Hello everyone, been a while since I've been on. Civic is gone, and it's been replaced by a 2006 Ford F250 Crew Cab Short Bed Lariat with a 6.0 Powerstroke. This is a long post but I know you guys love details so I want to give you all enough details to help me with this decision.
I've done some research with the F250/350 builds in here, mainly Big Red's, and so I've combined some of that with some of the spl desires that I've been experimenting with for the last few years.
I'd like to have the best of both worlds so to speak. Not looking to compete, but I want a great sounding build. I'm in this thing for like 3 hours a day and I want it to be nice sounding while I'm in it. Looking for a very crisp and clean front stage, along with some fun in the back. I have equipment from my civic Build still, and I plan to use all of that, and get amps to match because I know I'll need more.
All of my amps are from Crescendo Audio. They all have crossovers on them. I'll be adding to these. Good price point and well built. Plus they're black and orange and well that's what I love for appearance.
So what I'm looking for is a way to run all of this, basically I need help with a processor, or another option on how to make it all work. This is what I want to do, and what I'm going to do, I just need to get some opinions on how to make it all happen with a single volume source.
I'm basically looking to do a 4 way front stage (1 1/8" tweet, 4" mid range, 6" mid range, 8" woofer in the floor like BigRed did). However that being said I have kids and they like to hear in the back. I'm looking at a set of 6x9 coaxials for the rear stock locations for them. Then the big subs, aka the "fun", are going to be in a blow through with a pair of 15's. Here is how they set up in my design.
Tweets: (Have) Morel CAT 308 1 1/8"
Amp: (Have) Crescendo Symphony 800/4 - ch 1 & ch 2
4" mids: (Need) Morel EM 428
Amp: (Have) Crescendo Symphony 800/4 ch 3 & ch 4
6" mids: (Have) Morel TiW 634ft
Amp: (Have) Crescendo Symphony 800/4 bridged
8's:
Option 1: (Need) DC audio M38's (these are a sub, but could work)
Amp: (Need) Crescendo Concerto c1100.4 bridged
Option 2: (Need) Morel H8.1 (these don't need as much Power as the M38's as they're more of a mid bass than an actual sub)
Amp (Need) Crescendo Symphony 800/4 bridged
Rear fill: (Need) Morel Tempo 6x9 coaxial
Amp: (Need) Crescendo Symphony 550/2
Subs: (Have) 2 × DC audio XL15'S
Enclosure: Blow thru - either ported or 4th order
Amp: (Have) 2 × Crescendo Bass Clef bc3500.1d (one per sub, strapped)
So the tweets will have 2 channels, 4" mids 2 channels, 6" mids 2 channels, 8's 2 channels, rear fill 2 channels, and subs 1-2 channels.
I'm planning to gut the rear seat and put the amps in the seat bottom and on the floor under the rear seat. I saw someone else do this, now I can't recall who it was, and I liked the way it looked. So I'll be doing that. I may have to put the two 3500's on the back of the seat, they're 23" long each and I have the split bench seat. If I can find a full ford bench seat for these, I'll probably swap it out with these to have that one big canvas. Processor/s will go here too if I can make them fit. Otherwise I'm going to be building a custom center console, so I may do something there too to show it or them off.
My source unit will be a Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.1 in the dash. I'll be utilizing the HDMI out of it via an adapter, and that will go into an Octava 1x2 HDMI Splitter Distribution Amplifier with optical output. This has the optical out, or also has the RCA Analog output. I went this direction because the HDMI was a cleaner signal out vs the headphone jack. I would do bluetooth streaming but I don't know how that's an option. I was also going to utilize a Rockford Fosgate RF-BLD so that I could boost the signal because I was just going to Build a big splitter box for the RCA's and just tune off of the amps crossovers. If I went this route, I'd be putting in a PAC-LC1 for volume control between the RF-BLD and the RCA Box. I've tested the clipping using the SMD DD1 and a DMM and I've got plenty of Power to play with and no clipping. The tablet goes full volume with no clipping, and by the time it goes through the HDMI Amp and the RF-BLD I can turn it up more than 3/4's without clipping. Not sure if that info is necessary but I thought I'd include it.
I'd like to have a single volume knob up front instead of changing volume off the tablet. Although I could do it from the tablet if that was the only choice (obviously), but I'd like a reference point to not go past. So like on a head unit there are numbers, on a volume knob such as the PAC-LC1 I could put a mark at a certain point to not go past.
So I need to figure this out. Is this going to be an ok way to do this? Could I save myself alot of headache by going processor with a DRC up front and a nice Volume knob? I've also been looking at the MiniDSP's but quite honestly my head hurts after looking at them and trying to figure it all out. I had a Rockford Fosgate 360.3 in my last build and I'd never own one again. Nothing but problems and the volume knob and DRC all together was a terrible design. Too notchy. I had a BitOne before and I loved that DRC, nice smooth volume knob, nice easy on the eyes display. But I don't know that I want to spend that on a processor that is still up short of what I need. I like the Arc Audio Processor but without a front DRC it's not a good fit for me, as well as the previous in only having 8 channels.
I have been looking at and hearing great things about the Mosconi DSP's. I also saw somewhere that they could be linked. I can't find anything on how to do this, but if that's correct it could be what I'm looking for. Would allow me to do the 6to8 up front and then a 4to6 for the rear fill and subs. It would also give me an extra set for the ability to do something in the bed later on down the line. We camp alot and do drive in's alot so a set of speakers in the rear would be ideal! I like the looks of the DRC as well. I just want to make sure they can be linked and I can use the DRC to control both. Basically just for volume. Once I set this thing, chances are I'll be leaving it alone for the most part. Maybe some tweaks here and there but mostly set it and forget it type of deal. I think if I do these also, there is a bluetooth module for them correct, which would allow me to stream and nix the HMDI amp and the RF-BLD, if I'm not mistaken.
So there you have it, sorry it was so long, but like I said I wanted to give you all the information I could to get the best help I could get. So are the Mosconi's the best way for me to go, the miniDSP's, or is there another way to achieve what I've designed like making the RCA box as I described before.
Thank you all for your help in advance. I'm very much looking forward to this project!! I'm just stuck on this one part to start making it happen.