

The longer time periods don’t suffer from the instability of an SPL Fast or Slow measurement, and they allow mix engineers freedom to craft a mix that has loud, exciting moments as well as quieter, intimate moments, while remaining within a compliant long-term level. An Equivalent Continuous Sound Level (Leq) metric calculates a single-number dB equivalent over a given number of minutes, indicating an “average” level over time (or more accurately, a continuous level that would result in the same total sound energy over the period).įor the dynamic signals found in live sound reinforcement, a 10- or 15-minute Leq (Leq10 or Leq15) measurement becomes an important tool to evaluate compliance with noise ordinances and level limits. When it comes to evaluating the level of a song, set, or entire performance, the standard metrics found on most basic meters – SPL Fast and Slow – can fall short, giving only seconds of context when minutes are required. The meter grid can be resized and moved to an external display – it also makes a great SPL meter bridge for a mixing console ( Figure 1 and Figure 2).

The customizable SPL Meter Grid is a useful “heads-up display” during the show, with green/yellow/red “traffic light” color thresholds that can be configured independently for each metric to give instant visual feedback on levels. SPL data from each microphone is written to a logfile in real time, in a data format that can be easily exported into a spreadsheet program or loaded back into the program for later review. When logging is enabled, the program displays a continuously updating SPL history timeline, where users can view the entirely of the logging/logged event as well as overlay multiple metrics and zoom in on specific time ranges for a closer look at the data. Users can log data from as many microphones in as many locations as desired, as long as they have sufficient hardware.
#Smaart v7 tutorial software#
Smaart SPL uses the same multi-device multi-input approach as v8, meaning that the number of simultaneously available calibrated inputs is not limited by the software in any way.
#Smaart v7 tutorial update#
“With the release of the Smaart v8.4 update in November 2019, we included a major expansion of Smaart’s SPL monitoring capabilities and it was a logical next step for us to make those features available to a wider audience as a separate, lower-cost stand-alone package.” Under The Hood “SPL monitoring in the live sound industry has become incredibly important from a performance standpoint, as well as for both health and safety and legal reasons,” says Rational Acoustics founder and president Jamie Anderson. The new software offers a full-featured solution for monitoring, metering, and logging SPL with a format and a price point more accessible to users who don’t require the FFT analysis functionality of v8. It provides the complete SPL measurement feature set from the company’s flagship Smaart v8 program in a purpose-built package, with an interface designed for simplicity and speed. Rational Acoustics, developer of Smaart sound system measurement and analysis software, recently released Smaart SPL, a new stand-alone SPL measurement and monitoring software program.
