i installed my ms8 and now i need help setting my crossover

i have 6.5 hybrid audio imagine front/i think there a cap on the tweeters
stock center set up
6.5 Boston Acoustics SC woofer in the rear/no crossover
1 jl audio 10w6

i have a jl 500/5 for my front and rear
500/1 for the sub

what HZ/slope should i set it at on the MS8 and on the amps. also when calibrating do i turn off the center and sub channel on the HU. do i adjust the amps after the calibrating the ms8.

ch 1-FL 1way
ch 2-FR 1way
ch 3-CENTER 1way
ch 4-RL 1 way
ch 5-RR 1way
ch 7/8-SUB 2way
thanks

 

i can tell what my JBL speakers c/o's were, you'd have to look at your freq ranges and adjust accordingly (p660c fronts, p462 center, p662 rears ALL active C/O)

70 fr/sub
3500 tw/mid
150 center/sub
80 rear/sub
subsonic 20
default slopes everywhere
sub polarity reversed during calibration
everything was left at default on HU
MS-8 received fronts and sub
goes without saying that you need to be running on battery with engine off in a quiet garage

the goal is not only to find sweet spots in sub crossovers
but also to find just the right tuning volume
1 digit difference could be significant
log everything when you tune for future reference
the sweeps volume needs to be equal of a casual conversation, with sub almost absent (you have to strain to hear it)

the biggest challenge with MS-8 is to have good mids as it tries so hard to improve the overall range that the mids fade out

but, it is not impossible, just requires patience

 

What does reversing the polarity mean on the sub

 

First things first, what inputs from the stock system were used for the MS8? Hopefully it was just the front left and right out of the headunit.

Next, how many output channels are running from the mS8 to the amps? Example, are your tweeters and mids on the same channels? Is the center hooked to the MS8? Installed correctly, the center and sub controls on the HU should have no effect as they should not be hooked up. Only the left and right fronts should be used.

Assuming each speaker is on its own channel, you could start with the mids 80-3khz. Tweeters from 3khz and up. Stock center I wouldn't go below 400hz or you will probably get distortion. It's your chice to lowpass it or not. Sub from 80hz and down with a 20hz subsonic. Rears 80hz- whatever.

All on 24db slopes. This assumes you have the tweeters on their own channels and remove the cap. If you don't remove the cap I would highpass the tweeters at whatever the frequency the cap gives you.

This would be a 2-way with sub and center (front 2-way, center 1-way, side 1-way, and subs use only one channel, not two). If you do the tweeters and mids on the same channel it will be 1-way with sub and center. You will lose the ability to have the MS8 level match and TA the tweeters which may or may not be a disadvantage. If you do it this way you'll want to cover the tweeters for the first set of sweeps so it will TA to the mids and not the tweeters.

You'll run the rears as "sides". Also, the rears are not traditional rear fill, they play only out of phase info which adds to the front stage and will sound very weird to rear passengers.

IDEALLY you want your best sounding speaker to be in the center. It should be capable of keeping up with the mids in output while playing as low or almost as low. There's a lot of room in there for larger speakers like a 6.5".

It helps to level match as closely as possible before running the sweeps. It will sound better and cleaner if you do this. If you're lacking output on one set of speakers, turn the gains DOWN before running the sweeps. Want more midbass, turn the mids down before calibration. Same with the sub output.

The MS8 is not real forgiving of peaky subs (usually small box subs) and it can cause issues in the sub to midbass integration. Using a lowpass filter like the one built into the amp during calibration can help greatly. If you still have issues you can run the front as a 3-way during setup and have Lo=Subs, Mid=midrange and Hi= tweeters. Or if the mids and tweeters are on the same channel, do Front= 2-way with Lo=subs and Hi=mids and tweets.

Crossing the subs over lower can also help but I wouldn't run those 6.5" below 80hz especially considering the MS8 will not only raise the power to the mids as you turn the subwoofer output up to keep the up front bass illusion but it also lowers the mids highpass as well.

 

exactly that
+ to- and - to +

i had installed a switch to do that, so i don't have to mess with wires
reversing it for the calobration helps move the bass up front
you get the same effect as with phase switch on some sub amps

 

i have my mids and tweeter on 1 channel on the MS8. 1 way I cannot adjust my tweeter xover..is this ok... there is a cap on the tweeter

 

Oh well I tried.

 

i'd wire tweeters to separate outputs on ms-8 if i were you
and the stock center is garbage, you don't have to put a 6.5 in there if you don't want to mess with pulling the clock out, but at least put a good 4" in there

 

I agree with running the tweeters on their own channel.

I usually tell people not to bother upgrading the center channel but the MS8 is a different animal. When using this processor, the center channel should be your best speaker and it needs to be able to keep up with the door speakers or at least reasonably close. Playing the entire vocal range and playing it at the same level (it's closer to you so it doesn't have to have the same actual output) is important.

I tried a cheap Massive Audio 6.5" that was only 1.6" deep but it actually made it sound worse compared to the Dynaudio 3-way by itself. If I had kept the MS8 I would have gone with another Dyn 430 3.5" midrange because it is capable of below 200hz at moderate levels, LOTS of excursion for a 3.5".

So yeah, if you can't do a 6.5", try a GOOD 5" or 4" in there.

BTW, pulling the clock out requires no tools, just fingernails or a butter knife if you don't have fingernails. It pulls out and it pushes back in, taking just seconds to remove and install.

One of the many things the OP is withholding for some reason is how the inputs to the MS8 are wired and whether or not the center is even wired to one of the outputs. There's a HUGE amount of missing info that I asked for in my previous post that pretty much puts this thing on a standstill until the info is there. All we know is the front mids and tweeters are wired as one channel each. Not a whole lot you can do with that info.

Also, I see that you ran the sub input into the MS8, it's totally not necessary and causes more harm than good if you're already doing the front left and right inputs pre amp.

 

Andy said to run the sub in.
I've honestly tired it both ways, liked it better the way he said.

Although it's a moot point when it comes to CD playback.

 

You only run the sub in if you're going post factory amp. The front left and right are full range signals. That's all it needs. Adding the sub signal gives it one more signal to sum. If the MS8 is working correctly, there is no difference in sound between the two.

Are you pre amp or post amp?

 

I'm running pre amp front L/R signal RCA to RF-BLD to MS-8. i will buy a CTX4 - Image Dynamics 4" 2 Way Speakers w/ Silk Tweeters for my center.

 

interesting ...
have you tried deleting the RF-BLD?
i'm going HU straight to MS-8 and it's all loud and clear without any line drivers
MS-8 senses the signal as being OK at volume 35

 

I had mine set up the same way with the BLD. I can't remember for sure but I think it required close to volume 40 to ge an acceptable signal. If you don't use the setup CD you can set it with the HU volume anywhere you want but the overall volume will be too low and it won't see the subwoofer input that you're using, it defaults to channel 1+2 only.

The other reason not to calibrate on volume 35 is by then it's pulling a lot of bass out of the system. It will be a bit bloated when the volume is not cranked. Of course, this can be used to your advantage depending on how much midbass you like.

 

I tried without the RF BLD..... Volume on HU was 34 and signal read OK with a lot of noise
With the RF BLD I had the HU at 24.....with no noise

 

hmm ... may be it depends on how far you run the wires
mine is under the pass seat and it as noise free as it could be

IHC good point on the bass, it did cause me some grief at first, but i got over it with tuning
the effect was somewhat counter-intuitive, there was always too much bass at any volume, and not enough mids
but it's all good now, patience is all that was needed
Andy was the one who talked me out of a line driver. I admit, i'm gullible when it comes to people much smarter than myself with a degree to show for it

 

Andy is one of the only people on this planet that I listen to without question. He went so far above and beyond for me when I was having issues ill always be grateful. He's the Jerry of JBL though he no longer works for Harmon.

 

I have my RF BLD where my stock amp use to be, and my MS-8 under the rear deck in the truck.......car is still in pieces.....got to sound dampen my doors and trunk and new center speaker.........I have tuning to do with logic 7 on ..... Too much bass from my midrange sub.... With logic 7 off it sound amazing....