CTS Audio 2 Flashcards
Describe the differences in how dBA, dBC, and dB unweighted measure SPL.
- Unweighted takes an average of the SPL across all the frequencies.
- dBA is a sharp upside down curve, weighing low frequencies and very high frequencies much less than those around 1k
- dBC is a similar shape as dBA but far less severe.
When would you use dBA and dBC? Why?
dBA works well for spoken word reinforcement, dBC for loud concerts. This is because at low volumes we hear low frequencies very poorly (speech) but at high volumes the difference isn’t so bad. The weighting tries to more accurately capture how we hear sound.
Where’s the dB cutoff where you would switch from dBA to dBC?
Below 80 dB use dBA, above 80 use dBC
How many dB above ambient noise should you aim for speech reinforcement to be at?
25 dB S/N
ANSI standards recommend background SPL in not huge rooms and classrooms to be what?
35 dBA
What’s a general good aim for speech reinforcement dB levels?
65-75 dBA
ANSI Standards recommend audio coverage within a room standard to _______ dB.
6 dB
ANSI Standards recommends you measure uniformity of audio levels how?
In six octave bands from 250 Hz to 8 kHz.
Recommended ELECTRONIC signal to noise level?
60 dB. 60 dB signal above combined noise in components.
Recommended ACOUSTIC signal to noise level?
25 dB above background
What is EAD?
Equivalent Acoustic Distance. How far away can you move away from a source and keep the volume the same?
What is stability in an audio system?
Can you turn the mics up without feedback? Gain before feedback.
What is PAG?
Potential Acoustic Gain. Gain before feedback.
What is NAG?
Needed Acoustic Gain. A standard you set in an audio system.
At what point does a reflection become an echo?
50 - 80 ms. Bad for intelligibility!
What’s the dB used for power?
dBW or dBm