Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: MYX on November 15, 2006, 08:36:59 am
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Hey all,
When I built my cab I decided to use a nicer set of car speakers and amp. I am running this from my sound card (part of the motherboard) I have downloaded the latest drivers. My problem is that there is little to no bass coming from the speakers. (speakers are listed to -3dB @40hz) I sould have much more boom when boom should be happening. more like fizzle pop.
Anyway on to the point. Do any of you know if there is some freeware out there that is like an EQ for windows? This way I can shape the sound around my cabinet.
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Are the speakers in an enclosure of some sort? I don't think you will get any bass (EQ or not) unless they are enclosed in a semi airtight 'box'. When mounted in a car, this would usually be your trunk. This is why I went with computer speakers (they came with a subwoofer).
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Innitally I thought that too, but when I looked at the design idea further, most arcade games have speakers mounted right in the body of the cab and many cabs have a pretty good thump to them.
I could be totally nuts in my thinking but wouldn't a cab be a super enclosure, perhaps not airtight though. More airspace, lower frequencies. Plus ported speakers are not airtight. Just thoughts, no theory. But then again, state something sternly enough and with enough with enough assuredness of what you are talking about you can be an expert about anything. ;)
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Sorry if this is way obvious, but did you try swapping the leads at the speaker? If they're wired backwards, they sound terrible.
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The ffdshow decoder has an EQ built in, among other effects. I found this out after buying an Audigy SE specifically for increasing bass response. ::)
http://ffdshow.sourceforge.net
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Sorry if this is way obvious, but did you try swapping the leads at the speaker? If they're wired backwards, they sound terrible.
I will check, but being an audio guy and being fairly anal about such things, I am pretty sure it is wired in phase. But again, I will check. I have made dumber mistakes.
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You are probably right about the cabinet being a large enclosure (I have a UAII cab with partially open back side so didn't even consider that). One other thing which may be worth checking is if your amp has some controls as to what frequency to cutoff (crossover or whatever it's called). It may be setup to only route higher frequencies to the speakers you have connected, assuming you would also be connecting a sub for the lower ones.
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Yip, it is set to full range. this is why I was thinking that a system EQ might help. They have them in all sorts of MP3 players n stuff. Many cards have a basic Low Hi slider. I don't even have that. I found a "pay for" EQ for $10. Not sure if I should do that or spend like $15 and get a better used sound card. It has a 14 day trial. I may give it a whirl and see how well it works. Unfortunatly it is only 10 band. I would like a 31 band 1/3 oct. EQ or a parametric would be nice too. But 10 band may have to do it. But then again we are talking about asteroids right. Just dump doomp dump doomp weeo weeo weeo boom. Not really high fidelity.
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Is your on board audio sound blaster compatible? or another brand?
If it is SB compatible then using the audigy driver should give a full spectrum of sound and it does have a decent equalizer with it.
If not some the Crystal chipsets CAN use those same drivers but you'll have check on the compatiblity.
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I know that it has ACS chipset on it. I found the model # online and had quite a time finding a driver for it. But it is part of the motherboard. I have no idea if it is compatible or not. If the sound sux to start with, what is the harm with installing what you mentioned? At worst it won't work right? or is there more to worry about?
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Your problem is a driver issue (speaker driver, not software!).
You mentioned they are rated to -3DB at 40Hz. -3DB is basically the cutoff for anything being audiably useful. What I'm saying is -3dB may as well be mute, and you'll find that if drawn on a graph the drop off will start well back in to the low-mids.
The speaker drivers you have seleted are best be suited with a sub-woofer and crossover. ;)
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Just curious... have you looked under "advanced" in the volume control area?
Every sound card may have something different as far as extra controls.
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Your problem is a driver issue (speaker driver, not software!).
You mentioned they are rated to -3DB at 40Hz. -3DB is basically the cutoff for anything being audiably useful. What I'm saying is -3dB may as well be mute, and you'll find that if drawn on a graph the drop off will start well back in to the low-mids.
The speaker drivers you have seleted are best be suited with a sub-woofer and crossover. ;)
A drop of -3dB is not significant enough to have nearly zero bass. a thump at 100Hz will hit you in the chest pretty good. Not like 30 Hz would, but you should still hear it. But to make sure, I will pull some other computer speakers in (bose)(Bring Own Sound Equipment) and see if there is low end there.
Yes, I have checked the advanced tab. I do not have those options. Which is really retarded because I thought like every Pc in the world had those options.
The EQ software was a horrible thing. Though it did increase the bass response, it created a stupid amount of latency. It also slowed down MAME to like olden days with a 133 mhz trying to play mortal combat. E every th th th thing g g w woul d d stut tut tut er. er. er. I uninstalled that stuff quick. I am wasting more time than I wanted on this. And if time is money, I could have gone out and bought an audigy for $20, installed their drivers and been done with it. I am going to check the computer speakers tonight and if there is not bass (therefore the card) I am gowanna pull the trigger on a new sound card. You would think that after $2600 for the dang cabinet that $20 would not be a big deal, but I think that this has been a money pit that keeps asking for more money all the time. I am trying to sure up the dam and stop the money leaks.