Sound Meter and Room Noise Levels

[arcaxis]

A little while back I bought an older Radio Shack sound meter off eBay. One of those purchases where I wasn't sure why I needed it, but figured it was cheap so why not .

Anyhow got around to taking a few reads in the room where I record to see what it picked up. Nothing running in the room other than a desktop computer on the floor of which I could barely hear the fan, windows shut tight, and an absence of Harley's and trucks passing by the house. Got an occasional read of about 50dB (bottom end for this meter) or 'LOW' which indicated less than 50dB. Meter set to 'C Weighted'.
Kinda wondering if this is a fairly respectable reading for a room to record in?

 

[miroslav]

To tell the truth, I never measured the silence in my studio...I only use the meter to set my proper monitoring level.

Now I'm going to have to go measure the silence,......but TBH, I know it's dead-quiet in there. I do have a lot of window all around, but it faces my back yard, which is then heavily treed. So like, if my closest neighbors are out there running a chainsaw or wood chipper, I can kinda hear it, but I've never had anything get picked up by the mics...ever.
NO trucks, no industry, and I'm on a dead end street...so the nearest open street is well down past my neighbors houses, and I never hear any traffic unless I'm out on my deck.

I think you just put up some mics on the worst days, and see how much background noise you pick up.
Keep in mind, that what you hear with your ears just standing there will not be the same what the mic hears when you've got an amp playing or drums going...etc.
I mean...when I crank an amp, there could be a chainsaw going in the next room, and it's not going to overpower the amp signal.

Signal to noise...crank it up!

 

[gecko zzed]

It is probably ok.

I just tried the same thing.

My meter says 'Lo' as well, which according to the scale is below 40. It pops up to the mid-forties when I type.

 

[ecc83]

I have a little Maplin jobby, mod N33GJ and in my "studio" bedroom now at 21.55 BST it reads 25.3 dBC.

Back in my living room, when wife is quiet it STILL reads 25.3 even though there is a computer running and I can hear it! The conclusion I come to is that 25dBC ish is the internal noise floor of the meter. It would be odd if the mic amp in a £15 device was better than those in my £150 KA6 or ZED 10?

Like others I basically bought it to calibrate my monitors.

Dave.

 

[Massive Master]

A typical recording studio (well insulated and treated) is going to sit around 20dB --

Think of the sound (or the lack thereof) on a foggy night or a heavy (windless) snowfall out in the country.

It takes a bit of work (or a severe lack of technology and humanity in the area) to get that quiet.

 

[ecc83]

A typical recording studio (well insulated and treated) is going to sit around 20dB

Right...So, for my cheapo meter to suggest my rooms are only 5dB noisier than the very best studios can manage indicates it is telling me porkies!
I am trying to think of a standard, very quiet noise of around 30dBC we could all make which would calibrate our meters at low SPLs? The proverbial pin drop? But you would need a standard pin and surface. Hmmm?

"Oil be beck" Maybe!

Dave.

 

[threeheavens]

In my old house I was getting about that -50 to -55. I was very happy with it (although I really don't think that low is necessary).... Probably be louder where I'm at now.

On the logic 9 demo song, same with the beyonce mix tracks,they didn't edit out a ton of things I would've. In the mix it's not very noticeable, but single track things will jump out at you.

when I'm recording a single track, my threshold for irritation is around -40