Ok my name is in the title of your video so you know what is coming next. LIST OF YOUR ERRORS 1. Video description. RF paper on building your own high passed speaker project is not 1/10 the price. It's twice that, WITHOUT LABOR, is your time is worthless? You just valued it at $0.00 per hour 2. Video description. A High Passed Speaker is not a Distortion Detector. RF you listening? 3. 1:39 No headunit is 0.5V out. But if it was you just put the probes on the amp to set everything, headunit, processors, amp, all measurable THROUGH the amplifier. This is actually the preferred method since this way you can see distortion of outputs AND INPUTS of all components in the signal path. No need to plug headunit into DD-1+, ever, unless you want to see how many volts come out of it. 4. At 9:42, at this point you are supposed to press READ and then switch to the OVERLAP track. EVERYTHING FROM THIS POINT ON IS INVALID SINCE YOU DIDN'T. THERE IS NO reason for anyone to watch this video past 9:42. (I'll keep watching to see what other misinformation you are spreading) 5. 13:43 The voltmeter on your scope is a cheap AC averaging meter that calculates AC RMS from any waveform, based on the math for calculating the RMS of a sine wave. The math doesn't apply to square waves hence the error on your scope. The DD-1+ voltmeter looks at the peak of the waveform, any waveform and determines what the maximum clean sine wave voltage would be that fits in the "rails" of the waveform. 6. 16:19 So you're saying if someone adjusts their gains for maximum clean output, and then you turn up the EQ or level more it clips???? NO SHIT 7. 17:32 And how would using your scope or the my first electronics project from RF to avoid these problems? It can't. 8. 19:34 This is a problem with this headunit. A better headunit has trim level adjustment for all sources, or an engineering team that took care to make sure all sources had the same gain before the design was mass produced. 9. 20:30 The DD-1+ shows when distortion reaches 1% 10. 23:32 Please describe this "more" that the scope tells you 11. 25:12 yes 12. 29:01 this has nothing to do with the DD-1+ 13. 30:28 this is exactly why it is best to do all measuring at amplifier output 14. 31:04 the quick blink of the LED when increasing level is the 3 stage autoranger switching ranges, mentioned in manual 15. 32:10 you just set it with NO OVERLAP?! EVERYTHING after this is also invalid. 16. 34:14 voice coil is hotter now and the impedance of your woofer is higher, so in turn it got less power. 20 less watts = 0.1dB less, nothing to see here. 17. 39:00 You clipped it hard, of course it was louder and put out more power. Now try using the DD-1+ properly and put 5dB overlap in it and do SPL run and make that video. 18. 40:41 You showed us that you STILL didn't use it right, even though 20,000 people already know how to use them perfectly everyday.
He will probably show us another screen shot of his phone saying he did it wrong again as another test to see how people would react and delete this and make another video
You have a 25% thumbs up from me, only because you know how to use an O-Scope. When using the DD1+, you have to hit the read before making adjustments. That’s what you did wrong. I have the original DD1HV and every system I’ve installed to date functions the same way since installed, except for the looser suspension from long usage. You didn’t read the instructions fully and correctly. Also another thing, listening for distortion is a no no. If you really know what you’re doing, which as time goes on I’m noticing you don’t in some aspects, you’d advise against it because you can’t hear distortion at the most minuscule scale. Which in time will destroy a great build. Ever had a tweeter drop out on a crossover? That’s because of clipping. Bet one of you in the comments had it happen, and didn’t hear your tweeter was clipping.... If you’re daily driving your system, that’s when these things matter, if you’re doing SPL, DC and AC voltage is your friend. Not so much distortion detection, and o scopes. When I hear people trashing devices that work for those who don’t come from an extensive background of before “easy of use” products, usually hate they didn’t think about inventing it. You pay for technology, and The DD1+ is a great device. An O scope is better because you can see the wave. That’s really the only advantage. Steve says it to everyone, buy an O scope and learn that first. Redo the test correctly, and you will understand how the unit works. As for the comments on here, throwing shade at someone because they are innovative is foul, and disrespectful and makes guys not want to be in the audio field. We all love our cars, audio, and tools. Would you get mad at Eric O (South Main Auto) for using an Onyx drill over a snap on drill? No, because the persons knowledge of how to use the device is all that Matter. Be respectful, as for you sir EMF, you do a lot of tests that are accurate, but this one for sure needs to be redone. Talk with Steve.
FoSgAtExPoWeR thank you. I try to be respectful to everyone and every aspect when it comes to my profession. Makes for a better crowd and understanding.
anyways, these devices are fairly simple, you build a sharp notch filter for 40hz and 1khz, when something starts to distort (meaning you have harmonics) those frequencies make it past the notch filter, then it takes the level of signal that makes it past the notch filter, does a calculation against the level of fundamental frequency in a microcontroller, and if it is >=1% THD it lights the LED
Nice video. With DD1 it may be clean without a load on the amp , but when your sub or subs are connected it actually loads the amp down more which will still cause clipping.so I think the oscope is still better. I think you can still make a little adjustment on your bass boost or bass level on your source unit then set your gains.
My take on it is the DD1 as with all SMD products are way over priced and no one uses the tool correctly in that it is a tool that identifies a danger zone but EVERYONE using it gives themselves no head room. By that i mean if your head unit clips at X volume but you choose to ONLY go 1 volume point below you stayed to close to the danger zone. The same applies to the amplifier EVERYONE backs off till the light goes off but that is only .1-.2volt lower.. Tolerances are to tight and variables are to large. Set head unit 2 below clipping with the unit EQ/Loudness and all to your normal preferred setting. Then move to the amp setting the crossovers with 0db tone tracks then and only then set gains to find clip drop the amps voltage a whole .5volts from clipping and do as many scenarios as you can change music, tones, and sources to verify it is still clean. Once you have done all of that verify your output wattage/voltage needed on amp output to match the speakers rms wattages and if your short shrug your shoulders say welp i did my best and the system will last for years...
@@brandonjohnson7559 im not sure how relevant that would be. The om-1 is setup according to what you do with oscope or dd1. The issue is when you change your eq or play source material with different db than you did your initial settings with. My understanding is the om-1 is just going to show a red light when you go past what your initial settings are. That will change if you bump your eq or play from different source with higher db recording. I think a true clip light like Sundown has with their amps is best.
Agreed. Any song just keep adding gain till the light comes on. A clip indicator is all you need assuming it’s accurate. But that’s not such a safe assumption. Also a slight amount of clipping is acceptable. And all clip indicators have different variances. For example 1.5% distortion or 10%. But yea. A good clipping light will satisfy most people and yea it will take the songs levels into account which is important. The dd1 is perfect if you play specific songs or tones. Simple.
@@meade9167 a more productive comment would entail "why" this is such a bad idea. Db increases in source material played and eq adjustments are legitimate issues.
I have always done it the same way you just mentioned, Steve Meade replied to my comment on the last video emf did and said even using that method you could still be off might not be getting the full potential of the amp. After giving it some thought I think I'm gonna bite the bullet and purchase a dd-1+ and an oscope just to be on the safe side. When you you contemplate the cost of the this equipment compared to what you spend on good quality subs and amps I figured it's worth it plus why not get the most out of my sundown sa12's and skar 2k. Just my 2 cents.
Yup i agree.....i set my gains by ear and it sounds like king kong is trying to get out my trunk!!!!!...... Certified block banger!!! 2 15 inch orion hcca dvc 2ohm at first i had it hooked up to a cheap planet audio 1500.1 anarchy amp class a/b. I was very impressed that i was able to wire it at 1/2ohm and did not give me problems at all. It got hot as hell tho... Fry an egg on that bitch lol. After that i got a cheater amp that my homeboy had got for me. It said 50 watts 😂😂 and it was long AF loli didnt know about those amps at that time. It was real greedy with the cars electrical ENERGY HOG!!!!!!. my current set up i had invested in a Audio control 1500.1 and i got blessed somehow i came up on the same amp a second time for free. 2 audio control 1500.1 and 2 orion hcca 12 inch
I'm a Gen-X digital VOM & O scope user. I like SMD accessories, I still rather set my gains old school. I haven't toasted a subwoofer yet, unless that was the mission I was currently on. Get you some Neo connections from him. Those are well worth your $.
I am an old school car audio guy and I would have loved to have tools like this back in the day. We used o scopes, and the RTA to set up systems. However in the very early days it was set the volume of the head unit to 3/4 volume then turn up the amp gains until distortion was detected by ear. One thing that the guy in the video did touch on that seems to be accurate is the change in output depending on the source used. I often use my Bluetooth connection and my phone for my source, however when I change over to my usb or head unit, the output seems to be much higher even though the volume has not changed. This is on my factory audio system, and I could see the possibility of this occurring in an aftermarket head unit. Just an observation of my particular situation and it may be very different from others out there. So it would seem that an individual doing the tuning may want to use all sources that they may used and check them all with DD-1 to ensure no distortion exists.
This video is the SHIZNIT WOW im super impressed i don't think u was HATING on ANY1 in anyway if anything ur helping people understand that they don't have to pay hundreds of dollars to see an led light and it still be incorrect thank u so much for all ur videos they have so much useful information i personally give this video a 💯👍👍 [☣✌💪🔈✌💪🔉✌💪🔊☣]
I have never fried any amp and or sub when setting gains with my dd1 , with that being said it works for me, yes oscilloscope would be best but dd1 makes me money and works just fine. I have no hate on either and I think social media has corrupted car audio, wish y’all would just drop the hate including the owners of these companies and bass on🤷♂️ ripping on each other proves jack squat............
Very though and informative. Your gonna clip so open your ears is basically how it goes. I use a speaker with a resister to set gains and it works well as a starting point.
I really did like this video. Nothing against SMD product but I think I'm just going to save my money and get an O scope for a 1/3 of what the DD1+ Costs.
Reading through the comments I am most impressed with Tony D’Amore’s approach and comments. I confess to not be sure what the relevance of setting gain overlap is to detecting distortion, perhaps I missed that. I don’t have a DD 1, I have a Fluke scopemeter to for isolated measurements, but can see how it’s useful. The thing is that most us who have been in car audio since the golden days are really and truly too old to be indulging in handbags at dawn, right..
I don’t understand why all this fuss over the DD1. The standout product is the AM1, I can’t think of many other instruments that measure power factor, but even then it falls into the “nice to have” rather than essential category in my opinion. If people are buying an oscilloscope for audio make sure it has a useable FFT function. That way it can show distortion and be used as a RTA.
Learn to use an oscilloscope! It is easy! The problem is, that people think they need a special tool because they are afraid of the learning curve with an oscilloscope. If however you are clever enough to use this fine specialty product, you may if fact be clever enough to use and interpret the oscilloscope with ease. The oscilloscope has a multitude of uses and applications including diagnosing modern cars. It is a MUST HAVE for anyone interested in sound, automotive repair, or electronics in general.
You would also with an oscilloscope have a difference with each different source so it doesn’t matter what tool you use to adjust for clipping you will have to change your gains for each different source
Using the same source with different track volumes would also change that. All reasons the best tool to use is your ear, and confidence building tools are a waste of money.
I dont necessary disagree with alot of this, but being in music production for over 20+ years i can safely say not much of the car audio world truly understand how all of this actually works. Best example i always hear about CLIPPING, but there is a huge im mean huge difference from soft clipping an full on square wave which is also something i see in alot of these types of videos. The quote smooth rounded is a sine as advertised in most videos like these ,but full on hard clipping is a square wave which is almost never explained in videos like these. In fact for several months ive watched similar videos to this an there is always a ton of misinformation or information thats not made completely clear.
Me toooooo 15 years that i produce electronic music and in some group chats on Facebook about car audio people talk about things without having a clue of what they're saying 😂😂😂
what needs to come into mind is amplifier overhead, people like to think "1000W RMS subwoofer = 1000W RMS amp", the problem comes in when you set gains to not clip, if you set the gain with a 0db signal (which almost no studio recordings are that high) you won't get close to getting full potential out of your subwoofer, having amplifier overhead (say 1000W subwoofer 2000W amp) will be able to get full subwoofer potential and not clip when set to a 0db signal, what i would do is figure out the voltage needed for 1000W of power at the subwoofer impedance and see what the voltage is of your amp (with overhead) max unclipped at a 0db signal, and if it is higher then back the gain off until you are say 10% above the voltage needed for 1000W (use the formula V = SQRT(P*R)) that way you will be always close to getting full subwoofer potential and never clip
@@EMFAudio and the amount they charge for these DD1s is absurd, ive been wanting to build and document a similar device on youtube but just havent gotten around to it yet, i think i could do it for around $20-$30 of parts
@@wow1022 The frustrating part is that you are more than likely not coming at this from a product manufacturer perspective. The manufacturer has to make money and lots to pay for the cost to build the item, pay taxes, hold inventory, make a living, pay employees, retirement, and also enough to pay for research into the next thing. Yes, there is profit but usually only when the quantity is very high which is usually after a lot of time. How much profit do you think is in that oscilloscope he uses or the batteries on the bench.
Just so you're aware, you may upload the videos with peaks at 0db, but youtube messes with the audio. I'm not sure of everything it does, but it could change the peak level and average level.
same goes with signals, just look at how normal radio station work vs digital radio, with analog you can still make out to a certain point of whats being said, now digital you don't get shti Siriusxm is just one example
I have used the DD-1 and CC-1 on every system I have built and every time I have seen DB gains... EVERYTIME. For the unity we try and preach to the younger generation, having the older audio guys conduct themselves this way is a huge step back wards. Just my 2 cents.
You have paid no attention to Meade's bullying and arrogant behavior in almost every single one of his comment sections, so you are as much to blame for ignoring it as he is for doing it. He is a walking, talking piece of shit who acts hard with little kids on his channel. A literal internet thug because he's a pussy in real life.
When you but the dd-1 in the instructions it gives you options and tracks for different db overlap settings. I believe it's 0db, -5db, -10db and -15db. For the 40hz and 1khz track. Bass boost is always a no no regardless. I'm not sure if the track choices you used have much to do with your results but I'd be curious to see you do all the above with all the different options from the dd-1 or dd-1 + manual. Then again I'm still only half way through this video... I think I'm wrong about the different db overlap settings it says in the manual. It may have been -5db, -7db and -10db. Makes more sense. I haven't checked the booklet yet.
he is correct and so are you, anything done at head unit effects the out come of the hole system, I know many I have setup by ear only and was flawless give or take depending on some of the piss poor recording studio's, then 2 or 3 days pass, someone tells them it sounds like garbage, come to find out they added more bass and treble and I could not get them to understand that effect the overall sound of everything @EMF Audio and @meade916 y'all keep up the good work and FK WHAT OTHERS THINK, because in certain sisution, we get the big head and know all and no one can tell us diff ROFLMOAO KEEP BOOMING
I think the best thing to do here is set your eq and crossovers at moderate volume to your musical taste, leave bass boost off and act like it doesn't exist, THEN hook up the dd1 and set your gains. I can see the point of this video. I'm not partial to either party here, but imperfect tools made by imperfect humans are never going to be 100% fail proof. Use your head a little and you should be fine.
You can clip even if you set it with the O-Scope. Audiophiles take into account everything when they set their equipment up. That why you always verify after changing settings. And depending on how audio is recorded is going to make a difference. The tool does what its supposed to do. But it doesn't matter if you use an o scope or not, you change something, then expect different results.
Wow, ive argued this without a dd1. Im not a rocket scientist or anything but it seemed like common sense that if you set the hd to clip then anything you add like you said bass or boost anything will clip. I got reemed out with technical words which i couldnt argue because hell i had no idea what the words even ment. Now what happens when you set everything and you use Spotify and the recording isnt right like they added bass boost on the recording, clipping. You just made my night with this info video.
I'm no professional but it seems like the overlaps were set wrong do to user error.. I own nothing by or from smd,so I'm not brandwagoning but i think this is a bad representation. Like I said I'm no pro, I just like my music loud and low but this social media drama is senseless! ✌
Agree, because you have people that's fans of his who don't like Steve and vice versa. I still like the video, because he is teaching people about car audio and those who just love car audio. He did make a video before this one....letting us know we were going to be part of a experiment video I guess this is the one he was talking about lol. I brought the DD1, CC1 and the AMM1.....I won't lie I hesitate before buying the units, because I felt they were some what pricey especially the AMM1, don't get me wrong I do enjoy using the units.
@@charleswp71 yes, I did see that.....he did a couple of things wrong when he was testing DD-1+. I could be wrong, but I do tell people there's distortion you can't hear and distortion you can hear...that why I continue to my multi meters as well as my SMD tools.
Seems like I should clip each source and set gains for the source that clips first. If there is a consistent difference then you should increase the level of that different individual source to match the source that distorted first. If you want to eq it's simple. Set gain at 0db. Now take away from flat to form your desired curve. Ideally we want to do this last step with an RTA.
It's not funny at all. It's very sad. I've seen business owners telling there own customers to f off. Guys acting like children. All that's missing is a parking lot and a bunch of people throwing bottles at one and other. There is nothing funny about this. This community use to be amazing. We could share builds knowledge and experience. Now it's a big dog fight. I miss the 90s audio. The way this is going car audio will be dead in just a few years
@@trecedaves3159 no it won't and what you're witnessing is actually what happens when "communities" become too large for one single aspect to bond the group together. think about it, in the 90's the internet was in it's infancy and groups where incredibly small, the 00's saw the rise of messageboards which supported hundreds, maybe a couple thousand active members and even then there where fractions based on which board you posted on and what gear you ran. now there's several thousands of people all centered around a microcosm of channels each with it's own presentation style. not to mention that contact and conversation between consumer and manufacturer/brand representatives are at unprecedented levels. if anything it just goes to show that some people can't handle criticism very well and maybe shouldn't be the face of their brand online. something something heat something something kitchen something something sammich.
Ya i think in the instructions and pre calibration it says to set your bass boost or volume bass knob if your amp has one to max. Then set your gains from that point so if you add boost it wont clip.
@@jayweb702 no it don't, it all about what you want to hear, not the FKG CRITICS, CRITICS ARE LIKE AIRPORTS, PLANES COMPLAIN ABOUT ROAD CONDITION, meaning it doesn't matter what others fkg think ONLY YOU, all my stuff looks like something PILITICIANS would have thrown together, looks cobbled but booms nice, just ask law and cry baby neighbors It's about your preference not others, just like building cars trucks from ground up, it's about you, not everyone else or greedy FKG CORPORATIONS OR GOVERNMENTS, just your ears🌞
@@jayweb702 has everything to do with it, don't get butt hurt because you ain't the only mthrfkr that knows SHTI, how long you been at it, I got 30+ under my belt, how about you
There's no such thing as gain overlap for clean, undistorted sound! When you're dealing with audio material in digital domain and you don't know who how it is mixed, mastered or edited, there's a big change to find out what intersample peaking (ISP) is. Basically, when someone choose to normalize an audio track close to 0 dBFS, without having the available tools to know how that signal will look in analog domain, the moment that audio signal shape is reconstructed in analog domain, you will find out what intersample peaking is and are guaranteed to have a clipped signal before entering the amplifier. If you see the waveform of a song in digital domain and you notice that it's peaking to -3 dBFS or lower, there may be a reason for this, like a decision made by the mixing and mastering engineers, in order to avoid clipping the audio signal when its original waveform is reconstructed in analog domain. The secret to good sound is headroom! Headroom on mixing stage, headroom on mastering stage and headroom on playback stage! Enjoy the music as it is and don't try to chase last ounces of power from the amplifiers, just because you paid for that power. Music is dynamic by its very nature and those dynamics makes it sound good!
i blame the overall decline in common sense that we've witnessed in popular culture over the past couple decades and the obsession with wringing every last watt you can out of your system while staying completely 100% clean. this is why headroom is a thing. if you have sufficient headroom it isn't really something you need to be concerned about.
@@buddykiller I agree, look at the cars of today... they are built just for that "less use of common sense" we see a light in the sideview mirror to let us know when it's safe to switch lanes... etc. Etc. Theres a plateau in which UA-cam can be educational... the rest of it is the new age wasting time and brain cells.
I’m guessing you never attend our industry conferences? Like this is a small world man. Bad info is bad. Tony is a beast!!!!!!!! Keep doing good work for us Tony!!!!
This comment is for both guys. I know you guys have beef with each other, and you feel it brings brand awareness to others. But intentionally trying to do harm to another only shows who you are as a person. And while I was considering your product and recently at your website comparing yours to another product, understand the lack of product going against someone that has just about the market cornered for many products, the lack of what I wanted along with your ability to show who you are as a person not only lost my sale, but I won't recommend your product to anyone. And for Steve, I hope you read this, because while I've watched many of your videos, and loved your products, and you should recognize some of my comments as well. This is really disappointing how much you don't care about your customers. I thought you did, but instead of educating and offering the truth to those in question, you go off cussing at them as if they are being the a$$ to you. No, they are customers, potential customers, and also tell others how they are treated. And obviously you could care less since you make the money anyways, it just sucks to see who you truly are and how much you don't have the right to bash on anyone else when you are far worse. I get it, we aren't your homies, nor will we be. And those big guys have your back. But think of where you could be with better customer service. Remember who the little guys are as well, we just might make a better product some day with better customer service. But you two can battle it out like elementary school children, I'll get my wife's car done from a company with better customer service. I'm only spending $10,000 but I'll design my own. And $3,700 for two 12's hand built in the US how I ask for them to match the car how I want is worth it to me. I could have spent it with you guys, but obviously I mean nothing to either. I'm just a keyboard guy on UA-cam with a wife he wants to make happy.
What someone should take away from this video if they're looking for valuable info or facts: Setting your gains should start with finding the limits of the head unit and all other gain settings shoild be set with any eq settings (bass boost, head unit eq, phone or bluetooth source equalization, bass knobs.. etc) maxed out to the highest degree the intended user would ever use.. The key to correct and safe equalization and amplification would always be to decrease frequencies levels rather than increase them.. The part i don't subscribe to wholeheartedly is that distortion is wrong and every un-rounded waveform is an arrow from satans bow.. Clipping is undesirable and destructive for sure but i believe there are hundreds of thousands of overindulgent bass heads in the world running equipment for years even decades and their systems regularly experience distortion to a small degree.. I would not set a customer's system to allow a signal that distorted to ever pass through the output but a smart person knows that what's being said about line level, eq and clipping are really just no-brainers and if you can argue against a point that is 100% legit truth (easiy proven facts) then you don't need to even watch these videos because physics and the world that you live in are within the fantasy realm that nobody else can touch taste or see anyway, so just turn it all up to fuggin' eleven and ignore the advice of anybody not sharing your cartoon coccoon. Sorry for typos and long winded reply.. Some of y'all just fuggin' suck!
it ain't that, others just can't handle people have the right to their own way preference right or wrong as it may, can't kill that with weapons no more than human weakness with a gun or opinion
Thanks, was very educational. I own a oscope but when the dd1 I took it as accurate myself. Having checked it with the oscope to verify. But it totally makes sense if you switch to cd vs usb. I didnt even consider that. Also see know how it could introduce clipping if I change anything from where it was set at with the dd1.
Thanks Sean. Videos are always informative. Love the old school spl trick at the end of the video. I still have and use the 3 banhammers from 2016. The 3 scv 2000's died in 2018 (power supply problems) I have Phoenix go ti elite amps now. Ok my question I've set up my system using the dd1+ and havent noticed a problem. But the explanation on the 3 and 6 db over lap does have me concerned for my system as it is the mids and highs that does use that overlap. I think I'm getting what your saying. Is I should be more focused on the extra head room that I know is clean. Instead of essentially over thinking it and providing a over lap that may distort at a 0 db signal? As always love the equipment. I do use SMd and EMF with no problems. Just want your thoughts about what I was talking about
Your last video disappeared, why? Anyway, without a dd1 or an oscilloscope I just set my amp with no distortion. I used my ears and the 75 percent rule and it worked for me.
I grew up installing in the late 80's and 90's. We didn't have these fancy tools and scopes were huge and cost thousands of dollars. Our ears never failed us back then!!
The guy in the video has some points, but in the end, what is the goal? If your going for the most SPL, then by ear is probably fine. If you are going for longevity on one system every 5 or so years, than a $100 oscilloscope would probably suffice. If you run a shop, the DD1 plus is probably the way to go to ensure you are protecting the customer's system along with being efficient. If you are leaving power on the table, then the amp/speakers aren't matched correctly.
thats strange, id like to hear what steve says about how to go about all this, because theirs obviously some info missing here cuz steves a hardcore basshead, a smart dude, n seems like a good dude so i cant imagine he didnt think about this im sure hes got a reason or other instructions at least i really hope so
it;'s got nothing to do with @meade916 it all about how good bad the product was made, I have seen many no name amp I would climb to the highest pile of expensive shti to get, because cheap was better than CHI-NA BRAND kicker rockford alpine all made somewhere else outside USA with a USA STICKER STAMPED, just because it says that doesn't mean it, how the FK DID THE MAKING OF AMERICAN FLAG GET HANDED TO PUY55Y AZZ CHI-NA TO START WITH IS BEYOND ME, but the point of the matter, it's about your ear not mine steve or emf, you have to make that call on your own and say FK OTHERS, critics is going to critic when you ain't buying their product or hiring them TO DO IT. have fun stay booming and for fun smoke a few if needed to learn, start cheap then graduate
@@watup110875 thanks for the reply, im deff smokin a few, its not amps tho :p although iv DEFF done my fair share of that to lol im a pretty hardcore basshead iv competed around maryland, nothin real serious, jus messin around but i always did real well everything got handed to china because of greed, cheap ass ppl willing to lose the priceless "made in america" badge, and quality, again all to greed
meade916 Why people in comments are being called names when they see what he is doing and explaining what he is doing without allegedly knowing from what you mentioned is the wrong way I feel you should make a new video proving EMF guy wrong and we will see for ourselves
Bassgod you knows not thing about audio repairs and matching audio products, all SMD products are accurate. Read and do your research before you talk shit bro. Me at bose laughing at you
This is pretty sad, not as a community but as people. This sounds exactly like how people respond in their discussions of political parties and ideology. It's not wrong of course to take a stance but how we treat people who don't vote like us, look like us, live like us or who we disagree with is pretty sad.......even something as insignificant as car audio (as compared to life itself), and the same dynamic seems to rear its ugly head, human nature!!!!!! Just read the comments and you see the true hearts of people. We are not all going to agree on everything. Those of you who are married to the love of your life know what I'm talking about. It's no wonder how on every level that things are bad, ie messed up people, families, cities, county states, countries, nations, and..........the whole world. I bet if we traced it back it would lead to at least two people who refuse to respect one another and their perspectives. I know I know, sounds stupid right? But what if.........there is worldwide impact and you and I play some role in the current state of our world.
Love your videos. You can't just turn any head unit up all the way and tune it by ear. I've done that before on a friend's build and I had to go back with the dd-1 to correct it and now it sounds clean and it's a little louder. Before that, the amp for the sub would go into protect. Not all head units can go all the way on volume. I've always tuned by guessing the head unit volume and hearing distortion from the subs but now it's so much easier with the dd-1. I'm not paying extra for the dd-1+ though. That's way too much. That oscilloscope you have is more accurate. I should have gotten one of those instead. Again, love your videos. I've learned a lot from watching them.
I'm still going to figure out how to set my gains with a cheap oscilloscope. But my plan is to set it at 0db 1k tone file. And listen to quiet music like Tom Petty and see if I'm having to max the volume out (Max volume meaning the highest you can go on the head unit without it clipping out of the head unit). If I'm having to max the volume out, then I may try a -3db 1k tone file go reset the gains and see how that goes.
You forgot to show that a phone using Bluetooth can also clip depending on volume level as well. I have to keep my phone two clicks down from full volume or it clips hard.
@@jamesbondcaraudio4247 I don't believe so but even if it did it wouldn't solve it the clipping comes from my phone at full volume, it even does it using headphones with my phone. Depends on the phone itself as I've had phones in the past that didn't have the issue.
Just 1 question, why is it when i have my subwoofer volume all the way down on the deck there is no sound from the subwoofer what so ever (RCA through sub output back of the deck), i have to turn the subwoofer volume up on the deck to get something from the subwoofer behind my seats or ill just drive around with normal speakers and no subwoofer at all
I post similar comment as last time: DD1 works O'scope works Regardless of what you use to set your gains (including old school "by ear"), unless you always listen to the same track, output will vary based on source. And, setting your gains correctly doesn't eliminate the possibility of clipping the source or amp, and many don't realize an amp can clip (with gains perfect) when voltage drops and destroy speakers. Long video with a lot of information.
Question: if setting up properly as you did, but then play a song that has deep or bass boosted notes, could that bad boosted song introduce clipping even though there wasn't clipping when initially setting up?
I set my gains with my bass knob at around 3/4 and checked my clip indicator with a scope. It’s pretty damn accurate. If I’m cranking it up I put my bass knob to where i set my gains and I can see if I’m clipping or not at the volume level I set my gains. It’s about the safest way to prevent clipping outside of having a scope sitting on your dash lol. I check everything pretty regularly but I also have a 4425 PicoScope, a snap on vantage legend, and a couple of other handheld scopes laying around.
I just watched 2 of your videos, AFTER i watched SM's vid on the returns where he praises the dd-1. which i commented on that i simply tune my system by ear. ovcourse he had to comment back that if i'm not using the dd-1 i can't be doing it right. i've been doing it since before the 80's and as much as i might like some of SM's products, if i were to spend any $ on a tool, it would be a scope, not the dd-1
I always figured if you use the dd-1 to set your gains, then after if you change any settings you could clip. Which always made me wonder what the point of the dd-1 is. I set my gain with dd-1 and on my alpine it was clean to vol 30, but went to 35. In my case once I set my head unit up, bass/mids/treble/crossover and all that... I usually set my bass to -3 or -4 after setting my sub amp with what the dd-1 manual refers to as "a happy medium of clarity and loudness" which I'm paraphrasing for of course lol. I forget what db overlap track it was for that setup though. I'd have to check the manual. Definitely wish I just stuck with using my ears to set gains like I did for 20 years lol.
If you set your gains with an o-scope and then go and change some settings you can clip that way too.... thats more a user error than a fault of the tool
This is dead on. It doesn't matter the tool because there is an inherent no win fault in setting stereo systems. There is no one setting to work for all.
@@sacredcreationz Actually, there is... It's called using your brain, and most people can't be bothered to do it, so they look for tools to give them shortcuts. But tools of all kinds are prone to their own faults. The only fault the brain has is the lack of using it in all the ways that are necessary to properly set up a system (inherently referred to as "user error"). It's much more math than blinky lights, much to people's chagrin or discomfort, hence the workaround of using tools to circumvent doing it in a "one way that works for all setting"... Because even given such a setting, user error or lack of willingness would happen prominently; but that's not to say such a thing doesn't exist. Heck, if people used their brains as much as they should when they're building a system (and, granted, this next statement is theoretically worded), blowing equipment would never happen... They'd buy equipment designed to easily do what they're wanting it to do instead of straining it with more power than it's intended for or by maxing out gains, thereby all-but eliminating much (if not all) of these problems to begin with... Gotta love those people who blow stuff for the "logic" of "saving some money" on something they end up having to replace instead of just originally buying the better product that wouldn't have needed to be pushed to its breaking point. That said: Yes, there is a "this _would_ work for everyone" way to setting gains, but we'd be hardpressed to get people, as unwilling to think as they typically are (especially in mass), to do it.
Any suggestions for a few different quality scopes that you know of? I'm thinking about maxing the volts with an 0db recording but "marking where" using an inline bass knob to reduce the volts till it reads -5 db and another at -10db. Just as guide lines since the music might not be reputable. I can always turn it up and use my ear. Thanks video
I had a few paragraphs on this but I deleted it... at this point I’d never buy products from SMD or EMF. Tony from D’amore seems level headed and I think he made a good product but I think being associated with Steve Meade is hurting the product.
Great vid! Just an interesting thing I encountered some years ago. I have a track that surpasses the 0 db range with no clipping. How is that possible? I have no idea because I got it off the internet years ago. The track sounds like it’s +6 dbs. It’s the ONLY track in my life I have ever encountered this. I’m assuming there is an error in the file header that causes this. I’m not sure. I play this song in my car and distorts. I play it on any player on my computer and it distorts. I load it in my audio editing program and it shows distortion because it’s past the 0 dB limit. But here’s the thing, I have a program called Winamp and it comes with a preamp adjustment on the left side. As I lower the preamp gain on the left side, guess what?; all the distortion is gone and the audio sounds clean! This is the rarest file I have ever encountered in my life!
@@meade916 lol didnt fall for anything I simply like useing my o scope of I have a whole day to tinker. If I want to get it done right and still have a semblance of a day left its dd1 for the win. Plus I can use it on the fly to help out other people sterios. Great products all in all. Keep killin it steve :)
Pretty ridiculous IMO... Steve Meade is a legend in car audio!! The second a legend is born so are all the haters. So why don't you tell us more about the idle distortion on your scope? Mine doesn't do that ever. Plus you say your voltage is reading wrong, then you use the ddm wrong smh... Another failed attempt at bashing SMD
If I commented on this before forgive me. So if I’m understanding correctly, what ever source you use to set gains with a DD 1+, any addition ( bass boost level controls whatever) downstream of that source can and most likely will cause clipping. So I’m thinking if you set the gains AFTER you’ve made the adjustments Bass boost etc you want to make using the DD 1+ as opposed to before the sound processors etc you will be good. Is that correct or make sense?? Thanks for always informing and being patient. You’re cool beans.
Doing the levels on flat settings would be ok if the EQ'ing would be done to only remove humps and bulges, not to boost anything. And that's how it should be. Though a few dB boost here and there would probably not be the end of the world. I would probably prefer to set some basic levels for measuring and setting out the system (EQ, delays, phases etc.) and only then do the final level setup. That way the boosts that change with the listeners taste and feeling could be kept to a minimum. OT... And of course a system should be adjusted as a compromise between a flat response and the preferred contour of the listener (also with high output, the threshold of pain should also be considered). When someone actually starts hearing things that previously were left in the shadow of some over boosting or just crappy speakers/installation/whatever, I could bet that they would eventually prefer less boost (ie. loudness) for a clearer and more sophisticated sound stage. But that takes time, understanding and good gear.
I'd like to see you invent a bass knob that provides a distortion light implemented into it. IMO they should already be on the market and readily available.
Good video, I have the first DD-1 from years ago used it quite a lot and would hear the difference between audio sources and now I know why. While it is a convenient tool, as you mentioned an Oscope would be the better choice to go with.
@@meade916 steve i like you but you need to chill a bit bro. I understand its likely very frustrating. Its starting to take you look like an asshole which isn't good for your business image. You make it seem like you are a hell of a guy in your videos and live streams then you go on rants like this. Chill a bit, make a video of how to correctly use this with a scope as well. Its obvious at this point he is trying to get you to clipping and to set his subscriber gain optimally using your name and DD1.
@@pospc2 nah. I don't need to do anything. Worry about yourself. Do you know how many people in the audio industry hate this guy? EVERYONE. The only people who don't are about 20 peon's from the YT comments.
@@meade916 with that worry about yourself comment you just verified you are an asshole. Unsubbing from you and will be sure not to buy or recommend your products anymore. We have plenty of other options.
Personally I really don't think its a requirement obviously if your amplifier doesn't have a clipping indicator then that's when you go out and buy an o scope or if you have to go buy one of these but if your amplifier does have a clipping indicator there's really no need for it if you're into SPL your amplifiers going to distort The thing that will bend you over is when you're full on clipping your shit though but most of the time people are running amplifiers that have clipping indicators on them. Not to mention though you can probably go out and buy a cheap otoscope for way less than this thing is.
Bad for both companies EMF AGAIN does the Test wrong FFS and Steve going Nuts in the comments on customers and possible customers it's a sad day in the Car Audio Industry and this from a Fan of SMD and a previous Fan of EMF audio.
Erik Britz !!! first off it's not a sad day in car audio!!! just because your butt hurt, That EMF audio rocks & SMD isn't anywhere on his level.. EMF that makes it a good day in car audio. Peace the fu@k out
Why does Steve get a pass when EMF doesn’t? Steve is calling customers fuck tards, pussies, etc. as well as anyone who doesn’t say the DD1 is the greatest thing on earth and space.
The thing is though. No matter how you set your gain, you have the potential to clip if you change anything after setting it. Whether you set them with the DD-1, o-scope or with your ear. If you went into your deck and cranked up the sub after maxing out the gain with the sub turned down, you will clip. Also, you keep circling back to this claim that it’s impossible to clip with the DD-1. I’ve never heard that claim and I think anyone with half of a brain will know that the DD-1 doesn’t remove clipping. What I see as being the difference in your tuning methods is that with the DD-1 and the o-scope, you set the deck to max clean output and tuned the amp to that. Whereas when you tuned with your method you set the AMP to max output and tuned the deck to that. That will normally work if you have a decent amp. However, some amps introduce distortion on their own so maxing out the gain on a cheap amp will introduce distortion that no amount of tuning to the deck will get rid of.
Dso with custom firmware works nice too. Just got a much nicer handheld oscope though so I'll just stick to that As much as I love car audio and change things up these dd1s and all that do too little for me to want one.
using a nice low frequency sine wave you can go from dead silence to an annoying buzz at clipping because piezos are essentially high pass filters (impedance goes way up at low frequencies) and our amps are for putting out low frequency and crossed over. so the hpf filters the low frequency sine wave out. then turn up the gain and as the high frequency square wave is created by the clipping youll hear it. can do the same with regular tweeters and simple crossovers. ive looked at the results with an oscope looks good can set a usable soft clip this way as well if you want. theres already videos out there doing this using a small speaker and a cap along with oscilloscope readings and sound to back it all up heres one ua-cam.com/video/lAn4WGny-gE/v-deo.html pretty sure tfade has one as well. along with a lot of others.
my cheap jensen HU goes up to 63, i can hear it start to clip ~48 and set the max to ~ 54 because some recordings (old ripped disks, aerosmith, boston, extreme ...) just need a little more gain and some bass boost to sound a little better. it might not clip 1% till 54 but i backed it off to 48 just to be safe. one of these days i'll find somone with the dd-1 just for giggles to see what it says. i have a truck full of ADS speakers and my system sounds fantastic.
@@slybunda Depending what version you have it could be speaker negative or could be one or the other or both. It's not the easiest tool to use, but the new video coming would be a better way.
I can't believe some people don't understand that boosting certain frequencies is basically the same as turning the volume/gain up and if you don't leave any headroom before distortion starts you're going to distort. I knew this when I was like 5.
@@meade916 I don't want to hate on you but take this video as a way to improve your product. This video shows some flaws that amps may still clip. Maybe for him the instructions are not that clear, maybe they are. Im pretty much just saying use this video as a way to improve your product and don't go and just say you're using it wrong.
@@riveralley i don't need to improve my product. This stupid fuck didn't even use it right AGAIN...and all you guys are piling on even though you know he didn't do it right. So let me ask you this. If i put drive my vehicle through the front of a store because i hit the gas instead of the brakes...and i make a video calling out the company for the car not working correctly, who is the real dumb fuck? me or the car company? What about the 100 dumb fucks saying "ya, the car is malfunctioning, i told you you should have bought a bicycle. I prefer a bike because i know it works". SMH see how much sense it makes? You aren't really that dumb are you ?
@@ntrain2k after so many people trying to bash your legit shit what do you exspect! He has been professional for a while now! Agter a while it's like fuck it! I'm going to bark
So basically the same thing would happen if you used the oscilloscope and not DD1 or DD1+. What you failed to mention is you would have to adjust each source separately with the product. Most every head unit allows separate levels for the individual sources. If you're using usb, bluetooth or wifi your signal depends on the quality of the recording. Besides the point you are hard clipping at max volume. If you are listening to your system at full volume all the time you deserve to destroy your speakers and your hearing. Good luck.
Ok my name is in the title of your video so you know what is coming next.
LIST OF YOUR ERRORS
1. Video description. RF paper on building your own high passed speaker project is not 1/10 the price. It's twice that, WITHOUT LABOR, is your time is worthless? You just valued it at $0.00 per hour
2. Video description. A High Passed Speaker is not a Distortion Detector. RF you listening?
3. 1:39 No headunit is 0.5V out. But if it was you just put the probes on the amp to set everything, headunit, processors, amp, all measurable THROUGH the amplifier. This is actually the preferred method since this way you can see distortion of outputs AND INPUTS of all components in the signal path. No need to plug headunit into DD-1+, ever, unless you want to see how many volts come out of it.
4. At 9:42, at this point you are supposed to press READ and then switch to the OVERLAP track. EVERYTHING FROM THIS POINT ON IS INVALID SINCE YOU DIDN'T. THERE IS NO reason for anyone to watch this video past 9:42.
(I'll keep watching to see what other misinformation you are spreading)
5. 13:43 The voltmeter on your scope is a cheap AC averaging meter that calculates AC RMS from any waveform, based on the math for calculating the RMS of a sine wave. The math doesn't apply to square waves hence the error on your scope. The DD-1+ voltmeter looks at the peak of the waveform, any waveform and determines what the maximum clean sine wave voltage would be that fits in the "rails" of the waveform.
6. 16:19 So you're saying if someone adjusts their gains for maximum clean output, and then you turn up the EQ or level more it clips???? NO SHIT
7. 17:32 And how would using your scope or the my first electronics project from RF to avoid these problems? It can't.
8. 19:34 This is a problem with this headunit. A better headunit has trim level adjustment for all sources, or an engineering team that took care to make sure all sources had the same gain before the design was mass produced.
9. 20:30 The DD-1+ shows when distortion reaches 1%
10. 23:32 Please describe this "more" that the scope tells you
11. 25:12 yes
12. 29:01 this has nothing to do with the DD-1+
13. 30:28 this is exactly why it is best to do all measuring at amplifier output
14. 31:04 the quick blink of the LED when increasing level is the 3 stage autoranger switching ranges, mentioned in manual
15. 32:10 you just set it with NO OVERLAP?! EVERYTHING after this is also invalid.
16. 34:14 voice coil is hotter now and the impedance of your woofer is higher, so in turn it got less power. 20 less watts = 0.1dB less, nothing to see here.
17. 39:00 You clipped it hard, of course it was louder and put out more power. Now try using the DD-1+ properly and put 5dB overlap in it and do SPL run and make that video.
18. 40:41 You showed us that you STILL didn't use it right, even though 20,000 people already know how to use them perfectly everyday.
Lmao 🙏👍💪👊
Tony D Mike drop
I wish I could spam the comment section with his comment so everyone reads it
He will probably show us another screen shot of his phone saying he did it wrong again as another test to see how people would react and delete this and make another video
And probably mess it up again lmao
You have a 25% thumbs up from me, only because you know how to use an O-Scope. When using the DD1+, you have to hit the read before making adjustments. That’s what you did wrong. I have the original DD1HV and every system I’ve installed to date functions the same way since installed, except for the looser suspension from long usage. You didn’t read the instructions fully and correctly. Also another thing, listening for distortion is a no no. If you really know what you’re doing, which as time goes on I’m noticing you don’t in some aspects, you’d advise against it because you can’t hear distortion at the most minuscule scale. Which in time will destroy a great build. Ever had a tweeter drop out on a crossover? That’s because of clipping. Bet one of you in the comments had it happen, and didn’t hear your tweeter was clipping.... If you’re daily driving your system, that’s when these things matter, if you’re doing SPL, DC and AC voltage is your friend. Not so much distortion detection, and o scopes. When I hear people trashing devices that work for those who don’t come from an extensive background of before “easy of use” products, usually hate they didn’t think about inventing it. You pay for technology, and The DD1+ is a great device. An O scope is better because you can see the wave. That’s really the only advantage. Steve says it to everyone, buy an O scope and learn that first. Redo the test correctly, and you will understand how the unit works. As for the comments on here, throwing shade at someone because they are innovative is foul, and disrespectful and makes guys not want to be in the audio field. We all love our cars, audio, and tools. Would you get mad at Eric O (South Main Auto) for using an Onyx drill over a snap on drill? No, because the persons knowledge of how to use the device is all that Matter. Be respectful, as for you sir EMF, you do a lot of tests that are accurate, but this one for sure needs to be redone. Talk with Steve.
Best and most respectful comment I've seen yet.
FoSgAtExPoWeR thank you. I try to be respectful to everyone and every aspect when it comes to my profession. Makes for a better crowd and understanding.
i hope he actually reads comments and responds or better yet does a follow up a video. i want to see the difference :)
Nailed it
actually i hate to say this but im pretty sure hed still get a few comments wonderin y he (eric) broke somethin like that out
anyways, these devices are fairly simple, you build a sharp notch filter for 40hz and 1khz, when something starts to distort (meaning you have harmonics) those frequencies make it past the notch filter, then it takes the level of signal that makes it past the notch filter, does a calculation against the level of fundamental frequency in a microcontroller, and if it is >=1% THD it lights the LED
I'm just commenting to increase the likelihood of the video being pushed by UA-cam and to stir the pot more
😂😂😂
Hitting the like button helps more than a comment
My kind of troll. A troll after my own troll heart.
my jogger
One good advice: read the instructions! You are using it wrong!
Very much so it's not being used right...
Clown
Yup. Using it wrong
You are using it wrong and 3 diffrent ways.. Giving bad info.. Not cool
I love the truth in your videos. I've bin a installer for 25 years and cant agree with u more. Keep up the good work
Nice video. With DD1 it may be clean without a load on the amp , but when your sub or subs are connected it actually loads the amp down more which will still cause clipping.so I think the oscope is still better. I think you can still make a little adjustment on your bass boost or bass level on your source unit then set your gains.
I agree,I am going with an O scope.Amazons got one for $80.00.Thank you.Thats the next piece of equipment I'm getting.I love this stuff.
My take on it is the DD1 as with all SMD products are way over priced and no one uses the tool correctly in that it is a tool that identifies a danger zone but EVERYONE using it gives themselves no head room. By that i mean if your head unit clips at X volume but you choose to ONLY go 1 volume point below you stayed to close to the danger zone. The same applies to the amplifier EVERYONE backs off till the light goes off but that is only .1-.2volt lower.. Tolerances are to tight and variables are to large. Set head unit 2 below clipping with the unit EQ/Loudness and all to your normal preferred setting. Then move to the amp setting the crossovers with 0db tone tracks then and only then set gains to find clip drop the amps voltage a whole .5volts from clipping and do as many scenarios as you can change music, tones, and sources to verify it is still clean. Once you have done all of that verify your output wattage/voltage needed on amp output to match the speakers rms wattages and if your short shrug your shoulders say welp i did my best and the system will last for years...
Moral of the story, put a clipping light on your dash to make sure different EQ or recording material dont jack your stuff up.
Gunk smd om-1 :)
@@brandonjohnson7559 im not sure how relevant that would be. The om-1 is setup according to what you do with oscope or dd1. The issue is when you change your eq or play source material with different db than you did your initial settings with. My understanding is the om-1 is just going to show a red light when you go past what your initial settings are. That will change if you bump your eq or play from different source with higher db recording. I think a true clip light like Sundown has with their amps is best.
Idiot
Agreed. Any song just keep adding gain till the light comes on. A clip indicator is all you need assuming it’s accurate. But that’s not such a safe assumption. Also a slight amount of clipping is acceptable. And all clip indicators have different variances. For example 1.5% distortion or 10%. But yea. A good clipping light will satisfy most people and yea it will take the songs levels into account which is important. The dd1 is perfect if you play specific songs or tones. Simple.
@@meade9167 a more productive comment would entail "why" this is such a bad idea. Db increases in source material played and eq adjustments are legitimate issues.
I use a piezo tweeter with a 2.2uf capacitor in series to set the gain of a subwoofer amp, it would make noises when the signal is clipped
no you don't.
Did you get that idea from Barevids?
River Alley yes i did
I have always done it the same way you just mentioned, Steve Meade replied to my comment on the last video emf did and said even using that method you could still be off might not be getting the full potential of the amp. After giving it some thought I think I'm gonna bite the bullet and purchase a dd-1+ and an oscope just to be on the safe side. When you you contemplate the cost of the this equipment compared to what you spend on good quality subs and amps I figured it's worth it plus why not get the most out of my sundown sa12's and skar 2k. Just my 2 cents.
except that doesn't work when you use 40 Hertz
I like car audio. That's why I'm here. Please set your gains however you want :) dd1,ear,dmm, o-scope. Just keep bassing on
Yup i agree.....i set my gains by ear and it sounds like king kong is trying to get out my trunk!!!!!...... Certified block banger!!! 2 15 inch orion hcca dvc 2ohm at first i had it hooked up to a cheap planet audio 1500.1 anarchy amp class a/b. I was very impressed that i was able to wire it at 1/2ohm and did not give me problems at all. It got hot as hell tho... Fry an egg on that bitch lol. After that i got a cheater amp that my homeboy had got for me. It said 50 watts 😂😂 and it was long AF loli didnt know about those amps at that time. It was real greedy with the cars electrical ENERGY HOG!!!!!!. my current set up i had invested in a Audio control 1500.1 and i got blessed somehow i came up on the same amp a second time for free. 2 audio control 1500.1 and 2 orion hcca 12 inch
I'm a Gen-X digital VOM & O scope user.
I like SMD accessories, I still rather set my gains old school. I haven't toasted a subwoofer yet, unless that was the mission I was currently on.
Get you some Neo connections from him. Those are well worth your $.
I am an old school car audio guy and I would have loved to have tools like this back in the day.
We used o scopes, and the RTA to set up systems. However in the very early days it was set the volume of the head unit to 3/4 volume then turn up the amp gains until distortion was detected by ear.
One thing that the guy in the video did touch on that seems to be accurate is the change in output depending on the source used.
I often use my Bluetooth connection and my phone for my source, however when I change over to my usb or head unit, the output seems to be much higher even though the volume has not changed.
This is on my factory audio system, and I could see the possibility of this occurring in an aftermarket head unit.
Just an observation of my particular situation and it may be very different from others out there.
So it would seem that an individual doing the tuning may want to use all sources that they may used and check them all with DD-1 to ensure no distortion exists.
bluetooth is problem, go direct with 3.5mm audio jack if head unit is equipped
think of wifi vs ethernet cable
i like both ways and since im just starting my own audio shop i want to learn as many ways to make my customers happy
charles irby cool man!!! That’s exciting! What’s your shops name? Do you have an Instagram or Facebook?
your first mistake, thinking you can make fools happy
This video is the SHIZNIT WOW im super impressed i don't think u was HATING on ANY1 in anyway if anything ur helping people understand that they don't have to pay hundreds of dollars to see an led light and it still be incorrect thank u so much for all ur videos they have so much useful information i personally give this video a 💯👍👍 [☣✌💪🔈✌💪🔉✌💪🔊☣]
I have never fried any amp and or sub when setting gains with my dd1 , with that being said it works for me, yes oscilloscope would be best but dd1 makes me money and works just fine. I have no hate on either and I think social media has corrupted car audio, wish y’all would just drop the hate including the owners of these companies and bass on🤷♂️ ripping on each other proves jack squat............
Amen
I use one of those 30$ cheap oscope it works amazing for tuning amps
You're not going to get a good enough resolution on one of those to actually see true clipping. But you'll get close enough for the $30
DSO150 spec ftw
I do the ear. Ear will. Ear will never hirt your speakers! Always do double on the RMS on what you exspect though
I use a dso150 works perfect I sold my dd1
@@imthirstyh2o330 I use same one! It works awesome
I own a dd1. Wish I had bought o scope . This video is accurate😎.
So now I set my EQ the way I likey and then go to clipping with the setup.
he didn't even do the test right. "wish i would have bought an oscope" LOL don't listen to this jackass. You guys are all suckers.
@@meade916 Jesus Christ, link to your video that shows the correct way to use your tools........
@@meade916
You need Jesus bro.
I spoke my heart.
I help you now. For free!
Thelastreformation.com 😎😂😂
@@metalbreath66 no such thing. I don't believe in fairy tales.
@@Nothingtoya i just did one like 2 days ago.
Very though and informative. Your gonna clip so open your ears is basically how it goes. I use a speaker with a resister to set gains and it works well as a starting point.
Im here for the comments 🤣
Why all the dislikes
@@Bighotwheelhunter Ready Tony D'Amore's comment, showing how everything after 9 minutes is completely false information.
I really did like this video. Nothing against SMD product but I think I'm just going to save my money and get an O scope for a 1/3 of what the DD1+ Costs.
if you wanna save money why dont you buy a 100volt 3.3 mF capacitor for 0.5 dolars as a clipping detector.
@@markdaniels8521 im new to the party. Care to explain? Thanks
The one thing I like about pioneer head units is the source level adjustment when setting gains you can level out the difference in sources.
Did not know that. Pioneer for the win on an After market HU. Super Tuner is the King.
I set my gains with a $20 1965 rca oscilloscope
Awesome Sauce!!!!
Better then anything else you could use. Oscilloscope for the win
Reading through the comments I am most impressed with Tony D’Amore’s approach and comments.
I confess to not be sure what the relevance of setting gain overlap is to detecting distortion, perhaps I missed that.
I don’t have a DD 1, I have a Fluke scopemeter to for isolated measurements, but can see how it’s useful.
The thing is that most us who have been in car audio since the golden days are really and truly too old to be indulging in handbags at dawn, right..
grandhubert preach brother
I don’t understand why all this fuss over the DD1.
The standout product is the AM1, I can’t think of many other instruments that measure power factor, but even then it falls into the “nice to have” rather than essential category in my opinion.
If people are buying an oscilloscope for audio make sure it has a useable FFT function. That way it can show distortion and be used as a RTA.
grandhubert thanks for the heads up. What is considered a usuable FFT.
ptstrong3 for this purpose I would consider fit for purpose to be the ability to resolve harmonics of ~ -30dB with respect to to the fundamental
grandhubert thanks for the info
Learn to use an oscilloscope! It is easy! The problem is, that people think they need a special tool because they are afraid of the learning curve with an oscilloscope. If however you are clever enough to use this fine specialty product, you may if fact be clever enough to use and interpret the oscilloscope with ease. The oscilloscope has a multitude of uses and applications including diagnosing modern cars. It is a MUST HAVE for anyone interested in sound, automotive repair, or electronics in general.
You would also with an oscilloscope have a difference with each different source so it doesn’t matter what tool you use to adjust for clipping you will have to change your gains for each different source
Using the same source with different track volumes would also change that. All reasons the best tool to use is your ear, and confidence building tools are a waste of money.
@@EMFAudio probably is everybody doesn't have that ear some people can literally listen to distortion and hear no problems
@@d77543020 because they aren't told what to listen for. Most people figure it out, if it sounds bad, turn it down.
I dont necessary disagree with alot of this, but being in music production for over 20+ years i can safely say not much of the car audio world truly understand how all of this actually works. Best example i always hear about CLIPPING, but there is a huge im mean huge difference from soft clipping an full on square wave which is also something i see in alot of these types of videos. The quote smooth rounded is a sine as advertised in most videos like these ,but full on hard clipping is a square wave which is almost never explained in videos like these. In fact for several months ive watched similar videos to this an there is always a ton of misinformation or information thats not made completely clear.
Me toooooo 15 years that i produce electronic music and in some group chats on Facebook about car audio people talk about things without having a clue of what they're saying 😂😂😂
If you keep making videos Steve is going to lose his shit. The man is gone crazy.
he didn't even do the test right AGAIN...and you fell for it. How stupid do you feel? happy new year! LOL!!!
@@meade916 see see he's losing his shit.
meade916 chicken hill wigger bitch
Lmao.
@@llegacy1870 he's got that shit on copy paste dumping it on every comment
what needs to come into mind is amplifier overhead, people like to think "1000W RMS subwoofer = 1000W RMS amp", the problem comes in when you set gains to not clip, if you set the gain with a 0db signal (which almost no studio recordings are that high) you won't get close to getting full potential out of your subwoofer, having amplifier overhead (say 1000W subwoofer 2000W amp) will be able to get full subwoofer potential and not clip when set to a 0db signal, what i would do is figure out the voltage needed for 1000W of power at the subwoofer impedance and see what the voltage is of your amp (with overhead) max unclipped at a 0db signal, and if it is higher then back the gain off until you are say 10% above the voltage needed for 1000W (use the formula V = SQRT(P*R)) that way you will be always close to getting full subwoofer potential and never clip
But the LED said it's impossible to clip AND making the most power, and total system balance between mids and subs don't matter! /sarcasm
@@EMFAudio and the amount they charge for these DD1s is absurd, ive been wanting to build and document a similar device on youtube but just havent gotten around to it yet, i think i could do it for around $20-$30 of parts
@@wow1022 The frustrating part is that you are more than likely not coming at this from a product manufacturer perspective. The manufacturer has to make money and lots to pay for the cost to build the item, pay taxes, hold inventory, make a living, pay employees, retirement, and also enough to pay for research into the next thing. Yes, there is profit but usually only when the quantity is very high which is usually after a lot of time. How much profit do you think is in that oscilloscope he uses or the batteries on the bench.
Just so you're aware, you may upload the videos with peaks at 0db, but youtube messes with the audio. I'm not sure of everything it does, but it could change the peak level and average level.
analog always smoked digital on ever aspect setup old school cassette deck vs cd, then tell me which has better quality, I'll take analog any-day
same goes with signals, just look at how normal radio station work vs digital radio, with analog you can still make out to a certain point of whats being said, now digital you don't get shti Siriusxm is just one example
I have used the DD-1 and CC-1 on every system I have built and every time I have seen DB gains... EVERYTIME. For the unity we try and preach to the younger generation, having the older audio guys conduct themselves this way is a huge step back wards. Just my 2 cents.
You have paid no attention to Meade's bullying and arrogant behavior in almost every single one of his comment sections, so you are as much to blame for ignoring it as he is for doing it. He is a walking, talking piece of shit who acts hard with little kids on his channel. A literal internet thug because he's a pussy in real life.
@@Des420 He is just saying his opinion.
@@riveralley I'm just saying mine... Only you can go and check his video comments and see I'm not lying or exaggerating about his behavior.
@@Des420 true
Des420 I have paid plenty of attention, my comment was directed at both parties. No names mentioned because I though I got my point across.
When you but the dd-1 in the instructions it gives you options and tracks for different db overlap settings. I believe it's 0db, -5db, -10db and -15db. For the 40hz and 1khz track. Bass boost is always a no no regardless. I'm not sure if the track choices you used have much to do with your results but I'd be curious to see you do all the above with all the different options from the dd-1 or dd-1 + manual. Then again I'm still only half way through this video... I think I'm wrong about the different db overlap settings it says in the manual. It may have been -5db, -7db and -10db. Makes more sense. I haven't checked the booklet yet.
he is correct and so are you, anything done at head unit effects the out come of the hole system, I know many I have setup by ear only and was flawless give or take depending on some of the piss poor recording studio's, then 2 or 3 days pass, someone tells them it sounds like garbage, come to find out they added more bass and treble and I could not get them to understand that effect the overall sound of everything @EMF Audio and @meade916 y'all keep up the good work and FK WHAT OTHERS THINK, because in certain sisution, we get the big head and know all and no one can tell us diff ROFLMOAO KEEP BOOMING
I think the best thing to do here is set your eq and crossovers at moderate volume to your musical taste, leave bass boost off and act like it doesn't exist, THEN hook up the dd1 and set your gains. I can see the point of this video. I'm not partial to either party here, but imperfect tools made by imperfect humans are never going to be 100% fail proof. Use your head a little and you should be fine.
That's exactly what a gets from this video...
You can clip even if you set it with the O-Scope. Audiophiles take into account everything when they set their equipment up. That why you always verify after changing settings. And depending on how audio is recorded is going to make a difference. The tool does what its supposed to do. But it doesn't matter if you use an o scope or not, you change something, then expect different results.
Wow, ive argued this without a dd1. Im not a rocket scientist or anything but it seemed like common sense that if you set the hd to clip then anything you add like you said bass or boost anything will clip. I got reemed out with technical words which i couldnt argue because hell i had no idea what the words even ment. Now what happens when you set everything and you use Spotify and the recording isnt right like they added bass boost on the recording, clipping. You just made my night with this info video.
I'm no professional but it seems like the overlaps were set wrong do to user error.. I own nothing by or from smd,so I'm not brandwagoning but i think this is a bad representation. Like I said I'm no pro, I just like my music loud and low but this social media drama is senseless! ✌
Agree, because you have people that's fans of his who don't like Steve and vice versa. I still like the video, because he is teaching people about car audio and those who just love car audio. He did make a video before this one....letting us know we were going to be part of a experiment video I guess this is the one he was talking about lol. I brought the DD1, CC1 and the AMM1.....I won't lie I hesitate before buying the units, because I felt they were some what pricey especially the AMM1, don't get me wrong I do enjoy using the units.
@@charleswp71 yes, I did see that.....he did a couple of things wrong when he was testing DD-1+. I could be wrong, but I do tell people there's distortion you can't hear and distortion you can hear...that why I continue to my multi meters as well as my SMD tools.
Seems like I should clip each source and set gains for the source that clips first. If there is a consistent difference then you should increase the level of that different individual source to match the source that distorted first.
If you want to eq it's simple. Set gain at 0db. Now take away from flat to form your desired curve.
Ideally we want to do this last step with an RTA.
this has been such a good christmas present, i love you so much right now! LET THE SHOW BEGIN!!! ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!
I hear you. But I am not amused.
@@Hertzsogood219 how do you not like a good trash fire?
@@buddykiller Ur right.
It's not funny at all. It's very sad. I've seen business owners telling there own customers to f off. Guys acting like children. All that's missing is a parking lot and a bunch of people throwing bottles at one and other. There is nothing funny about this. This community use to be amazing. We could share builds knowledge and experience. Now it's a big dog fight. I miss the 90s audio. The way this is going car audio will be dead in just a few years
@@trecedaves3159 no it won't and what you're witnessing is actually what happens when "communities" become too large for one single aspect to bond the group together. think about it, in the 90's the internet was in it's infancy and groups where incredibly small, the 00's saw the rise of messageboards which supported hundreds, maybe a couple thousand active members and even then there where fractions based on which board you posted on and what gear you ran. now there's several thousands of people all centered around a microcosm of channels each with it's own presentation style. not to mention that contact and conversation between consumer and manufacturer/brand representatives are at unprecedented levels. if anything it just goes to show that some people can't handle criticism very well and maybe shouldn't be the face of their brand online. something something heat something something kitchen something something sammich.
I set my gains using ohms law and a digital multimeter and so far have had good results
Ya i think in the instructions and pre calibration it says to set your bass boost or volume bass knob if your amp has one to max. Then set your gains from that point so if you add boost it wont clip.
Sure but keep in mind you still wont get all the power from your amp so its just wasted.
@@jayweb702 no it don't, it all about what you want to hear, not the FKG CRITICS, CRITICS ARE LIKE AIRPORTS, PLANES COMPLAIN ABOUT ROAD CONDITION, meaning it doesn't matter what others fkg think ONLY YOU, all my stuff looks like something PILITICIANS would have thrown together, looks cobbled but booms nice, just ask law and cry baby neighbors
It's about your preference not others, just like building cars trucks from ground up, it's about you, not everyone else or greedy FKG CORPORATIONS OR GOVERNMENTS, just your ears🌞
@@watup110875 That reply had nothing to do with my comment.
@@jayweb702 has everything to do with it, don't get butt hurt because you ain't the only mthrfkr that knows SHTI, how long you been at it, I got 30+ under my belt, how about you
@@watup110875 Same my man, and I'm sorry my comment offended you.
There's no such thing as gain overlap for clean, undistorted sound!
When you're dealing with audio material in digital domain and you don't know who how it is mixed, mastered or edited, there's a big change to find out what intersample peaking (ISP) is. Basically, when someone choose to normalize an audio track close to 0 dBFS, without having the available tools to know how that signal will look in analog domain, the moment that audio signal shape is reconstructed in analog domain, you will find out what intersample peaking is and are guaranteed to have a clipped signal before entering the amplifier.
If you see the waveform of a song in digital domain and you notice that it's peaking to -3 dBFS or lower, there may be a reason for this, like a decision made by the mixing and mastering engineers, in order to avoid clipping the audio signal when its original waveform is reconstructed in analog domain.
The secret to good sound is headroom! Headroom on mixing stage, headroom on mastering stage and headroom on playback stage!
Enjoy the music as it is and don't try to chase last ounces of power from the amplifiers, just because you paid for that power.
Music is dynamic by its very nature and those dynamics makes it sound good!
When did it become hard to set gains?
I'm kinda dumbstruck about that as well.
This^^^^^^^
The day EMF put out that first video.
i blame the overall decline in common sense that we've witnessed in popular culture over the past couple decades and the obsession with wringing every last watt you can out of your system while staying completely 100% clean. this is why headroom is a thing. if you have sufficient headroom it isn't really something you need to be concerned about.
@@buddykiller I agree, look at the cars of today... they are built just for that "less use of common sense" we see a light in the sideview mirror to let us know when it's safe to switch lanes... etc. Etc. Theres a plateau in which UA-cam can be educational... the rest of it is the new age wasting time and brain cells.
I’m guessing you never attend our industry conferences? Like this is a small world man. Bad info is bad. Tony is a beast!!!!!!!! Keep doing good work for us Tony!!!!
This comment is for both guys. I know you guys have beef with each other, and you feel it brings brand awareness to others. But intentionally trying to do harm to another only shows who you are as a person. And while I was considering your product and recently at your website comparing yours to another product, understand the lack of product going against someone that has just about the market cornered for many products, the lack of what I wanted along with your ability to show who you are as a person not only lost my sale, but I won't recommend your product to anyone. And for Steve, I hope you read this, because while I've watched many of your videos, and loved your products, and you should recognize some of my comments as well. This is really disappointing how much you don't care about your customers. I thought you did, but instead of educating and offering the truth to those in question, you go off cussing at them as if they are being the a$$ to you. No, they are customers, potential customers, and also tell others how they are treated. And obviously you could care less since you make the money anyways, it just sucks to see who you truly are and how much you don't have the right to bash on anyone else when you are far worse. I get it, we aren't your homies, nor will we be. And those big guys have your back. But think of where you could be with better customer service. Remember who the little guys are as well, we just might make a better product some day with better customer service. But you two can battle it out like elementary school children, I'll get my wife's car done from a company with better customer service. I'm only spending $10,000 but I'll design my own. And $3,700 for two 12's hand built in the US how I ask for them to match the car how I want is worth it to me. I could have spent it with you guys, but obviously I mean nothing to either. I'm just a keyboard guy on UA-cam with a wife he wants to make happy.
Yeah man, this needs to stop.
I agree with you totally.
Yes sir, indeed this needs to end.
best comment I've seen yet, very well put
I agree...i saw all the comments where steve was bashing ppl bc the were questioning him jus to get there facts straight.....a little childish imo
What someone should take away from this video if they're looking for valuable info or facts:
Setting your gains should start with finding the limits of the head unit and all other gain settings shoild be set with any eq settings (bass boost, head unit eq, phone or bluetooth source equalization, bass knobs.. etc) maxed out to the highest degree the intended user would ever use.. The key to correct and safe equalization and amplification would always be to decrease frequencies levels rather than increase them.. The part i don't subscribe to wholeheartedly is that distortion is wrong and every un-rounded waveform is an arrow from satans bow.. Clipping is undesirable and destructive for sure but i believe there are hundreds of thousands of overindulgent bass heads in the world running equipment for years even decades and their systems regularly experience distortion to a small degree.. I would not set a customer's system to allow a signal that distorted to ever pass through the output but a smart person knows that what's being said about line level, eq and clipping are really just no-brainers and if you can argue against a point that is 100% legit truth (easiy proven facts) then you don't need to even watch these videos because physics and the world that you live in are within the fantasy realm that nobody else can touch taste or see anyway, so just turn it all up to fuggin' eleven and ignore the advice of anybody not sharing your cartoon coccoon. Sorry for typos and long winded reply.. Some of y'all just fuggin' suck!
it ain't that, others just can't handle people have the right to their own way preference right or wrong as it may, can't kill that with weapons no more than human weakness with a gun or opinion
Great video explaining gain and overlaps. Also, the DD1 is great and works for most people, but nothing beats an oscope ($30 is sufficient).
Poking that SMD hornet's nest....lol
Playing with fire son!!!
Haha, annoying fire!
Clipping and distortion are 2 different terms. The SMD meter shows distortion and voltage, the oscilloscope shows the signal.
Thanks, was very educational. I own a oscope but when the dd1 I took it as accurate myself. Having checked it with the oscope to verify. But it totally makes sense if you switch to cd vs usb. I didnt even consider that. Also see know how it could introduce clipping if I change anything from where it was set at with the dd1.
Thanks Sean. Videos are always informative. Love the old school spl trick at the end of the video. I still have and use the 3 banhammers from 2016. The 3 scv 2000's died in 2018 (power supply problems) I have Phoenix go ti elite amps now. Ok my question I've set up my system using the dd1+ and havent noticed a problem. But the explanation on the 3 and 6 db over lap does have me concerned for my system as it is the mids and highs that does use that overlap. I think I'm getting what your saying. Is I should be more focused on the extra head room that I know is clean. Instead of essentially over thinking it and providing a over lap that may distort at a 0 db signal? As always love the equipment. I do use SMd and EMF with no problems. Just want your thoughts about what I was talking about
Your last video disappeared, why? Anyway, without a dd1 or an oscilloscope I just set my amp with no distortion. I used my ears and the 75 percent rule and it worked for me.
I grew up installing in the late 80's and 90's. We didn't have these fancy tools and scopes were huge and cost thousands of dollars. Our ears never failed us back then!!
Probably hid it because he was getting trolled by smd fanboys
Shoo, I use a tweeter. Works every time.
Wow, you too? Disappointed
The guy in the video has some points, but in the end, what is the goal? If your going for the most SPL, then by ear is probably fine. If you are going for longevity on one system every 5 or so years, than a $100 oscilloscope would probably suffice. If you run a shop, the DD1 plus is probably the way to go to ensure you are protecting the customer's system along with being efficient. If you are leaving power on the table, then the amp/speakers aren't matched correctly.
thats strange, id like to hear what steve says about how to go about all this, because theirs obviously some info missing here cuz steves a hardcore basshead, a smart dude, n seems like a good dude so i cant imagine he didnt think about this im sure hes got a reason or other instructions at least i really hope so
Seems like all he has to say is mean
it;'s got nothing to do with @meade916 it all about how good bad the product was made, I have seen many no name amp I would climb to the highest pile of expensive shti to get, because cheap was better than CHI-NA BRAND
kicker rockford alpine all made somewhere else outside USA with a USA STICKER STAMPED, just because it says that doesn't mean it, how the FK DID THE MAKING OF AMERICAN FLAG GET HANDED TO PUY55Y AZZ CHI-NA TO START WITH IS BEYOND ME, but the point of the matter, it's about your ear not mine steve or emf, you have to make that call on your own and say FK OTHERS, critics is going to critic when you ain't buying their product or hiring them TO DO IT. have fun stay booming and for fun smoke a few if needed to learn, start cheap then graduate
@@saltyberserker4235 ps just look at duck dy-nasty, made their first million here then sent the corporation to child slave camp CHI-NA
@@watup110875 thanks for the reply, im deff smokin a few, its not amps tho :p although iv DEFF done my fair share of that to lol im a pretty hardcore basshead iv competed around maryland, nothin real serious, jus messin around but i always did real well everything got handed to china because of greed, cheap ass ppl willing to lose the priceless "made in america" badge, and quality, again all to greed
@@4dirt2racer0 amen sad times
It is a waste of money, only thing you’re paying for is looks. Good video man at least someone explained how that thing really works
@@meade916 hey brother we love ya man. I guess you need to fo a vid on proving everyone wrong. Happy new year homie
meade916
Why people in comments are being called names when they see what he is doing and explaining what he is doing without allegedly knowing from what you mentioned is the wrong way I feel you should make a new video proving EMF guy wrong and we will see for ourselves
It could be useful if your amplifier doesn't have a clipping indicator but
if your amplifier does it's a waste of money
Bassgod you knows not thing about audio repairs and matching audio products, all SMD products are accurate. Read and do your research before you talk shit bro. Me at bose laughing at you
@meade916 i am still gonna buy more SMD products for my audio installations my customers are very happy with how there sound system sounding.
This is pretty sad, not as a community but as people. This sounds exactly like how people respond in their discussions of political parties and ideology. It's not wrong of course to take a stance but how we treat people who don't vote like us, look like us, live like us or who we disagree with is pretty sad.......even something as insignificant as car audio (as compared to life itself), and the same dynamic seems to rear its ugly head, human nature!!!!!! Just read the comments and you see the true hearts of people. We are not all going to agree on everything. Those of you who are married to the love of your life know what I'm talking about. It's no wonder how on every level that things are bad, ie messed up people, families, cities, county states, countries, nations, and..........the whole world. I bet if we traced it back it would lead to at least two people who refuse to respect one another and their perspectives. I know I know, sounds stupid right? But what if.........there is worldwide impact and you and I play some role in the current state of our world.
Love your videos. You can't just turn any head unit up all the way and tune it by ear. I've done that before on a friend's build and I had to go back with the dd-1 to correct it and now it sounds clean and it's a little louder. Before that, the amp for the sub would go into protect. Not all head units can go all the way on volume. I've always tuned by guessing the head unit volume and hearing distortion from the subs but now it's so much easier with the dd-1. I'm not paying extra for the dd-1+ though. That's way too much. That oscilloscope you have is more accurate. I should have gotten one of those instead. Again, love your videos. I've learned a lot from watching them.
STEVE MEADE HAS ENTERED THE CHATROOM
I'm still going to figure out how to set my gains with a cheap oscilloscope. But my plan is to set it at 0db 1k tone file. And listen to quiet music like Tom Petty and see if I'm having to max the volume out (Max volume meaning the highest you can go on the head unit without it clipping out of the head unit). If I'm having to max the volume out, then I may try a -3db 1k tone file go reset the gains and see how that goes.
You forgot to show that a phone using Bluetooth can also clip depending on volume level as well. I have to keep my phone two clicks down from full volume or it clips hard.
mikes hobbie's and random stuff I have never had this problem 🤷🏻♂️
mikes hobbie's and random stuff does your head unit have a source level adjustment?
@@jamesbondcaraudio4247 I don't believe so but even if it did it wouldn't solve it the clipping comes from my phone at full volume, it even does it using headphones with my phone. Depends on the phone itself as I've had phones in the past that didn't have the issue.
mikes hobbie's and random stuff got it brotha.
Just 1 question, why is it when i have my subwoofer volume all the way down on the deck there is no sound from the subwoofer what so ever (RCA through sub output back of the deck), i have to turn the subwoofer volume up on the deck to get something from the subwoofer behind my seats or ill just drive around with normal speakers and no subwoofer at all
I post similar comment as last time:
DD1 works
O'scope works
Regardless of what you use to set your gains (including old school "by ear"), unless you always listen to the same track, output will vary based on source. And, setting your gains correctly doesn't eliminate the possibility of clipping the source or amp, and many don't realize an amp can clip (with gains perfect) when voltage drops and destroy speakers.
Long video with a lot of information.
Question: if setting up properly as you did, but then play a song that has deep or bass boosted notes, could that bad boosted song introduce clipping even though there wasn't clipping when initially setting up?
Yes, that's the inherent problem with using a tool to set the gain. At the end of the day, your ear is the best tool to adjust things in real time.
yes all day long
This video is hilarious and so are the comments, he's trying so hard to downplay equipment.
Lol he seems like a sour little baby . Every video I clicked on he’s talking shit about someone.
I set my gains with my bass knob at around 3/4 and checked my clip indicator with a scope. It’s pretty damn accurate. If I’m cranking it up I put my bass knob to where i set my gains and I can see if I’m clipping or not at the volume level I set my gains. It’s about the safest way to prevent clipping outside of having a scope sitting on your dash lol. I check everything pretty regularly but I also have a 4425 PicoScope, a snap on vantage legend, and a couple of other handheld scopes laying around.
I just watched 2 of your videos, AFTER i watched SM's vid on the returns where he praises the dd-1. which i commented on that i simply tune my system by ear. ovcourse he had to comment back that if i'm not using the dd-1 i can't be doing it right.
i've been doing it since before the 80's and as much as i might like some of SM's products, if i were to spend any $ on a tool, it would be a scope, not the dd-1
I always figured if you use the dd-1 to set your gains, then after if you change any settings you could clip. Which always made me wonder what the point of the dd-1 is. I set my gain with dd-1 and on my alpine it was clean to vol 30, but went to 35. In my case once I set my head unit up, bass/mids/treble/crossover and all that... I usually set my bass to -3 or -4 after setting my sub amp with what the dd-1 manual refers to as "a happy medium of clarity and loudness" which I'm paraphrasing for of course lol. I forget what db overlap track it was for that setup though. I'd have to check the manual. Definitely wish I just stuck with using my ears to set gains like I did for 20 years lol.
If you set your gains with an o-scope and then go and change some settings you can clip that way too.... thats more a user error than a fault of the tool
This is dead on. It doesn't matter the tool because there is an inherent no win fault in setting stereo systems. There is no one setting to work for all.
@@sacredcreationz
Actually, there is... It's called using your brain, and most people can't be bothered to do it, so they look for tools to give them shortcuts. But tools of all kinds are prone to their own faults. The only fault the brain has is the lack of using it in all the ways that are necessary to properly set up a system (inherently referred to as "user error"). It's much more math than blinky lights, much to people's chagrin or discomfort, hence the workaround of using tools to circumvent doing it in a "one way that works for all setting"... Because even given such a setting, user error or lack of willingness would happen prominently; but that's not to say such a thing doesn't exist.
Heck, if people used their brains as much as they should when they're building a system (and, granted, this next statement is theoretically worded), blowing equipment would never happen... They'd buy equipment designed to easily do what they're wanting it to do instead of straining it with more power than it's intended for or by maxing out gains, thereby all-but eliminating much (if not all) of these problems to begin with... Gotta love those people who blow stuff for the "logic" of "saving some money" on something they end up having to replace instead of just originally buying the better product that wouldn't have needed to be pushed to its breaking point.
That said: Yes, there is a "this _would_ work for everyone" way to setting gains, but we'd be hardpressed to get people, as unwilling to think as they typically are (especially in mass), to do it.
Here we go again
VERY BORING 😶😪
Any suggestions for a few different quality scopes that you know of?
I'm thinking about maxing the volts with an 0db recording but "marking where" using an inline bass knob to reduce the volts till it reads -5 db and another at -10db. Just as guide lines since the music might not be reputable. I can always turn it up and use my ear.
Thanks video
I had a few paragraphs on this but I deleted it... at this point I’d never buy products from SMD or EMF. Tony from D’amore seems level headed and I think he made a good product but I think being associated with Steve Meade is hurting the product.
Makes sense. I’m not famous so I’m not allowed to have an opinion. Silly me.
The DD1 plus does more than detect distortion. It shows impedance rise and loss as well as wrms where an oscilloscope does not.
Great vid!
Just an interesting thing I encountered some years ago.
I have a track that surpasses the 0 db range with no clipping. How is that possible? I have no idea because I got it off the internet years ago. The track sounds like it’s +6 dbs. It’s the ONLY track in my life I have ever encountered this. I’m assuming there is an error in the file header that causes this. I’m not sure. I play this song in my car and distorts. I play it on any player on my computer and it distorts. I load it in my audio editing program and it shows distortion because it’s past the 0 dB limit. But here’s the thing, I have a program called Winamp and it comes with a preamp adjustment on the left side. As I lower the preamp gain on the left side, guess what?; all the distortion is gone and the audio sounds clean! This is the rarest file I have ever encountered in my life!
You have done magic, that's my guess.
ua-cam.com/video/GbU0g-ymDuo/v-deo.html
... i miss winamp now asshole! why oh why did they ever sell out to fucking aol of all companies? WINAMP, IT REALLY KICKS THE LLAMA'S ASS!
I always follow the old rule of 3/4 gain is max. So then I turn it back 1/4 turn. On a labeled amp it should be around -1
LOL "use your brain" the best distortion detector! When I can actually afford to get an o scope, I will get one :) for now, the Ear FTW!
DB Bass heads welcome to the Q bass heads nightmare. Great video! !!!
As much as I love the dd1 I have. I still use my o scope over it because I can see the wave and really fine tune the hell out my amps
post up your video using a scope....lets see it.
@@meade916 will do brotha
@@hinesvillebass6742 he didn't even do the test right AGAIN...and you fell for it. How stupid do you feel? happy new year! LOL!!!
@@meade916 lol didnt fall for anything I simply like useing my o scope of I have a whole day to tinker. If I want to get it done right and still have a semblance of a day left its dd1 for the win. Plus I can use it on the fly to help out other people sterios. Great products all in all. Keep killin it steve :)
meade916 Post a video showing the right procedure? We all could learn how to use the DD-1+. I’ve been using DD1 for years.
The reason you get voltage when the knob is in lane is that its creating a constant resistance rather than variable like a speakers do
Pretty ridiculous IMO... Steve Meade is a legend in car audio!! The second a legend is born so are all the haters. So why don't you tell us more about the idle distortion on your scope? Mine doesn't do that ever. Plus you say your voltage is reading wrong, then you use the ddm wrong smh... Another failed attempt at bashing SMD
Hi, I need a decent cheap scope to use. Since it isn't used often, it's a tool to just have available occasionally. Any recommendations for that?
This comment section is sad
says you, delicious salt is delicious.
@@buddykiller same I love this comment section
If I commented on this before forgive me. So if I’m understanding correctly, what ever source you use to set gains with a DD 1+, any addition ( bass boost level controls whatever) downstream of that source can and most likely will cause clipping. So I’m thinking if you set the gains AFTER you’ve made the adjustments Bass boost etc you want to make using the DD 1+ as opposed to before the sound processors etc you will be good. Is that correct or make sense?? Thanks for always informing and being patient. You’re cool beans.
Doing the levels on flat settings would be ok if the EQ'ing would be done to only remove humps and bulges, not to boost anything. And that's how it should be. Though a few dB boost here and there would probably not be the end of the world. I would probably prefer to set some basic levels for measuring and setting out the system (EQ, delays, phases etc.) and only then do the final level setup. That way the boosts that change with the listeners taste and feeling could be kept to a minimum.
OT... And of course a system should be adjusted as a compromise between a flat response and the preferred contour of the listener (also with high output, the threshold of pain should also be considered). When someone actually starts hearing things that previously were left in the shadow of some over boosting or just crappy speakers/installation/whatever, I could bet that they would eventually prefer less boost (ie. loudness) for a clearer and more sophisticated sound stage. But that takes time, understanding and good gear.
I'd like to see you invent a bass knob that provides a distortion light implemented into it. IMO they should already be on the market and readily available.
You mean like most Sundown amps for the last 6 years?
I’ve had a bass knob with a distortion light since 2013
D4S JP23 has volts, temp, and clip in the same knob.
Damn you can’t argue with the audio god tony damore
Good video, I have the first DD-1 from years ago used it quite a lot and would hear the difference between audio sources and now I know why. While it is a convenient tool, as you mentioned an Oscope would be the better choice to go with.
@@meade916 steve i like you but you need to chill a bit bro. I understand its likely very frustrating. Its starting to take you look like an asshole which isn't good for your business image. You make it seem like you are a hell of a guy in your videos and live streams then you go on rants like this. Chill a bit, make a video of how to correctly use this with a scope as well.
Its obvious at this point he is trying to get you to clipping and to set his subscriber gain optimally using your name and DD1.
@@pospc2 I agree with you
@@pospc2 nah. I don't need to do anything. Worry about yourself. Do you know how many people in the audio industry hate this guy? EVERYONE. The only people who don't are about 20 peon's from the YT comments.
@@meade916 with that worry about yourself comment you just verified you are an asshole. Unsubbing from you and will be sure not to buy or recommend your products anymore. We have plenty of other options.
@@meade916 but you replied to everyone you look like a dum ass business owner stop crying everybody dont like yo shit
Christmas eve.. New years eve.. I see it.
Personally I really don't think its a requirement obviously if your amplifier doesn't have a clipping indicator then that's when you go out and buy an o scope or if you have to go buy one of these but if your amplifier does have a clipping indicator there's really no need for it if you're into SPL your amplifiers going to distort The thing that will bend you over is when you're full on clipping your shit though but most of the time people are running amplifiers that have clipping indicators on them. Not to mention though you can probably go out and buy a cheap otoscope for way less than this thing is.
Bad for both companies EMF AGAIN does the Test wrong FFS and Steve going Nuts in the comments on customers and possible customers it's a sad day in the Car Audio Industry and this from a Fan of SMD and a previous Fan of EMF audio.
Erik Britz !!! first off it's not a sad day in car audio!!! just because your butt hurt, That EMF audio rocks & SMD isn't anywhere on his level.. EMF that makes it a good day in car audio. Peace the fu@k out
Why does Steve get a pass when EMF doesn’t? Steve is calling customers fuck tards, pussies, etc. as well as anyone who doesn’t say the DD1 is the greatest thing on earth and space.
The thing is though. No matter how you set your gain, you have the potential to clip if you change anything after setting it. Whether you set them with the DD-1, o-scope or with your ear. If you went into your deck and cranked up the sub after maxing out the gain with the sub turned down, you will clip. Also, you keep circling back to this claim that it’s impossible to clip with the DD-1. I’ve never heard that claim and I think anyone with half of a brain will know that the DD-1 doesn’t remove clipping.
What I see as being the difference in your tuning methods is that with the DD-1 and the o-scope, you set the deck to max clean output and tuned the amp to that. Whereas when you tuned with your method you set the AMP to max output and tuned the deck to that. That will normally work if you have a decent amp. However, some amps introduce distortion on their own so maxing out the gain on a cheap amp will introduce distortion that no amount of tuning to the deck will get rid of.
Anyone with half a brain doesn't need a DD1 to set a gain.
Piezo tweeters work well for making a simple detector. Like 6 bucks
Dso with custom firmware works nice too.
Just got a much nicer handheld oscope though so I'll just stick to that
As much as I love car audio and change things up these dd1s and all that do too little for me to want one.
no it really doesn't. There are a lot more factors involved.
@@meade916 like what?
Like his pocket.
using a nice low frequency sine wave you can go from dead silence to an annoying buzz at clipping because piezos are essentially high pass filters (impedance goes way up at low frequencies) and our amps are for putting out low frequency and crossed over. so the hpf filters the low frequency sine wave out. then turn up the gain and as the high frequency square wave is created by the clipping youll hear it. can do the same with regular tweeters and simple crossovers.
ive looked at the results with an oscope looks good can set a usable soft clip this way as well if you want.
theres already videos out there doing this using a small speaker and a cap along with oscilloscope readings and sound to back it all up
heres one ua-cam.com/video/lAn4WGny-gE/v-deo.html
pretty sure tfade has one as well. along with a lot of others.
my cheap jensen HU goes up to 63, i can hear it start to clip ~48 and set the max to ~ 54 because some recordings (old ripped disks, aerosmith, boston, extreme ...) just need a little more gain and some bass boost to sound a little better. it might not clip 1% till 54 but i backed it off to 48 just to be safe. one of these days i'll find somone with the dd-1 just for giggles to see what it says.
i have a truck full of ADS speakers and my system sounds fantastic.
that is why I hate anything DIGITAL, can we bring back analog yet
smd junk. He does make some nice over priced fuse blocks though
XD
@@meade916 I was just seeing if you would comment on my comment 🐴
@@fusiondensity3287 you just have to love how Steve treats customers lol.
@@southjerseysound7340 do you not see what they are saying? you aren't that dumb are you? "customers"...SMH
@@southjerseysound7340 Especially since most of us overlap. SMH
so dd1 can only check for distortion on the low voltage outputs? it cant check the headunits actual speaker outputs?
Treating it as an amplifier you could, because it does have an amplifier onboard.
@@EMFAudio does the black wire from the dd1 go to the speaker negative or to the ground?
@@slybunda Depending what version you have it could be speaker negative or could be one or the other or both. It's not the easiest tool to use, but the new video coming would be a better way.
I can't believe some people don't understand that boosting certain frequencies is basically the same as turning the volume/gain up and if you don't leave any headroom before distortion starts you're going to distort. I knew this when I was like 5.
Pass. Not sitting through the extended ad revenue breaks to listen to this.
adblocker.. it's 2020 and you still watching adds?
@@ThePurePlayaz shhh don't tell people someone has to watch the adds to keep everything running while we just enjoy not having them.
Adblocker doesn’t work on my smart tv. Video is boring anyway- meh-
@@lunchboxbailey all the action is in the comments my friend fuck the video
WowI I can’t believe that a change in any type of EQ adjustment distorts and causes clipping. Does the SMD mm1 really work?
I was waiting to see the real test.
@@meade916 Admire you man, but you should be more professional.
@@meade916 I don't want to hate on you but take this video as a way to improve your product. This video shows some flaws that amps may still clip. Maybe for him the instructions are not that clear, maybe they are.
Im pretty much just saying use this video as a way to improve your product and don't go and just say you're using it wrong.
@@ntrain2k ahhhh so i should take shit from these clowns in the comments? Got it.
@@riveralley i don't need to improve my product. This stupid fuck didn't even use it right AGAIN...and all you guys are piling on even though you know he didn't do it right. So let me ask you this. If i put drive my vehicle through the front of a store because i hit the gas instead of the brakes...and i make a video calling out the company for the car not working correctly, who is the real dumb fuck? me or the car company? What about the 100 dumb fucks saying "ya, the car is malfunctioning, i told you you should have bought a bicycle. I prefer a bike because i know it works". SMH see how much sense it makes? You aren't really that dumb are you ?
@@ntrain2k after so many people trying to bash your legit shit what do you exspect! He has been professional for a while now! Agter a while it's like fuck it! I'm going to bark
Buy an om1 and set it correctly and that will work well to indicate clipping on different sources.
Or spend not hundreds of dollars and make your own ua-cam.com/video/6CKM0AdqNJw/v-deo.html
So basically the same thing would happen if you used the oscilloscope and not DD1 or DD1+. What you failed to mention is you would have to adjust each source separately with the product. Most every head unit allows separate levels for the individual sources. If you're using usb, bluetooth or wifi your signal depends on the quality of the recording. Besides the point you are hard clipping at max volume. If you are listening to your system at full volume all the time you deserve to destroy your speakers and your hearing. Good luck.
Good point...
I said kind of the same on his last video.