strutter Posted December 21, 2005 Share Posted December 21, 2005 stopped by the local rat shack today to check on an SPL meter. (guy didn't know what one was until i told him what it was for) anyhow, they only have a digital one (i believe the recommendations on here call for an analogue one) checked the web site and thats all they have too. can anyone recommend a particular brand close to the same price as the radio shack? or does brand even matter , are there inconstancies in readings by brand? can ya point me to a website ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug C Posted December 21, 2005 Share Posted December 21, 2005 I just checked the Radio Shack website for #33-4050 7-Range Analog Display Sound Level Meter. When I selected order it says they have them in stock? http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103668&cp=&kw=sound+meter&parentPage=search Doug C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ygmn Posted December 21, 2005 Share Posted December 21, 2005 stopped by the local rat shack today to check on an SPL meter. (guy didn't know what one was until i told him what it was for) anyhow, they only have a digital one (i believe the recommendations on here call for an analogue one) checked the web site and thats all they have too. can anyone recommend a particular brand close to the same price as the radio shack? or does brand even matter , are there inconstancies in readings by brand? can ya point me to a website ? Digital one is fine.... they both measure SPL... Analog tends to be recommended since it is easier to read the needle.... I dunno...look at EBAY.... I have analog.....btw... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erukian Posted December 21, 2005 Share Posted December 21, 2005 Go in, and ask for them to order it from their catalog, that's what i did, waited a few days, now it's mine -Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strutter Posted December 21, 2005 Author Share Posted December 21, 2005 thanks y'all. I'll check the site again. when i searched the site using "SPL" they only showed the digital. digital would be fine for me but i think i read that they weren't as accurate as the analogue. Merry Christmas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ygmn Posted December 21, 2005 Share Posted December 21, 2005 thanks y'all. I'll check the site again. when i searched the site using "SPL" they only showed the digital. digital would be fine for me but i think i read that they weren't as accurate as the analogue. Merry Christmas Neither is accurate..but their are correction charts.... what is important is to us the same meter with the same pink noise to set levels.... To look for frequency spikes they are ok...but they are not frequency analyzers.... Get the digital if you want it today.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strutter Posted December 21, 2005 Author Share Posted December 21, 2005 i can wait. digital is 20 bucks more. their are correction charts think i saw them somewhere, not sure if it was here or another forum. with the same pink noise to set levels are the static test tones in my receiver considered pink or do i need to purchase a disc for this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strutter Posted December 21, 2005 Author Share Posted December 21, 2005 just ordered it.......man i hate S&H.! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted December 21, 2005 Share Posted December 21, 2005 I copied this at one time:At 10Hz add 20dBs to the meter's readings and at ... 12Hz add 16.5dB16Hz add 11.5dB20Hz add 7.5dB25Hz add 5dB31.5Hz add 3dB40Hz add 2.5dB50Hz add 1.5dB63Hz add 1.5dB80Hz add 1.5dB100Hz add 2dB125Hz add .5dB Rives Audio sells a test disc calibrated to the Rat Shack meter on their web site.http://www.rivesaudio.com/software/softframes.htmlRick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted December 21, 2005 Share Posted December 21, 2005 I've got two digital. My thought is that I'd drop the thing and mess up the movement. Some one long ago, maybe at Stereophile or the like, recommended the analog. This is probably because there is some ballistic averaging of the read out and so people feel better able to read any bouncing around. The digital does have a bar graph BTW. You are not just looking at bouncing digits. Digital volt meters without analog bars are difficult to read. For the most part, the averaging, I believe, makes people believe their room response is not ragged or the signal they are listening too is not ragged. That is not the case. OTOH, averaging does allow us to look at trends rather than isolated data points. - - - Some of this depends on what you're using as a source of sound, and what you're using to measure it. For example. The RS meter listens to everything on C setting (?). So we have to feed it with noise at 1/6 octave limited noise, part by part, to read out the frequency response. OTOH, some RTAs read out at the internal 1/6 octave levels. Hence the signal has to be pink noise which, in all cases, is constant in each octave or fraction there of. Yeah, I know this is getting hazy. A very cool source of band limited noise on CD is the Allan Parson's Sound Check. In theory, you play this and set up the RS meter in your living room and get a fairly good idea of what is going on in frequency response. There is ton of other mysteries of room response which it can't report. = = = The next issue is whether we have some software on hand which is an RTA. The MS Media Player has a bar graph function. It is not calibrated to much of anything. Pretty much "look at the bouncing bars". Still it has a little peak indicator function. Better than a Lava Lamp. So I played the Sound Check CD on the laptop using the bar graph read out on Media Player. I can't say that there is much hope of calibration from a standpoint of level or frequency. It does though show that there is a good bit of bouncing around which must be avaraged out. This is the loop back. You may liike the analog RS meter because it gives favorable readings. I believe they are not really correct or giving you the whole story.. The digital one does not either Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted December 22, 2005 Share Posted December 22, 2005 I have an analog one. Couldn't get the it locally either, so I paid a premium to get it in the US. Cost me as much as the digital one... plus the time to hunt it down. So was it worth it? In all honesty.... I think the digital is just as good, if not easier to read. The accuracy is the about the same in either case... The next issue is whether we have some software on hand which is an RTA. ... Better than a Lava Lamp. Although I haven't had time to experiment with it, the freeware program Room EQ Wizard offers some RTA as well as time energy measurement capabilities. BTW, Lava lamps can be kinda nifty too... [] but not pratical for room measurements. The moral is get what's easiest, and don't worry about it. ROb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted December 22, 2005 Share Posted December 22, 2005 http://www.audioxpress.com/bksprods/kits/kv-avm2050.htm Same as the RS analog. Velleman is available in Canada and worldwide too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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