LED VU Meter 101

[bountyhunter]

Your clipped signal must sound extremely distorted. Compressed signals do not look like that and do not sound like that.

You would think so, but I would wager you could not pick that track from others which are not. This is pop music, and if there is any "clip" distortion, it is not perceptible. You might want to get the PYRO sound processing software just for the fun of looking, your jaw will drop if you think clipped tops are unusual. I can't remember the last track I bought that did not have some clip on top, although not usually as obvious as the one I posted. I have yet to hear any discernible sound from them. The only time I have heard clicks and/or pops is from recording MP3 tracks where I set my record level a little too high. The WAV files seem to be immune to generating clicks from clipping, I don't know why. And, if I translate the file to MP3 without changing its volume, I never get clicks. I always process the files in WAV until I like the sound and volume level, then make the MP3 file.

Compressed signals do not look like that and do not sound like that.

You might want to check some files with visual software, it is extremely common in popular music.

Your hearing has a A-filter response (lows and highs attenuated) only at very low levels. It has a C-filter response (almost flat at low and high frequencies) at medium and loud levels.

Not correct. Check the equal loudness contour curves.


Equal Loudness Curves

At an SPL of about 110dB (which is very loud, approximately live concert level) the ears response at 20Hz is about 25dB down from the 1kHz level, and about 40 dB down from the 4kHz level.

Here is a site with SPL levels referenced to applications. They list "Rock Concert" at 110 dB:

**broken link removed**


The ear has a more pronounced rolloff at lower volume levels, but it still has some significant rolloff at normal listening levels. Curve below: