Adjusting Calibration using Full Scale SPL

This adjusts sets the gain of the analysis so that the full scale (square wave) level is the value specified. In other works, you specify the maximum possible sound pressure level for the sound recording medium, and the measured results are given in relation to this.

This method of calibration is useful if

  • you do not wish to engage with the issue of calibration because it is unimportant for your analysis; or
  • you are debugging and want to skip the calibration step; or
  • you know the sound pressure level of a full scale square wave in your recordings; or
  • you wish to do an approximate calibration by assuming the sound pressure level of a full scale square wave; or
  • you wish to have 0 dB as the full scale value.

Note that a full scale sine wave is approximately -3.01 dB relative to a full scale square wave. Therefore if you wish to specify a full scale sine wave value of, say, 70 dB, then you would enter 73.01 dB as the full scale (square wave) value.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License