have the settings down, now about the amp. To add with the HI OFF confusion, I also have another question about it. On the amp itself, I can turn the knob to different crossovers. But I can also do this with my 880PRS. Since I'm going active, and the signal from the HU is being sent to the amp, I should use the HU to set crossovers, correct? And to add to my previous question, think I should just set both AMP channels to OFF since I can tinker with the settings from the HU?

 

[qkassidyw 10+ year member]

LOL, that would make a lot of sense. Why didn't I think about that, haha. I guess I tend to make things seem much harder than what they appear, haha.
Ok so I have the settings down, now about the amp. To add with the HI OFF confusion, I also have another question about it. On the amp itself, I can turn the knob to different crossovers. But I can also do this with my 880PRS. Since I'm going active, and the signal from the HU is being sent to the amp, I should use the HU to set crossovers, correct? And to add to my previous question, think I should just set both AMP channels to OFF since I can tinker with the settings from the HU?

I am not completely familiar with this amp but in my experience it is always better to leave all crossovers OFF on the Head unit. As long as the crossovers are variable on the Kicker amp then you should be able to everything you need on the amp. The crossovers built into the deck will not be as good as the ones on the amp (even though Kicker is not known for their crossovers). Using BOTH will cause weird rolloffs and you could loose some needed frequencies.

I had a question about your mids....do they have built in crossovers on the speakers? You do not want to go much lower than 80Hz on the mids and you want to get make sure they don't go higher than what the tweeters will play but you don't want them to distort from frequencies they don't like. Mids generally need a bandpass filter and I am wondering how you are leaving out the lows and the highs by just using the amp. Playing highs through them will sound like poop. For the tweets I am assuming they have built in crossovers and I would turn the crossover on HI-Pass for them and start low and adjust upwards until they sound right to you.

For tuning I believe there is a thread on here but here are some pointers:

1. Turn off all EQ settings on the deck (Flat for pioneer, no crossovers on)

2. Turn the volume on the deck up to 3/4 (I think 37 on the Pioneer)

3. Get a good quality CD or song off your iPod and play

4. Adjust gain slowly until you start hearing distortion (you should be able to tell with it at 3/4 volume)

5. Once distortion is reached, turn down slightly until it goes away.

As for your RCA connections make sure the tweeters are on the same channel (Front) and your mids are one the same channel (Rears). Another way to tune is to use a DMM and using the same steps listed above (except you should be playing a 200 hz tone for mids and a 5 KHz tone for tweets) but actually disconnect the tweets and mids from the amp and measure the voltage on the output. Example:

Your mids are 4 Ohms, and require 100 RMS so to get what the voltage output should be: V=sqrt(PR) V=sqrt(100*4) = 20V (AC RMS)

So set your DMM to Volts AC and adjust the gain until you see 20 Volts on the display when running a constant tone and that will be the optimum setting. The best way is to use an O-Scope but I am assuming you don't have one.

 

[Fiercetimbo17 10+ year member]

no the wired remote on the back is for steering wheel controls, it has no selectable source