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I recently purchased a pioneer deh-p8600mp and I need some help tuning it just right. I've played around with the 13 band equalizer quite a bit, but I can't seem to get it just right to suit my needs. I believe that my problem is lack of experience with audio. While I have spent a lot of time learning about car audio and I feel that I know a fairly good bit, the main thing that I lack is hands on experience with it. I really don't know much about audio past what I have read from various sources. After all, a deaf man can learn a lot about audio, but he still is going to have some problems when it comes to tuning a system. Anyway, can anyone recommend some sites that might have some videos to show me what I need to be listening for rather than trying to explain it through text?
I have done a search btw.

 
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Yeah I would like to know as well.

 
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setting up your eq is very subjective. you will have to keep adjusting the 13 bands until it gets to where you like it. there are more components you will need if you really want to tune it for sound quality/competitions. basically, get one song that sounds very good and start adjusting each band, one by one, until it sounds the way you like.

 
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get a GOOD CD (original recording) of some high quality very rich material, something with a lot of highs mids and lows. one of the IASCA or USACi discs will have a bunch of these tracks for you. listen to one repeatedly and adjust the bands in order (low to high or high to low) until your ears are satisfied

 
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i always turned all down as low as can be then bring them in to where they sound good to you like megahurtz said. there is no perfect setting its just what sounds good to you.

 
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I have to agree with MegaHurtz, who is always right. Get a disc like usaci or iasca test disc that has several songs all with different main instuments playing. By listening to a song with a lot of bass, you can tune your midbass and then do that for all the frequencys. It also helps to work with the crossovers and dont have speakers play above or below their limits.

 
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I have that unit too, i used to run mine flat in my previous car but that was sound deadened and had better speakers, so the midbass was quite suficient. But in my coupe i run it on the powerful setting, due to the main fact the doors are not deadened (yet) and the standard speakers are complete rubbish. The IASCA disk is a bit extreme unless you running amps and components etc, as this disk is used to judge staging, tonality checking for unwanted noises etc.

 
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I have the PPI deq-230 and I run almost all of it flat.

 
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Sounds like you got a sweet system Rufus.

 
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why would you run almost all of it flat?

 
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Using most of it flat means you dont really need it. Just tune what sounds good to you and ask some pros for advice. All sq competitors are always friendly.

 
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I've also been running my 7600MP nearly flat, with just a bit of a bump in the mids. Previously, I had the lows, mids and highs tweaked pretty good, but I find now that I'm hearing a lot more detail in the flatness. I know that may sound weird, but it's true!

 
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you sure know how to make a guy blush

 
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I have to give you props cause you know your stuff.

 
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because EQ is the last thing a top end car stereo needs. just very minor tweaks to get everything dialed in. since he is running a mono EQ rather than a stereo one, then he probably only needs very little curve shaping. the advanced unit is probably solely for the purpose of narrow passbands of frequency adjustment.

but honestly. have you ever tweaked your EQ to the extreeme? it always has that passive electrical "I tweaked my stereo too much" sound, doesnt it?

 
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u know what...i got the same deck..

my installer configured it for me....very nice configuration + configuration for my sub..


yesterday....i took out the battery......................and i forgot to write everything down!!!!

 
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Absolutely correct. I still have passives for the kicks to keep them from exploding, but trust me it helps. By using defeat on the deck and keeping the DEQ-230 on, the bass is louder, mids are cleaner, etc. Here's a few pics.





Jl Amps
Diamond TDX104's
Diamond HEX 6.5s
Diamond M5's in rear deck (rear fill from HEX crossovers only. No RF tweets)

Silk dome tweets in the kicks
Alum Dome in the a-pillars (dropped down a few db's)

I'd still rather have the AudioControl DQX though...

 
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Does the EQ not touch your legs when you drive???? Seriously i got the Audiocontrol DQX kind of part exed my DQT and some money for it, reminds me i got to pick it up from my friends. Only got the 8600 in car, deadening car before i put anything in it.

 
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No the EX has a base that it sits in that is mounted in the trunk.The advantage to it over the DQX is that you have to pay extra for that remote piece to control it from the front of the car. The DEQ-230 runs off of a regular Cat-5 cable. I have it run through the center of the car and I usually just rest it in the pocket behind the passengers seat so it won't get scratched. Well... any MORE scratched I should say. lol

 
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my 31 band is definately "tweeked." my settings were posted in the "post your EQ settings" thread a while back. check it out and let me know what you think. i know that you know a hell of alot more about audio than i do...*not sarcasm*

 
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I have a Pioneer Premier 13 band EQ as well. I set the EQ how I normally set EQs, but I found after a month that turning the volume down and turning "loudness" on really improved the sound quality with regard to midbass and a full sounding audio spectrum. Even with my best tuning, without "loudness" on it still sounded kind of dead.

I can't remember my exact settings, but it's basically a parabola that opens upward. If you were to view it from the side, from bass to treble, it would look about like this:

(these are all positive with nothing below 0)

******
*****
*****
****
***
**
***
****
****
****
*****
******
*******

I can post my exact settings later if you want. Send me a PM cuz I don't check this forum much and I'll forget otherwise.

I don't know all the lingo but I'm kinda of an audiophile. I've studied music for over 10 years and I'm damn picky with my music and I'm damn picky with how stuff sounds.

Of course, it's all subjective, and the bottom line is what sounds good to you.

 
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Cant really see the point in an all singin, all dancing big buck EQ unless you have it set up with an RTA. Then atleast you know your getting the full potential from your hi-fi.

 
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Does that thing stay balanced there?

 
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Im sure its just tethered there for tuning. even ifyou have an RTA or fancy tuning equipment, all the final bits and pieces of tuning is done by ear. that would be a serious pain in the **** if you had to run out to the trunk for every small tweak!

I'll bet he sits in the drivers seat to tune, and when he has it set how he likes, THEN he sets it into the trunk or wherever it has it permanently installed

 
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Yeah I actually posted that up a few spots but everyone keeps missing it. Here I'll paste it:


The EQ has a base that it sits in that is mounted in the trunk.The advantage to it over the DQX is that you have to pay extra for that remote piece to control it from the front of the car. The DEQ-230 runs off of a regular Cat-5 cable. I have it run through the center of the car and I usually just rest it in the pocket behind the passengers seat so it won't get scratched. Well... any MORE scratched I should say. lol