It might be confusing when it comes to measuring your subwoofer. There are so many different techniques and methods out there, but we’re here to help! In this article, we’ll show you the two most common ways of measuring a subwoofer – long-term integration (LTI) and short-term integration (STI).
Do You Have A Subwoofer That Needs To Be Measured?
In this blog post, we will discuss how to measure a subwoofer. First and foremost, it’s important to know that there is no one size fits all technique for measuring a subwoofer.
What you need to do depends on the type of speaker you’re trying to measure.
For example, if you have an in-wall speaker then you’ll want to use the long-term integration method (LTI).
If your speakers are floor standing or ceiling mounted, then you’ll need to use the short-term integration method (STI) instead.
We hope that after reading this article, you feel confident enough to be able to find out what type of measurement technique works best for your setup!
So let’s get started!
What Is The Best Way To Measure A Subwoofer?
If you are trying to determine how loud your subwoofer is, or if it can produce low frequencies, then this guide will provide answers.
Whether you are an acoustic engineer with years of experience measuring sound systems, or someone who has never measured anything before, this article will help you understand how to measure a subwoofer.
Quick Steps To Subwoofer Measurement:
Following are the simple steps that will guide you to quickly and easily measure your subwoofer.
Step 1: Make sure the Subwoofer is turned on and playing at its normal volume
Step 2: Place your sound meter in front of the woofers for measurement purposes
Step 3: Press the “SUBWOOFER” button on the SPL meter’s screen
Subwoofer Measuring Techniques:
There are three different ways that you can use an SPL meter to measure your sub.
Each of these methods will provide slightly different results, so it’s important for you to understand the pros and cons before determining which one is right for your situation.
To begin with, we’ll go over each technique in detail. The first method involves using the long term integration (LTI) function on your sound level meter, while the second approach makes use of short term integration (STI).
For our last option, we’re going to be focusing on near-field measurement because this type of methodology allows us to take precise measurements quickly.
How To Measure A Subwoofer?
The first thing you’ll want to do is turn on your computer and look for the speaker icon that’s located in the bottom right corner of your screen, next to where it says “time.”
Once you click on this button, there should be some text boxes with sliders below them.
If so, then move one of these sliders all the way over until it reaches 100%.
This ensures that there isn’t any background noise being detected by our SPL meter while we are attempting to take measurements.
Long Term Integration (LTI) Method:
How To Use An SPL Meter LTI method To Measure Your Speakers?
The long-term integration method is the most accurate way to measure subwoofer speakers.
First, find a quiet place with no major sources of sound. Then set up your SPL meter and make sure it’s on “C-weighting” mode.
Next, sit in front of the speaker for about 30 seconds without moving or talking. Your body will act as a shield from other noises that could interfere with measurements of sound pressure levels coming from the subwoofer speaker itself.
Finally, read off the number on the SPL meter display screen within five seconds of finishing your sitting period for an accurate reading that reflects how loud you are hearing those sounds coming from the subwoofer speaker itself.
Short Term Integration (STI) Method:
How STI method helps you to Measure the Speakers?
The STI function on your SPL meter allows you to get more accurate readings when measuring speakers that are capable of producing very low bass notes.
Therefore, this feature averages out peak and RMS sounds over time instead of just taking one reading as the LTI does.
The downside to using this type of methodology is that you have less control over how long your integration period lasts, so if your subwoofer is constantly adjusting its output, then this results in inconsistent measurements.
Measuring A Subwoofer using near Field Measurement Method:
Near-field measurements are taken by placing a microphone directly next to or very close to a speaker cone and averaging all sounds emitted from this point source instead of taking a measurement from a larger area.
Near field measurements can be taken with an SPL meter if it has a flat frequency response within the operating range of frequencies, which is 20 Hz to 20000 kHz for most standard sound level meters.
On most SPL meters, you’ll find a flat response within the range of 20 Hz to 1000 Hz.
It’s also important for your meter to have an accuracy rating of ±0.25 dB or better above 200 Hertz and below 100 Hertz because these are the regions that the subwoofer is going to be emitting sounds in more often than not.
Once you’ve found a spot on your measuring microphone where it displays a flat frequency response curve, then press “CAL” on your sound level meter display screen before starting any measurements with near-field measurement functions if they aren’t already activated from previous sessions.
Near-field technique is very useful as there isn’t much background noise outside of the speaker itself, so it’s much easier to take measurements this way if your room is a bit noisier.
However, near-field measurement method isn’t as accurate as long term integration because you have less control over how many readings are being averaged together for an average reading that accurately reflects what the subwoofer is actually capable of doing with sound output levels.
Final Thoughts:
There are many ways of measuring the sound output, and it all boils down to what type of measurements you need for your application. Therefore, go through the above methods and techniques to measure the audio levels accurately and quickly.
