SPL Meter - Which one, How much?

[Slater]

Hi Everyone,

I want to get an SPL meter to do the following:

1. Make sure my left and right speakers are equally as loud.
2. Pick a volume I like to record at and keep an eye on that and compare it to suggested levels I have read about.
3. See how loud my room sounds outside of my room.
4. Bring with me to gigs to see how much hearing damage Im getting (joke... but I want to start checking the levels in the clubs Im playing).

I think I would rather have one with a digital read out.

Whats the cheapest brand that will work for what I want and where can I get it?

Are the Radio Shack ones good? Are the good price-wise? I think I remember they were like $300...

Thanks for any input! I really appreciate it!!

[dave-G]

Here's your Radio Shack stuff:

(NOT $300, BTW)

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2103667

or http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...032193.2032222

They're fine. I have had both the digital and the analog VU-style ones over the years, and generally prefer the analog one.

-dave

[Robobo1]

Are the Radio Shack meters the only ones people on the forum use? There have to be others!

[foldback]

The big problem with a Radio Shack meter is calibration. I doubt the manufacturer is very critical about calibrating these meters and if it is not calibrated then how can it be meaningful?

You can use them as a measuring stick if you never let it out of your sight so you're sure someone does not retweak it. I sent one to a calibration lab once, it cost $200 to get a $40 meter tweaked up as good as they could. The meter was way off in the low end frequencies.

I had a friend who mixed a rock band for years, he was a master of the one-handed recalibration on the RS dB meters. Once I witnessed his mastery in person, an angry club owner came over brandishing a RS dB meter and yelled "make this read 100!". With the finesse of a true magician Ed produced a little jewelery screwdriver, retweaked the meter with one hand and passed it back to the club owner who walked away with a strange look on his face. He never came back and he never hassled Ed again.

[Robobo1]

Originally Posted by foldback

I had a friend who mixed a rock band for years, he was a master of the one-handed recalibration on the RS dB meters. Once I witnessed his mastery in person, an angry club owner came over brandishing a RS dB meter and yelled "make this read 100!". With the finesse of a true magician Ed produced a little jewelery screwdriver, retweaked the meter with one hand and passed it back to the club owner who walked away with a strange look on his face. He never came back and he never hassled Ed again.

Hah! I'd never have the guts to do that... but I will remember that one...

[Jay Kahrs]

Originally Posted by foldback

I had a friend who mixed a rock band for years, he was a master of the one-handed recalibration on the RS dB meters. Once I witnessed his mastery in person, an angry club owner came over brandishing a RS dB meter and yelled "make this read 100!". With the finesse of a true magician Ed produced a little jewelery screwdriver, retweaked the meter with one hand and passed it back to the club owner who walked away with a strange look on his face. He never came back and he never hassled Ed again.

Heeeh

The Rat Shacks are pretty good, the analog one is easier to read then the digital one which skips around a little too much.

Maybe I'm just kinda used to reading level on analog VU's...

But there's not much between those Rat Shacks and the $500+ meters that are SUPER accurate and I dunno...do you need that degree of accuracy or can you spend 2% and get 80% of what 'ya need?