http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103667

I used one of these first time last night at the club...borrowed from a DJ friend who uses it religiously on stage.....its a great way to keep you volume at a contant level......90db level on the meter seemed to work out very nicely for the ausdience....thinking of picking up one for myself also.



More info on using a sound level meter...
http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/spl-meter_e.html



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 09-14-2010).]

There's a doctor that comes to my dances when I'm in his area. He always brings one of those decibel meters and makes it a point to let me know if I'm reaching around 89 - 90 decibels saying it's too loud and not good for peoples ears!

He sits on the far end of large halls. Makes me wonder what the reading is where I sit.

I had one when I first began using the Bose L1, put on a midi file and walked throughout the hall to make sure everything was balanced. It was, and most of the time I rarely exceeded 75 to 80-db. A week later, while using the Barbetta Sona-32SC's the reading on stage was right around 100 db at the keyboard, while 50 feet away it was 65. I sold the Barbettas a month later for half what I paid for them. I looked for the meter about six months ago, found it in the bottom of a gig bag, the batteries were shot, leaked on the inside and destroyed the meter. Gotta' remember to change batteries more often.

Gary

I've been using a Radio Shack sound meter for years. I keep it handy in my "misc box." In use, I attach it, facing me, to my USS speaker stand and to my side where I can look at it constantly. It's not only useful for controlling the volume of sound hitting your audience, but, more important, for the sound hitting my eardrums. I'm all for saving my hearing. Wish I had discovered it years ago.

Lucky

For over 25 years many clubs in Australia had them connected to the stage power supply. When the decibel max was reached the power to the stage was automatically cut. Not sure what they were set for for but they could be tough for a live rock band.

Nigel thats wild!!!1 do they still use these in AUSTRALIA now?

Brian, thanks for the that tip, just downloaded the app to my iPhone.

Yes!!

Most clubs in the US have TWO db meters keeping an eye on volume levels (that doesn't look right, does it? )...

They are on either side of the manager's head! Some call them EARS... cutting edge technology Any of you guys ever tried those?

Took mine to a KJ performance at a local American Legion a couple years ago--he hit 120 and my bony ass was out of there. 120 is ear-bleed volume and causes permanent hearing damage, even with just a short exposure time.

Gary