need help

luna123black · 07-08-2009, 09:49 PM

ok first let me start by saying im sorry for the stupid questions. ive been searching and reading for weeks and i just keep getting confused.

ok hres the deal im planning on running a zapco dc650.6 6 channel amp. will be front rear mids. in the future i will also be running 2 subs of another zapco amp.
so i need 8 channels of audio i also want a radio tuner and a mic for calls.
im guessing i will need a decent sound card. was considering this one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829132005

can i use the on board audio for the mic and tuner and the use a sound card for the output to the amps?.

the bottom line is im tryiny to plan a build that will do 8 channels of audio that i can control each channel seperatley and have blue tooth 'hd radio tuner'gps' obd2' wifi be able to play cd/dvd's. running centerfause

i was looking at the ZOTAC GF9300-D-E LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300 HDMI WiFi Mini ITX Intel Motherboard at new egg
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...TAC-_-13500022

but not sure how to manage the audio. feel free to make any suggestions. all help is greatly appreciated.

Sponge · 07-09-2009, 03:27 AM

Because you can do all of your processing on your amp, you should'nt require too high end of a car PC. Keep that in mind when shopping for CPUs.

Do you want to keep your system stereo or surround? (I would hope stereo as five of your six listed uses are stereo) What speaker set up are you planing? Active or passive crossovers? Sorry about all the questions, I like to see systems running the DC amps.

The Xonar is a nice card, but it may not be the appropriate tool if you are using stereo media. Either way however, onboard is acceptable for calls... if anything, I would be concerned with mic line noise if the PC is far away. You could give a USB mic a try.

soundman98 · 07-09-2009, 11:42 AM

to add to sponges questions, what kind of car is it? are the back speakers really noticable?

i have been running only front speakers in my eclipse for the last year, and the sound got better (so i only need a 5/6 channel card)-though my rear speakers are about a 1ft away from me--your mileage may vary...

if you decide that you want to control each channel individually in the computer, it is best to look in the highend car audio section for audio card recomendations--i definatly recomend a card that plugs into anything but a usb port.

just remember that each process will take resources from your processor, so by the time you get a crossover setup for all 8 channels, you might not have enough headroom for adding a eq or playing a small movie. but this really depends on the processor you choose.

thekl0wn · 07-09-2009, 12:00 PM

Why not use the SymbiLink and go digital all the way?

Sponge · 07-09-2009, 01:22 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by soundman98

if you decide that you want to control each channel individually in the computer, it is best to look in the highend car audio section for audio card recomendations--i definatly recomend a card that plugs into anything but a usb port.

just remember that each process will take resources from your processor, so by the time you get a crossover setup for all 8 channels, you might not have enough headroom for adding a eq or playing a small movie. but this really depends on the processor you choose.

Zapco DC amp allows for all of the signal processing (EQ/TA/Gain/Xover) to be done on the amp. The DSP parameters are defined by the PC via USB.

Quote: Originally Posted by thekl0wn

Why not use the SymbiLink and go digital all the way?

SymbiLink is a balanced analog audio and not digital.

soundman98 · 07-09-2009, 02:07 PM

you would need to use the DSP6 and optical cable to keep everyhting in the digital realm, the symbilink units are primarily to used to combat noise problems in a car audio environment, for them to be used with a dsp6, but the signal would first be converted to analog in the computer, output to the symiblink, and then probably be digitalized in the dsp6 so that the it can process it, and then converted back to analog, and then out to the amps, and to the speakers...

luna123black · 07-16-2009, 05:04 PM

first let me say thanks for the replies. been busy with work and did not have time to post back. ok im want to keep the system stereo. speakers havent been purchased yet but looking at rainbow or focal polyglass. so much out thier that i havent heard so feel free to make suggestions. fronts are 6.5" componets mids are 6" midrange and rears are 4" componets.

the car is a 2002 trans am. dont ask why i insist on useing the rear fill just annoys me not to i guess.

when i say control each channel individual i just mean basic things like volume/mute for the sub. as you know all the other processing will be done at the amp. just want to be able to kill the sub voloume if i need to quickley.

im still researching this whole car pc thing so dont hesitate to make hardware recomindations or tell me i me i should just give up and jump of a cliff lol.

ive built desktops and installed a few systems through out the years now im just trying to combine them. i know i dont need a real high end pc for this but i would rather spend the money wisley for a somewhat faster system and with plans for possable future upgrades.

thanks again for the help.

luna123black · 07-24-2009, 07:14 PM

im still lost on this any one have any advice

i need to figure out how to hook up a 6 channel amp for speakers and a mono amp for my subs. also need line in for hd radio tuner. was looking at buying a board with pci slot and adding a m audio card. but it seems like i nee the pci slot for a wireless card.

budget is about a grand for the system not counting cables and monitor or accessories. so any recomindations are helpfull.