MaxxBass ® TABLE OF CONTENTS Congratulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Caution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Why Use MaxxBass® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Why is MaxxBass® Better . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 What is MaxxBass® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 How does MaxxBass® Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 MaxxBass® Signal Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Installation/Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 MaxxBass® Outline and Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Wiring Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Wiring Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 MaxxBass® Processor Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 1 CONGRATULATIONS Thank you for choosing Orion audio equipment. At Orion we proudly design, engineer and manufacture audio products for aftermarket car audio. Our award winning engineering team utilizes innovative technology to consistently deliver Absolutely State of the Art performance, sound quality, reliability, and value. This Orion product reflects our commitment to offer you unparalleled versatility and quality for years of dependable service and listening enjoyment. SERVICE Do not attempt to service Orion products yourself. Performing exploratory surgery on your audio equipment yourself will void the warranty. Many parts of your Orion gear are custom built to our specifications. Our factory parts are not made available to anyone else nor are they for sale. Our goal is to make sure that your Orion will always sound as good as the day it was purchased. Contact your authorized Orion dealer about obtaining any warranty service through Orion. (See Warranty on back cover). (Record listing for Model, Serial Number, and Purchase Date) Model Serial Number Purchase Date _____________________ _______________ _______________ CAUTION The extended use of a high-powered audio system may result in hearing loss or damage. While Orion systems are capable of "Concert Level" volumes with incredible accuracy, they are also designed for you to enjoy more reasonable levels all of the sonic subtleties created by musicians. Please observe all local sound ordinances. WHY USE MAXXBASS® Orion will introduce the first MaxxBass® processor to the automotive market. The MaxxBass® processor is ideal for improving the perceived bass response in door mounted speakers without upgrading the speakers or amplifiers. MaxxBass® provides subwoofer like performance with perceived bass response to 30-40Hz on door mounted speakers. The MaxxBass® Processor is 2 recommended in two configurations. (Please see Wiring Configurations for more details.) 1) Front Stereo Configuration One MaxxBass® Processor is used between the front channel source and front speaker amplifier to increase the bass response on only the front speakers. This is recommended to improve bass imaging in high performance systems with rear mounted subwoofers. 2) Dual Stereo Configurations For systems without rear subwoofers, the user may prefer to use two MaxxBass® Processors, one for the front speakers and one for the rear speakers. Although not nearly as good bass performance as using a high performance subwoofer, this configuration will provide close to subwoofer like performance without the space requirements of a high performance subwoofer. This is a practical alternative for bass performance where a subwoofer system can not be added. WHY IS MAXXBASS® BETTER MaxxBass® is NOT a bass boost technology. Bass boost technologies try to compensate for lack of bass frequency range by equalizing or increasing the relative volume of the frequencies near the speaker limit. This increases amplifier and speaker excursion limits, which can damage the system at high levels. This destroys the intended frequency balance of music. MaxxBass uses psychoacoustics to extend the perceived bass frequency response. It is proven to provide up to 1.5 octaves of increased bass range. It does not change the frequency balance of the music and sounds more natural than large bass boosts. It does not require more amplifier power and speaker excursion. It has been proven over many years of use in professional audio recording. WHAT IS MAXXBASS® MaxxBass® is a patented technology, which extends the bass frequency range by allowing listeners to perceive bass frequencies more than an octave below the physical limitations of speakers systems. In cars MaxxBass® allows door mounted speakers that typically drop off below 70-100Hz to play down another octave or more. 3 This is accomplished using the science of psychoacoustics on how we perceive sound. By building audio systems optimized for how we hear sound, significant performance improvements can be obtained. This is analogous to designing and building televisions that only display red, green and blue dots. When we view these displays our visual perception combines these dots to make a full color spectrum without needing to reproduce all the necessary color frequencies. Unlike other bass technologies MaxxBass® delivers more perceived bass while simultaneously reducing the likelihood of damaging speakers and amplifiers. MaxxBass® also delivers this extended bass without any perceived distortion. MaxxBass® technology has been used for years in mastering most of the world's most popular music. HOW DOES MAXXBASS® WORK MaxxBass® uses advanced digital signal processing based on the proven psychoacoustic Phenomenon of the Missing Fundamental. A basic description and a MaxxBass® Signal Flow diagram are provided for interested users. MaxxBass® first implements a crossover at the MaxxBass® Frequency. The MaxxBass® Processor allows the choice of 60Hz, generally suggested for 66.5" drivers, and 80Hz suggested for 4-5.25" woofer drivers. The low pass filter (LPF) output of the crossover extracts the bass signal which is below the bass frequency response of the system. This is the signal to be reproduced psycho-acoustically and only this signal receives the MaxxBass® processing. It is significant to note that unlike bass boosts, MaxxBass® does not add or change the processing of higher frequencies that can be reproduced by the system. MaxxBass® does not change the artist's sound mix. MaxxBass® uses a patented digital signal processing algorithm to calculate precise harmonic content information which is added back into the LPF signal. The combined LPF and harmonics output is high pass filtered, thus removing the original bass signal. The processed signal is then added back into the original HPF signal and the final output provides a signal that sounds like the original, but no longer has un-reproducible low frequencies. 4 MAXXBASS® SIGNAL FLOW Input CrossOver 60/80 Hz HPF + Output LPF Input Signal Example MAXXBASS Harmonics ® LPF + Harmonics HPF 60/80 Hz Processed Signal Example FEATURES Selectable MaxxBass® Frequency Setting of 60Hz and 80Hz Green LED clip/Red LED power indicator signal Gold 2 Channel in/2 channel buffered full-range out RCA connectors 4-pin locking power plug Input connector for outboard MaxxBass® Intensity controller Remote and on-box intensity controls Intensity adjustment from 0 to full effect -18dB/octave high pass filter output at 60/80Hz Defeatable -24/dB octave low pass filter at 100Hz on the input 5 SPECIFICATIONS Frequency Signal-to-Noise Ratio Separation Crossover Slope Input Impedance Input Sensitivity Output Level Supply Voltage 20hz-20kHz >85dB 65dB @ 1kHz 24dB/octave 20,000 Ohms variable, 300mV to 3V peak to peak variable, 300mV to 5V peak to peak 9 to 16 VDC INSTALLATION/MOUNTING NOTE: As an option, before beginning, disconnect the negative (-) terminal of the battery to prevent an electrical short to ground. Reconnect the negative terminal only after all connections have been made. To prevent damage to the MaxxBass® Processor while driving, mount in a secure place. Choosing the appropriate location will depend upon your vehicle and the complexity of your system design. Typical mounting locations include the trunk and passenger compartment (floor or under seat). Never mount the MaxxBass® Processor in a location that would subject it to immersion or exposure to water. Once a location has been chosen, securely mount the MaxxBass® Processor with the four mounting screws. Be Careful! Inspect the area underneath to be sure you are not drilling into wires, brake or fuel lines, etc. that could be damaged by the drill bits or screws. 6 MAXXBASS® OUTLINE AND DIMENSIONS 5. i 90 n ( cm ) 15 5. i 51 n ( cm ) 14 I TEN SI N TY PO W ER CLI P O U TPU T I PU T N MI N 4. i 53 n 2. i 48 n ( 5 cm ) ( 3 cm ) 11. 6. M AX MI N M AX MI N M AX 80H z 60H z FR EQ U EN C Y ON O FF C R O SS O VER G N D R EM +12V R EM O U T 1. i 18 n ( cm ) 3 I PU T N O U TPU T PO W ER R EM O TE 7 WIRING CONFIGURATIONS The MaxxBass® Processor is recommended in two different configurations. 1. Front Stereo Configuration The figure below illustrates the wiring for a front stereo configuration. One MaxxBass® Processor is used between the front channel source and front speaker amplifier to increase the bass response only on the front speakers. Implementing MaxxBass® on the front speakers will increase the perceived bass response of these speakers down to 30-40Hz providing a Virtual Subwoofer. The listener will achieve better bass balance and imaging with a rear mounted subwoofer or trunk mounted speakers with sufficient bass response. Front speakers with Virtual TM Subwoofer In-dash CD Receiver LF RF Front Rear Maxx Bass® LR RR Power Amplifiers Subwoofer 8 2. Dual Stereo Configurations For systems without rear subwoofers, the user may prefer to use two MaxxBass® Processors, one for the front speakers and one for the rear speakers. The units should be wired between the in-dash CD Receiver and the power amplifiers as shown below. In-dash CD Receiver Front speakers with Virtual TM Subwoofer LF RF Front Rear Maxx Bass® Maxx Bass® RF Rear speakers with Virtual Subwoofer TM RR Power Amplifiers NOTE: As an option, before beginning, disconnect the negative (-) terminal of the battery to prevent an electrical short to ground. Reconnect the negative terminal only after all connections have been made. WIRING PROCEDURES The next step is to connect the Power, Ground, and Remote IN/OUT wires to your MaxxBass® Processor. The power wire should run from the mounting location through the vehicle to the battery or power distribution block. Avoid sharp corners, creases, and sharp body parts. When passing through any metal wall (i.e. firewall, etc.), a grommet must be used to prevent the wire from chafing and shorting to ground. 9 The ground wire should be of the same gauge wire as the power wire. As a rule of thumb, use as short length of wire as possible. Find a location near the MaxxBass® Processor that is metal ( the floor is ideal) and clean an area about the size of a quarter to bare metal. Drill a pilot hole in the middle of this area. Terminate the wire with a ring connector and attach it to the bare metal using a #8 sheet metal screw and washer (not supplied). We suggest crimping and/or soldering this connection. After the connection is complete, coat the area with silicone or some similar material to prevent rust from developing. Finally, the remote IN wire needs to connect to the "Amplifier Remote" lead of the head unit. This wire supplies a 12 volt signal to the MaxxBass® Processor when the main System is activated. The remote OUT wire is to be connected to the remote input of the source amplifier or to and "optional" relay to activate multiple amplifiers. Once you have routed the power, ground, and remote wires through the vehicle, it is time to connect the wires to the MaxxBass® Processor. Be sure that you have not reconnected the ground cable to the negative post of the battery. NOTE: Refer to the diagram of the system shown in MaxxBass® Outline and Dimensions for connection points. Cut off the excess wire and, using the wire strippers, strip the power, ground and remote cables abo ...