Owner's Manual
Table Of Contents
Summed Output
page 10
If
You
Like
the
LC8;,
You'll
Love
•••
The EQS six-channel equalizer,
is
the per-
fect trunk mount processor for those
of
you
who want to improve the sound and detail
of
your
vehicle. Less than ideal factory speaker
locations can make even the best
speaker
systems cry
out
for help.
The
equalization
controls on the EQS provide you with an
ideal amount
of
tone control to tame even
the most challenging acoustical situations.
If
you
want
to add the ultimate
in
system
equalization and are ready to step into the
digital domain, than the AudioControl DQS
six channel digital equalizer with memories
is
just
for you.
The
DQS offers six channels
of
equalization with 30 bands
of
precise control
per channel, for a total
of
180 filters.
If you need a crossover for your system that
keeps up with
your
LC8i , the
6XS
is
a 6-
channel, 3-way crossover with breathtakingly
steep 24dB-per-octave slopes.
If
performance
is
important to you, then you will appreciate
the 6XS.
Of
course
if
you are
just
looking for
deeper, chest-thumping bass, then The Epicenter,
our
patented (U.S. patent #
4,698,842) bass restoration processor,
is
just
the hot ticket.
It
puts the
woof
back
in
your
woofers!
THE
WARRANTY
And
now
a
word
from
the legal depar/ment
..
LC8iTurns
Offlntermittently
or
Turns
On
Unexpectedly:
If
you are us-
ing the
GTOTM
signal sensing to turn on your LC8! yet
your
system
is
turning
on
or
off, this may be due to a cellular phone interface
or
navigation system
built in to
your
factory installed source unit. These are known to stop the audio
signal to
your
source units outputs and to sometimes turn
on
the amplifier even
while the audio system
is
off.
In
these situations
it
is recommended that you
connect the
Remote
In terminal on the LC8! to a + 12-volt switched wire, and
set the internal
GTOTM
jumper
to "Defeat".
Sounds
Distorted:
Should
your
system sound distorted
or
your speakers are
moving way too
mUCh,
you should make sure you have your levels matched
properly and that
your
amplifier gains are set at minimum.
System
Hiss:
Check
to make sure that
your
amplifier gains are set at the
minimum level. Possibly revisit
"Levcl
Match"
instructions on page 10.
Turn-On
Pop
or
Turn-Off
Pop:
This generally occurs when your amplifiers
are turning-on or
offat
a different time than
your
LC8i.
Therefore
it
is
recom-
mended that you use the
"Remote
Out"
on
your
LC8! to turn
your
amplifiers
on
or
off
and eliminate
any
timing issues
Low
Output:
Depending on the design
of
your factory-installed system,
you may actually be connecting to a pre-amp signal instead
of
a speaker-
level signal. Since the LC8i
is
a line output converter you
may
need to turn
up the gains on the LC8i
or
consider adding a pre-amp line driver like the
AudioControl Matrix to increase the signal level to
your
aftermarket amplifiers.
Maximized
LED
Does
Not
Light
Up:
If
your
system
is
playing music but
the
Maximized
LED
is not coming on, there
is
a
good
chance
that the output
voltage
of
your source unit
is
not that high. Try increasing the input level con-
trols on the top
of
your
LC8i .
Validate
your
warranty: Visit http://audiocontrolregistration.com to register your LC8i
page
II
People are scared
of
warranties. Lots
affine
print. Months
of
waiting around. Well,
fear no more, this warranty is designed to make you rave about us to your friends.
It's a warranty that looks out for you and helps you resist the temptation to have your
friend, ...
who's
"good
with electronics", try to repair your AudioControl product. So
go
ahead, read this warranty, and then take a
few
days
to
enjoy your LC8i before visit-
ing
our
website and posting your comments.
"'Conditional"
doesn't
mean anything ominous. The Federal Trade Commission
tells all manufacturers to use the term to indicate that certain conditions have to be met
before they'll honor the warranty. If you meet all
of
these conditions, we will warrant
all materials and workmanship on your LC8i for onc ycar from the date you bought
it
(five years
if
it
is
installed
by
an
authorized United States AudioControl dealer).
We
will
fix
or
replace it, at
our
option, during that time.
Here are the conditional conditions:
I. You have to visit our website and register your infonnation within
15
days after
purchasing your
LC8!
.
2.
You
must kcep your sales receipt for
proof
of
purchase, showing when and from
whom the unit was bought. We're not the only ones
\\'110
require this, so it's a good
habit to get into with any major purchase.
3.
Your LC8i must have originally been purchased from an authorized AudioControl
dealer. You do not have to be the original owner, but you do need a copy
of
the original
sales slip.
4.
You
cannot
let
anybody who isn't (A)
the
AudioControl factory; (B) somebody
authorized
in
writing by AudioControl
to
service your
LC8i.
If anyone other than (A)
or (B) messes with your LC8i , that voids your warranty.
5.
The warranty
is
also void
if
the serial number
is
altered or removed, or
if
v has been
used
improperly.
Now
these sound
like
big
loopholes,
but
here
is
all
we
mean
by
it.
Unwarranted abuse
is
(A)
physical damage (don't
use
the
LC8i
for
ajack stand); (B)
improper connections (120 volts
into
the power jack
can
fry
the poor thing); (C) sadis-
tic things. This is the best mobile product we know how to build, but
if
you mount
it
to
the front bumper
of
your car, something will go wrong.
6.
Ifan
authorized United States AudioControl dealer installs your LC8i,
the
war-
ranty
is
five years, otherwise the warranty
is
one year.
Assuming you conform
to
I through
6,
and
it
really isn't
all
that hard
to
do,
we
get
the option
of
fixing your old unit or replacing it with a new one.
.~
.•.•.......•...........•..•..
--II~
Lo-
Li=
~2f~
~
'i"
gij
"
__
11
t~
~
Speaker
Level
Signals
Factory Installed
Amplifier
Figure 8: Using an RTA to meaure the
summed
response
I) Perform all
of
the steps necessary to install
your
LC8!.
2)
Connect
a channel
of
the Main Outputs from your LC8i to the audio input
on
your
real time analyzer.
"Yes"
your amplifiers will be disconnected from the
LC8i at this time.
3) Start playing pink noise
on
your cd player
and
raise the
volume
level until
signal
is
displayed on
your
real time audio
analyzer
(RTA).
4) Adjust the input level controls for each pair
of
channels until
your
RTA
is
displaying a smooth
or
relatively flat response curve.
5)
If
you wish to make
any
additional frequency response adjustments
you
may
want
consider
adding an equalizer to your system (we happen to know
someone
who
makes
some really
good
ones).
Level
Matching
If
you
have
ever
listened to a friend's
"killer"
car
audio system
and
heard
lots
of
hiss, clicks
or
pops, then you have probably experienced an improperly
level-matched system. When a performance autosound system is properly
level matched, you should get the
maximum
output from your source unit and
amplifiers without
any
clipping
or
that annoying hiss!
The
following steps will
help you through the process, although at the end
of
the day, your ears will be
your
guides!
I. Set
your
source
unit's
fader
and
balance controls to their
center
positions.
If
your source unit has
subwoofer
output (and you are using it), set the output
level at
minimum
or
fully counter-clockwise.
2.
Disconnect the RCA cables between
your
LC8i and the amplifier(s). Oth-
erwise
get
some
earplugs.
3. Start playing
some
relatively dynamic music and set the
volume
on
your
source unit to about
3/4
of
maximum.
You should not be hearing anything
at this point.
If
you are hearing music, go
back
to step #2;
if
you are hearing
voices
go
see a doctor!
4. Adjust the output level controls until the
"Maximized'
light starts to flicker.
If
the Maximized LEDs
do
not
come
on
as
you
adjust,
fear
not. The signal
level
from
your
source
till
it
is probably low so it is
not
triggering the LEDs.
5.
Set the input gains on the amplifier(s) at minimum! This
is
known as turn-
ing
down
your
gains.
6.
Double check that you performed Step
#S!
7.
Decrease the
volume
control on your source unit
and
re-connect the RCA's
between the LC8! and the external amplifier(s).
8.
Now increase the
volume
on
your
source unit to
your
normal listening
level. For some
of
you, this
may
be louder than others'
9.
At this point you may find
yourself
going
back
and
adjusting the
Output
Level controls on
your
LC8! to balance the front, rear,
and
subwoofer
sections
of
your system to
accommodate
speaker
placement and efficiency. Speakers
on the rear deck
of
your
car
will probably
sound
louder that the ones in your
doors'
10.
Still need clarification on level matching? Check
out
the "Tech Videos"
on the AudioControl web site.
Dual
Dash
Control
LEDs
The
LEOs
on
your
dash control let you know the status
of
the control and the
source
of
the sound. With only the orange LED lit you are listening to the main
input
and
the knob will control the
subwoofer
(Channel 4) output.
When
only
the blue LED
is
lit, you are listening to the Auxiliary input
and
the knob con-
trols the Aux volume. When both
LEOs
are lit you are listening to the Auxiliary
input and the knob controls the
subwoofer
(Channel 4). Pressing the knob
cycles the control through its functions. See chart below
Blue Orange
•
~
=
M.m
'"
w""
S.bwoof"
Lowl
o Aux
In
wtth Volume
-
O·
Aux
In with
Subwoofer
Level
Figure
9:
Dash Control LEDs
Troubleshooting
It
is
important to
remember
when
installing
your
LC8i that the engineers
who
work for the
car
manufacturers
don't
spend
too much time thinking about inter-
facing after-market products. Therefore you will most likely have to
"modify"
your
traditional wiring and installation techniques
when
working with these
types
of
systems.
Many
times traditional
12
volt
"turn-on"
wires
or
pre-amp
audio signals that you are used to with aftermarket
systems
don't
exist on these
newer
vehicles.
No
Power:
lfthe
Power LED on
your
LC8! will not turn on, check to make
sure that the
power
wire
is
connected
or
a fuse has not blown, and there
is
plenty
of
signal present.
Are
you using a
+12v
turn on?
Ifso
make sure it has
the proper voltage
Factory Installed
Radio
[-----=
)
=:
------.
==
luuu
l
: