Who is listening determines how loud a sound appears to be. A teenager listening to rock music in their bedroom may not consider it loud, but their parents in the room below may disagree. In other words, how loud things appear is a subjective matter
that we cannot quantify. The amount of energy that the source of the sound is pumping towards the listener in the form of pressure variations in the air makes one sound seem louder than another. That is the sound's intensity, and it is objective—something we can easily measure and agree on.
Sound level meters determine the pressure of sound waves moving through the air from a noise source. They are sometimes referred to as good pressure level (SPL) meters.
Digital sound meters are made to gauge how loud the environment is. This device measures sound in decibels (dB). Why is it crucial, you might wonder. There are numerous rules regarding how loud the workplace may be (the average, typical dB for the workplace is 49-58, but the max is 90dB). However, indoor performances can approach 90 to 110 dB (louder than outdoor concerts), and 2 minutes of 110 dB can result in hearing loss. The ACDC concert had 130 dB of noise.
Here are the figures. Why are these numbers what they are? The lowest detectable sound on the decibel scale, 0 dB, is experienced as being almost entirely silent. A sound that is ten times stronger is 10 dB. 20 dB is a sound that is 100 times louder than nearly complete silence. A sound that is 30 dB, 40 dB, and so on is 1,000 times louder than almost total silence.
How is this gadget used? We must first examine the appearance of this equipment.
This sound meter is digital. The battery can be inserted in a slot on the rear. And operating this equipment is not that difficult. Consider the variables you wish to measure. Start it by placing it next to your speaker, for instance. It won't take long for it to become apparent how loud your surroundings are.
Yes, there are times when this equipment has to be calibrated. Two approaches exist for calibrating. One, you send your device back to the makers, who fix it. The second option is to use an acoustics calibrator (usually supplied as part of your measurement kit). The acoustic calibrator, designed to fit over a microphone, emits a constant sound level that the microphone can pick up. The output from the calibrator is known to the software in the sound level meter. Of course, it is best to calibrate your device more frequently.
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