love_hertz Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 I am looking to purchase a sound meter from Radio Shack. Which is better the digital or the analog meter? Read mixed reviews about these, so what better thing to do than ask people with the same speakers as me. In your reply please put why you like it!!!THANKS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KlipschJunkie Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 I have the Digital, and it works good for me. I like the digital, versus the analog read out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyhorns Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 I have the analog, and I like the analog. Can watch the pointer bounce up and down, see the db peaks, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKuziel Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 How does one go about learning how to use a SPL meter and interpet it's readings? I mean I would like to use one to set up my listening enviroment but I dont have a feeking clue as to what the readings mean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KlipschJunkie Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 the User Manual w/ the Radio Shack meter was pretty decent. Also, if you have a DVD Calibration disc (eg: Avia), it should give a brief explanation how to use one. It's really not that difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damonrpayne Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 I prefer the analog meter. I have basic insstructions detailing how to use one up at this page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ygmn Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Analog.....if you do fast response the analog needle can be seen bouncing to music and/or sound....which is easier to read.....the digital is numbers changing which ...I do not like... also Analog is CHEAPER.... Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 I bought the digital. My thought was that it might be more rugged. It does have a bar graph which is fairly similar to the moving needle. In retro spect, the moving needle may be better damped than the bouncing bar graph. I suspect there is not a lot of difference in their capablity. Check the spec sheets and see if calibration of one or the other is better. Plus or minus 2 dB or more. Either one is probably equally capable in doing the ballpark measurements we're seeking. For example, with a system being fed by 1/3 octave limited sound, or similar stuff from an HT set up in a room, the meter read out (of either) is going to bounce around quite a bit just because of the randomness of noise or placement. For example, when you purchase either unit and start taking measurements, you'll find distressing dips and peaks in room response going up and down 10 dB or more when you move the RS unit a few feet. The first thought is that perhaps it is metering error. The natural conclusion is that I should have bought the other model. Not so. It is room response. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Warren Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 ---------------- On 10/3/2003 9:34:35 PM William F. Gil McDermott wrote: For example, when you purchase either unit and start taking measurements, you'll find distressing dips and peaks in room response going up and down 10 dB or more when you move the RS unit a few feet. The first thought is that perhaps it is metering error. The natural conclusion is that I should have bought the other model. Not so. It is room response. Gil ---------------- And with that said, how on Earth is anyone to get useful information from this measurement method? (hint: you absolutely CANNOT). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Klappenberger Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Hi guys, Take John's advice. A simple SPL meter will do nothing but confuse the tar out of you. The results you will get using a cw tone will be meaningless! If you use a simple meter, you need a warble tone or a set of 1/3 rd octave filters and a noise gnerator! It is not uncommon to see as much as +-20 dB variation. The best you can expect of a speaker is +-5 dB using a swept warble tone. If you look at the response curve of my modified Belles that I have posted on my "stereo stuff" below, you'll see what I mean. The curve was made with a swept warble tone, a log amp and an x-y recorder. A lot of that quipment was home-made. Al K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 People use them for setting HT systems. So they are not quite worthless. They can be an eye opener too. People are somewhat focused on the nice graphs shown in magazines and are somewhat resistant to the notion that rooms and locations have tremendous influence. If you have a test CD with single tones you can walk around the room and hear, at single frequecies, some amazing nulls. The meter will confirm it, and put some numbers on the effects. Gil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IB Slammin Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 ---------------- On 10/4/2003 7:10:57 AM Al Klappenberger wrote: Hi guys, Take John's advice. A simple SPL meter will do nothing but confuse the tar out of you. The results you will get using a cw tone will be meaningless! If you use a simple meter, you need a warble tone or a set of 1/3 rd octave filters and a noise gnerator! It is not uncommon to see as much as +-20 dB variation. The best you can expect of a speaker is +-5 dB using a swept warble tone. If you look at the response curve of my modified Belles that I have posted on my "stereo stuff" below, you'll see what I mean. The curve was made with a swept warble tone, a log amp and an x-y recorder. A lot of that quipment was home-made. Al K. ---------------- I agree with John and Al. The Rat Shack SPL is fun at the Spring National Drag Race, but not much use in the sound room. TC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Klappenberger Posted October 5, 2003 Share Posted October 5, 2003 Gil, I would be interested to know just how people use the SPL meters to set up HT systems. I suspect it involves a noise generator and not CW tones. Al K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy81 Posted October 5, 2003 Share Posted October 5, 2003 The way I have used it is as follows. Sit in the sweet spot and turn on the pink noise generator. In my case, my C2 has an internal generator that cycles the sound from one speaker to the next in succession. You use the speaker setting menu to set all the speakers to produce the same dB level. It is just that simple. Needless to say, if you make large changes in seating positions, say move to the back of a large room, you will no longer have a calibrated system for HT. The calibration works very well for setting the front and effects speakers properly. My HALO C2 has a mike and an internal autocalibration system which does the same thing, but I like to back that up with the sound meter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Klappenberger Posted October 5, 2003 Share Posted October 5, 2003 Rudy, Ok.. That's makes sense. I have two systmes that have that rotation noise setup feature (Dolby pro-logic). I used the calibrated mike one time to do it and found that I could get it close enough by ear. I sure wouldn't spend any big money on a meter just to do that! I think the minimum you need to do any frequency response testing, like to set up an equalizer, is a 1/3 octave "real time analyzer" or RTA. A fairly good one will cost around $200-$300 on eBay. Al K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy81 Posted October 5, 2003 Share Posted October 5, 2003 My $40 Radio Shack meter works great for the system calibration. No need to spend big bucks for just that. There is a noticeable differance watching a good DVD if you calibrate vs. not calibrating, particularly in the surround effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted October 6, 2003 Share Posted October 6, 2003 I think Gil makes several good points... as it'll help with the basic things such as setting up a HT as well as giving a general feeling of a room's response. With a test disk with both test tones and pink noise... you will get a general idea of a room's resonant frequencies and where sound treatment would be most effectively located. I do realise that they are far from being capable of measuring a speaker's response or to design a crossover circuit and the like. A RTA would be more effective and simpler to use for both room and speaker optimisation. Any recommendations for a budget used RTA and mic? Rob PS: I have been considering a software base RTA, but I'm unsure of their effectiveness and precision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Klappenberger Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 Here's an RTA that might do: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2563596646&category=23790 Al K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love_hertz Posted October 8, 2003 Author Share Posted October 8, 2003 Thanks for the suggestion but look at the size of the rta, the spl meter from radio shack will do just fine and is handheld. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Klappenberger Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 It depends on what you want to do. If you are checking frequency response, the hand-held SPL meter is useless. If you just want to set equal levels for the channels of a HT, the SPL meter will do it ok. The DOD unit is a standard 19 Inch rack mount. Most pro audio stuff is. Al K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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