Hosed!

MacLeod

Man, had a USACi show today and I got hosed!

The top SQ score, and nearly a perfect score, was from a bone stock, totally OEM factory system in a mid 90's model Lincoln! No sub, no nothing!! He flat smoked us all!!! The judge was going on and on about how "beautiful" it sounded. I listened to it and it sounded like a typical factory system. The image was below the dash and up against the doors with huge holes in it! Not to mention tonal quality was average at best yet this guy got nearly a PERFECT score!

I also got beat by a guy Ive beaten both times we've competed against each other and by a pretty wide margin! The last time we competed I beat him by over 15 points! The only upgrade he'd made since the last show was he added 4 12" subs! Since then, Ive added time alignment and a 7 band EQ yet he still beat me!

When the judge first got out of my truck he said everyting was coming from the right and there was nothing on the left! WTF?!?! So we go to my truck and I pop in the MECA CD and everything is right where it should be. So we pop in the USACi disc and everything is just right. I still dont know WTF this dude was talking about! He then told me I needed to bring my lower bass up some but later told me I had too much bass.

Even the dudes that won knew this was BS. Ive brought this up on the USACi forum and am waiting to see how far it goes. USACi is famous for deleting any thread that even looks like its going to criticize the org.

Its not even funny how many light years ahead of USACi MECA is. MECA is so much more professional and take their competitions so much more seriuosly with dedicated SQ judges that train on world champion systems.

I wasnt the only one grumbling either. There was a lot of SPL irregularities going on too. One guy that normally hits in the 160's getting beat by 10 db by a guy that usually doesnt even get into the 150's.

We'll see how this pans out but I kinda think Im done with USACi. I aint gonna be wasting $30 entry fee, $40 in gas and an entire off day to go compete and get beat by inferior systems.

audiobliss

Man, that totally stinks. I don't think I'd bother with all that even if it were free, much less and have to pay for entrance, gas, and an off-day!

Let us know how things turn out on the USACi forums.

Dennis Gardner

Wow I never knew soundoffs had so much in common with American Idol and Ice Skating.............

PolkThug

Dennis Gardner wrote:

Wow I never knew soundoffs had so much in common with American Idol and Ice Skating.............

LMFAO!

[Deleted User]

Welcome to SQ competition! Different judges hear different things. And if it was truly a stock system that won, I would bet they are friends with the judges. Are you sure it didn't just "look" stock? Anyway, keep plugging at it. You'll find your groove and learn who is judging and how to tweak to their preferences.

MacLeod

Im sure it was a completely stock system. The dude is a IASCA/USACi SQ judge too so maybe there was some "comradeship" going on but Ive talked to the dude several times at different shows and have listened to and seen his system several times.

He's working on a system and is only doing these shows for the points as he builds his system up. In talking with him after the show I could tell he didnt think he shouldve won either.

I listened to his car after the judge raved about how "beautiful" it sounded and it sounded like a factory system. The stage was floor and doors and had a huge hole in the middle of the dash. There was zero low end due to not having a sub and the highs were flat. Ive had the pleasure of listening to several world champion systems and I know what mine sounds like and there is no way ANY judge could judge this system the winner. Im not just bitching cause he beat me, he beat EVERYBODY!

The problem as I see it is the Region 3 director does it all. He sets up the event, runs the event and is the ONLY judge for SPL, SQ and car show. This is what the problem is! MECA has at least 1 dedicated SQ judge and 1 dedicated SPL judge and so far Ive not been to a MECA show that had less than 4 total judges. Having dedicated and trained SQ and SPL judges would keep this crap from happening I believe rather than having the Regional director trying to run everything and still pull it off.

So far tho, there has not been any response to my thread by any USACi official.

MacLeod

Oh yeah, one cool thing. Chris Moon is a SPL competitor and all around cool dude that routinely hits in the 160's and holds more than one world record and he decided to try SQ this time for the first time ever. I listened to his system and although he had his sub fader all the way down and his bass control all the way down, the bass would still punch a hole in your chest and each kick drum would part my hair! He's running 4 MTX T7500's with about 5000 watts so I guess there is no way to quiet that down! He finally turned his gain all the way down and it was still too much! It was still cool as hell. Thankfully I did manage to beat him! :P

1996blackmax

That sucks Mac. That's the kind of stuff that makes some people not want to get involved. Keep going at it though, as your previous wins show that you not only have a nice system, but also one that sounds nice.

bknauss

Josh wrote:

Welcome to SQ competition!

I think its more like "Welcome to U-suck-y" (or U-sack, or U-Suck, etc)

1zach4

wow...definitely makes me think twice about entering an SQ competition, i've got a great ear, but it still needs a ton of training and I would be dead @ one of these competitions based on tuning alone

MacLeod

bknauss wrote:

I think its more like "Welcome to U-suck-y" (or U-sack, or U-Suck, etc)

Yeah, I believe Im done with USACi. The thread I started on this subject has been totally ignored by anyone in authority. They supposedly started the USACi forum to hash out problems like this. One judge did chime in and basically said, "maybe your system sucks". Granted, Im nowhere near world champion caliber but I know for a fact my system sounds better than a stock Ford system! But even if mine did suck, I do not accept that a stock Ford system sounded better than EVERYBODYS system!

wow...definitely makes me think twice about entering an SQ competition, i've got a great ear, but it still needs a ton of training and I would be dead @ one of these competitions based on tuning alone

Dude, try MECA if theyre near your neck of the woods. MECA was founded and ran by Steve Stern who is a professional musician and is a SQ nut. As a result MECA has a very serious SQ program and excellent judges. They receive a lot of training on world champion systems and I have never had a problem with their judging even when I get beat. They also offer cliniques before every show where a judge will sit with you in your car and basically pick apart everything you have wrong and give you some ideas on how to clean it up. This has been an invaluable tool for me.

bknauss

1zach4 wrote:

wow...definitely makes me think twice about entering an SQ competition, i've got a great ear, but it still needs a ton of training and I would be dead @ one of these competitions based on tuning alone

I wouldn't blanket this experience with all competition orgs. IASCA, even with their wacky rules, are not nearly as wacky as USAC. SLAP is basically IASCA, and MECA seems really laid back.

dorokusai

Why do I feel like Charlie Brown?

MacLeod

Just checked the thread I started for the first time in several days and some big wigs have finally chimed in and theyre all telling me the same thing which is my system just isnt good enough. Apparantly the fact that a completley bone stock Ford audio system smoking the entire SQ field at a 2x point event is no suprise to them at all and they havent even considered the possibility that the judge didnt have a clue what he was doing! All have been kind and offered help and advice but it just kills me that not one of them even seem to notice the stock system winning!

This pisses me off.

Its MECA all the way for me boys! Done with USACi!

1996blackmax

Sounds like a good thing. I do not think there is anyway that a stock system would sound better than your ride, or many of the SQ guys out there that day. Not worth wasting your time anymore. By the way Mac, do you have a link to the thread........ Maybe some of us from here could chime in .

exalted512

i was just about to ask for a link...i too think some of us should chime in
-Cody

MacLeod

Nah, no need in starting any crap, thats just the way USACi is and their SQ program just aint for me. I guess thats why there are different clubs so everybody can find the one that suits them best and for me thats MECA.

Here is the link to the forum but please dont start any crap. I have to see these guys in the lanes and I dont want to be known as the cry baby that had to get his friends to come stick up for him (this goes double for you Vinny)! Im just venting over here. For some reason I view this forum as our own private little club where we gather and talk, and not as an internet site with world wide access!!

http://www.diald.com/usaci/viewtopic.php?t=691

Like I said, theyre all being cool and offering to help me tune my system (even your buddy Chris Pate, Cody) but I just think, and apparantly Im the only one, that the problem is in the judging. Anyhoo, this is better cause it would be expensive to chase points in 2 different orgs!

1996blackmax

Understood about the not starting any stuff . Just feel bad that you had to go trough that.....

MacLeod

Eh, it wasnt the end of the world. I still had a good time at the show hanging with everybody and it was only a 90 minute drive and I still got 2nd so it wasnt a total loss.

Who knows, maybe those guys are right and my stuff just aint set up for USACi ears (although I took 1st at my other USACi shows ). Ya cant win em all!

exalted512

I made a small comment...nothing harsh or anything. No one there has heard your vehicle and the USACi forum is a little unforgiving to noobs. It helps to have someone that other people know. stingraysevenout, the guy who typed in all caps...thats my boss. And like you said, Chris Pate chimed in too. Maybe you can take a trip to go see Ron Doyle and see what he has to say. Nashvilles only about 2 hours away from you isnt it? I have no doubt in my mind there was something fishy going on, theres no way a stock ford system could have beat your setup, but just take it as a learning experience and go on. Sucks...but life isnt always fair...or else id be rich right now:D
-Cody

98thumpin

hey man either way you system kicks ****

MacLeod

exalted512 wrote:

Maybe you can take a trip to go see Ron Doyle and see what he has to say. Nashvilles only about 2 hours away from you isnt it? I have no doubt in my mind there was something fishy going on, theres no way a stock ford system could have beat your setup, but just take it as a learning experience and go on. Sucks...but life isnt always fair...or else id be rich right now:D
-Cody

Ah, its not worth it. I never liked USACi's class structure anyway and their finals are in Kansas City (12 hours away) as opposed to MECA's Nashville finals (2 hours awasy). Not to mention their SQ class is either consumer or pro so Id be in there competing against world champions and all kinds of gurus! MECA's class structure is perfect. Im in my first year of competing so I compete agaisnt other 1st year rookies. Thats how it should be. After that, theyre grouped by vehicle mods so you can keep your stock speaker locations and not have to compete against somebody with a $20,000 custom install.

Plus, like I said, I really like the people in MECA and their programs. Plus Ive met the top dawg of MECA, Steve Stern, several times and he's one of the coolest dudes youll ever meet! Severely knowledgable about car audio and especially SQ. Hes also a professional musician and one of the founding members of USACi (I think).

MECA also has a "cliniqe" program at their shows. Before SQ judging you request a clinique and one of their judges or maybe Steve himself if youre lucky will sit with you in your car and tell you everything you need to do to improve your system. Ive learned sooooo much at the MECA shows is ridiculous!

Bottom line, due to the lack of USACi shows near me, the horrible USACi SQ class structure, questionable judging add the fact that MECA rules and most of all its too damn expensive to compete in 2 different orgs! Ill stick with MECA.

Another cool thing about MECA, 4 of last years SQ world champions invited me down to Alabama on the day before an Alabama show (April 9th) to join them in their tuning session! How freaking cool is that?!?!