Need a sound recorder, what should I get?
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From: Michael A. Terrell on 13 Mar 2010 02:12 Robert Macy wrote: > > On Mar 12, 6:34 pm, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terr...(a)earthlink.net> > wrote: > > PeterD wrote: > > > > > So call the landlord, and let them deal with it. No recording is going > > > to be worth a hill of beans, because you have no indication of the > > > volume of the sound. A sound meter would work, but a recording is > > > worth exactly nothing. > > > > A video & audio recording of the sound level meter would. One with a > > valid time stamp, or small 'Atomic Clock' next to the sound level meter > > would be even better. > > > > -- > > Lead free solder is Belgium's version of 'Hold my beer and watch this!' > > Good ideas. > > Does the dBC spec follow sound pressure? > > Or, does it follow the Fletcher-Munson Curve? There is a little information here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-weighting#C -- Lead free solder is Belgium's version of 'Hold my beer and watch this!'
From: Robert Macy on 13 Mar 2010 11:45 On Mar 12, 11:12 pm, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terr...(a)earthlink.net> wrote: > Robert Macy wrote: > > > On Mar 12, 6:34 pm, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terr...(a)earthlink.net> > > wrote: > > > PeterD wrote: > > > > > So call the landlord, and let them deal with it. No recording is going > > > > to be worth a hill of beans, because you have no indication of the > > > > volume of the sound. A sound meter would work, but a recording is > > > > worth exactly nothing. > > > > A video & audio recording of the sound level meter would. One with a > > > valid time stamp, or small 'Atomic Clock' next to the sound level meter > > > would be even better. > > > > -- > > > Lead free solder is Belgium's version of 'Hold my beer and watch this!' > > > Good ideas. > > > Does the dBC spec follow sound pressure? > > > Or, does it follow the Fletcher-Munson Curve? > > There is a little information here: > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-weighting#C > > -- > Lead free solder is Belgium's version of 'Hold my beer and watch this!' Excellent site! That verifies the C-weighted curve extends flat to lower frequencies.
From: Michael A. Terrell on 13 Mar 2010 18:30 Robert Macy wrote: > > On Mar 12, 11:12 pm, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terr...(a)earthlink.net> > wrote: > > Robert Macy wrote: > > > > > On Mar 12, 6:34 pm, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terr...(a)earthlink.net> > > > wrote: > > > > PeterD wrote: > > > > > > > So call the landlord, and let them deal with it. No recording is going > > > > > to be worth a hill of beans, because you have no indication of the > > > > > volume of the sound. A sound meter would work, but a recording is > > > > > worth exactly nothing. > > > > > > A video & audio recording of the sound level meter would. One with a > > > > valid time stamp, or small 'Atomic Clock' next to the sound level meter > > > > would be even better. > > > > > > -- > > > > Lead free solder is Belgium's version of 'Hold my beer and watch this!' > > > > > Good ideas. > > > > > Does the dBC spec follow sound pressure? > > > > > Or, does it follow the Fletcher-Munson Curve? > > > > There is a little information here: > > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-weighting#C > > > > -- > > Lead free solder is Belgium's version of 'Hold my beer and watch this!' > > Excellent site! > > That verifies the C-weighted curve extends flat to lower frequencies. Good luck 'Squelching' them. ;-) -- Lead free solder is Belgium's version of 'Hold my beer and watch this!'
From: Robert Macy on 26 Mar 2010 12:48 On Mar 11, 11:44 am, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terr...(a)earthlink.net> wrote: > Adrian Tuddenham wrote: > > > Robert Macy <m...(a)california.com> wrote: > > > > On Mar 11, 1:38 am, adr...(a)poppyrecords.invalid.invalid (Adrian > > > Tuddenham) wrote: > > > > Robert Macy <m...(a)california.com> wrote: > > > > > Need a sound recorder for recording noise intrusion from an adjacent > > > > > tenant. > > > > > > Using Sony ICD-SX700 did not achieve very good results. > > > > > > What should I use? > > > > > The recorder isn't as important as the microphone and the playback > > > > loudspeaker. > > > > > Is the noise coming through in one place (e.g. hammer drilling or tap > > > > dancing) or is it diffuse? If it is diffuse, an omnidirectional mic > > > > might work best. > > > > > If the noise is predominantly low frequency (e.g. boom box) a cheap > > > > omnidirectional mic will generally have a better low frequency response > > > > than a cheap cardioid. The big problem you will have with L.F. noise is > > > > demonstrating it realistically to someone, because loudspeakers are > > > > rarely flat at such frequencies and the bass from headphones will depend > > > > on their positioning on the listener's ears. > > > > > Investment in a cheap analogue sound level meter will help; then you can > > > > calibrate the recording level and match the playback level to it when > > > > you come to demonstrate the problem. Use the dBC scale if the noise is > > > > predominantly L.F. > > > > Thank you for your reply. Curious, why dBC, not dBA? > > > dBA was originally intended as an indicator of the potential of > > industrial noise to cause hearing damage, it had deliberately reduced > > sensitivity to low frequencies because they caused proportionately less > > damage (and also to make an advantage out of the fact that the > > microphone of the original sound meters was not very sensitive to bass > > anyway). The use of dBC will give you a level measuremement over the > > normal hearing range. > > > > The sounds are being transferred through above tenant's flooring and > > > then through our ceiling. It is possible to tell origin, but it's > > > like a spotlight diffused onto a sheet of paper - you can tell where > > > it's coming from a little. > > > > I like the idea of calibrating to verify the recorded sound > > > presentation recreates EXACTLY what was there, but may be difficult in > > > a large courtroom... > > > You can demonstrate the exact effect you have been suffering to any > > official who comes to visit you, but a meter reading in dBC, coupled > > with a log of the times it occurs, is often sufficient to convince them.. > > You wouldn't normally be expected to demonstrate it in a court. > > > Unless the noise is of some particularly irritating character or > > requires specialist identification, you may not need to record it at > > all. The action you take will depend on three properties of the noise: > > > 1) Its loudness > > 2) What time of day or night it occurs - and for how long > > 3) Its annoyance factor (is it a hum, intermittent banging noises, > > thudding bass, sounds of a murder, bagpipe practice?) > > > ...only the third property might need a recording to demonstrate the > > point you want to make. > > > > Any recommendations for readily available sound level meters? the > > > Sony has vu meters on it, but I think they're relative and not > > > absolute. > > > There used to be a simple SPL meter, with analogue readout, available > > from Tandy / Radio Shack at a very reasonable price. Its accuracy > > wasn't certified, but mine was spot-on when I checked it against an > > expensive calibrated meter. > > Harbor Freight has a similar sound level meter for $14.97 right now: > > <http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92282> > > Here is the owner's manual: > > <http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/manuals.taf?f=form&ItemID=92282> > > > If you are contemplating legal action, you might have to get an 'expert' > > to take legally-valid measurements for you. > > -- > Lead free solder is Belgium's version of 'Hold my beer and watch this!' Thank you for this URL !!! Received from Harbor Freight within 5 days of order. Nice product. The output is from the microphone/preamp, and not meter display. If it had been meter display, could have borrowed one of those chart recorders with time of day, and marked which ones are from offending tenant. VERY INTERESTING meter peaking measurements: TV, set at our normal listening level = 56 TV, set for poor sound films, a bit uncomfortable = 58 Conversation above TV = 60 to 62 Heavy diesel trucks outside = 62 Water faucet full output = 66 Bathroom exhaust fan = 68 Roaring motorcycle (also outside) = 68 Tenant usual thumps (like dragging furniture, or kicking walls) = 60 to 64 Tenant made concussive sounds (like throwing weights on floor) = 66 to 70+, offscale the morning of March 25, tenant made such sounds from 2:10am through 4:40am. You try and sleep with someone making noise of this level. So, thank you for this meter. It provides evidence supporting our claim that these sounds are obtrusive and not just a subjective impression, nor based upon a 'sensitivity' to sounds.
From: Adrian Tuddenham on 26 Mar 2010 14:48
Robert Macy <macy(a)california.com> wrote: [...] > Tenant usual thumps (like dragging furniture, or kicking walls) = 60 > to 64 > Tenant made concussive sounds (like throwing weights on floor) = 66 to > 70+, offscale > > the morning of March 25, tenant made such sounds from 2:10am through > 4:40am. You try and sleep with someone making noise of this level. Hells bells! Have you spoken to the other tenants about this? Noise levels like that during the night must have woken most of the immediate neighbours. -- ~ Adrian Tuddenham ~ (Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply) www.poppyrecords.co.uk |