SPL meter usage

[snodog]

I am thinking of buying one of these today. Any good sites with clear instructions on how to use this? I'm uncertain of all the audio terms but am sure this would help my system. Also, do I need a test cd to do this? Can I get one at Radio shack with the meter?

[paul_pci]

I am thinking of buying one of these today. Any good sites with clear instructions on how to use this? I'm uncertain of all the audio terms but am sure this would help my system. Also, do I need a test cd to do this? Can I get one at Radio shack with the meter?

Yes, you do need a calibration disc that will play the test tones which the meter will read. Basically, you want to calibrate it so that all the speakers (main l/r are usually the reference point) read 75db. The three most popular discs are Sound & Vision, Avia, and Digital Video Essentials. You can look them up on Amazon and go from there.

[noddin0ff]

You can download a bunch of test tones here in MP3 format
http://bfdguide.ws/sinewaves/

And a good guide to using the SPL and compensation figures for the RadioShack one here
http://bfdguide.ws/

The page is geared for Subs but you can likely find the parts you need.