tech talk Integrated Design, Part 2:
Layout & Design of an Integrated Audio System
Te second part of their series brings the installers into the subject of integrating the customer’s preferences during the layout process WORDS BY JOEY KNAPP, SIMPLICITY IN SOUND, AND TOM MILLER,MUSICAR NORTHWEST
Last month we wrote about the integrated design approach.
We also looked at assessing the interior of a vehicle to note the shapes, textures, materials, colors and feel throughout the design. It is important to reiterate that part of the client consultation involves determining how they use their vehi- cle and what usable space they need to retain. This segment will focus on how to address the layout and design of an inte- grated audio system.
Joey’s Part: Review the Elements When a vehicle is dropped off at Sim-
plicity in Sound for an appointment, the first thing I do is review the elements of the interior design. Then I focus on a spe- cific area of the build. Let us assume this is a build that will house a subwoofer, two amplifiers and a sound processor in the trunk of a car. I will gather all the necessary equipment and place it in the trunk. I can then start to get an overview of the size of the pieces in relation to the area with which I have to work. Often during the consultation phase with the client, we will determine some of the pos- sible locations where we could place the equipment. Now is the time when those locations can be verified. The most cru- cial element of this step is to make sure none of the equipment interferes with the
54 Mobile Electronics May 2014
vehicle’s operation or the client’s use of the vehicle. If you are planning to install amplifiers under a rear deck, make sure that none of the moving mechanisms for the trunk interfere with that location. If the client wishes to retain access to his or her spare, the subwoofer enclosure can’t cover the panel that allows access to the tire. It is much easier to make design decisions up front rather than to fix a problem after the job is completed. Once the locations are selected for the equipment, I plan out how the pieces will be secured. An important part of planning the build is to take into account secure mounting of all of the equip- ment. It can be very dangerous to have equipment in a vehicle that is not safely fastened. How securely a piece needs to be attached to a vehicle depends not only
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