View Single Post
  #13   Report Post  
Posted to rec.audio.tech,rec.audio.pro
Mike Rivers Mike Rivers is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,744
Default Questions on Levels

On 11/19/2010 10:01 AM, Randy Yates wrote:

+22dBu = 0dBFS == +4dBu = -18dBFS.
I'm still not sure if that's FS sine or FS square.


dBFS is a peak level. But since good peak reading meters
(and good average reading meters as well) are pretty rare,
generally we look at the RMS value of a sine wave when
expressing levels.

I determine the maximum input level experimentally by
feeding in a sine wave, watching the digital meter, and
looking at the RMS value of the sine wave when the overload
light just comes on. To be more accurate, I'll record a bit
and examine the level for clipping, boosting the input level
incrementally until I'm sure I'm reaching full scale on peaks.

For outputs, I'll use a program to generate a 0 dBFS sine
wave, play it, and read the RMS level of the output.



--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be
operated without a passing knowledge of computing, although
it seems that it can be operated without a passing knowledge
of audio." - John Watkinson

http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com - useful and
interesting audio stuff