[Serge Auckland[_2_]]

"RoninTO" wrote in message
...
On Feb 26, 2:00 pm, wrote:
On Feb 26, 10:40 am, RoninTO wrote:

Hello,
Can anyone recommend a good Real Time Audio
Spectrum Analyzer for purchase? I assume a
software/laptop solution is the most cost
effective but are these analyzers accurate performers?

They are as accurate as the hardware on your system
allows them to be.


I will be using the analyzer to debug dead spots
in my room as well as measure the performance
of my speakers.

Just to let you know, even with the best tools in
hand, measuring loudspeakers in a way that gives
dependable, useful result is EXTREMELY difficult
work.

I am thinking of purchasing:

http://www.trueaudio.com/

For it's purpose, which is 1/1 to 1/24 octave real-
time filtered anaylsis, I think the product is quite
good and well though out. Within its limitations,
I would recommend it without qualification.

Has anyone had any experience with this
software?

I have, I have reviewed it and I also use it in a
reasonably regular basis.

Also, how would I calibrate my external mic

Unless you have the equipment and the e4xperience,
you don't. You have several choices: you pay the
money to get a trusted mic, and the more you pay,
the more you can trust it; You invest in the time,
experience and equipment deed to do that, which is \
many times the cost of the most trustable microphone,
or you assume that whatever you have chosen is good
enough and ignore the consequences.

do I need the analyzer to be accurate to a 1/24 octave.

It's not "accurate to 1/24 octave," it has a bandwidth
resolution of 1/24 octave.

Accuracy has many meanings as far as what you're
trying to do.

Given any arbitrary signal, programs like TrueAudio's
will provide an accurate decomposition of that signal
and display it with bandwidth filtering from 1/1 to 1/24
octave in width.

But the accuracy of THAT signal is dependent, as you
have surmised, on the microphone, the audio input
system of your computer, the accuracy of the
stimulation and so on.

Do you have a recommended and trusted mic in mind for my purposes?

Thx, Ron


Earthworks M23

http://www.earthworksaudio.com/index.html

If that's too expensive, then for measurements at the low frequency end,
many small inexpensive electret mics will be adequately flat for the
purpose. For example, the mic fitted as standard to the Radio Shack Sound
pressure level meter is excellent up a couple of kHz. The HF end is more
difficult, and even with a calibrated mic like the Earthworks, reflections
in the room will make large differences to readings with small changes in
position.

What's most suitable rather depends on what you want to do.

S.
--
http://audiopages.googlepages.com