noise floor during SQ judging

What should I do to my tune for SQ judging when I know there are SPL folks tuning their gear nearby when I get judged? Should I do anything?

My fear is that I'll have the best tune I can get that day and it will be negated by the SPL folks during judging... or do the judges have the ability to take this into consideration?

I felt sorry for Rick Sellers at Scrapin' on accounta my doors were flexing from a seriously awesome SPL guy who was troubleshooting his setup about 30 feet away... while Rick was in the booth getting judged.
I was far more fortunate, the floor noise was next to nothing while my truck was in the booth.

Mind you, I'm not complaining. I love the SPL stuff (Thinking about sinking a pair of 18's in the floor later this summer, just for the fun of it... and seeing what SPL class I can play in along with SQ...) I just want to be able to compensate if it's necessary.

Your thoughts?

I took into consideration the noise floor. I was still able to hear Rick's setup in between burps from the vehicles nearby. I know the rain delayed things slightly and you guys had to clean some before coming through the lanes but the noise issue is why I asked everyone for SQ to be there at 8AM so that we could get judging done before all of the noise started. Things just didnt work out though with the weather for everyone to be there early. I know 8AM is an early start time following the late night many of us had saturday night but it was the only time at the show I figured would be relatively quiet.

The only other suggestion I could make is to sound deaden your vehicle even more than it already is. I can attest that when listening to Gary's car at finals a few years back there was very little audible noise in his car even though the noise floor in the arena was enough for some to be walking around with ear plugs in

the thing is, at finals, just about everyone will have to deal with the noise floor. if you go to shows all year long, you'll probably have to deal with the noise floor as well.

tune your car to the best of it's ability. When you get to finals, listen.

If the judges are making their way towards your car and the noise floor is up there, then adjust. If the noise floor isn't up there, then leave it.

Have a map or a plan to adjust the bass settings accordingly.

I understand whats being said but really though...should an SQ competitor have to do this. Could it be possible to give a certain time when SQ cars are judged and then allow time for SPL vehicles to tune and then judge the SPL vehicles? I really think that judging SQ cars during SPL vehicles burping is not good...I mean really. If the sound of a vehicle can be compromised by relay clicks shouldnt a 30hz burp compromise the sound of the SQ vehicle as well

Hasn't this same topic been discussed for literally YEARS?

Short of judging SQ cars at night (as in 8pm - 6am), there's simply no way to have NO noise floor.

Do that and we all know SQ competitors would never show up durring the day to show their cars. If you don't have people showing their cars, the sport dies and no one get's interested. If no one is showing their cars, why would anyone want to pay to get in to ONLY see SPL cars and SPL runs?

It's just the nature of the game.

It's like complaining about rain outs in baseball. Move the season to the dry months and people will complain about it being too hot or too cold, etc.

IMO, what seperates people out is who can tune to their surroundings and deal with it and who can't.

It's all a part of the game.

BMuhammad1 - I don't know if it's common, but at Scrapin', the judges opened the lanes to SQ bright and early at 8 AM to try and get us into the lanes before the morning belches... I have no excuse really. It rained that morning for about ten minutes, so out of paranoia, I decided to wipe the whole truck down again. I was also stalling with my fingers crossed for a USACi disc since I had joined the day before. Rick Sellers came to my rescue while I was in the lane... LOL, I didn't change a thing... all that worry for nothing

Matt - Not calling you out at all there... kinda cool that you would wait for the burps to subside (especially in the heat and humidity). You've answered my question if that's what judges are trained to do. Thanks
Certainly never hurts to dampen more. Well, except for the last truck I played with. Kind of overdid that one, it was almost airtight... whoops...

Hi Jan! (I remember you from SBN... you explained the RTO concerns to me at the competitor meeting... thank you) I take your point about the prevalence for SPL, and I'm cool with it... I reckon what I'm really asking is "where" to adjust when necessary. SPL vehicles negate pretty much my entire midbass/subbass region.

If it's a trade secret, don't let it out on my account. I'll get it over time

Edit - Jan I didn't realize this topic has been discussed for years... I'm still new to competition. Sorry if I've peeled a scab here.

Nah - I don't consider it a trade secret as there isn't really one thing that everyone can do to negate it.

Sound deadening is crucial here. In the GTi, we have to be sure to not try and shut both doors at the same time. If the hatch is the only thing open, when we close it, you'll see the sunroof move from the air moving.

The judges do open the lanes early at most every show and I guess that's one of the reasons I don't mind going early at all....well, one of the reasons.

A good judge will overlook it and a properly damped car will cut back on it a significant amount.

Most of the time, we just ramp up the sub bass a db or two when we're experiencing a noise floor issue.

I guess I am fortunate to be an early riser. I ran at 8am and you still beat me I went to an indoor show in Jackson, MS. Talk about noise. When Rick and (name escapes me) his friend were sitting in the yukon I remember it finally making me I remember saying crap I cant hear myself think I can remeber it not even bothering Rick as I am sure he is used to it. Hopefully I will as well. Hope to see ya soon Dave. I may be going to Audio Designs of Atlanta this weekend.

Usually - if there are people inside that are competing in SQ, they will either tell you to get there REALLY early or to hand around after the show has closed down so they can judge without all of the noise that goes on inside a venue.

I understand what your saying Jan but rain is a natural phenomenon...you cant control that variable. But SPL vehicles can be controlled. IMO I dont know if most judges account for this...and if they do what SHOWS me that a judge has taken that into account. I cant just assume that a judge will take this into account. Different judging times...seperate chambers...etc Im sure could be used while judging SQ cars

Wait a minute Ironmaiden... I beat you? I didn't realize we were in a class together. For some reason I got the notion you were a couple classes "above" me...

I better start taking some ginko biloba or geritol or something

Jan - Any air conditioning issues with that much sound proofing? I had my old toyota so airtight and dampened that I had to crack the windows just to get the AC to cool the truck... if that makes any sense...
Tell you what though, I could put huge power on the speakers and they didn't distort at all. I think the inside was acting almost like a sealed enclosure. Different story with the windows open though... everything flopped like a fish under high power... LOL

nope - no issues with AC



That's why you leave those vents at the back of hte car open.

Jan Bennett wrote:

nope - no issues with AC



That's why you leave those vents at the back of hte car open.

Yeah, you guessed it. The vents were inside of a blind double wall and I got a little carried away with the expanding foam... LOL I eventually took an afternoon and located them to dig them back out... way fun!

Dave Brooks wrote:

Wait a minute Ironmaiden... I beat you? I didn't realize we were in a class together. For some reason I got the notion you were a couple classes "above" me...

I better start taking some ginko biloba or geritol or something

Jan - Any air conditioning issues with that much sound proofing? I had my old toyota so airtight and dampened that I had to crack the windows just to get the AC to cool the truck... if that makes any sense...
Tell you what though, I could put huge power on the speakers and they didn't distort at all. I think the inside was acting almost like a sealed enclosure. Different story with the windows open though... everything flopped like a fish under high power... LOL

Pass it down bro I aint no spring chicken I fell behind for a while. I had a Chevy Tahoe prior to the yukon and it was smashed into by a careless driver. Thank GOD he had insurance. I am going to make a few changes, little better speaker placement, More sound deadning and then take it all out and put in a BMW 325I

ironmaiden wrote:

Pass it down bro I aint no spring chicken I fell behind for a while. I had a Chevy Tahoe prior to the yukon and it was smashed into by a careless driver. Thank GOD he had insurance. I am going to make a few changes, little better speaker placement, More sound deadning and then take it all out and put in a BMW 325I

And then I'm thinking you're gonna take it out on ME and stomp a SQ mudhole in my chest for beating you while you were down

I was tuning for RTA ( this was over 10 years ago) using Tyrone Chestnuts AC. The bass was way high so I naturally turned my bass down. Come SPL time I didn't do squat. The noise floor was so high it affected my readings. Yeah It does affect SQ

Tim