Bass knobs..

 

Silver Member
Username: Vtouch06

Q-TowN, PiStoLvAniA

Post Number: 159
Registered: Nov-07
lol whats wrong with using bass knob? y do they provide it with amps if its bad? jw.
 

Silver Member
Username: Imalik

SD2.5......ED9.1=Boom, New Jersey Lord Protect...

Post Number: 566
Registered: May-06
They will help in producing a clipped signal, dont use them
 

Platinum Member
Username: Bestmankind

IM THE REAL SLIM SHADY

Post Number: 16270
Registered: Oct-05
as long as you don't go crazy with it, you can use it. but if you set your gain right, there really is no need for it.
 

Gold Member
Username: Southernrebel

Monroe, Louisiana 2 DD3515s, 2...

Post Number: 5721
Registered: Mar-04
Some bass knobs are actually bass boost. And that can cause problems. Most people think you your bass knob will "turn it up"...which it totally the wrong way to think about it. That way of thinking is the reason people blow subs.

Personally, I would rather put an control in-line on the RCA's. Like a Hooker Audio XRBC. That way you can set your bass w/ the knob all the way up and use it to turn the bass DOWN.
 

Silver Member
Username: Vtouch06

Q-TowN, PiStoLvAniA

Post Number: 162
Registered: Nov-07
i thought they where used for an easy convient of turning off the subs? how could it sound good then with out the bass knob? because rite now i have the kicker zx1000.1 and i have the bass knob hooked up and my gain is set half way, and i usually turn the bass knob pass the halfway mark. if i take it off how would it still sound the same?
 

Gold Member
Username: Jtown

Team Revolution, Texas

Post Number: 1405
Registered: Mar-07
take off the bass knob and reset your gains properly, you will see the difference...promise:-)
 

Silver Member
Username: Vtouch06

Q-TowN, PiStoLvAniA

Post Number: 164
Registered: Nov-07
lol thank you thieves u alwys help me out, without sayin slick stuff to me like sum ppl on here...haha much appreciated :-)
 

Platinum Member
Username: Bestmankind

IM THE REAL SLIM SHADY

Post Number: 16272
Registered: Oct-05
especially on the kicker amps. you don't need the bass knob. it makes the bass sound muddy.
 

Gold Member
Username: Jtown

Team Revolution, Texas

Post Number: 1409
Registered: Mar-07
no problem VT
 

Gold Member
Username: Nd4spd18

Northwest PA

Post Number: 4798
Registered: Jul-06
Listen to thives hes right on.........

Bass boost = clipping

Bass knob = the same thing as tuning up the BB on the amp

Set gain properly and don't use.



Now there are a few, not many, amp that have an external "gain" knob. This is also bad, as once you set the gain properly you don't want to increase it anymore.
 

Silver Member
Username: Vtouch06

Q-TowN, PiStoLvAniA

Post Number: 168
Registered: Nov-07
so i just got back in from doin it i took out bass knob, turn bass boost all the way down, and the gain is set at a lil past the halfway mark. and it does sound the same and better wit more power.
 

Silver Member
Username: Cblaze

Rock island, Tenesssee Us

Post Number: 971
Registered: Sep-07
yea bass boost dont need to be on really it is usually default set at 45 hz,there really just for if u dont got your heqadunit up loud,to get more bass with less mid & highs
 

Gold Member
Username: Jtown

Team Revolution, Texas

Post Number: 1413
Registered: Mar-07
I use my BB on my amp, but I don't pound my stuff, ever really..:-) so it's okay

BB on my amp is set ~1/2, but my sub control on the HU is set below half and I don't go over half on the volume. So you could use the BB, but not if you like wanging alot
 

Gold Member
Username: Nd4spd18

Northwest PA

Post Number: 4802
Registered: Jul-06
Turn down the BB and turn up the sub level...... it will sound a lot better. BB creates a peak at one frequency (translation: sounds bad)
 

Gold Member
Username: Jakeyplaysbass

ASU

Post Number: 2222
Registered: Jul-05
http://www.icixsound.com/iv/view_video.php?viewkey=c13838ff95ccfa94cebd&page=1&v iewtype=&category=mv

bass knobs pretty much do the same thing. i have mine at like 1/8th just so if i want to turn my subs off i can have the control in the front of the car.
 

Gold Member
Username: Nd4spd18

Northwest PA

Post Number: 4806
Registered: Jul-06
^^^^ Excellent vid, I forgot that it existed


That shows exactly what bass boost does and why it's bad.
 

Silver Member
Username: Cblaze

Rock island, Tenesssee Us

Post Number: 981
Registered: Sep-07
yeah like ms said,peaks it at one frequency,once uve really what a clean signal sounds like u really hate bass boost,bass boost at 18 db's can make a sq system sound worst than a spl system imo
 

Silver Member
Username: Somedonniedude

Illinois United States

Post Number: 592
Registered: May-07
Question here, Where should you set the sub level on a HU when setting your gains? In the middle? Is there a limit to how far it should be turned up to prevent clipping?
 

Silver Member
Username: Cblaze

Rock island, Tenesssee Us

Post Number: 982
Registered: Sep-07
imo everythang should be set on flat gives you a better sound.set it on 0 and adjust the gain where it should be with a dmm
 

Gold Member
Username: Nd4spd18

Northwest PA

Post Number: 4823
Registered: Jul-06
I always tell people to set their gain with the sub level on the HU all the way up. That way, the only way it can go is down, and they are sure never to clip their subs.


You CAN put it in the middle, which is where I put it when setting my gains. If you do this, you have to know how far you can turn it up safely, in other words don't have it all the way up when playing bass mekanik. Not a good idea for noobs.
 

Silver Member
Username: Cblaze

Rock island, Tenesssee Us

Post Number: 985
Registered: Sep-07
true
 

Gold Member
Username: Safe_cracker

Chicago, IL US

Post Number: 3793
Registered: Jan-06
You Morons still haven't learned anything in all this time, guess I need to come back, lOl. Bass knobs and or bass boost is two totally different things. In most modern amps the bass knob controls the amount of gain attentuation. What this means is that turning the knob all the way down you effectively are reducing gain, all the way up it cannot go past the level of gain set on the amp itself. Now here is where bass boost comes in. Modern day amps have a pot on the amp that says bass boost usually centered at around 40hz, good for getting loud but sounds like crap, quite ghetto actually. This center frequency usually has a rolloff between 12-18db/octave, higher the number the less it effects the surrounding frequencies, more like a single band perimetric EQ. Now if you were to turn the bass boost pot down to ZERO, that is the magic number, you can still make good use out of the bass knob which will effectively control the gain from its set point. This is most usefull when you come across music with different recording properties which you could actively without having to run to the trunk control the amount output from the amp, turning your bass down on your HU is the wrong thing to do, all should be set flat anyways. To see if yours indeed controls gain, set your BB to zero, set your gain to 1/2 and plug your knob in. Turn the knob dial to 0 and turn your HU up to like 20. turning the knob up it should go from inaudible to audible, if it does, all is good. The only thing that makes it a bass knob is the knob adding the bass! Polo.. :-O
 

Silver Member
Username: Vtouch06

Q-TowN, PiStoLvAniA

Post Number: 184
Registered: Nov-07
^^^thnx polo for the great explanation...thats what i thought bass knob is ment for...to turn off your bass so you dont have to run to the trunk...r have constant bass on..r even if u want to turn it down for a quick sec....but they keep saying bass knobs is bad on here...lol..
 

Gold Member
Username: Safe_cracker

Chicago, IL US

Post Number: 3794
Registered: Jan-06
The knob isn't bad, the amount of bass boost is! Go right to your amp and notice the adjustment that says bass boost, turn it to zero now you have nothing to worry about. Polo..
 

Silver Member
Username: Vtouch06

Q-TowN, PiStoLvAniA

Post Number: 185
Registered: Nov-07
haha thnx yea i never had the bass boost to begin with...my gain is set alil past the middle, and the subwoofer output on my HU is set at +6.is that ok? i jus found that setting out and was playing with it and it sounded louder n powerful wen i turned it to +6.
 

Gold Member
Username: Southernrebel

Monroe, Louisiana 2 DD3515s, 2...

Post Number: 5733
Registered: Mar-04
Polo,

See post #4 :-)
 

Silver Member
Username: Torn

Post Number: 420
Registered: Jan-07
what about subwoofers level built min the HU?
 

Gold Member
Username: Safe_cracker

Chicago, IL US

Post Number: 3796
Registered: Jan-06
Post #4 says nothing of what I described! Input level is not gain level.... Polo..
 

Silver Member
Username: Vtouch06

Q-TowN, PiStoLvAniA

Post Number: 187
Registered: Nov-07
so using the bass knob u have to have it set to whateva the amp gain is set at? u cant turn the knob all the way up?
 

Gold Member
Username: Nd4spd18

Northwest PA

Post Number: 4838
Registered: Jul-06
Polo you don't seem to understand that on many amps the bass knob IS a bass boost control. On others it is a gain control.

In either case you don't need it, and in the first case it's very bad.




I stand by everything I said here 100% as well as what jake papa and Canaan posted.
 

Gold Member
Username: Nd4spd18

Northwest PA

Post Number: 4839
Registered: Jul-06
VT: If you want to turn you bass down/off turn your HUs sub level down/off. Thats what it's for.......
 

Gold Member
Username: Jtown

Team Revolution, Texas

Post Number: 1416
Registered: Mar-07
I still use my BB on my amp, but I am very careful with it:-) as I said before I never go past half on anything really...so long as the BB isn't cranked up and you aren't jammin all day long, you will be fine....

on the other hand, I will give the proper way a try, with the DMM and all, instead of just playing conservative and somewhat by the ear:-)
 

Silver Member
Username: Torn

Post Number: 421
Registered: Jan-07
AGAin:
what about subwoofers level built in the HU?
 

Gold Member
Username: Nd4spd18

Northwest PA

Post Number: 4841
Registered: Jul-06
Thieves: Do try setting your gain right, get rid of bass boost, and increase your sub level if you need to make it louder. I guarantee your bass SQ will sound 3x better with a flat frequency response. Bass boost does the opposite, creates a peak, exactly the same thing that most bandpass boxes do.



Torn:
As I said above " I always tell people to set their gain with the sub level on the HU all the way up. That way, the only way it can go is down, and they are sure never to clip their subs.

You CAN put it in the middle, which is where I put it when setting my gains. If you do this, you have to know how far you can turn it up safely, in other words don't have it all the way up when playing bass mekanik. Not a good idea for noobs. " If you do put it in the middle and set the gain, you can turn it up on songs that are not bass intense. Just don't turn it up and blast the latest bass mekanik CD..... good way to clip your subs.


HU sub level does not equal bass boost.
 

Silver Member
Username: Vtouch06

Q-TowN, PiStoLvAniA

Post Number: 202
Registered: Nov-07
"HU sub level does not equal bass boost."

what do u mean by that M.S.? like dont go crazy with it?
 

Gold Member
Username: Jtown

Team Revolution, Texas

Post Number: 1426
Registered: Mar-07
BB causes a peak like he said and is more likely to clip your amp and subs. the subwoofer control on the HU does increase the strength of the signal but not as significantly as the BB does. So you are better off using the HU sub level control rather than the BB but stilll need to be careful if you set your gains with the sub level ~1/2
 

Gold Member
Username: Nd4spd18

Northwest PA

Post Number: 4846
Registered: Jul-06
^^^^ yes exactly


The sub level control on the HU is pretty much a volume control for the subs. It increases and decreases the level of all bass frequencies.

Bass boost creates a peak at one frequency, and by doing so actually makes other frequencies sound quieter.
 

Silver Member
Username: Vtouch06

Q-TowN, PiStoLvAniA

Post Number: 204
Registered: Nov-07
aight gotcha. thanks alot guys.
 

Gold Member
Username: Nd4spd18

Northwest PA

Post Number: 4849
Registered: Jul-06
Now on some amps the remote control has the same effect as the HU sub level....... but not many.

It's usually a bass boost control.
 

Silver Member
Username: Vtouch06

Q-TowN, PiStoLvAniA

Post Number: 206
Registered: Nov-07
do u think the kicker zx1000.1 is like that? this is what it says in the kicker amp manual-

RemoteBass(level control) with the remoe bass level control you have the ability to control the level of the subwoofers remotely by controlling the output level of one or more ZX series amps.
 

Gold Member
Username: Nd4spd18

Northwest PA

Post Number: 4850
Registered: Jul-06
That may actually be a volume level control....... do the subs turn off when you turn it all the way down? If so then it is.
 

Silver Member
Username: Vtouch06

Q-TowN, PiStoLvAniA

Post Number: 209
Registered: Nov-07
yea the sub shuts completely off, no bass at all...das y i was wondering whats wrong with using it, i just thought it was a convient to have it...
 

Silver Member
Username: Marcooo

Post Number: 159
Registered: Mar-07
Anyone know if Sundown's bass knobs control gain or BB? I'll test it tomorrow, but wanted to see if anyone here knew first.
 

Silver Member
Username: Imi4tth3w

San Antonio, Texas USA

Post Number: 135
Registered: Feb-07
that wave thing is awesome are those things pretty cheap and where could i get one? or should i just go see if i could go to a local audio shop and borrow one or something. cause i'm pretty sure my sub needs that bad. unless it just always sounds like sh!t haha. supid 15" L5..
 

Silver Member
Username: Vtouch06

Q-TowN, PiStoLvAniA

Post Number: 218
Registered: Nov-07
what wave thing? lol ur talkin about the DMM(digital multi meter)? lol
 

Silver Member
Username: Imi4tth3w

San Antonio, Texas USA

Post Number: 137
Registered: Feb-07
http://www.icixsound.com/iv/view_video.php?viewkey=c13838ff95ccfa94cebd&page=1&v iewtype=&category=mv

whatever that thing that displays the waves of the subs
 

Gold Member
Username: Jtown

Team Revolution, Texas

Post Number: 1429
Registered: Mar-07
Mark, I think the sundowns may be a volume control rather than a BB control, I have an RD, which is virtually identical and when I tested out my remote knob, when it was on max it was playing at the levels I had set the amp to before I plugged the knob in.
 

Silver Member
Username: Vtouch06

Q-TowN, PiStoLvAniA

Post Number: 227
Registered: Nov-07
so i take it kicker amp is the same way for the bass knob? because this is what it says in the manual....

Remote Bass Level Control: The Remote Bass Level Control lets you adjust the output level of the amplifier from anywhere in the vehicle.
 

Gold Member
Username: Nd4spd18

Northwest PA

Post Number: 4863
Registered: Jul-06
Yeah VT it sounds like yours is a level control not a bass boost. Which means it is safe to use, but the HUs sub level control does the same thing, so the knob is unnecessary.





"that wave thing" = an oscilloscope

Don't take offense to this, but if ya don't even know what its called, you not going to be able to use one effectively.
 

Silver Member
Username: Vtouch06

Q-TowN, PiStoLvAniA

Post Number: 229
Registered: Nov-07
^^lmao on the second part you said, i read it and i was like WTF wus that dude talkin about wave thing? and then i realize he was talkin about that video, and i told him DMM thats what i thought it was like a high tech kind lmao...
 

Silver Member
Username: Marcooo

Post Number: 161
Registered: Mar-07
Looks like I'll be putting in a bass knob or 2, sub and speaker amp, tomorrow then :-)
 

Gold Member
Username: Jtown

Team Revolution, Texas

Post Number: 1435
Registered: Mar-07
I said may be, don't take my word as fact. you might just wanna call sundownz and make sure.

it is really best if you use your HU for sub controls...:-(
 

Silver Member
Username: Marcooo

Post Number: 163
Registered: Mar-07
Lol I'm still going to test it. I always have my HU sub control set at 0, unless I want to show off for a sec or two, I just like the way bass knobs look lol.
I'll e-mail Jacob since I got a question for him anyways, just to be safe lol.
 

Silver Member
Username: Mesodumm

Tri-City, Az Usa

Post Number: 214
Registered: Apr-07
I use a bass knob, I set my amp so even with knob full it doesn't distort, I like being able to adjust my bass from my seat.
 

Silver Member
Username: Marcooo

Post Number: 164
Registered: Mar-07
Just e-mailed Jacob at Sundown and he said the bass knob acts as a volume control for where you set the gain... so now I'm off to put it in lol.
 

Gold Member
Username: Jtown

Team Revolution, Texas

Post Number: 1459
Registered: Mar-07
that's what I thought:-)
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