Handheld Audio (deciBel) Meters

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

If I want to test a room or, say, my card for audio neviroment (how
loud, possibly some frequency info) what's the best way to go about
it?

For the room, I can use several microphones and a good sound card
I have in a PC. What's the best procedure?

For the car, anyone know of good, cheap hand held devices?

Thanks in advance.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"H" <mshoganREMOVE@dal.caREMOVE> wrote in message
news:3V1_d.57613$i6.37050@edtnps90...
> i've used this device before. works well i think...
>
>
http://www.radioshack.com/product. [...] id=33-4050

I have a digital version which has a similar range, and can store max and
min, and has a choice of weightings. No idea of the accuracy. Our
professional meter at work came with a calibrator.

--
M Stewart
Milton Keynes, UK
http://www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Steve Glenn wrote:
> On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 21:53:03 +0000, H wrote:
>
>
>>i've used this device before. works well i think...
>>
>>http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=33-4050
>>
>
> I'm interested in making some rudimentary measurements in my studio as
> well.
>
> What would be the basic procedure?
> Here is what I have in mind.
>
> 1. Position meter at sweet spot for listening (or about 1 ft in front of
> each monitor if measuring monitor response).
>
> 2 . Play a series of tones, say 40hz, 100hz etc.
>
> 3. Write down the levels from the meter.
>
> 4. Graph it.
>
> Would this basic approach, crude as it is, work?
>
> Steve
>
Basically, yes, but you'd need wider frequency response than that.
The A above middle C is 440 Hz so on an 8-octave keyboard the range
would be 28 - 7040 Hz! Would also consider measuring volume in the
range 40 - 110 dB.

Comments? Brickbats and bouquets!

P

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Malcolm Stewart <malcolm_stewart@megalith.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>"H" <mshoganREMOVE@dal.caREMOVE> wrote in message
>news:3V1_d.57613$i6.37050@edtnps90...
>> i've used this device before. works well i think...
>>
>http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=33-4050
>
>I have a digital version which has a similar range, and can store max and
>min, and has a choice of weightings. No idea of the accuracy. Our
>professional meter at work came with a calibrator.

The digital Radio Shack unit is unusable because the numbers jump around too
quickly to be useful, and there's no way to see trends. The cheaper one is
much more useful and a test unit agreed with my NBS-traceable GenRad within
2 dB from 20-20 KHz on A-weighting. It ain't no B&K, but for the price it is
not half bad.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

> > 1. Position meter at sweet spot for listening (or about 1 ft in front of
> > each monitor if measuring monitor response).
> >
> > 2 . Play a series of tones, say 40hz, 100hz etc.
> >
> > 3. Write down the levels from the meter.
> >
> > 4. Graph it.
> >
> > Would this basic approach, crude as it is, work?
> >
> > Steve
> >
> Basically, yes, but you'd need wider frequency response than that.
> The A above middle C is 440 Hz so on an 8-octave keyboard the range
> would be 28 - 7040 Hz! Would also consider measuring volume in the
> range 40 - 110 dB.
>
> Comments? Brickbats and bouquets!

Why not use white noise and a FFT analyzer? Using a good front end, like the
MOTU 896, and SoundForge with the Spectral Analysis plugin is a good way to
do it. Record ten seconds of white noise played on the speaker under test,
using a mic with a known response (preferably flat). Select the recorded
segment, run the FFT plugin and set the graph options for the highest FFT
resolution and the range to that which you're interested in.
Works well for me.

BTW, speaking of sound level meters, does anyone make a portable meter that
is accurate to slightly beyond 150dB and down to 16Hz?


--
Best Regards,

Mark A. Weiss, P.E.
www.mwcomms.com
-

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Philip N. Daly wrote:
> If I want to test a room or, say, my card for audio neviroment (how
> loud, possibly some frequency info) what's the best way to go about
> it?
>
> For the room, I can use several microphones and a good sound card
> I have in a PC. What's the best procedure?
>
> For the car, anyone know of good, cheap hand held devices?

Has anyone use the "Sound Check 2" CD with response analyser? for
testing room/monitor responses?
http://www.interstudio.co.uk/sndchk.htm

I'd be interested to know how this compares with fancy test equipment -
Sound Check is produced by engineers with a very respectable background,
so it ought to be useful.

(the relevant parts are a series of band limited pink noise samples on
the CD, combined with a mic + LED level meter apparently built into the
CD's jewel case.)

I've just finished building/treating a room and want to see how well
I've done/assess monitor reponse tweaking requirements.

Anahata