I would trust the bass knob that came from the amp manufacturer over the DD1. The equipment that skar made is engineered to work together for the best optimal performance.
that bass knob is found everywhere. trust the dd1 over anything because it detects distortion weather skar thinks it is or not. i had the same bass knob on my dc audio 2.0k which is a nicer amp than the skar and it was pretty accurate, or accurate enough for everyday use.
@@munozjordan70 change the old bass knob cable to the one that came with the knob and it will work I tried to use my old cable for the knob and it did the same thing you mentioned but after I switched the cable it worked.
Just bought the skv2 1500.1 for by sdr 12s. The bass knob with the clipping light was a great added bonus. Especially after watching this video. It gets here tomorrow. I've been struggling with tuning my amp partly cause I'm new to this, am very paranoid, and am using the factory head unit. Looking forward to using this bass knob. Should help me quite a bit. Thanks for posting this too btw
Glad to see someone did a video on this and specifically the Skar SKv2 line as I have 2 EVLs on a SKv2 2500.1 and went by the clip light when setting everything up becuase i do not own a DD1 or Oscope. Glad to see its very accurate.
You can see at the end of the video there was clipping on the DD1 after you thought it was set. I would use the bass knob for determining the clipping since it would keep it from clipping for sure.
I was a fool and slept on this when I first picked up my 3500 1d, now here I am, buying a replacement because I wanna be safe! Thank u for the info friend!
Or do it the right way and get an oscilloscope. Test multiple sine waves from the HU first to find out where ,if any clipping occurs. Then use that tone. Sometimes 40hz isn't where you see clipping but 45hz is. Each HU is different. Visually see the sine wave and when clipping occurs. Definitely do not ignore that light. They put it a little ahead to protect your equipment for a reason. Skar rocks. I have 4 ZVX-15s on 2 SKV2-3500's
I been pushing 2 12 inch kappa 1200w subs in a sealed 1cf for each sub and using a SoundQubed 1250 with clipping light. Think is pretty much same as the skar amp that puts out around 1200 watts rms and around 1600 burst @1ohm. Been running this setup for past year and I only used the clipping light to set gains, so far the subs have performed flawlessly and I push them at max volume a lot. They are only 500 watt rms subs, so even over powering then they have held up. So thinking the clipping light is pretty accurate.
@@Kpaceguy o thought I read we are suppose to determine where the Headunit clips at volume wise. Then don't go past that volume number. Then start tuning the amps. Did I read it wrong?
So here's my situation, i bought the skv2 2500, i play my music through a Kenwood double din dmx7709s using android auto, when i plugged the rca from my head unit to the dd1 and turn it up the dd1 doesn't pick up the 40 hz, but in Bluetooth mode it does, pick it up, i called Kenwood and they told me that those 2 modes have different outputs, so i stuck with android auto, i read in the instructions that you can tune through tne amp so i did, i played the 40hz tone and the dd1 picks it up, but when i turn the gain, its all the way up, and no distortion on dd1, the bass knob came broken but i had an extra but it doesn't have the clip light, then i plugged it in mid song and the clip light was blinking alot and staying on alot, dd1 didmt get distortion at all, so I'm lost, when i turn it down on the radio it doesn't clip, but the bass doesn't hit like it does, i have the skar dual evl 12s, so im unsure on what to do at the moment
Most people will tell you to trust the bass knob because it's directly tied to the amp made for the amp. It's detecting distortion in general not just around 40hz
seeing the clip light on would annoy me even though i know i set it correctly with the dd1. one thing thats good to know is the clip light is not a gimmick from skar. hey will that bass knob work with your 4 channel like will the clip light work when you set the gain
I have a bass knob that doesn't have a clipping indicator, so when I DD-1 my sub amp should I turn it all the way down as well as set my deck eq to flat?
Hi there once you have adjusted it and you are not clipping can you turn the bass up on head unit or not. And how far did you turn your bass knob up before you adjusted the gains?
The bass knob is set to max before testing clipping. You also test the head unit voltage for clipping as well and the you never turn it up past that volume
@@Kpaceguy Also one more thing it says when I check the music I listen too on Audacity it’s peak was 42hz at -3db so it will be ok too set it at -3 still right?
You said CT sounds bass knobs are accurate. I have experimented setting the gains using a -5, -3, and 0 db 40hz tone and there was no clipping on the knob. However, when I play music it flashes red during the hard bass hits. If I turn it down to where it doesn’t flash, I’m not getting nearly enough power. I checked with my multimeter, and set with a test tone to get roughly 900 watts, the clip indicator is clean.. only until I play music. Is it normal to flash during musical peaks?
Yes flashing is fine because some music isn't clean or is boosted. You just don't want it to be solid red for long periods of time. A little flash is normal and fine
I thought the dd1 will go on first because it's a distortion detector and not a clipping detector. Thd and clipping are 2 different things right? I heard thd goes up first before clipping that's why theres certified and uncertified amp dyno results
Clipping is a form of distortion when the amp is giving more power than its rated for at a given voltage. Whether your speakers can handle it or not. Thd has to do with something totally different and is pretty complex. Harmonic, for example 44hz, 88hz, 132hz are all the same pitch in a different octave. Thd is the measurement of how good an amp is at playing only the frequencies given.
So does the red clip light stay steady on if hard clipping? Or when it's blinking red on base notes I should turn it down until blinking goes away? And can the EVL15 handle 1500rms or should I back it down to 1250rms that the sub is rated at?
I have an evil 15" on an incriminator 30.1 which is a 4k amp. The 15" evil is rated for 3500w and I would say it's rated at that pretty safely. I've seen ppl push it more with no problems. You don't want to under power a sub, it's bad for it. Atleast get a "true" 3k rms rated sub for it. If you set your gains correctly like in the video although I oscoped mine but the smd distortion detector works fine you should have 0 problems. I've played mine at full tilt for over 30 mins before and still couldn't even smell it. Had mine going on 5 years now. The indicator light on bass know will either be solid or off on mine. When it turns red back it off until light is gone and you will be fine
Also make sure you know how loud tour head unit can go before it clips and sends out a bad signal. Doing that plus setting gains correctly you won't have a problem at all
In order for the bass knob to stop indicating clipping he would of had to turn the gain way down to the point to where its barely hitting there way over sensitive.
Get you a headunit that can set the frequency in your highs without having to have a high amp i was having that problem and I had the kenwood head unit and figured out there was a control on the actual head u to adjust frequencies of what your door speakers receive and now mine sound real crispy with the bass
When I set everything up, is it okay to use a -5 or -10db overlap tone at 40-50hz? I see that on heavy bass it's on songs the clip light blinks but I'm only about 1/4 turned up on the knob but on other songs I can turn up all the way. My question is, is it okay if on heavy bass songs and the light starts "Blinking" is that okay?
theyre not too high though and thats good. when the light comes on youre not actually clipping but youre damn close to it so id call that good in my book
I would trust the bass knob that came from the amp manufacturer over the DD1. The equipment that skar made is engineered to work together for the best optimal performance.
that bass knob is found everywhere. trust the dd1 over anything because it detects distortion weather skar thinks it is or not. i had the same bass knob on my dc audio 2.0k which is a nicer amp than the skar and it was pretty accurate, or accurate enough for everyday use.
wish my bass knob works just light comes on but cant turn bass up or down
@@munozjordan70 change the old bass knob cable to the one that came with the knob and it will work I tried to use my old cable for the knob and it did the same thing you mentioned but after I switched the cable it worked.
Just bought the skv2 1500.1 for by sdr 12s. The bass knob with the clipping light was a great added bonus. Especially after watching this video. It gets here tomorrow. I've been struggling with tuning my amp partly cause I'm new to this, am very paranoid, and am using the factory head unit. Looking forward to using this bass knob. Should help me quite a bit. Thanks for posting this too btw
Glad to see someone did a video on this and specifically the Skar SKv2 line as I have 2 EVLs on a SKv2 2500.1 and went by the clip light when setting everything up becuase i do not own a DD1 or Oscope. Glad to see its very accurate.
You can see at the end of the video there was clipping on the DD1 after you thought it was set. I would use the bass knob for determining the clipping since it would keep it from clipping for sure.
Steve meade makes really good tools btw with the clip light on the bass knob I would trust it
Way overpriced tools
I was a fool and slept on this when I first picked up my 3500 1d, now here I am, buying a replacement because I wanna be safe! Thank u for the info friend!
Thanks for watching
Nice video. Interesting that they were really close in comparison. Keep up the great work. 👍👍
Pretty accurate nice job Skar
Or do it the right way and get an oscilloscope. Test multiple sine waves from the HU first to find out where ,if any clipping occurs. Then use that tone. Sometimes 40hz isn't where you see clipping but 45hz is. Each HU is different. Visually see the sine wave and when clipping occurs. Definitely do not ignore that light. They put it a little ahead to protect your equipment for a reason. Skar rocks. I have 4 ZVX-15s on 2 SKV2-3500's
I been pushing 2 12 inch kappa 1200w subs in a sealed 1cf for each sub and using a SoundQubed 1250 with clipping light. Think is pretty much same as the skar amp that puts out around 1200 watts rms and around 1600 burst @1ohm. Been running this setup for past year and I only used the clipping light to set gains, so far the subs have performed flawlessly and I push them at max volume a lot. They are only 500 watt rms subs, so even over powering then they have held up. So thinking the clipping light is pretty accurate.
Would you show us how to set our Headunit clipping indicator?
It indicates automatically
@@Kpaceguy o ok
@@JWard2 just set your amp gain correctly and the clip light should rarely come on
@@Kpaceguy o thought I read we are suppose to determine where the Headunit clips at volume wise. Then don't go past that volume number. Then start tuning the amps.
Did I read it wrong?
@J. Ward no you're correct. That's the very first thing you do. But if even you set your head unit you can still clip your amp if the gain is too high
Nice informative video!
I appreciate it
So here's my situation, i bought the skv2 2500, i play my music through a Kenwood double din dmx7709s using android auto, when i plugged the rca from my head unit to the dd1 and turn it up the dd1 doesn't pick up the 40 hz, but in Bluetooth mode it does, pick it up, i called Kenwood and they told me that those 2 modes have different outputs, so i stuck with android auto, i read in the instructions that you can tune through tne amp so i did, i played the 40hz tone and the dd1 picks it up, but when i turn the gain, its all the way up, and no distortion on dd1, the bass knob came broken but i had an extra but it doesn't have the clip light, then i plugged it in mid song and the clip light was blinking alot and staying on alot, dd1 didmt get distortion at all, so I'm lost, when i turn it down on the radio it doesn't clip, but the bass doesn't hit like it does, i have the skar dual evl 12s, so im unsure on what to do at the moment
Most people will tell you to trust the bass knob because it's directly tied to the amp made for the amp. It's detecting distortion in general not just around 40hz
your amp so you do what you want.i know that SMD is great.but i would use the one that came with the amp.(IMHO).
seeing the clip light on would annoy me even though i know i set it correctly with the dd1. one thing thats good to know is the clip light is not a gimmick from skar.
hey will that bass knob work with your 4 channel like will the clip light work when you set the gain
Probably but I doubt it would ever come on
Is this exclusive to this series of amp? Or will it work with the RP series? New to skar appreciate the info
It should work with all their amps
I have a bass knob that doesn't have a clipping indicator, so when I DD-1 my sub amp should I turn it all the way down as well as set my deck eq to flat?
Correct
Hi there once you have adjusted it and you are not clipping can you turn the bass up on head unit or not. And how far did you turn your bass knob up before you adjusted the gains?
The bass knob is set to max before testing clipping. You also test the head unit voltage for clipping as well and the you never turn it up past that volume
What sort of head is that and where did you get it
phoenix automotive
If I primarily listen too rap music should I use a 40hz -10db, -7.5db, -5db, -3db or 0db?
-3
Aight will do thanks for the fast response
@@Kpaceguy Also one more thing it says when I check the music I listen too on Audacity it’s peak was 42hz at -3db so it will be ok too set it at -3 still right?
@@itzluco yup
You said CT sounds bass knobs are accurate. I have experimented setting the gains using a -5, -3, and 0 db 40hz tone and there was no clipping on the knob. However, when I play music it flashes red during the hard bass hits. If I turn it down to where it doesn’t flash, I’m not getting nearly enough power. I checked with my multimeter, and set with a test tone to get roughly 900 watts, the clip indicator is clean.. only until I play music. Is it normal to flash during musical peaks?
Yes flashing is fine because some music isn't clean or is boosted. You just don't want it to be solid red for long periods of time. A little flash is normal and fine
@@Kpaceguy Awesome, thanks! Of course bass-heavy rap is the main offender, but that’s what we like to play on subs.
I thought the dd1 will go on first because it's a distortion detector and not a clipping detector. Thd and clipping are 2 different things right? I heard thd goes up first before clipping that's why theres certified and uncertified amp dyno results
Clipping is a form of distortion when the amp is giving more power than its rated for at a given voltage. Whether your speakers can handle it or not. Thd has to do with something totally different and is pretty complex. Harmonic, for example 44hz, 88hz, 132hz are all the same pitch in a different octave. Thd is the measurement of how good an amp is at playing only the frequencies given.
i wonder how the sq freaks set their system up to certified/ under 1% thd since setting with a dd1 is up to clipping/ uncertified
@@rowboyto156 the dd1 is set up to certified
So does the red clip light stay steady on if hard clipping? Or when it's blinking red on base notes I should turn it down until blinking goes away? And can the EVL15 handle 1500rms or should I back it down to 1250rms that the sub is rated at?
1500w is fine. Clipping light can blink but you don't want it solid red for too long
I have an evil 15" on an incriminator 30.1 which is a 4k amp. The 15" evil is rated for 3500w and I would say it's rated at that pretty safely. I've seen ppl push it more with no problems. You don't want to under power a sub, it's bad for it. Atleast get a "true" 3k rms rated sub for it. If you set your gains correctly like in the video although I oscoped mine but the smd distortion detector works fine you should have 0 problems. I've played mine at full tilt for over 30 mins before and still couldn't even smell it. Had mine going on 5 years now. The indicator light on bass know will either be solid or off on mine. When it turns red back it off until light is gone and you will be fine
Also make sure you know how loud tour head unit can go before it clips and sends out a bad signal. Doing that plus setting gains correctly you won't have a problem at all
In order for the bass knob to stop indicating clipping he would of had to turn the gain way down to the point to where its barely hitting there way over sensitive.
How do I play 40 hertz test tone for the amp without playing it to the door speakers?
You can't. Your crossover should protect your speakers first and foremost. You can just turn the amp gain down or unplug the speakers
Get you a headunit that can set the frequency in your highs without having to have a high amp i was having that problem and I had the kenwood head unit and figured out there was a control on the actual head u to adjust frequencies of what your door speakers receive and now mine sound real crispy with the bass
Have you tryed a sundown clip light?
Nope but there are a few who have. Pretty accurate as well
When I set everything up, is it okay to use a -5 or -10db overlap tone at 40-50hz? I see that on heavy bass it's on songs the clip light blinks but I'm only about 1/4 turned up on the knob but on other songs I can turn up all the way. My question is, is it okay if on heavy bass songs and the light starts "Blinking" is that okay?
Blinking is fine. If it's solid red for long periods then you have an issue
@@Kpaceguy So being at -10db is fine? And the blinking would be burst's in the music being dynamic?
@@braydendonofrio1278-10 is fine if that's the primary music you listen to
@@Kpaceguy I'm using an overlap -10hz tone
Trust the knob, it came on before the dd1. It's essentially coming on right before clipping
That could be a preclip signal. From what ive read some bass knobs have preclip, soft clip and hard clip
I am assuming you was running a test tone?
40hz
Thanks@@Kpaceguy
I feel scar set the knobe like that to make sure you don't blow your shit
Right
There junk as he proved inaccurate
theyre not too high though and thats good. when the light comes on youre not actually clipping but youre damn close to it so id call that good in my book
even he said they it was barely off so i wouldnt call it junk
It came on barely before the DD1. So in mine and i'm sure a lot of eyes that's even better knowing it triggers before clipping.
@@haydenwiseman3056 👍👍❗