Hi all,

a couple of points/questions.

I've just fitted the RIOcar with a directed 500 4ch. amp, a 12" JL sub and a set of mb quartz 216 rsd comp. speakers. The treble seems so high whatever the crossover on the amp I can bearly make out the midrange. Is this a general thing with Mp3's/RIOcar or can I do something about it?

Also, is there any software available to swap mp3 files back onto my comp? (I'm running out of disk space and would like the riocar to be the permanent database)

I haven't upgraded any of the firmware to to the riocar since buying it last month. If I should then where to I get the software from?

Thanks all and much appreciated for any comments.

Raas

Well, the empeg isn't as many other headunits preboosted in the bass department, instead it is flat. There is the equalizer that you can tweak the sound with - I'd recommend cutting the highs rather than boosting the bass - less risk for clipping.

Reading mp3s back to the PC: the latest beta of emplode will let you do that, as well as jemplode (3rd party thing)
Your player shipped with 1.02, latest stable release is 1.03 - definately upgrade to at least this. It's available here.
Latest beta version is available here.
Always first upgrade the PC software, then the player software. You need the same version of PC and player software as not all versions can talk to each other.

jemplode is available here. I think you need the latest beta of the player software.

Most, if not all, of this is answered in the FAQ, do take the time to read through it. Also check out the links that are at the top of every page of the BBS.

/Michael

The treble seems so high whatever the crossover on the amp I can bearly make out the midrange.

Don't know if this is just a question of simply needing to properly EQ the player, or if there's something wrong with your amp setup and crossovers.

First things first. Make sure the equalizer is in two-channel mode (Left/Right locked mode with ten bands per channel). Make sure it's on a "flat" equalizer preset so that all bands are at 0db.

The player should sound very flat, with a lot of midrange and not much bass. This is because it doesn't come with its bass artificially boosted like most CD players do.

Turn up the "loudness" on the player quite a bit, say 6-10db and see if it sounds more natural. Then tweak the EQ from there.

If this isn't helping, then you might be looking at problems with the amp/speaker setup.

Do you have anything else to make sound that you can plug into the amplifier? If you're installing the empeg and the amps and the speakers all at once, you will need to narrow down whether you've just got an excessively bright set of MB quart speakers, or if there's something else going on that needs to be diagnosed.

Is this a general thing with Mp3's/RIOcar or can I do something about it?

Your description of the problem sounds like something other than the usual complaint with the car player. The usual complaint is that its bass isn't artifically boosted like most CD players. But your description makes it sound like something more serious, something maybe not even related to the car player at all.

Also, is there any software available to swap mp3 files back onto my comp?

Yes. The current beta software, version 2.0 beta 11, will do this. Please read the related entries in the FAQ at www.riocar.org. You can also use the Java software JEmplode, linked at the top of this BBS page.

If I should then where to I get the software from?

Please read through the related entries in the FAQ at www.riocar.org before going any further with upgrading the software. The 2.0 beta 11 software is nice, but it has some bugs you should know about before switching to it. The FAQ does have all the links to the latest software, both beta and otherwise.

In reply to:

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mb quartz 216 rsd comp. speakers. The treble seems so high

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you installed the most notoriously 'bright' tweeters on the market...

if they bother you, and you aren't inclined to replace them, you can

first, check the wiring of the speakers... if you can "barely hear" the midrange, you could have mixed up the phase somewhere along the line... i.e: make sure all the '+'s are wired to '+'s and '-'s to '-'s

a) adjust the passive x-overs: most quart 'musicomp' passive x-overs have an attenuation circuit for the tweeters... look for '0,-3,-6' dB markings... adjust...

b) adjust the active x-over on the amp: i'm not sure about the newer directed amps, but older ones used a rotary frequency selector on the active x-overs... turn it slowly either way (if this is the problem, most likely counter-clockwise) until it sounds better...

c) adjust the eq on your empeg: cut the higher frequencies

if you can "barely hear" the midrange, you could have mixed up the phase somewhere along the line...

Oooo, good call.

Yeah, if bass and mids seems mysteriously absent or muddy, turn the balance control to the left and the right. You should hear a linear reduction in overall volume and timbre as you move the balance to one side.

If instead, you get MORE bass and mids as the balance is moved to one side, then you have at least one channel wired out of phase (the two sides of the car are canceling each other out on the mid and low frequencies).

I know it is purely anecdotal, and probably is not really the fault of the speakers. But, ever system I have ever seen running MB Quart drivers has sounded tinny with an empty midrange, too much treble, and a big hole in the sound somewhere between

the empeg has some of the best eq tweaking ability out there.
You should be able to get these speakerss sounding GREAT.
I personally love "bright" speakers, my suggestion is check your wiring, and play, play, play wiith the eq.