Phoenix Gold Phorum

hey guys!! is clipping when you have the gain set above the input voltage from the h/u? and what is consequence of such debachery?

Bingo.

Here's a good page to read about it: http://bcae1.com/2ltlpwr.htm

Technically, clipping is when your output transistor's bias has achieved saturation and can't produce any additional power. The amp's output stage is overdriven and is actually "clipping" the signal.

Think of a funnel.
You pour water into it at a rate where the amount you are pouring is being drained at the same rate.
If you pour less, then all the water goes through the drain, but a reduced rate.
If you pour more, the funnel overflows, therefore some water is not going through the funnel.

The funnel is the output stage.
The water is music.
Reduced rate is lower volume.
Overflow is clipping.

Consequence is heat and eventually a blown output. But most of all, it sounds like CRAP!!

Set your HU volume to about 75% and then adjust each component down the line. Any adjustments will affect EVERY device past that point. Using a 1Khz tone is the generally accepted source frequency when initially setting up a system.

HH

stipud wrote:Here's a good page to read about it: http://bcae1.com/2ltlpwr.htm

Nice find, T.

HH

oh ok...so if a h/u is only sending a 2v signal to the amp, setting the amp gain to, say, 4v will clip because the amp is trying to reproduce voltage that it's not receiving from the h/u...or am i off again and the clipping relationship is between the sub and amp? does the sub ultimately dictate the clipping point.

Nope.. you're backwards.

If you set it to 4v, the amp will be playing half as loud as if it were set to 2v. If you have a 2v headunit and set your amp to 1v... THEN you get problems.

However, most 2v headunits don't make anywhere near 2v RMS. So check the How-TO section for the guide on setting your amp gains with a multimeter

thnx stipud... i'm more clear on the process now...i guess i always had sorta the right idea, but never really felt clear about it....feeling better now....also cuz im drunk...but hey, it happens...thnx guys....ya'll rock