Ohmic Audio

DSP

This section covers digital signal processing in car audio: choosing a platform, getting signal into the processor cleanly, building crossovers, aligning arrival times, measuring the response, applying EQ, and deciding when advanced tools like FIR filters or Dirac-style correction are actually worth the complexity.

If you need to normalize terminology before you tune, read Audio Levels, Metering, and Headroom and the Appendix Glossary first. That keeps dB references, Q language, peak conventions, and headroom wording from drifting while you work.

Interactive DSP Helpers

Start Here By Task

If you are trying to do this Start here Why this page is first
Decode DSP numbers before you start tuning Reading DSP Levels, Q, and Headroom It fixes the unit, filter-width, and headroom confusion that causes beginner tuning notes to drift immediately.
Decide whether a DSP belongs in the system at all Do You Need a DSP? It frames the practical threshold where DSP becomes worth the money and setup time.
Connect a source without breaking the signal chain Connecting Your Source It explains the entry points and the constraints before tuning even begins.
Set crossovers and output routing correctly Setting Crossovers in a DSP It establishes the filter and channel plan that the rest of the tune depends on.
Understand why time alignment matters Why Time Alignment Matters It connects arrival time to imaging before the workflow gets measurement-heavy.
Know what automated correction like Dirac actually does Dirac Live and What It Does It separates automation from magic and sets expectations for what the software can and cannot fix.

Read By Experience Level

Beginner

Installer

Engineer

Tuning Workflow

Chapter 12 Section Map

Core Working Rules