advice on using the Monolith Powered Subwoofer - 12 Inch ?

[johnny45]

im aiming towards getting the
Monolith Powered Subwoofer - 12 Inch with 500 Watt Amplifier, THX Certified, for my ht as trying get the drivers for a custom build is not int the cards right now so ill be getting the Monolith

an ill be will using the xlr output to connect it from my outlaw

whats the best crossover setting to start with on the Monolith to start blend with my mains

as i currently got my fronts set at 50hz an the center @ 60 an my sides @ 40
with the level outputs at -6db l&r & 0db center & my sides @ -8db an normally set the subout at 0 db an keep the amp gain for my previous subs at 8+db

but with the Monolith built in amp id thought id start off at the 0 db gain
an set the outlaws paro eq an level trim from it to fine tune

for ref my total room size that the ht space is in is 35ft long & 15.5ft wide

with the ht on front side taking roughly a 15x15 ft space

with the entrance to a hallway on the left side about 17ft back front of the room flush with the walls with no door
sp - speakers , bt - basstraps

what would be the safe bet position to start with the sub on the left of the right side of ther room as ill be start with just one sub first

the outlaw has a lft signal trim separate for the default sub level output whether its out to an amp or power sub

it also has a dts an dolby lfe trim or boost option by + or - 6db
so i can really dial in


so once iv got this thang any advice on how i should proceed

 

[Pogre]

I'd try starting with an 80 hz crossover for everything and go from there.

 

[johnny45]

thanks ill do that , an in regards to my room layout an sub placement any thoughts on weither it should go on the left or the right side

 

[ryanosaur]

Crawl it out!
Without having to play around with measurements, put it at your LP and hook it up... disable your Speakers... and play some good bass-heavy music (that you know well) through the Subwoofer alone.

The Sub Crawl is crude, but useful and can teach you a lot about how Low Frequencies behave in your room.

It is not fool-proof, but nothing really is in life. Yet, you can get a very good approximation of what the bass response will sound like. Fine tuning may still be required.

The first time I did this, it took me about an hour to crawl out my room. I played with test tones, pink noise different music. I settled on music... test tones and pink noise to me weren't revealing enough.
As far as what to listen for, you want to find a location that hopefully sounds clean. Boomy and muddy are bad, likewise, so would a dead spot.
When I started, I moved along one wall, and as I got closer to a corner, I started hearing the differences that can happen. In my room, the corners get very sloppy sounding (boomy, muddy). My cleanest bass was on the side walls. On my back wall, I had a serious null/dead spot: the bass just disappeared.

Every room is different. So even the most experienced are hard pressed to look at a space and say, "there!" In fact, you may find that the best place is nearfield right behind the couch.

Just keep your mind and ears open when you do the crawl. Don't rule out a spot before you listen.

Crawling for Bass - Subwoofer Placement Tips

Do the Subwoofer Crawl. It's the easiest way to find the proper placement location for your subwoofer to get the best performance and sound.

www.audioholics.com

(I agree with Pogre... you should be looking at your XO in the 80-100 range. Most people I've seen discuss this agree that this is where they get the best performance out of both the Subs and Speakers.)

 

[johnny45]

thanks

 

[lovinthehd]

What Outlaw pre-pro are you using? The levels aren't particularly comparable outside of your own system. Your crossovers seem on the low side, how did you determine them?

 

[johnny45]

its the outlaw audio 976 4k balanced receiver

my current speakers are

fronts - BIC Amercia Acoustech Platinum Series PL-89 tower speaker

port plugged & sounds better than open

powered off a xls 1502 (gain knobs at full)

center - Klipsch Reference Series RB-81 II Bookshelf Speaker

powered off a xli 800 (gain knobs at full)

port plugged also & sounds better than open

sides - BIC Amercia Acoustech Platinum Series PL-89 tower speaker

powered off a 2nd xli 800 (gain knobs at full)

port plugged too

my reason for the chosen xovers is a combination of personal tone pref an rew cal in my ht room
with the ports plugged vs unplugged got me the best even fq an spl response in the ht room in conjunk
with the outlaws per channel parometric eq an shelf trims



the new dune sound very good at high volume -10db ref without distortion or muddyness , minus sub bass duh! no yet

 

[lovinthehd]

Your setup details don't really demonstrate how each was setup particularly, but I get the flavor I suppose. Preference isn't particularly reference in any case. You like what you like, but that doesn't mean it makes particular sense in other ways....more details of your setup/reasoning are probably in order for better analysis in any case....

 

[fmw]

My approach to setting crossover point is to use a test CD and SPL meter. You should set the crossover point where the main speaker woofer starts running out of steam. If you don't have an SPL meter, then use your ears. Not as scientific but how it sounds is what matters. When I first tested my homebrew sub I was unhappy with the sound. As it turned out, the plate amp had a peak at 30hz, not exactly what you want for anything other booming rock and roll bass. I replaced it with one without the peak and have enjoyed bass bliss ever since. Subs can be a complicated issue. Design, materials, adjustments, room acoustics and placement all play a part in the result.

 

[ryanosaur]

My approach to setting crossover point is to use a test CD and SPL meter. You should set the crossover point where the main speaker woofer starts running out of steam. If you don't have an SPL meter, then use your ears. Not as scientific but how it sounds is what matters. When I first tested my homebrew sub I was unhappy with the sound. As it turned out, the plate amp had a peak at 30hz, not exactly what you want for anything other booming rock and roll bass. I replaced it with one without the peak and have enjoyed bass bliss ever since. Subs can be a complicated issue. Design, materials, adjustments, room acoustics and placement all play a part in the result.

A proper crossover to Subs is usually recommended to be an octave above the F3. If you don't have a device to manage the Crossovers and are just doing it without any other measuring devices than an SPL meter, there is more chance of not getting the best sound.
Relying on a Speaker to play down low where it is least efficient for the Driver(s) in question can result in it's own acoustic maladies.
If a person has room correction, I would always recommend using that to at least do initial Delay and Level setting. Most RC programs can be turned off while those setting persist, and can then be tweaked after.

YMMV.

 

[Pogre]

A proper crossover to Subs is usually recommended to be an octave above the F3. If you don't have a device to manage the Crossovers and are just doing it without any other measuring devices than an SPL meter, there is more chance of not getting the best sound.
Relying on a Speaker to play down low where it is least efficient for the Driver(s) in question can result in it's own acoustic maladies.
If a person has room correction, I would always recommend using that to at least do initial Delay and Level setting. Most RC programs can be turned off while those setting persist, and can then be tweaked after.

YMMV.

This has always worked very well for me, and is least complicated. Room correction can be hit and miss. Some of it depends on how careful one is with mic placement and following instructions, some of it can be a difficult room. Either way I've always found at least the distances and level settings to be accurate and in phase whether turned on or not.

 

[ryanosaur]

This has always worked very well for me, and is least complicated. Room correction can be hit and miss. Some of it depends on how careful one is with mic placement and following instructions, some of it can be a difficult room. Either way I've always found at least the distances and level settings to be accurate and in phase whether turned on or not.

I don’t want to ignore the importance of proper placement and all that good stuff, but for getting the Sub and Speaker working well together, this will always be my first step.

 

[johnny45]

A proper crossover to Subs is usually recommended to be an octave above the F3. If you don't have a device to manage the Crossovers and are just doing it without any other measuring devices than an SPL meter, there is more chance of not getting the best sound.
Relying on a Speaker to play down low where it is least efficient for the Driver(s) in question can result in it's own acoustic maladies.
If a person has room correction, I would always recommend using that to at least do initial Delay and Level setting. Most RC programs can be turned off while those setting persist, and can then be tweaked after.

YMMV.

thanks