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Author Topic: Smaart v7 touring day to day...  (Read 10068 times)

Al Rettich

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Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« on: December 01, 2013, 06:46:50 PM »

Is there a way to calibrate the SPL function on the v7 of Smaart? I've went through and tried to calibrate but with my Radio Shack meter right next to it, it's always 10-12db off.

Any suggestions?
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Ivan Beaver

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Re: Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2013, 07:23:30 AM »

Is there a way to calibrate the SPL function on the v7 of Smaart? I've went through and tried to calibrate but with my Radio Shack meter right next to it, it's always 10-12db off.

Any suggestions?
Why do you need to calibrate it?  If you have a RS meter that is your reference (who says it is right??????????????), then just use that for your measurements.

Unless you have a real calibrator (MUCH more expensive than the RS meter), then don't worry about it.

I used to set mine at a show so the levels would read something like 190dB-to see how many people even said anything.
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Ivan Beaver
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Adam Black

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Re: Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2013, 09:59:24 AM »

Is there a way to calibrate the SPL function on the v7 of Smaart? I've went through and tried to calibrate but with my Radio Shack meter right next to it, it's always 10-12db off.

Any suggestions?

You can calibrate an input, but it requires the use of a calibrator so we can measure a known signal level.
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Jelmer de Jong

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Re: Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2013, 11:19:36 AM »

Is there a way to calibrate the SPL function on the v7 of Smaart? I've went through and tried to calibrate but with my Radio Shack meter right next to it, it's always 10-12db off.

Any suggestions?
This is ghetto-style:
Set your signalgenerator to a 500Hz sine-wave.
Put your headphones to the radioshack meter and turn up the volume till you get a steady 100dB.
Leave the generator running and don't touch the volume. Put your mic to the headphones and adjust gain so it doesn't clip and you have enough headroom (20dB or more).
Then tell smaart it's listening to 100dB.
This is offcourse not valid for legal measurements but you will get close enough to know if you are torturing your audience.
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Chris Tsanjoures

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Re: Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2013, 12:01:05 PM »

You can also use a Smaart IO, just enter your microphones sensitivity value (in mv/Pa) for the input you are using. Smaart will take care of the rest.
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Ivan Beaver

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Re: Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2013, 01:28:03 PM »

This is ghetto-style:
Set your signalgenerator to a 500Hz sine-wave.
Put your headphones to the radioshack meter and turn up the volume till you get a steady 100dB.
Leave the generator running and don't touch the volume. Put your mic to the headphones and adjust gain so it doesn't clip and you have enough headroom (20dB or more).
Then tell smaart it's listening to 100dB.
This is offcourse not valid for legal measurements but you will get close enough to know if you are torturing your audience.
It would be very hard to get close.  At the small distances-very small physical distance changes can result in large SPL differences.

Depending on several factors (size of the radiating element-distance from protective grill to element etc) the difference between 1/4" and 1/8" could be 6dB.  Not very close in my book.

The further away you are from the source, the more tolerant small differences are,  ie If you are 30' from a source-then moving the mic a foot or so really doesn't matter.

And the position of the mic when running a single tone can make a big difference as well.  I would trust pink noise much better. 

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Mac Kerr

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Re: Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« Reply #6 on: December 02, 2013, 01:34:34 PM »

You can calibrate an input, but it requires the use of a calibrator so we can measure a known signal level.

FWIW, this is a calibrator.

Mac
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Tim McCulloch

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Re: Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2013, 12:10:48 AM »

Brother Al-

A couple of thoughts...  If you need calibration you need to use a piston calibrator like the one in the link Mac provided.  You'll need to make sure the calibrator coupling is the correct fit for your mic.  Turn on the calibrator, tell Smaart the level the calibrator is built to provide.  You're done, unless you need to import a correction file for your mic.

An alternative is to use the line output of your Rat Shack meter to drive Smaart.  Run up pink noise until you're at some arbitrary level, say 100dBC (or flat if you have that option).  Tell Smaart whatever level the meter says.  No, you can't use your measurement mic without your levels changing... :(   If you're monitoring SPL while using the spectrograph at FOH (and aren't concerned about things >6kHz) this may suffice; I certainly wouldn't consider it for system tuning.

Rational Acoustics just announced new Smaart training dates with Jamie Anderson and Harry Brill teaching.  If you've not taken a class, Al, I suggest you do so.  I retake it every few years because I can be a big dummy and get set in my ways.  At any rate, Rational has classes in January and February which are traditionally slow work times for a lot of folks... something I've asked for every time I've talked to Barb or emailed Karen.  Y'all get yourselves some skoolin'.  No foolin'.

Have fun, good luck.

Tim Mc
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Al Rettich

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Re: Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2013, 02:51:05 PM »

Tim,
As soon as I saw Ivan's post it all came back to me like a brick slapping it's ugly red texture against my face. I've had the smaart class twice. I wish the touring company I worked for held a class. We basically teach ourselves. If there ever is a class near southwest ohio I'm there.

Also, Tim what part of the country are you in? I wanna say the show I'm on might be hitting your area.

Thanks.


 
Brother Al-

A couple of thoughts...  If you need calibration you need to use a piston calibrator like the one in the link Mac provided.  You'll need to make sure the calibrator coupling is the correct fit for your mic.  Turn on the calibrator, tell Smaart the level the calibrator is built to provide.  You're done, unless you need to import a correction file for your mic.

An alternative is to use the line output of your Rat Shack meter to drive Smaart.  Run up pink noise until you're at some arbitrary level, say 100dBC (or flat if you have that option).  Tell Smaart whatever level the meter says.  No, you can't use your measurement mic without your levels changing... :(   If you're monitoring SPL while using the spectrograph at FOH (and aren't concerned about things >6kHz) this may suffice; I certainly wouldn't consider it for system tuning.

Rational Acoustics just announced new Smaart training dates with Jamie Anderson and Harry Brill teaching.  If you've not taken a class, Al, I suggest you do so.  I retake it every few years because I can be a big dummy and get set in my ways.  At any rate, Rational has classes in January and February which are traditionally slow work times for a lot of folks... something I've asked for every time I've talked to Barb or emailed Karen.  Y'all get yourselves some skoolin'.  No foolin'.

Have fun, good luck.

Tim Mc
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Justice C. Bigler

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Re: Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« Reply #9 on: December 04, 2013, 05:15:55 PM »

FWIW, this is a calibrator.

Mac


Mac, can you find a link to the calibrator that is not on eBay? My City safe browsing software won't let me look at eBay pages...  :'(
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Doug Fowler

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Re: Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« Reply #10 on: December 04, 2013, 05:41:14 PM »


Mac, can you find a link to the calibrator that is not on eBay? My City safe browsing software won't let me look at eBay pages...  :'(


http://www.gainexpress.com/index.php?cPath=2_82
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JohnGarlick

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Re: Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« Reply #11 on: December 14, 2013, 12:56:09 AM »

Slightly off topic, but i bought a galaxy audio CMC200 to calibrate my Audix TM1, they supplied a 1/4" adapter along with 1/2". The 1/4" was slightly too small, 1/2" was way to big. Im weary of buying another calibrator because i might run into the same problem. Am i missing something?
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Lyle Williams

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Re: Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« Reply #12 on: December 14, 2013, 04:29:41 PM »

Drill the 1/4" adapter out, or wrap tape around the mic until it fits.  Just keep the mic centered and the same distance from the calibrator.
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Jim Roach

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Re: Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« Reply #13 on: January 12, 2014, 10:23:16 PM »

Slightly off topic, but i bought a galaxy audio CMC200 to calibrate my Audix TM1, they supplied a 1/4" adapter along with 1/2". The 1/4" was slightly too small, 1/2" was way to big. Im weary of buying another calibrator because i might run into the same problem. Am i missing something?

Audix CA4231
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Re: Smaart v7 touring day to day...
« Reply #13 on: January 12, 2014, 10:23:16 PM »


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