Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00

Posted by: djdrock

Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 30/01/2006 15:19

After rebuilding my MK2a to a 32gb drive, and upgrading my software from 1.03 to 2.00, I have noticed a change in the volume adjustment. My empeg is and has always ran into the AUX input of my Alpine head unit. I used to keep the volume on the empeg set at around -6.5db and adjusted the volume on the Alpine head unit. Now, the volume set at this level on the empeg creates crackling and distortion, so I have to turn it down quite a bit, to around -16.00db or so to eliminate this.

Is this normal?
Posted by: tfabris

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 30/01/2006 17:22

This shouldn't be the case. Have you done anything to the EQ, the loudness, or the Bass and Treble settings in Hijack?
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 30/01/2006 17:28

If it was changed from the defaults before the hard drive upgrade, then yes. The EQ and whatnot are stored on the primary hard drive, so unless the HD upgrade was only adding a secondary HD, then those things have been reset to the defaults.
Posted by: JBjorgen

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 30/01/2006 20:17

You should be able to set it at 0 db without problem. That's what I do with both of my vehicles (Pioneer with AUX-IN adapter). What model Alpine do you have? If it requires an adapter for AUX, what model adapter and is it a true AUX input or a FM modulator?
Posted by: djdrock

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 30/01/2006 20:58

Quote:
This shouldn't be the case. Have you done anything to the EQ, the loudness, or the Bass and Treble settings in Hijack?


No. Everything else is set as it was.

Quote:
You should be able to set it at 0 db without problem. That's what I do with both of my vehicles (Pioneer with AUX-IN adapter). What model Alpine do you have? If it requires an adapter for AUX, what model adapter and is it a true AUX input or a FM modulator?


It is a CDA-9805. To my knowledge, there is no adapter. The alpine does have an AUX input, which is where it is set.

And just a note, on 1.03, the empeg was set at -6.5db and around 21 on the alpine, it was about the peak of what I would listen to. Now, with the settings on the empeg way lower (-16db), and the alpine on 21, it is the same volume. So, it seems that there is some type of volume difference in the software revisions.

Any more input?
Posted by: tfabris

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 30/01/2006 21:04

There should be no volume difference between software revisions, as far as I know. Are you sure nothing else has changed?

Have you checked to see if the player is mistaking AC and DC mode?
Posted by: FireFox31

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 30/01/2006 23:25

As a random, unhelpful note: My similar Alpine unit set at 20 is comparable to my empeg, running 1.03, at -16. That's with slightly (poorly) tweaked EQ. Both headunits run through the same amp.
Posted by: djdrock

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 31/01/2006 00:04

Quote:
There should be no volume difference between software revisions, as far as I know. Are you sure nothing else has changed?

Have you checked to see if the player is mistaking AC and DC mode?


Yes...booting with car logo, has fader controls etc...nothing else has changed. Strange!
Posted by: genixia

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 31/01/2006 01:24

Can you select a different EQ and 'set to flat' ?
Posted by: djdrock

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 31/01/2006 11:48

Quote:
Can you select a different EQ and 'set to flat' ?


On the way to work this morning, I was playing around with the EQ, and bingo!!!...that was it. For some reason, I have no idea why, when I adjusted the first EQ selection (flat) to the same levels as the second, the first had extremely loud output. Must be a bug or something in the software. As a matter of fact, just to play around, I took the first EQ selection, and lowered the levels down to flat, and the output was still high. And all my settings were 2 channel stereo. When I selected 2 channel again, it reset the EQ levels to flat, and the output dropped, and the clipping stopped.

Has anyone else had similar issues with the EQ?
Posted by: JBjorgen

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 31/01/2006 12:49

Good call Ian. Any clues as to why?
Posted by: tfabris

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 31/01/2006 14:36

Okay that's very odd. Something about the EQ values from 1.03, when re-interpreted by the 2.0 software, had set some goofy value the DSP. Fiddling with the EQ settings under the 2.0 software reset it. Hm.
Posted by: djdrock

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 31/01/2006 15:50

I agree. Strange stuff for sure. I too was wondering the the DSP or something had some stored values, as I know some values are kept in the FLASH, as my custom boot logo was still there. Though I know these EQ values were not in the normal flash, I am wondering if the DSP has a similar structure that keeps values.

Anyways, I knew I was not crazy and knew that something was not right.

Thanks again for your help!
Posted by: tman

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 31/01/2006 17:42

The equaliser presets are stored on the HD.
Posted by: djdrock

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 31/01/2006 17:59

Okay, then the DSP must process the signals differently with different software versions. Either way...glad things are normal now.
Posted by: tfabris

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 31/01/2006 19:11

Quote:
Okay, then the DSP must process the signals differently with different software versions.

Not exactly. I'm guessing what happened is this:

1.03 and 2.0 must somehow store the EQ presets on the hard disk slightly differently. When you upgraded to 2.0, it read the data straight off the disk and sent it straight to the DSP. Well, since the data was formatted differently, it meant the values sent to the DSP were not the expected values, causing the strange output levels.

When you went into the Equalizer screen and fiddled with the EQ presets, it rewrote the stored information in the corrected (new 2.0) format, and everything started working right again.

The difference between what I just said, and what you said, is subtle, technical, and semantic. So apologies if I'm being pedantic, I just wanted to make sure that we were clear on exactly what was happening. I don't think the problem is with the DSP or with output levels or with signals. The problem is with the way the EQ presets are stored on the hard disk.
Posted by: djdrock

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 31/01/2006 21:03

Well, after fiddling with it a little more this evening, I have found that the problem (clipping) continues when I adjust the EQ settings above a certain point. Just to clarify, I am not overcompensating...in other words, maxing out the values. I heard it clip again tonight on one song, which has higher output than most of the songs stored. I noticed, that adjusting the lower 3 or 4 EQ ranges impacts the clipping more than anything else. So...

All other things being the same as before (same empeg but different hard drive (same brand), amps, alpine head unit etc...) this anomaly seems to be related to the software. I suppose it is possible, but very unlikely, that when running 1.03, I had the EQ settings lower than I recall. And I hear the clipping regardless of the volume on the Alpine...to put it another way, if it is set loud of very low, I can still hear the clipping.

With all of this in mind, has anyone noticed any clipping/popping when certain EQ parameters are set too high?
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 31/01/2006 21:06

If you move the EQ levels above 0, you run the risk of clipping. Reduce the inverse instead.
Posted by: tfabris

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 31/01/2006 21:06

Quote:
I have found that the problem (clipping) continues when I adjust the EQ settings above a certain point.

This is to be expected on a digital EQ when you increase the values above 0db as opposed to decreasing the other values.
Posted by: genixia

Re: Volume/output question 1.03 vs 2.00 - 31/01/2006 21:11

Quote:
Quote:
Okay, then the DSP must process the signals differently with different software versions.

Not exactly. I'm guessing what happened is this:

1.03 and 2.0 must somehow store the EQ presets on the hard disk slightly differently. When you upgraded to 2.0, it read the data straight off the disk and sent it straight to the DSP. Well, since the data was formatted differently, it meant the values sent to the DSP were not the expected values, causing the strange output levels.

When you went into the Equalizer screen and fiddled with the EQ presets, it rewrote the stored information in the corrected (new 2.0) format, and everything started working right again.

The difference between what I just said, and what you said, is subtle, technical, and semantic. So apologies if I'm being pedantic, I just wanted to make sure that we were clear on exactly what was happening. I don't think the problem is with the DSP or with output levels or with signals. The problem is with the way the EQ presets are stored on the hard disk.


Yep. I think that the format of the dynamic data partition may have changed slightly. I'm sure that other people had this issue when 2.0 first came out too.