Software for tuning system

unrealii

Ok, now as I have supposedly reached my version of car audio nirvana, I need to tune this. Not because the sound isn't perfect, it already is imo, but my ear doctor warned me. My ears are already showing early signs of hearing loss. Doesnt suprise me, my ears are very sensitive. I can't go to dance clubs, concerts, etc because of the volume. I dont know if I can attribute this to car audio, I have been very responsible with the volume so far. 800+ rms watts of power, gains are at nil, and hu volume stays around 65%. However, I just want to take some precautions.

I want some recommendations on some software that I can measure the levels on my head unit in addition to road noise and when my windows are open. From those three, I will tune the radio so that the sum of all noises will be as flat as possible across the board. I dont know if thats a stupid idea or not, I'm just kinda pissed that I am considering it. I love my hearing so I need to take care of it.

MacLeod

The easiest software would be the volume knob on your head unit. Turn it down!

The other way would require a pretty good EQ and one that covers a lot of frequencies. Youre not going to be able to tune a very flat curve using only the treble and bass control's on your h/u.

If you had a proper EQ, you could take a DB meter, one thatll read down to 50 Hz, and a CD thatll play test tones from bass to treble and then adjust till all frequencies are at the same db level.

cam5860

There ain't but one answer to your problem. Turn the gawn damn **** down that's common sense man.

MacLeod

Or maybe youre just getting too old? Maybe you should be tuning in to the easy listening channel gramps!

unrealii

Ok, listen-before anyone else says I need to turn down the volume: I'm in the car crusing at 70-80 mph for at least 1.5 hours a day. Looking at this review (I have an 01, but its the same car) http://nissan.jbcarpages.com/Maxima/2002/index4.php, I am am already exposed to 69+db of road noise. If I am not at high speeds, I am on the streets with the windows down which would be more noise than that at 70mph. Volume naturally goes up just so that I can hear my damn music. Let me repeat that again, I need to raise the volume just to even hear my music.

I want to understand at what freqs the noise is coming from. From there I can decide whether or not I want to tune. My head unit has a 10 band para eq in addition to gain settings for all 6 channels of output. I dont need anything more.

MacLeod

If youre just turning up the volume enough to overcome the road noise then I seriously doubt that is enough to affect your hearing.

If you want to tune for the flattest curve possible, the more bands the better. A 30 band would be great.

Still run down to radio shack and look into a db meter thatll read down to 50-60 db's and then make a CD with test tones of the frequencies your EQ handles and then use them til the db meter reads as close to the same db for all frequencies.

Thats the easiest way I know to do it.........gramps.

unrealii

Dude, you're like 10 years older than me. STFU old man!

POLKOROLLA

that is funny that you would say that to someone who is tryin to help you out a little, and from what i have seen of mac i doubt you would say that to him in person, anyway i work around jets all day and get my hearing checked a lot...it is just a matter of age as your hearing declines, i am 23 with a good bit of hearing lose. i look at it this way, before you know it you will be listening to a factory system in your caddy tuned to the oldies station, so for now just rock out and worry about the problems later!

unrealii

Mybad, my comments were in reference to the "gramps" ... I'm sure Mac knows its all good fun.

I did have my hearing checked. The audiologist who adminstered the test said I was pretty good, but the doctor who looked over the results said it wasn't good for someone my age, 23.

unrealii

I was wondering if any one has any recommendations on a db meter. I dont know if they make usb ones which can connect to a laptop? Radioshack has one for $50. I'd rather pay $50 and rent a good quality one for a week or something.

Thanks in advance. I'm a very sensitive to my sense of hearing as I like most of you have a great passion for sound and music. So I'd greatly appreciate it if further jokes are left out.

swerve

hahaha don't buy the one from ratshack.

neomagus00

actually, i like my digital db meter from radio shack...

my pioneer hu has an automatic volume adjustment feature that detects the level of noise in the car and boosts not only the volume, but also the loudness curve... so it sounds louder without being louder...

specifically, it boosts the bottom end (say below 80 Hz) and the top end (say above 5 kHz) by a bit... more boost (and more pure volume, too) for higher noises... if you can store 2 or 3 custom eq curves, have the first be your standard tune, the second have a bit of boost added, and the third have a bit more, so as you change speeds you can scroll through the curves to get the right level...

btw, where do you go to get a hearing check? living in a city, and having the car audio that i do, i'd be quite interested in doing this...

unrealii

Hmm...maybe I can buy and return it...lol. I dunno. I'm sure a shop around here has got to have one.

My eclipse has that feature too, its called Loudness control. Seems to raise the low and high freqs. I also have room to store 5 custom para eq/time alignment/xover settings.

I had my hearing checked because for some reason whenever I am in a public place where sound is coming from different directions, I hear those sounds in addition to some distortion in my right ear. It is really bad in amplified auditoriums. Dr said I just have to live with it. He says it is excess fluid in my right ear, but since I live pretty healthy and am responsible with the volume, he couldn't tell me much I could change. He wanted a hearing test just to make sure nothing else was wrong. I have near perfect hearing at freqs 1000khz and above, but it drops off slowly below that.

MacLeod

May be just genetic. My eye sight sucks pretty bad and its not because I didnt anything to cause it. May be the same with your stereo. Its just the way your ears are and your stereo is not hurting them.

PolkThug

TrueRTA Level 4

PoweredByDodge

as far as overcoming road noise - it's a part of life. there is only one way to get past that -- deaden the whole car.

you're turning up the volume to overcome an already present noise (road noise) -- if you were to deaden the inside of the car, you would not have to overcome road noise, and thus you could leave your volume knob at the same place for sitting in the driveway, goin down a city road, and on the highway.

two layers of standard dynamat and some dyna-liner spray or roll on (there are all kinds of brands... i've actually gotten away from dynamat because it's expensive... i'm not even sure if dynamat's liquid stuff is a roll or spray on anymore...) in the hard to get places and you should be pretty silent in there.

i had done my 99 so horribly dense that when you went to shut the doors, you couldn't just slam them. if one was already shut, and you were going to close the second one, no normal swing would allow it to close... you had to put your body into it a bit or give it one of those "bob barker - price is right wheel of prizes" type swings. and still sometimes it would bounce back a little and only catch the first rung on the lock mechanism. silent as a mourge inside though.

neomagus00

fyi: trueRTA's website

it's (duh) an RTA, a realtime analyser... the free version has 1-octave resolution, and the $70 level-3 version has 1/6 octave resolution... level 4 has 1/24 octave resolution, but research has shown that humans can't hear eq adjustments in any greater than 1/6 octave resolution anyhoo (1/3-octave in the top and bottom registers of hearing), so that's unnecessary... the only other advantage level 4 has is a white noise generator, but that's what goldwave is for...