SID0001

iTrader: (1)

Hook me up with some general info.
What's "clipping"?

What sort of events are at these meets.(I know what they are called, just don't know what they consist of)

Those kinda questions, I've tried the search but not turned up in the way of explaining the diffrent events.

97'scort

Clipping is when the signal seen by the subwoofer is attenuated at the peaks by the amplifier. On most amplifiers, this results in a roughly "square" wave, which, to a sub, looks an awful lot like straight current. This turns your subwoofer voice coil into a big ol' heater, and will eventually burn out your sub. Warranties don't cover this (and believe me, they can see it ).

You can avoid clipping by trying to match the power output from your amp to the capabilities of the sub and adjusting your gains properly.

97'scort

^ I see my post got modded So, for future reference, no outside forum links?

Haunz

iTrader: (3)

You will clip an amp when you try to exceed what it can do...

In most cases people end up trying to exceed the voltage the amplifier can deliver.. this will boost current output and will create harmonic frequencies which are considered distortion... (harmonic distortion)

If you current clip the amp you exceed the current capabilities of the amp which will generally cause the rail voltage to drop and will create the same kind of harmonic distortion with no increase in output power...

clipping is generally a bad thing... but IMO its not nearly as bad for midrange speakers or subwoofers as some people would lead you to believe....

97'scort

Agreed. When I'm running PA or DJ systems, we always soft-clip the subs, because that's how you know you're running them at full bore. What's bad is when you start to hit the limiters.

Ligeia

iTrader: (1)

At the sake of oversimplifying, it's amplitude (or an average amplitude over time) that kills, and not the shape of that amplitude. Clipping is certainly not the end of the world as many maintain, and typically is a result of overdriving your equipment, which could include your head unit or your amplifier.

As for the meets, there are various types. SPL, where you compete to be the loudest, and SQ, where you compete for what is determined to be the best sounding (amongst other factors) vehicle, are the two primary types of competition. There are a few organizations that support these events, like IASCA, USACi, MECA, etc. and there are various formats of each, but the general concepts are the same. Check out your region on the forums here as there are occasionally threads started regarding an upcoming competition.