SoundMeter X adds support for miniDSP UMIK-2
Version 11.3 of SoundMeter X includes direct support for the UMIK-2 from miniDSP.
The UMIK-2 connects to an iPhone or iPad via USB with Apple’s Lightning to USB 3 camera adapter. When it is connected, SoundMeter X will recognize it and prompt you to enter the serial number which is printed on the UMIK’s label. Once the serial number has been entered, SoundMeter X will download the factory-supplied sensitivity information from the web and apply it immediately for factory-calibrated sound level measurements. Once the microphone is calibrated, any changes to its input gain will be accounted for and the measurements will continue to be as accurate as the original calibration. You can manually reload the factory calibration at any time.
The UMIK-2 offers several advantages over the UMIK-1, including an improved 1/2-inch microphone capsule and the ability to fit standard 1/2-inch field calibrators. Although factory calibration is attractive for calibrated measurements without access to a field calibrator, direct calibration of your microphone is always recommended when you have the means to do it. An affordable calibrator to compliment the UMIK-2 is the Reed Instruments R8090 Sound Level Calibrator. The R8090 offers accuracy of +/-0.5 dB and can optionally be purchased with a calibration certificate traceable to NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology).
Also new in SoundMeter X is the change in label from Flat to Z weighting (the actual behavior of the software remains the same). The Z stands for ‘zero’ and is used to indicate that the software applies no frequency weighting at all to the microphone signal (just as Flat indicated, previously). Whether the overall sound level measurement lies within the Z weighting standard tolerances, as defined by IEC 61672, depends on the microphone and audio interface used in conjunction with SoundMeter X.
