SPL Meter

[Igo]

I want a cheap but reasonably accurate SPL Meter. Wh's might you guys suggest.
For the simplest tasks, would the $50 Radio Shack meter work well?

[ben62670]

I want a cheap but reasonably accurate SPL Meter. Wh's might you guys suggest.
For the simplest tasks, would the $50 Radio Shack meter work well?

Yep. I like the digital. It is real easy to read, holds peaks, and has a nice large display.
Ben

[janmike]

+1 above. Works great for me as well.

[WilliamM2]

I also use the digital RS meter, and it works well.

Some prefer an analog meter, the old RS analog is available here for much less:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92282

[skrol]

The RS meters are fairly usable but like most things we feel stock is just not good enough. Frequency rang for the C-weighted setting is 32 - 10KHz. I found a DIY for modifying the meters to expand the range and improve performance.

http://mysite.verizon.net/tammie_eric/audio/audio.html

[zingo]

I prefer the analog version as they are cheap and easier to read visually IMO. (If I know I want the needle at the 12:00 position and I am over or under that, it's very easy to see at a glance)

[skrol]

There is a mod for those too.

[kuntasensei]

The RS meters are fairly usable but like most things we feel stock is just not good enough. Frequency rang for the C-weighted setting is 32 - 10KHz. I found a DIY for modifying the meters to expand the range and improve performance.

http://mysite.verizon.net/tammie_eric/audio/audio.html

Great mod for checking equalization using 1/6 octave test tones, since you won't need the meter corrections. However, it pretty much makes the meter useless for doing tests that involve noise tones (i.e. level matching of the channels), since it alters the C-weighting curve at the low end. Better to just apply the corrections yourself or use a meter correction file when using it as a mic for room equalization using a PC.

[Sherardp]

+1 with the analog version. Without a doubt any version is needed to tweak your setup, my take is invest in one and hold on to it, it will prove useful time and time again.

[hearingimpared]

I have the old analog meter from RS, it has to be 25 years old and still kicking.

[Igo]

OK everybody. The local Radio Shack had one in stock and I have Thursday off so here we go.
I appreciate it ya'll!

[awe-d-o-file]

get the Rives tone disc, there is a set of tones calibrated to the not so accurate $50 Shack meter that makes it much more accurate.

Here is what they say: In addition to the flat 20 Hz to 20 kHz tracks there is an additional set of tracks that are also 1/3 octaves from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The only difference in this series of tracks is that it is not flat. It is precisely calibrated to compensate for the non-linearity (particularly in the lower octaves) of the Radio Shack SPL meter (sound meter). We have found this meter to be very reproducible, but not very accurate. It is also very inexpensive and easy to obtain. For this reason we made these tracks to compensate for this device.

http://www.rivesaudio.com/software/TestCD.html