Anybody else have a problem with the "gong" after installing an aftermarket amp?

It is obnoxiously loud! It scares my every time I get into the car!

Any way of turning it down below the -5 setting on the radio controls?

Thoughts?

 

No there is no way to turn it down below the -5 setting. Now depending on the system (base or HiFi) and the software revision of the radio that setting will adjust the "volume" of the gong OR the "tone" of the gong.

Yes this is a problem and unfortunately there really is nothing you can do about it without modifying the head unit as that is where tht gong i s generated.

 

what sucks is with the Navigation system, there isn't even an option to turn down the "Gong"

 

Is everyone who upgraded their system just living with the rediculous "gong" volume?

 

No. Turn down the gain on your amp.

 

In this case all that will do is to reduce the overal maximum volume of the audio in the car. And that is probably half of why the amp was added in the first place.

 

My gain as at 40%!! It's not at 75%!!

There must be a way to fix this......

 

Unfortunately as I stated before the ONLY way is to tear a part the OEM Head Unit and find out where it is generated and modify that circuit. The sound is injected into the sound stream by the computer that is in the head unit.

 

I have discovered you can disable the GONG in software using NCS Expert and modifying the trace file in Radio module.

 

...and NCS Expert costs how much? Yikes, as I prepare to upgrade my system, I can imagine how much spilled coffee I'll experience in the morning after a hit from the gong.

 

HA! Yeah those gongs are frequently annoying.

NCS Expert is "available" online. The programming cable is about $130. See my thread in the electrical section called Close windows and sunroof with FOB. It is a very involved software setup (you will need a laptop) and a steep learning curve to learn NCS.

But it is doable!

 

Just saw the thread before realizing you had responded. Thank you for including the youtube videos. I am not shy about putting together programs to try and decipher the MINI CODE. I'd like some reassurance that I can do some "read only" work with the software to feel comfortable before making the decision to actually change a setting in the MINI's software. Even my bischen Deustch vocabulary puts me in the "enough to be dangerous" category.

All this is premature as I don't have the cable yet. I am downloading the rar file now from the post in the electricals thread: Thanks again for being so thorough and responsive!

 

NCS defaults to write, but if you follow the directions to read the trace file in the ncsdummy posting you have nothing to worry about!

 

I upgraded my MInI amp too and the Gong is terribly loud now. I hate it. Isn't there an inexpensive fix for this a least one that will lower the volume by 1/2 ? This is going to kill me ! Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks. Peter

 

Did you read the thread? there are explanations in this thread!!!! and this is the latest info.

 

Yes, I read the thread, but posted b/c I had not seen any new info - thanks. I will try to reduce gain on the amp and see if that helps, but the software mod is beyond both my means and abilities. Thanks again.

 

pjdaustin, did dropping the gain help? Are you also incorporating the front/rear channel swap?

 

I just had an amp installed and also have this problem. I also have some engine whine coming through. Turning the gain down on the amp did help both of those a little bit.

 

BTW, if you think it's bad in these cars, you should have seen how it was in my Saturn Sky. As if the seatbelt chimes weren't bad enough, Saturn, in all their wisdom, chose to run the turn signals through the stereo too so every time I'd put on the turn signal, the clicking would be so loud that it was almost like torture.

 

Is the gong volume supposed to increase in when you turn up the volume of your stereo? I noticed this when I added a new amp to the system. At normal listening levels the volume is about the same as it was originally, but at higher volumes, the gong also gets louder?