Amplifier Gain Setting

You have designed your SPL system and you have more than one amp "pumping out the
bass". Do not be fooled into thinking that by simply turning the gain dials on your
amplifiers to maximum that you will get the best score. You now have to consider
matching the output of the amplifiers.
There is two ways to you match your amplifiers. One way is to "gain" match. The other
way is to "clip" match. Gain match is the simplest to do and requires only commonly
found test equipment and clip match requires some specialized equipment

Gain Match
To gain match your amplifiers you need the following simple tools. A screwdriver to
adjust the gains; a CD with single tones or frequencies (Pan Disc Tool Box) in your CD
player or a device that can generate tones called a frequency generator (Rockford Fosgate
OS2, Term Lab Computer setup or sinusoidal function generator) and a multi meter
(Radio Shack or Fluke) that has AC and DC readings. Pretty simple so far.
We used a test CD to send a constant single frequency to the amplifiers. You can use any
frequency you like. It is best to use the resonant frequency of your vehicle if you know
what it is. For this example we chose 50HZ.
We are going to use the multimeter for several important readings. The first reading will
be the input voltage going into the amplifiers from the source unit (AC voltage). The
second reading will be the amplifiers power supply voltage from the vehicle's alternator
and batteries (DC). The third and final reading will be the amplifiers output voltage (AC).
(1) With the source unit off, unplug the RCA cables from your amplifiers. Using the
multimeter connect (or hold) one of the test leads to the center pin of the RCA cable
connector and the other to the shield of the RCA cable connector. Please note that the
two test leads should not make contact to each other or damage will occur to your system.
Set the meter for AC. Turn the signal source unit on. Set the track for your frequency.
Set your cd player for repeat. Increase the volume until you reach 500 millivolts (1/2 of
a volt). This is a low volume setting. Turn your source unit off. NOTE: if you heard any
bass playing through your system, you have not removed all the RCA cables from your
amplifiers and must do so for an accurate reading. Turn the source unit off and repeat the
above steps. When you are done remove the test leads from the meter that were on the
RCAs. Plug the RCA cables back into the amplifiers.
(2) Change the settings on the meter for DC range that will cover 12 volts DC . Connect
your meter to the power (12volt +) and the ground (12 volt -) on your first amplifier. Start
the vehicle. Turn on your source unit. Playing the same track at the same volume that
you had set in the previous step measure the voltage (DC) at your amplifier. Remove the
test leads from your amplifier. This measurement is only to taken to ensure your

amplifier supply voltage is approximately 12 volts or more to make sure there are no
power cable or power supply problems. If you are not close to 12 Volts you may have
some power supply problems. Fix them first before you continue on.
(3) Set the meter now for AC voltage starting off in a range that will cover about 100
volts and work your way down to lower ranges until the meter registers. Some meters
switch range automatically. Carefully connect (or hold) the test leads to the output(s) of
your amplifier (NOTE: for example we are assuming that the amplifier is bridged and
there is only one set of speaker wires connected to the amplifier). Measure the output
voltage of your amplifier (AC). Make sure you write down and keep track of all of your
voltage measurements.
You now have the three critical measurements needed to match your amplifiers - input
voltage, battery supply voltage and output voltage. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each
additional amplifier in your system. If you have a multiple channel amplifier with
multiple gains perform these steps for all of the gains. Remember, if at some point your
power supply voltage at the amplifier is not around 12 volts DC you have other problems
you need to resolve before continuing. Now the question is did any of the output
voltages match? Probably not.
If the voltages didn't match start with the amplifier that had the lowest output voltage and
do the following steps. If they do match you are done.
(4) Repeat step three. Using your screw driver increase the gain(s) of your amplifier until
the meter shows the same voltage as the highest amplifier. When the voltage is the same
you have successfully have matched the two amplifiers.
Repeat step 4 with any remaining amplifiers. You might have noticed that your stereo
system might have sounded louder as you were gain matching the amplifiers because it
was!!!
You're not done yet!. Starting with the amplifier that originally had the highest output
voltage and repeat step 4 one more time. Has the output voltage changed since you first
tested the unit? If so, repeat step 4 with the remaining amplifiers until they all match.
ADVANCED TIP.
The following advanced tip takes extreme caution. Damage can occur to your system.
You have now gain matched your amplifiers at a low input voltage. Most likely you will
be competing at a high output voltage. You can repeat the steps using a high input
voltage. It is very difficult without the proper tools (such as an Oscilloscope) to gain
match you system.
You will need to know what is the maximum input voltage your amplifiers can handle
before the amplifier suffers from saturating (clipping). Saturation is the point at which an

amplifier's maximum output voltage will not increase anymore even though the input
voltage is increased to the amplifier. You may find that number in the amplifier's owner
manual. Repeat steps 1 through 4 with the following change. For Step 1 - increase the
volume until the meter reads the maximum input voltage. For this example we chose 4
volts (please note - this is an example for our amplifier(s) and most likely will not work
on your amplifier(s)
Now you have gained matched your system at maximum voltage
CLIP MATCH
Clip match is used when you want to get the maximum output from all of your amplifiers
at full volume. Clip matching allows you to make your amplifiers all clip at the same
time therefore, guaranteeing that all the amplifiers are putting out maximum power all at
the same time. Clip matching is also a more precise way to match the gain of your
amplifiers. In other words clip matching makes all of the waveforms coming from each
amp match each other. If, for example, you had 2 amplifiers where one had a gain
adjustment turned up all the way and the other one turned to half, the amplifier that was
turned up all the way would start to clip the output signal way before the other amplifier
would and the amplifier turned up to half would not reach it's full output potential. So
what you may end up with is one blown speaker and another that isn't as loud as it should
be.
To do clip matching you will need an screwdriver, oscilloscope, a volt meter and a signal
source such as a CD with test tones and a CD player or a sinusoidal function generator to
provide a signal to your amplifiers. In general for this type of testing it is best to use a
CD with test ones with the head unit you plan on competing with because, head units can
vary in how much output they have which can change how much power the amplifiers
put out.
The purpose of the screwdriver as before is to adjust the amplifier gains and the purpose
of the voltmeter to be certain that there are no power supply problems.
Just like gain matching you will have to work with one amplifier at a time and you can
accomplish this by connecting the RCA cable to only the amplifier that is being tested.
To start, connect the oscilloscope to the output of one of your amplifiers (be certain the
oscilloscope can handle the output voltage of the amplifier). Turn on your signal source
unit with a frequency somewhere in the range of 50 to 70 Hz. If you know what the peak
frequency of your system is use that frequency. Now with the gains on the amplifier
turned down all the way slowly raise the volume on your signal source until you see
something on the oscilloscope. If you do not see anything on the oscilloscope and the
volume is turned up all the way on the signal source start to increase the gain setting on
the amplifier until you see something on the oscilloscope. When you start to see
something adjust the period (time) setting on the oscilloscope until you see a nice
waveform. You may also, want to adjust the voltage input range on the oscilloscope so
you can see both the upper and lower peaks of the waveform on the oscilloscope. Now

that you have the oscilloscope set start to increase the volume on your signal source. If
you have turned the volume up all the way already, keep increasing the gain on your
amplifier. While increasing the signal source volume or gain on the amplifier you need to
adjust the voltage input range on the oscilloscope so you can constantly see the whole
waveform on the oscilloscope. While you are doing all of this adjusting you need to keep
looking for when the waveform begins to "square-off" on the top and/or bottom. Once
the waveform starts to "square-off" your amplifier is beginning to clip. In general, a little
bit of clipping helps you gain some dB but, too much clipping can damage some speakers
so be careful how much clipping you want. How much clipping you are willing to accept
is up to you. Keep in mind that sometimes you can have an amplifier and head unit
combination where you can make the output of the amplifier clip by having the gain on
the amplifier turned all the way down and not have the head unit turned up all the way. If
this is the case the only way you can gain match the amplifier's is by adjusting the gains
at a very low setting and you will have to remember the point at which the volume setting
on your source unit makes your amplifiers clip or you can just turn it up all the way and
risk damaging your speakers. Please note that not all amplifiers have the same output
when their gains are turned down all the way because of the tolerances of the amplifier
components. In general, you can set the head unit at any volume you want just be certain
that when you go to the next amplifier you have the volume of the head unit at the same
setting as when with the first amplifier.
Now that you have set the gain on your first amplifier connect up the source unit to the
next amplifier you want to test without changing it's volume setting. If you want you can
also, mark or keep track of where the "clipping set point" of your source unit is so you
don't turn on the system at full volume and scare the heck out of your buddy. With all of
that said, connect the oscilloscope up to the output of the amplifier (or amplifier channel)
you want to test next. You shouldn't have to change the settings on the oscilloscope.
Now, slowly turn the volume up on your signal source (assuming you turned it down)
until it reaches the point at which your the first amplifier started to clip. When you reach
that point start to slowly turn the gain up on this amplifier (start at the lowest setting)
until the waveform starts to clip on the oscilloscope or begins to look like the final
waveform from the other amplifier. Once you reach that point the amplifiers are clip
matched. Repeat this section for all other amplifiers.
If you want to you can perform this clip matching by never letting your source unit
volume to be turned up all the way. You can turn up to perhaps 3/4 of all the way and
adjust your gains until just before the waveform clips (see picture below). By doing the
clip matching in this fashion allows you match the maximum output a little more exactly
and gives you that little extra volume adjustment when in a competition to make the
amplifiers to begin to clip to give that little extra dB to win a competition!