SMD DD-1 Tool

[The HACKER 10+ year member]

So Im needing a questions answered.

I used it.

Set everything by the book (smd manuel)

Which was find HU clipping point

Set volume below that point

Set gain to amp just b4 distortion detected

enjoy.

So anywho did all that....sounds pretty **** good and clear as promised...jammed out with car on and idling for about 30+ mins. Amp got uncomfortably hot to the touch (usually gets warm). I plugged in DD-1 to rca playing a AUDIO CD (music) and it showed all kinds of distortion on the DD-1 lights. Put the cd that came with the DD-1 (Test Tones) worked just fine. Thoughts and input very much appreciated.

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[subzero 5,000+ posts]

Food for thought.

set everything flat on the deck and the set the gains

remember, if you mess with any deck settings after you set it, you will introduce distrortion. Which is why you usually set everything below the deck max volume. For example. If I use my loudness, or increase the sub level or tweek the eq, or even the SLA, I NEVER turn it up to the point where I set the max at on the deck. because when you mess with all those, your introducing distortion at a lower thresshold now. so 0-40 is my band, I set it at 38 everything flat, I get no clipping. If I change settings I never go past 30

 

[The HACKER 10+ year member]

Ill tripple check it but the thing is I even brought my bass and treble to the negative and never had anything else turned on (IE: Loudness etc) Thats why Im trying to figure out why this thing is showing distortion on AROUND volume 20 on music but yet when I had it on the tones it said 29 was my max volume?

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

I bet they are a -3db test tones. Should be 0db.

 

[subzero 5,000+ posts]

dirty deck? I have an old school Pioneer, 6.5volt preouts, my **** is so clean ans strong, I have my amps gains at 10%. Sounds like you might want to find an oscope and check the deck for distortion

 

[The HACKER 10+ year member]

The original tones for the deck are 0db tones (40hz and 1khz and get the average volume) the ones to set the amp up are -5db if i am not mistaken. I am checking now to see on the amp ones but to set the HU they were at 0db

 

[The HACKER 10+ year member]

okay so it says to setup the amp to put on track 4 or 6 which gives u the choice between (-5db and -10db) but thats for the amp. My main thing is why when I connect this thing to the rcas of the HU does it show a "distorted" signal when I just set it up and it was supposed to be a clean signal?

 

[subzero 5,000+ posts]

dude, you want 0db, and when you plug it in to the smd thingy and slowly roll the volume up, it will tell you when it starts clipping. PRESUMING you have every single setting on that deck flat., that is what you want. ok so do that first and tell us at what point it clips, and if it doesnt clip cool. but the you want to see well, if I turn loudness on does it clip, ok how soon , oh back here at 75% max volume. hmm. and if I turn up the bass, or SLA, when does it start clipping now? hmm 50%.

That is just to give you an idea of what I am talking about.

 

[The HACKER 10+ year member]

Headunit is all set by 0db tones. THE AMP is set with your choice of -5db and -10db tones. HU is what is clipping right now (RCAS from HU) but with MUSIC CD with the TONES CD it tests out fine up until it hits volume 30. I plugged in the DD-1 on MUSIC CD and it shows the distortion light even around volume 20 with everything set FLAT.

I was thinking maybe the distortion meter isnt set up to detect distortion in MUSIC and just the TEST TONES and maybe its fine. BUT then why is my amp so hot.

 

[subzero 5,000+ posts]

just turn it down dude. it shouldnt be that hot. somthing aint right. turn the amp gains back down. good luck.

 

[The HACKER 10+ year member]

lol....dude come ooooon!? You said to swap decks out right to see if the headunit is bad?

 

[The HACKER 10+ year member]

Bumpty

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Its going to pick up distortion in music.. It only supposed to see a 40 or 1k hz tone. Anything else will read distrotion... You do the -5db for SQ, the -5bd simulated a load. If your amp is getting hot its more then likely do to voltage drop from playing at idle for 30 minutes

 

[The HACKER 10+ year member]

Thanks man im enojoying that answer, I let that simpleness slip the mind. Ill run a meter on the voltage and check on that too. Thanks all for the answers. Ill be messing with this setup this weekend.