The Infamous SQL Meter from SPL-Lab USA

[shizzzon 1]

This meter was engineered specifically to start a whole new age of Car Audio competition measurement created in Russia.

The owner of the sanction that uses our products and the inventor of the idea is working hard to bring his league to the USA. More info on that when it is available.

So, what is this SQL Meter?

The SQL Meter is what is called a Broadband RTA.

A B-RTA is a device used to measure the entire frequency range, 10hz-20000hz with with HIGH amplitude!

Our calibrated range is 120-165dB.

Now, what is so unique about this device?

This device is NOT to be used to measure single tones with expected accuracy like our other products down to 0.1dB!

This device can measure individual tones but is not the algorithm that is used for it's purpose.

This meter's main use is to measure music in full frequency range and detects live peaks and averaged outcome of the ENTIRE frequency range!

The algorithm itself when used properly for averaging is THE MOST COMPLEX algorithm yet to be brought to the car audio commuity.

Let me describe how this meter works when giving result of 30sec average for music...

For every 1 sec during a 30sec average, it locates 1 peak in each band it measures, then takes every peak EVERY second and averages the amplitude level (dB) and does this 30 times until the run is over!

It has many bands it covers and puts every type of vehicle on the same playing field so an extreme burp only vehicle can compete against a light aftermarket install..

With this new meter and league formed with it, it brings a whole new method of staying competitive and shows the audience just what it takes to get and stay loud.

[Aaron Clinton 18]

Any photo's? And is there any leagues here in the USA?

[shizzzon 1]

Here is a picture of it-

The actual league in Russia is called Loud Games but they had to close their website down until they get all the rules and everything set in concrete.

They want to make their league international including the USA, I have talked with the owner plenty of times before.

However, if one understands the capability of the meter, anyone can host shows with the proper class layout.

I have been waiting on the rulebooks since Nov, 2011 to give you an idea of how busy they are.

[linearpower 85]

A better analysis of the response curve is nice but that is all it is, a more detailed analysis of the response. It cannot give you the experience of width, depth, height, musical detail, transient response, or dynamics, all that are experienced with the human ear. Channel separation, signal to noise ratio, electrical damping factor, headroom, and slew rate all can be electrically measured in the amplifier, and all of which help determine the width, depth and dynamics in the acoustical environment, but once installed in each individual vehicle with different positioning and use of different brands of equipment all of which make a unique listening experience for each vehicle, this is IMPOSSIBLE to be ever totally measured by electronic equipment alone.

The user purchases an audio product by listening to it, they should use the specs to give them an idea of what it can do and hopefully lead you in the correct direction, but you purchase from the use of your ears, at least the smart person would. It's just like the saying "a watt is a watt", electrically, as a simple measure of power that it true, but the tonality of that watt is represented by much more than just the watt by itself, it is a combination of all the above electrical and acoustical characteristics of the amplifier and speaker plus the environment they are used in. If the watt was just the watt there would be no difference in the sound of the equipment. Chocolate of Vanilla, is there going to be a machine to tell us which one tastes better?? Everyone has their own opinions, their on set of taste buds, we all have our own set of ears too. You are NEVER going to tell people what sounds best by a piece of equipment, it must be experienced by the person.

Some want to say that listening is just psycho-acoustics, and that is exactly what it is. Everyone purceives sound and music differently, just as we see colors all slightly differently. BUT SOUND IS what your ears hear and what you perceive from the experience that tells you if the system sounds realistic. or natural, and equipment cannot do that.

Any computer based equipment that would try to make perceptions of the sound quality of a system, past the point of making graph measurements of the sound curves or time alignment, would be basically skewed by the individual that developed the programs, at that point he is feeding his perceptions of how sound should sound into the programming of the computer and listening equipment. He might like what he hears and what the equipment says sounds good, but that doesn't mean every other person that listens is going to agree with it. It is all about personal perception, and if you have a product that pleases a larger group of people from LISTENING that means MUCH more than any piece of equipment can tell you about the product.

Edited February 12, 2012 by Linear Power

[shizzzon 1]

This device in particular should not be used for such wide range tuning. We have another device for that usage...

I could show you graphs of before and after using ear vs our RTA Pro meter but as you say, it may not please your point.

In my experience, just from using a bass meter, measuring single notes has helped me gain large amounts of knowledge and spl increase over the ear...

I can only imagine what using a full range meter could do to better help educate and position equipment.

[linearpower 85]

SQ judging for a very large percent is a subjective set of measurements, hopefully you will have good organization and a honest set of judges. Having said that, going to multiple contests with a diverse set of judges and various contest formats can give you a very strong indicication of the sound of your system. The judges may not pick the very best car everytime, but the accumulated results should show at what level your system performs. More importantly it should matter how the system sounds to YOU and only YOU, if you are happy that is what should count! Going to contests should be fun, but if you only do it for approval of you and your system to others, maybe it isn't about Psycho-acoustics anymore but more about Psycho-analysis for the individual.

[shizzzon 1]

Hmm, are you thinking we work or host leagues?

We do no such thing.

I, personally, am the importer and control distribution of these products mainly.

I do some R&D and tech support but that's it.

I have no control over who uses our devices and how they use them.

We love people to use them for shows, but we have no opinion on how their show should be ran.

That should be saved for another topic outside of our marketing.

[linearpower 85]

This device in particular should not be used for such wide range tuning. We have another device for that usage...

I could show you graphs of before and after using ear vs our RTA Pro meter but as you say, it may not please your point.

In my experience, just from using a bass meter, measuring single notes has helped me gain large amounts of knowledge and spl increase over the ear...

I can only imagine what using a full range meter could do to better help educate and position equipment.

Again your equipment is only dealing with the sound curve of the equipment it CANNOT evaluate all the other factors that make a system sound good to the ear. We use RTA's to set systems up and EQ them, all sound engineers do, but that is a VERY SMALL part of the overall SQ of a system. A more accurate piece of equipment is always welcomed, but is it not the end all, be all of SQ judging. Equipment cannot evaluate everything the human ear hears.

[slim2fattycake 0]

This device in particular should not be used for such wide range tuning. We have another device for that usage...

I could show you graphs of before and after using ear vs our RTA Pro meter but as you say, it may not please your point.

In my experience, just from using a bass meter, measuring single notes has helped me gain large amounts of knowledge and spl increase over the ear...

I can only imagine what using a full range meter could do to better help educate and position equipment.

Again your equipment is only dealing with the sound curve of the equipment it CANNOT evaluate all the other factors that make a system sound good to the ear. We use RTA's to set systems up and EQ them, all sound engineers do, but that is a VERY SMALL part of the overall SQ of a system. A more accurate piece of equipment is always welcomed, but is it not the end all, be all of SQ judging. Equipment cannot evaluate everything the human ear hears.

No one is saying that this meter will be the end all of SQ judging. I don't see why your posts in this thread are all surrounding this concept. We all know SQ is subjective. But like you said, RTAs are used to HELP set up and tweak the system. Please let me know what I am not reading correctly.