Table of Contents

1. Overview

Tuning Labs Digital Tuning Platform is a professional browser-based platform for car audio, motorcycle, marine, and off-road DSP tuning. It runs entirely in your browser — no installation required for the online version.

Key Features

• Hardware Setup — configure DSPs, amplifiers, speakers, and wiring
• DSP & Tuning — crossovers, PEQ filters, time alignment, signal path
• RTA / Live Tuning — real-time frequency analysis with mic or REW integration
• Work Orders — track jobs, line items, labor, payments, and signatures
• Reports — generate PDF tuning reports and customer summaries
• Hardware Library — searchable catalog of DSPs, amps, and speakers
• User Tools — gain calculator, wire gauge, fuse size, box volume calculators
• Expert's Corner — community tips, how-tos, Q&A, and reviews
• REW Tools — oscilloscope, waterfall, level meter, THD analyzer
• Offline / Desktop — PWA install or downloadable ZIP for offline use

License Editions

2. Getting Started

2.1 Activating Your License

1. Open the app at tuninglabs.net/portal/index.html
2. Click About / License in the header
3. Paste your license key into the text area
4. Click Activate
5. Your edition badge updates once the key is validated

2.2 First-Time Setup

1. After activation, the Setup Wizard may appear — fill in your shop name, technician name, and preferences
2. On the Setup tab, enter your shop information: name, phone, email, address, and logo URL
3. Set up RTA Configuration if you plan to use live measurement (min/max dB ranges)
4. Optionally import your hardware inventory via the Hardware Library Import from Excel section

2.3 Creating Your First Profile

1. In the header, click New in the Profile bar
2. Enter a profile name (e.g., "2024 Harley Street Glide")
3. The profile is now active — all changes across every tab are saved to it
4. Click Save at any time to persist your work
5. Use Load to switch between saved profiles

3. Hardware & Power

This tab configures your vehicle's audio hardware. It has 4 sub-tabs:

3.1 Hardware Setup

Bike/Vehicle Profile

Enter the Year, Make, Model, and Trim. This information appears on PDF reports and work orders.

DSP Configuration

Enter your DSP model name and the number of output channels. Select a vendor profile (Helix, Audison, or Generic) to get channel naming conventions. Click Library... to browse and import from the DSP library.

Amplifiers

Click + Add amplifier to add a row. Fill in brand, model, channels, RMS watts per channel at 1/2/4 ohms, bridged load capability, and class. Click Library... to import from the hardware catalog.

Speakers

Click + Add speaker for each driver. Enter brand, model, size, impedance, RMS rating, sensitivity, frequency range, and mounting location. Assign each speaker to an amplifier channel.

3.2 Hardware Wiring

Displays a live wiring summary based on your amplifiers. Shows power wire gauge recommendations, fuse sizing, and alternator requirements. Data is auto-calculated from the amps you entered.

3.3 Recommendations

Calculates electrical system health: total current draw, voltage at each amplifier, wire gauge per circuit, and speaker pairing compatibility warnings. Review before purchasing wire or fuses.

3.4 Actual Mapping & Wiring

A grid mapping each DSP output channel to its assigned speaker. Use this to verify your physical wiring matches the DSP configuration before tuning.

4. DSP & Tuning

4.1 DSP Tuning Summary

A plain-language summary of your current DSP configuration — channels, crossover points, and PEQ settings. Updates live as you make changes.

4.2 Time Alignment / Delay Helper

Enter the physical distance from each speaker to the listener's ears. The app calculates the recommended delay (in milliseconds) per DSP channel. Use Copy delay text to paste values into your DSP software.

4.3 Diagnostics & Mapping Health

Automated checks for common problems: missing speaker assignments, duplicate channel mappings, unsafe impedance loads, and coverage gaps. Green = no issues found.

4.4 Tuning Profiles

Save named snapshots of your PEQ/crossover/time alignment settings. Use these to A/B test different tuning approaches (e.g., "Bass Heavy" vs "Flat Reference") without losing data.

• Save — saves current settings as a named profile
• Load — restores a saved profile
• Clone — duplicates the current profile under a new name
• Export/Import — share profiles as JSON files

4.5 Signal Path & Band Coverage

Visual table showing which frequency bands are covered by which DSP outputs and speakers. Helps identify crossover gaps or overlapping coverage.

5. RTA / Live Tuning

5.1 Getting Started with RTA

The RTA (Real-Time Analyzer) shows a live frequency response of what your microphone picks up. Use it to measure your system's output and compare against a reference curve.

5.2 Microphone Setup

1. Select Built-in Mic as the RTA source
2. Click Start — allow microphone permission when prompted
3. The canvas shows live frequency bars from 20 Hz to 20 kHz
4. Click Stop to freeze the trace

5.3 Reference Curves

Use the Genre filter dropdown to narrow curves by music genre. Select a curve from the Reference curve dropdown. The target appears as an overlay on the RTA canvas.

5.4 House Curve Creator

Create your own target curve by setting bass lift (dB), treble tilt (dB), and a name. Click Create house curve — it appears in the reference curve dropdown.

5.5 REW Integration

For professional-grade measurements, connect to Room EQ Wizard (REW):

1. Download and install REW from roomeqwizard.com
2. In REW: Preferences → API → Enable API server
3. Download and run the REW Bridge (link in the REW connect bar)
4. In Tuning Labs, click REW Live Data then Connect

When connected, Tuning Labs reads calibrated RTA data from REW at ~4 Hz for EQ calculations and DSP recommendations.

5.6 Show/Hide Traces

Toggle checkboxes to show or hide: reference curve, microphone trace, and difference curve. The difference view highlights where your system deviates from the target.

5.7 RTA Full Screen

A dedicated full-screen RTA view with additional features:

• Band Focus — zoom into Sub, Mid-bass, Midrange, or Highs
• Session Controls — capture multiple measurement positions and average them
• Sound Generator — play pink noise, white noise, or a 20-20kHz sweep through your system

6. DSP Interface

Push tuning profiles directly to external DSP software (EDSP models).

1. Select a Tuning Profile from the dropdown
2. Select the Target DSP model
3. Enter the Project file path on your computer
4. Click Send tune to DSP

7. Reports

7.1 DSP Tuning Report (PDF)

Click Generate DSP Tuning Report to create a detailed PDF containing: vehicle info, DSP configuration, amplifier table, speaker assignments, PEQ settings, crossover points, time alignment values, and wiring recommendations.

7.2 Customer Summary (PDF)

A simplified one-page PDF for the customer showing what was installed, key settings, and tech contact info.

7.3 Customers (CRM Light)

A simple customer database built into the Reports tab. Enter name, phone, email, vehicle, and notes. Customers are tracked by profile and appear in a sortable table with last visit dates.

8. Hardware Library

The master catalog of DSPs, amplifiers, and speakers. Browse, search, and import hardware directly into your tuning profiles.

• Search by brand, model, or type
• Click any item to view full specifications
• Click Import to add an item to your current profile's Hardware tab

The library is populated from the platform's brand discovery system and can be supplemented via Excel import from the Setup tab.

9. User Tools — Calculators

9.1 Amp Gain Calculator

Enter channel RMS watts and speaker impedance. Result: the target AC voltage at your amplifier's output. Formula: V = sqrt(P × R). Use a multimeter to match this voltage when setting gain.

9.2 Wire Gauge Calculator

Enter total RMS watts, system voltage (typically 13.8V), and cable run length in feet. Returns the minimum AWG wire size that keeps voltage drop under 5%.

9.3 Fuse Size Calculator

Enter total RMS watts and system voltage. Returns the recommended fuse rating with 25% headroom. Always fuse at the battery end of the power run.

9.4 Additional Calculators

• Port Length — calculates tube length for ported subwoofer enclosures
• Box Volume — rectangular enclosure internal volume calculator
• Saddlebag / Irregular Box — multi-section volume calculator for odd shapes
• Box vs Driver — net usable volume after subtracting driver displacement

10. Work Orders

Available in Shop and Master editions only.

10.1 Work Order List

Navigate to Work Orders from the header. The page shows:

• KPI Cards — Open, In Progress, Completed Today, Revenue
• Search & Filter — by status, priority, or keyword
• Work Order Table — WO#, Customer, Vehicle, Status, Priority, Tech, Total, Balance, Created

10.2 Creating a Work Order

Click + New Work Order. Fill in customer info, vehicle details, and service type. Work orders can also be auto-created when starting a new profile (see Shop Setup).

10.3 Work Order Detail

• Status Pipeline — Draft → Open → In Progress → Completed → Paid
• Line Items — add parts, labor, and services with quantities and prices
• Labor Hours — set hours and rate (Standard/Rush/Diagnostic), then click "Add Labor to Line Items"
• Import from Profile — pulls hardware from your tuning profile as line items
• Totals — subtotal, tax (auto-filled from Shop Setup), discount, and balance due
• Signature Canvas — customer signs on screen for approval
• Payment — online payment via Stripe for remaining balance

10.4 Tax Rate Pre-fill

Set your tax rate in Shop Setup → Rates & Tax. New work orders automatically use this rate.

11. Shop Setup

Visible for Shop and Master editions only.

11.1 Business Information

Business name, phone, email, website, and full address. This data appears on work orders and PDF reports.

11.2 Logo & Branding

Upload or enter a URL for your shop logo. The logo appears on reports, work orders, and is cached locally for offline use.

11.3 Rates & Tax

Set Standard Hourly Rate, Rush Rate, Diagnostic Fee, Tax Rate (%), Secondary Tax, and EIN. These pre-fill on new work orders.

11.4 Technician Roster

Add techs with name, initials, phone, email, and specialty. Techs can be assigned to work orders.

11.5 Work Order Defaults

Enable/disable Auto-create work order when a new profile is started. Set default priority level.

11.6 Payment Terms & Hours

Set payment terms (Due on Completion, Net 30, etc.), payment notes, and business hours.

12. Expert's Corner

A public community page for tips, how-tos, Q&A, troubleshooting, and product reviews. Open to everyone — no subscription required.

12.1 Browsing Posts

• Category Tabs — All, Tips, How-To, Questions, Troubleshooting, Reviews
• Search — type a keyword to filter posts by title or content
• Upvote — click the arrow on any post to upvote it
• Pagination — Previous/Next buttons at the bottom

12.2 Submitting a Post

1. Click + Share Your Knowledge
2. Enter your name, email (optional), category, title, content, and tags
3. Click Submit Post

13. REW Tools

Advanced analysis tools powered by Room EQ Wizard. Requires REW to be running with API enabled.

Tabs

Connecting

Click Connect in the connection bar. Tuning Labs auto-scans ports 4735, 7735, and 7736-7739 to find REW's API. The status dot turns green when connected.

14. Offline & Desktop Version

14.1 PWA Install (Recommended)

Tuning Labs is a Progressive Web App. To install it as a desktop application:

1. Open Tuning Labs in Chrome, Edge, or Brave
2. Click the Install App button (green) in the header
3. Accept the browser's install prompt
4. The app now appears in your Start menu / Dock and works offline

14.2 Downloadable Desktop ZIP

At purchase, check the "Also download the offline desktop version" checkbox. After payment, a download banner appears with the ZIP file.

1. Download TuningLab-Desktop.zip
2. Extract to any folder
3. Double-click Start TuningLab.bat (Windows) or Start TuningLab.command (Mac)
4. Enter your license key in About / License
5. First activation requires internet — after that, works fully offline

14.3 How Offline Data Works

• All data is saved in your browser's localStorage — profiles, work orders, settings
• Sync queue — work orders created offline get an OFFLINE-# number and queue for upload
• Auto-sync — when you reconnect to the internet, queued items automatically upload to the server
• Sync badge — a gold badge in the header shows how many items are pending sync (click to force sync)
• Logo caching — your shop logo is cached as base64 at license activation so it displays offline

14.4 Requirements

• Chrome, Edge, or Brave browser
• One-time internet connection to activate your license
• After activation: works fully offline

15. Purchasing & Checkout

15.1 Audio Enthusiast Purchase

Navigate to Audio Enthusiast Checkout. Choose between:

• One-Time — single payment, permanent access under Audio Enthusiast terms
• Subscription — recurring monthly/annual, cancel anytime

15.2 Offline Download Option

Check the "Also download the offline desktop version" checkbox before purchasing. After payment, the app redirects to the main page with a download banner.

15.3 Profile Tokens

Each Audio Enthusiast license includes one profile token. Additional tokens can be purchased from the About / License overlay. Shop/Master editions have unlimited profiles.

16. Mobile Apps (iOS / Android)

Tuning Labs is available as a mobile app through:

• Android — installable via Google Play (or use the PWA install from Chrome)
• iOS — installable via the App Store (or use Add to Home Screen in Safari)

The mobile app is the same Tuning Labs web app wrapped for native distribution. Your license key works across all platforms — web, desktop, Android, and iOS.

17. Backup & Restore

17.1 Export Backup

Setup tab → Backup & Restore → Export full backup (JSON). Downloads a JSON file containing all profiles, settings, work orders, and customer data stored in localStorage.

17.2 Import Backup

Click Import backup and select a previously exported JSON file. All data is restored. Existing data is merged (not overwritten).

18. Tips & Shortcuts

• Use Tab / Shift+Tab to navigate between fields quickly
• The ? help icons next to section headers show contextual help tooltips
• All number fields accept decimal values (e.g., 4.5 ohms, 2.3 ms delay)
• Profile data is auto-saved to localStorage — but always use Save for named profiles
• Use the Sound Generator (RTA Full Screen) to produce test tones for system checkout
• For multi-position measurements, use RTA Session Controls: Start session → Capture at each seat → Finish & average

19. Troubleshooting

App won't load or shows blank page

Clear browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+Delete), then reload. If using the offline version, re-extract the ZIP.

Microphone not working in RTA

Check that your browser has microphone permission (click the lock icon in the address bar). Ensure your mic is selected in Setup → RTA Configuration.

REW connection fails

Verify REW is running with API enabled (Preferences → API). If using the bridge, ensure it's running on port 7735. Try the direct connection on port 4735 first.

Work order sync stuck

Click the gold sync badge in the header to force a sync. Check your internet connection. Open browser DevTools (F12) → Console for error messages.

License activation fails

Ensure you have an active internet connection. Check that your license key is copied exactly (no extra spaces). Contact support@tuninglabs.net if the issue persists.

PDF report is blank

Ensure you have data in your active profile (vehicle info, hardware, DSP settings). The report pulls from whatever is currently loaded.

20. Support

• Website: tuninglabs.net
• Email: support@tuninglabs.net
• In-App Help: Click the ? icons throughout the app for contextual help
• Expert's Corner: Post questions in the community forum for peer support