I played rock'n'roll professionally from the 1970s up to 1995, and had a great career travelling up and down the East Coast playing clubs and opening shows for bands like The Kinks, The Beach Boys, James Brown, George Thorogood, Little Feat, Bob Weir, and lots of others. The time came for me to get off the road in 1995, and I'd heard that Crutchfield loved to hire musicians. I came straight here to apply for my very first job at the age of 44, and I've been happy working here ever since.
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I first worked as an Advisor here at Crutchfield. Spending time on the phones, I soon learned that our customers trust us to give them accurate info and to recommend the right products. My experiences assembling PA systems for my bands put me in good stead when it came to helping people put together systems for their cars.
The CS4398 Cirrus Logic D/A Converter, which has a reputation CD-Text is an extension to the existing audio CD standard that enables for high precision and has been adopted for other Marantz Super Audio text information, such as the name of the artist, album title and song CD players, is adopted for this unit. The CS4398 Cirrus Logic D/A Converter, which has a reputation CD-Text is an extension to the existing audio CD standard that enables for high precision and has been adopted for other Marantz Super Audio text information, such as the name of the artist, album title and song CD players, is adopted for this unit.
After a couple of years, I started writing for the Crutchfield catalog, where I learned the value of getting to the point quickly. Our web site really started taking off, and I was offered the job of writing about our products online.
I still play music frequently so I get to hear the latest pro audio gear on a regular basis, including a lot of the products we sell. I haven't been able to live with the stock sound system in any of my vehicles since I started at Crutchfield, and I've learned a lot by putting new systems in all my cars. And I have also put together a really nice home audio setup that has rekindled my love affair with records.
My life has always been about music, and Crutchfield allows me to continue that passion. We literally think, talk, and write about audio and video products all day long — and that's a good thing!
More about Charlie
- Started at Crutchfield in 1995
- Completed our thorough in-house Advisor training, and continued learning about the ins and outs of our various products
- Writer and editor for Crutchfield.com since 2000. Currently editor for our presentations of car audio and pro audio gear
- Attends dozens of vendor training events each year
- Working musician with extensive experience in recording studios
- Owner of a great car audio system, a really nice PA system, and a killer home audio setup
More from Charlie Pastorfield
Whether you're a car audio newcomer or a seasoned competitor, there's nothing quite like adding new audio equipment to your vehicle. However, it can be disappointing when your carefully designed system doesn't sound the way you expected it to. But don't lose your cool — spend some time tuning your system before you go back to the drawing board. Here are a few suggestions for maximizing your system's potential.
If your stereo sounds a bit off, check your speakers first.
Check speaker phase
The speakers in your system should all be firing in phase — simply put, all the cones should be moving out and in at the same time. If they're not, you lose bass response, which makes your system sound anemic and unfocused. It's important to check all your speakers, even if your system was professionally installed.
To determine if a pair of speakers in your vehicle are in phase, listen to some bass-heavy music with your stereo's balance control all the way to one side. Now return the balance control to the center — you should hear significantly more bass. If you don't, your speakers are out of phase. Switch the positive and negative leads on a single speaker, and try again. If you hear more bass, leave it! Use this method to check the front and rear speakers independently.
Turn on your subwoofer system. Reverse the speaker wires going to your sub and listen for a change in bass response. Again, if it gets louder, leave it alone. Another tip — always make sure that multiple subs are wired in phase with each other.
Setting your equalizer and adjusting your subwoofer
It may be tempting to crank up the bass on your receiver, especially if you've just installed a sub. But you really need to tune your system first. When you do get around to playing with the EQ, remember to make small adjustments where you need them most.
Start with the stereo's equalizer set flat — all tone controls at '0' and no EQ curve engaged. With the subwoofer off, turn some familiar music up to a moderate listening level, then slowly increase the subwoofer output until you hit the 'sweet spot' — the place where the bass really kicks in without overwhelming the rest of the music.
If the bass sounds like it's coming from behind you, lower the sub amp's crossover point to 'de-localize' the bass. If your amp has a non-adjustable crossover, try moving the subwoofer. For example, if the subwoofer is firing toward the rear, turn it around so it fires forward or sideways. Remember to check your phase again when the sub is in its final position.
Creating a soundstage across your dash
Your system should create a 'soundstage.' What that means is that when you close your eyes, you should hear the instruments as though they're directly in front of you, arranged from far right to far left, with (if you're listening to a little rock'n'roll) the kick drum, bass guitar, and lead vocal right dead center. When your soundstage is set up correctly, it's like the band is playing a set on your dashboard.
Bass Blockers remove low frequencies, which helps front speakers perform better
Some vehicles make it tough to establish a strong front soundstage, but there are several workarounds that can help you get the sound you want:
- If your car has small front speakers, install some Bass Blockers. They'll filter out the low frequencies so your speakers will play louder and clearer, bringing the soundstage back in front of you. If your receiver has built-in crossover capability, use its high-pass filter to remove low bass from smaller speakers for improved performance.
- If you have a subwoofer (or larger speakers in the back), use your receiver's fader to move the music forward and then turn up the overall level to bring the bass back into play.
- If your front speakers are mounted low in the doors, that can have a negative impact on soundstaging. Some receivers feature independent front/rear tone controls or signal processing that raises the front image, so make those adjustments if you can. Or, if possible, install a set of tweeters up front.
The right amount of bass in your music
Great bass isn't just for rap, heavy metal, or reggae fanatics — if you're a fan of classical music or jazz, you might be surprised at the quiet authority a subwoofer brings to your music. Even at low listening levels, a sub can produce richness and impact you wouldn't otherwise hear.
Play some music that features active, powerful bass parts — all the bass notes should punch out at an even volume level. If you hear bass notes dropping out or booming, check your phase and experiment with different crossover points until it's smoothed out. Once your sub is tuned properly, you can use your receiver's equalization controls to make minor adjustments.
Instead of cranking the bass way up to increase your system's impact, raise the bass a little bit and lower the highs and mids. It's smart to keep equalization to a minimum — pumping up the bass control just robs your system of its effective power.
Anything missing?
After a few hours of listening, you'll be able to notice any weaknesses in your system.
- System sound dull? Put a set of tweeters up front to strengthen your front image and add liveliness to your sound. Many receivers feature signal processing to enrich the sound, or extensive equalization which can do a lot to improve a dull-sounding system.
- Vocals and instruments sound buried? If your receiver has a midrange control, boost it up a little bit; if it includes a parametric equalizer, try adding a little bump in the 400-1000 Hz range. Replace your rear full-range speakers with high-quality midrange speakers to bring out warmth and detail without adding more sizzle. Installing Dynamat in your vehicle will reduce road noise, which masks crucial midrange details.
- System too bright? If your front speakers have swiveling tweeters, aim them away from you. If you have installed component tweeters, check the crossovers for output level switching — a drop of 3 dB can make a huge difference in the way your tweeters match up to the rest of the system. Experiment with your receiver's EQ. If that doesn't nail it, consider a receiver with more equalization control or (for an amplified system) an outboard equalizer.
A built-in equalizer is a big help in tuning your system
Think ahead
Once you've taken the time to adjust the system, you'll know whether or not you've made smart purchases. Always buy with an eye to the future — you might be saving 40 bucks on your receiver now, but what's the point if it's missing some crucial features you'll need when you expand your system?
If you plan on adding a sub to your system later, spend a little more now and get a multi-channel amp (instead of a 2-channel) so you can power your front speakers and subs with one amp. Oh, and don't install 10-gauge power wire if your ultimate goal is a throbbin' multi-amp system. If you're thinking big, thinking ahead can save you a lot of time and money when you're building the car stereo system of your dreams.
For tips on how to build a great car stereo system in stages, check out this article about our Budget-Friendly Car Audio Buildup. If you need any recommendations, give us a call and one of our advisors will be happy to help you find the right gear for your vehicle, or check out our Outfit My Car tool.
For more information on improving the performance of your Crutchfield audio gear, check out these articles on tuning speakers, car stereos, subs, and amps or give our Tech Support team a call.
Microsoft didn’t do cord cutters any favors with Windows 10.
As revealed a few months ago, the free upgrade for Windows 7 and higher wipes out Windows Media Center, a decade-old program that provides a TV-friendly interface for multimedia files. While most people won’t notice WMC’s absence—Microsoft says the software is barely used for anything other than DVD playback these days—for some users it’s the backbone of their entire living room setup, thanks to its ability to play and record live TV.
Excited as I am about Windows 10 in general, I’ve been torn about whether to upgrade my own desktop PC, as I like the ability to record shows from free over-the-air channels like ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. So before upgrading, I searched for a Windows Media Center alternative that was easy to set up and use.
So far, I haven’t found anything as simple as Windows Media Center, especially when it comes to setting up TV guide data. Still, broadcast DVR is doable in Windows 10, so if you’re itching to upgrade, here’s how to setup the best Windows Media Center alternative I’ve found:
NextPVR: The most painless of the lot
After examining a bunch of options, I settled on NextPVR as a replacement for Windows Media Center’s DVR features. It’s not the slickest program around, but I found the setup process easier to follow than other programs like Kodi and MediaPortal (which isn’t saying much, by the way).
All you need to get started is a TV tuner for the PC—such as a SiliconDust HDHomeRun or Hauppauge WinTV USB tuner—and an over-the-air antenna. Just follow these steps, and you’ll be fine:
1. Before installing NextPVR, download MC2XML for Windows. You’ll need this program to retrieve TV guide data.
2. In File Explorer, create a new folder at “C:EPG” and place mc2xml.exe inside. You can choose a different folder, but will need to modify step 7 below.
3. Run mc2xml.exe, and a screen will appear where you can enter a zip code to get local channel listings. Leave the other options as-is, and press OK. (More discussion on this at the bottom of the guide.)
4. In the lineup selection prompt, look for the “Digital Terrestrial Lineup” option and press OK.
5. Download and install the latest version of NextPVR. Don’t launch it just yet.
6. Before launching NextPVR, navigate to “C:UsersPublicNPVRScripts” in File Explorer. Create a new text file, and rename it to “UpdateEPG.bat.”(Make sure you can see the full file name extension, and that there’s no “.txt” on the end of it.)
7. Open UpdateEPG.bat with NotePad or another text editor, and type the following (changing the second line if you used a different folder in step 2):
C:
cd “C:EPG”
mc2xml
8. Open NextPVR. It should run Settings on first launch, but you can always get to Settings by right-clicking anywhere on the screen.
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9. Head to the “Devices” section, select your TV tuner, click Device Setup, then click Scan. Wait a few minutes while the tuner looks for broadcast channels.
10. Go to the “Channels” section, and click “Update EPG.” You should see a pop-up box telling you that UpdateEPG.bat is running, thereby grabbing the TV guide data you got through MC2XML. This will take several more minutes.
11. In the “Misc” folder, you may need to change the Buffer Directory to a folder of your choosing. Alternatively, you can create a “C:Temp” folder if one doesn’t already exist on your machine.
12. Go to the Recording folder, and choose where you want DVR shows to be stored.
13. You may need to experiment with the Decoders menu if you’re not getting any audio or video playback. (I’ve had luck using the LAV decoder for both audio and video.)
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14. Close the Settings menu, and head to the Live TV section of NextPVR to start watching and recording broadcast TV.
TV guide headaches, lots of possibilities
As if setting everything up wasn’t enough of a hassle already, Microsoft recently made matters more complicated by switching TV guide providers in Windows Media Center. Because MC2XML relies on grabbing that data, you may have trouble getting up-to-date TV listings this way. (I haven’t had any problems so far.)
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If this happens, have a couple options:
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- For $25 per year, you can subscribe to Schedules Direct. After setting up an account, return to step 3 above (you’ll have to delete mc2xml.exe and start with a new copy of the file), select Schedules Direct from the Services menu, and plug in your login details. Repeat step 9 to update the channel guide.
- For a $20 “donation,” mc2xml says it’ll let you pull down newer listings from Microsoft. Return to step 3 above, and select Microsoft from the Services menu. I have not tested this myself.
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Once you have everything set up, NextPVR can be a pretty powerful program. It offers a several plugins, skins, and utilities, including a way to auto-detect and remove commercials. It supports various media extender devices for watching TV on additional televisions, and you can even use NextPVR as a back-end service for other media center software, such as Kodi.
I haven’t even started experimenting with most of these customizations. My main usage for TV recordings is to stream them on other devices using Plex. For that, the basic NextPVR setup is enough to upgrade my desktop to Windows 10 with confidence.