Beginners guide to using an SPL meter needed!

[Oldboy]

Hello all,

I decided to buy an spl meter after i bought a new amp at the weekend (Denon avr 2310) to get the most out of my system but after looking through the interweb all the so called guides are far to technical and take it for granted that you have the technical knowledge, can anyone supply a guide for a complete beginner please??

This is the first time i have bought a SPL meter and the conflicting advice from other sources has left me even more confused so any help is much appreciated! Just for your info i have bought the Silverline SPL meter which is exactly the same as the Radioshack SPL but in different colours.

Many thanks.

 

[AlmaataKZ]

http://www.denon.co.uk/site/frames_main.php?main=prod&MID=3&sub=1&fill=1&action=detail&Pid=413&

Doesn't the Denon come with the mic for auto set-up included? If it does, you would not 'need' an SPL meter.

What is it you are trying to do? If you just want to set the relative levels of the surround speakers then the auto-setup should do it OK and you can return the SPL meter.

Otherwise, this (in the reviews) has a quck guide on how to setup speaker levels with the meter.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-633937-Sound-Level-Meter/dp/B0015NSTLI

 

[Oldboy]

No set up mic is completely accurate, including the audessy mic supplied with my Denon amp. I am trying to get my speakers set up as accurately as possible which is why i bought the SPL meter but i have no idea how to use it, all i'm trying to do is balance the volume levels in my system. I've tried just using test tones with just my ears in the past and it never seems accurate and just hit and miss, the SPL meter ensures you get the correct balance of volume levels.

 

[markyd]

The most basic calibration I would suggest would be:

Set your meter to a C-weighted curve (closest to the human ear)

Have prepared individual channel based White-noise test tones, or use the built in ones on your amp.

Place the mic - ideally on a tripod, either in the center of the room or where your ear normally lives. This is effectively the 'sweet spot'

Set the volume level so the left speaker is at 85dB on the meter (this will be pretty loud in the room). Then , one at a time set the center and right speakers to the same level.

Set the surrounds to 82dB (-3dB)

Set the sub between 91 - 95dB (+6 or +10) over your L/C/R's - depending how dominant you want it to be.

I used to use these 'defaults' in the studio as an 85dB reference level for the bass management controller - so they may be a little loud for home as this is basically the same as a dolby theatre level. If so reduce the levels by a relative amount all round (i.e.reduce all the levels by 10dB)

Also adjust the speaker delay settings to compensate for different speaker distances.

I would also go through and do spot level tests at 100hz, 1Khz and 10Khz to check overall response uniformity. Ideally you would do a 20hz-20khz sine wave sweep and plot the response, then eq out major dips and peaks in the room as best you can.

Good luck

Mark

 

[Anonymous]

Oldboy:

No set up mic is completely accurate, including the audessy mic supplied with my Denon amp. I am trying to get my speakers set up as accurately as possible which is why i bought the SPL meter but i have no idea how to use it, all i'm trying to do is balance the volume levels in my system. I've tried just using test tones with just my ears in the past and it never seems accurate and just hit and miss, the SPL meter ensures you get the correct balance of volume levels.

I would agree with your thoughts on the use of a SPL meter , I personally dont like Auto setup for distance and Level setting.

I would also use a tape measure for each speaker distance and input manually

Your meter should have setup instructions , anyway

Select C Weighting

Select slow response

Set dial to 70db

Run the test tones on your AV Reciever and adjust + or - until the needle is reading +5

You are aiming for 75db on all channels

If you have a sub the needle will swing , just average out , some like to set the sub at nearer 79db it is personal taste

Once set up 0 on your AV Reciever should be now equate to reference 75 db , you will probably find that is too loud , I run my amp at -15 below reference.

Note that THX uses 80db as reference ,I would stick with 75db

Hope this helps

 

[Oldboy]

Thank you very much for the replies!

I will be trying it out later today so i will report back with the results but for now many thanks again for the replies, i have already adjusted the distances by measuring them myself with a tape measure but the SPL has been confusing me for some time so to have it set out in plain english is a big relief!!

One last question, when running the test tones on my amp what volume level should i use? Do the tones just have their own level or does the volume you start the test with affect the results?

 

[Anonymous]

Oldboy:

Thank you very much for the replies!

I will be trying it out later today so i will report back with the results but for now many thanks again for the replies, i have already adjusted the distances by measuring them myself with a tape measure but the SPL has been confusing me for some time so to have it set out in plain english is a big relief!!

One last question, when running the test tones on my amp what volume level should i use? Do the tones just have their own level or does the volume you start the test with affect the results?

Starting volume doesn't really matter just adjust if necessary , you set the level with the test tone +/- not the volume

 

[Oldboy]

lesmor:Oldboy:

Thank you very much for the replies!

I will be trying it out later today so i will report back with the results but for now many thanks again for the replies, i have already adjusted the distances by measuring them myself with a tape measure but the SPL has been confusing me for some time so to have it set out in plain english is a big relief!!

One last question, when running the test tones on my amp what volume level should i use? Do the tones just have their own level or does the volume you start the test with affect the results?

Starting volume doesn't really matter just adjust if necessary , you set the level with the test tone +/- not the volume

Thank you lesmor

you have been extremely helpful so many, many thanks

 

[AfxTwn]

Hi everyone. Sorry for resurrecting this thread as I know it's nearly 4 years old but I'm so glad I found it. I too have just bought a Silverline SPL meter (this one in fact http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0015NSTLI/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) in order to hopefully, finally calibrate my home cinema system.

I have an Onkyo HTX-22HDX system with the additional SKS-22X surround and center speakers to make it into a full 5.1 setup. The trouble with it is that it doesn't come with a mic or auto-setup features and it's been a real pain to get the levels set right.

I'm going to follow the advice in this thread and see how I get on but I was hoping someone might be able to help me set it a little more accurately, especially the sub.

I sit approximately 6.5 feet away from the TV/speakers and the surround speakers are positioned at the rear of the sofa on each corner pointing toward the center of my listening position. I know this isn't ideal placement but I don't really have anywhere else to put them.

Anyway, I have measured the speaker distances from my seating position and the front, left, center and sub speakers are all about 2.1m from where I sit (I am sitting pretty square-on to the TV), the surround right I have set at 0.6m as I sit on the right side of the two-seater sofa and the rear left is set at 0.9m as it's a little further away.

Would you recommend setting the levels on the speakers to 0db on the Onkyo unit at first, so they are all flat and then increasing each one till I get 75db on the SPL meter? Does this also apply to the sub which I know sounds more muffled compared to the other speakers?

The Onkyo system does provide test tones for each speaker much to my annoyance as I bought The Ultimate DVD Surround Sampler & 5.1 Set-Up Disc from Amazon (it had to be imported from America and took about 3 weeks to come) and I thought I could set my system up using this. However, the stupid Onkyo disables any sound coming from the DVD (or any other source) when you go into the level calibration section of the menu and starts playing it's own test tones. So this has rendered the special setup DVD I bought pretty useless.

I'm hoping using a proper SPL meter and the rough guidelines detailed in this thread will help me to finally get the system set up just right. Oh I should've also pointed out that I live in a ground-floor flat and so I don't want my sub to be too boomy, as I don't want to disturb the neighbours.

Thanks for any help and again sorry for resurrecting a very old thread.