Quote Originally Posted by Fatboy501 View Post
this is NOT going to guarantee that the amp can not/ will not clip... nothing does.
I agree with this. I will emphasize this in the tutorial.
Quote Originally Posted by Fatboy501 View Post
If, however, you know someone serious enough about audio to invest a significant amount of money in an o-scope that will let you view the waves of your signal, monitoring for flat spots (clipping), you should take advantage of the chance for the peace of mind.
Absolutely. There is no better tool for this than an o-scope, let alone a mere multimeter.
Quote Originally Posted by Fatboy501 View Post
the max wattage box should be completed with the rms of the amp. Amplifiers that advertise "max wattage" ratings do NOT do that amount RMS
Here's where I thought I had done this correctly. I wired my sub so that the amp would operate at 1 Ohm, which my amp's manual says will result in 1000W. If I have done this wrong, please help me to correct it.
Quote Originally Posted by Fatboy501 View Post
bass boost clips the signal! It should NOT be used at all... however, I will let people do their own research to come to this conclusion. If you like the way that your system performs using this feature, so be it. This is what brought up the o-scope comment in the first place.
Again, I wish I had an o-scope to check this.
Bass boost is maxed when setting gain, so that no matter how high the bass boost is, it should avoid clipping. It is not to be left at max. I use the slightest touch of bass boost, perhaps a 5* turn of the knob. Without it, my sub sounds like farts on a pillow.
Quote Originally Posted by Fatboy501 View Post
setting sub-sonic filters is MUCH more involved than choosing "what sounds good to you."
I will look into this.
Quote Originally Posted by Fatboy501 View Post
Playing too far below tuning causes what is known as unloading, which is a loss of cone control due to insufficient pressure behind the cone to stabilize it.
This especially interests me. I suspect that this event manifests in a couple of tracks I have listened to, however very seldom.
Quote Originally Posted by Fatboy501 View Post
This is a good basic tutorial, but please supplement it with links to more specific information.
I suppose I will have to find some. Everything I read on this was incredibly vague, which is part of my motivation for this tutorial.

Thank you for your input, it has given me much to consider. I am sadly the most experienced tuner among my friends now (they all, as well as local shops "tune by ear," which I have found to be consistently horrific/painful as well as destructive), so I need to rely on the advice of guys like you to learn more. Please be as free as you like with your advice here - I am far more student than teacher.