Tenant Problems

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BladeRunner77

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Hello, I recently recorded via my cell phone in my condominium loud music from a fellow tenant who lives below me. It is very bad playing movies at 1am in the morning. I plan to file a complaint with condominium board. As to be expected from a cell phone, the recording was not exactly good. A lot of white noise and muffled. I know it may be tough trying to record the thumping sound of bass and voices coming up through the floors. I was told by a professional to use an omnidirectional mic.

Could someone recommend an inexpensive omnidirectional mic I could use for less than $100. Perhaps something off Amazon. What about the recording device? What should I use? Maybe something simple from Radio Shack? The professional did tell me to make sure that the automatic gain control is shut off. Since it seems most of the sound comes through the hardwood floors in dining room, I thought about hanging the mic from light fixture in an effort to get the best recording.

Would appreciate any advice/recommendations you may have.

Cheers
 
Nothing is really going to 'capture the moment' like someone being there. You could use a Zoom recorder or something, sure. But that isn't going to tell anything of the dB level in the room like a SPL meter will. But the weight of a SPL meter isn't really going to reflect what you're hearing / feeling through the floor.

File the complaint, sure. If it keeps happening then take it further by taking measurements and what not.

All that said -- Behringer makes an unbelievably inexpensive measurement mic (omnidirectional condenser), but you'd need all the other stuff to go with it. Tascam's DR-05 is probably the cheapest reasonable recorder with built-in omni's, but you can't plug anything else into it (though you probably wouldn't' need to).

You could certainly try it through. But you'd need "audible scale" -- Start the recording, lay the thing on the floor and say "It's 1:30 in the morning and this is what I'm dealing with" or something so the listener can hear how much noise there is compared to the level of your voice. But of course, YOUR level is going to be affected by distance... As will the probably horrific acoustical properties of the room. So, you'll have to be reasonably close to be recorded reasonably well - which is going to make the nasty stuff from downstairs seem less loud.

Blah, blah, blah - file the complaint and see what happens. Or just pound on the floor a few times when it happens and see if it helps.
 
As the chairman of my strata building, I know where all the power isolation switches are... :)
 
Mini Sound Level Meter | Maplin

Much! Cheaper on Amazon and you want the C weighted model as it will show the thumping better.

Set it on the floor then record both the readings and the sound with a digital camera or phone. You can get a camera tripod for around $20 which makes life much easier.

Dave.
 
Couldn't you just a sound level app and let whomever know, this was the reading I was getting at 1 AM?
 
DM60 said:
The guy just wants to make a complaint and have some evidence. He is not creating reference material.
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Agreed but even quite decent capacitor mics have tolerance of +&- 2dB or more. The super cheapy in a phone could be 10dB adrift which makes any SPL measurement a nonsense.

Dave. (actually, he IS after creating "reference material" of a sort!)
 
Have you actually gone and spoken to the other tennant yet? Notmally these things can just be sorted out with a friendly chat without having to escalate it straight away.
 
JDOD said:
Have you actually gone and spoken to the other tennant yet? Notmally these things can just be sorted out with a friendly chat without having to escalate it straight away.
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Hmm? The TV programmes would indicate differently but I appreciate they will show "worse case".

Certainly do not take any aggressive action and a very polite letter might be the best first approach?

If making a personal visit don't go alone! Not for physical backup but as a witness as to what is said.
Have a story planned out, put your points politely and do not get into any discussions.

If it all goes badly wrong sit down with your witness after and write up the events and what was said, by whom as best you remember.

Dave.
 
The RTA App for iPhones by Andrew Smith is free for the light version and about a fiver for the full one. It uses the internal mic but seems to somehow adjust itself to give fairly accurate readings--I've compared it against professional analysers costing a lot more and the results are "good enough".

I'd go that route and come up with some dB SPL numbers rather than try to record it.

However, let me join with the others and suggest a "friendly" approach before you get official.
 
"Fairly accurate"? "Good enough" WTGR Bobbs' that's one mic sample. The OP's phone mic could be many dBs up or down on yours.

But yes, keep it cool but if you DO go official, get the numbers right because you will look a bit of a t**t if the Man from the Council fetches up with his B&K gear and you have overestimated by 12dB!

Dave.
 
I think a letter might just make you look like a bit of a wanker. Its possible that this person doesn't realise that they're pissing you off. Just go and have a chat, see how you get on.

But when you get back to your place, make a note of your conversation, even if its a friendly one.
If it is a friendly one and you still get shit, have another friendly conversation. If its a shit conversation and they don't tone it down complain to the council straight away and start making a diary.

There's plenty of apps for an iPhone that measure sound level in db. Easiest thing to do is just leave your phone with this app open on a table and film it.

If you really want to record it, just get a shit mic, point it at the floor but about a metre of the ground so its at least representative of what you'll hear, stick the mic straight into the soundcard of your computer and record it on REAPER, Garageband or any other free DAW.
 
Have you no faith, Dave?

The app I mentioned appears to be calibrated for the type of mic used in the version of iPhone you have. I've compared measurements (both overall SPL and Frequency Response in a choice of Flat, A and C weighted) with measurements done in Smaart version 7 with an Earthworks measurement mic and results tended to be within half a dB or so. I wouldn't go to court with it but as an indicator it's remarkably good.

If the council or tenants association get involved, they'll have to do their own research anyway--but to judge whether there's a problem or you're just being fussy...it's a fiver well spent.
 
Bobbsy said:
Have you no faith, Dave?

The app I mentioned appears to be calibrated for the type of mic used in the version of iPhone you have. I've compared measurements (both overall SPL and Frequency Response in a choice of Flat, A and C weighted) with measurements done in Smaart version 7 with an Earthworks measurement mic and results tended to be within half a dB or so. I wouldn't go to court with it but as an indicator it's remarkably good.

If the council or tenants association get involved, they'll have to do their own research anyway--but to judge whether there's a problem or you're just being fussy...it's a fiver well spent.
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Sorry Bobbs! No, don't have a lot. This is the other side of the coin of people testing their hearing with cans plugged into laptops.

SOME things are absolute and need to be calibrated.

Dave.
 
jiff 41 said:
What's wrong with Audacity if you're talking FREE Daws? ;)
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Not really a "DAW" it's an editor and not really suited to track building, also does not save as .wav, you have to export as....

If you want an alternative, free DAW look at Samplitude Pro X Silver, got MIDI as well.

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
Not really a "DAW" it's an editor and not really suited to track building, also does not save as .wav, you have to export as....

If you want an alternative, free DAW look at Samplitude Pro X Silver, got MIDI as well.
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You're just bored, aren't you. ;)
 
I don't think we really need to discuss what DAW is best for recording the sound of your neighbours TV through the floor
 
Yes Mark, Audacity is delightful! Used it for years but it does not save as .wav as Samplitude say and Cubase do.

I am certainly NOT bored! As a full time carer this is my bit of recreation time !

Dave.
 
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