Is this a good dB meter? Bruel & Kjaer?

This belong to my father and it was passed to me. Anyone familiar with it? I put new batts in and it seems to work. I am not sure about the calibration (?) device... It sure has a nice case :wink: ~ Bill

yes, that company makes good stuff 8)

B&K is one of the industry standards for equipment like that. You have a Maseratti in the wold of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and BMW M Series. I did a quick check on their website [url]http://www.bksv.com/

and did not get anything for the model number. You will find a lot of usefull information there regardless. Impressed; Andre

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Certainly don't trow that away. 1) As condition looks perfect (does look hardly used) it certainly looks fine and stored responsibly, hence it should work OK. 2) I'm not sure, but I doubt that B&K made ever anything from class 2, hence that should be a class 1 as per IEC 651 (documentation can tell that). As such more accurate than most people will have here. But it's a very stylized and simple type. 3) If ever needed that microphone capsule + that calibrator can always be used on/with other good modern SLMs. (Is the code of that mic noted in the booklet, I assume it's possibly still an current type?) Only both of these 2 cost easily $ 1000 to $ 1250. That calibrator is a costly (still actual) thing and works with any standard 1/2" and 1/1" measurement mic. 4) That whole thing as is, becomes a collectors item in time (becomes like having a well-know old timer). Handle that with very much care as your father did. Only that casing shows the typical B&K quality (:) and related prices). I've looked back in my old documentation and it doesn't appear anymore in catalogues from 1994. Hence it must be significant older (must check old archives = too much work) :) If it was mine (:) I wished it was) I should put it in a glass cabinet as a decorative show item (outside light to prevent UV discoloration on casing), and search for the exact history. For me that thing is worth much more that way (except maybe for parts as e.g. the calibrator) than for it's nowadays very limited functionality. I rather should buy a radioshack for standard use in studios, and put that one away for safe keeping (In that 'close to new' condition it's acoustic history, a pity you should damage or scratch it, or warn that casing out). 5) :mrgreen: Back then in the old days, that brand was so dominant in the pro-world, that in the industry, using it, made you an expert, even when you had no idea what a dB was. Just having/using it was enough. You just humbly mumbled silently that you used B&K equipment and you were taken very seriously. Hence your topic title as also Andre confirmed: Is this a good Db meter? (it's dB) They only made "top of the line" equipment, but also sold it at "top of the line" prices. At around 1991/92 they decreased lots/most prices suddenly with around 25%, since they got too much trouble/competition with new stuff (other pro-brands) that established in that market.

Working with the of the sideburns on the man on the cover, I would guess it is from around the seventies. Clean shaven: Andre

:twisted: :mrgreen: :finger: If interested: Delta in Denmark (B&K is Danish) can/will still calibrate them (B&K SLM 2219) with 2 official reports (mic + SLM) for 500 Euros (730 US$). And calibrating/checking the calibrator is another 168 Euro (245 US$) You see: that's a thing to have, not to use ...... :roll: But if it is in your way, I gladly offer myself in an super-altruistic manner to take these problems over from you. You even get another (not B&K) recent one with more functionality. :) My hart drips from altruistic goodness. This is the current site of one of both ex-owners and founders of Brüel and Kjaer (sold around that 'price decrease' period which was part of reorganization, and start from lesser service and extremely good books and publications originating from B&K. http://www.bruel-ac.com/eng/indexgb.htm Their impact on acoustics and acoustic knowledge and even nowadays existing related standards was huge. Brüel & Kjaer was much more than just a producer/supplier of measurement equipment.

Thank you Eric for the link. I perused the site, and around fig 12 in Renaissance of SWT actually provides a technical basis for spacing material! Spaced out: Andre

Myself. They run a framed site over there. As such it is difficult to link directly to a page. http://www.bruel-ac.com/tr/tr9701/TR9701.html This is the page you referred to no?

xSpace wrote:

http://www.bruel-ac.com/tr/tr9701/TR9701.html This is the page you referred to no?

Yes it is. Since my last post I did some digging on old websites for me (thanks Eric!) and got reminded of the fantastic information the B&K has on their website here. If you have way more brains than money, reading and learning everything they have there will make you an expert in sound measurement. As a lovely tangent on that, the microphone primer will give you everything you wanted to know about condenser microphone design. Of course the emphasis is on measurement microphones and their products, but the design concepts are all there. If you remember the base form of an equation and just integrate it, or differentiate it as needed, because you can't be bothered to memorize all the derivatives, these documents are for you. Numerically: Andre

Just to show his and B&K's importance in acoustics: http://www.bruel-ac.com/pvbcarrer.html 1939 - 1942 establishment of B&K 1939 1st PCB analyzer (means log analyzer on which octave and fractional octaves measurements are based) 1st level recorders, tapping machine still worldwide standardized, is his. etc. All related impact sound standards result from this. 1988: B&K staff worldwide 3200 people 1992: B&K sold to German industrial group AGIV Quite a guy .... hat off .... 8 honorary doctoral degrees: Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Per V. Brüel That guy deserves a Biography and a WIKI page for his contribution to acoustic science. PS: In another source after 60 years B&K (around 2002, already AGIV, in its turn integrated in larger company) I find: B&K: More than 900 employees and 90 offices and agents in 55 countries. Feels they cleaned out a lot making a lot of these offices independent/self-supporting (but I'm just guessing here). AGIV became via, ....via, .....via, and finally B&K is part of Spectris: http://www.spectris.com/businesses/business.php Edited: No I'm not completely guessing. Indeed the (some of) employees of the Belgian B&K establishment with own lab, sales and maintenance department bought that B&K establishment, and just continued the activities of the company as if nothing further happened.

Eric_Desart wrote:

If interested: Delta in Denmark (B&K is Danish) can/will still calibrate them (B&K SLM 2219) with 2 official reports (mic + SLM) for 500 Euros (730 US$). And calibrating/checking the calibrator is another 168 Euro (245 US$)

You can also utilize Scantek in the US (MD) for all your equipment calibration needs, even for the EXCELLENT set of vintage equipment that has fallen into your possession. :D

Wow! Thanks guys for your very kind replies. Ro, AVare, xSpace, lovecow, and especially you Mr. Desart from whom I got the generous offer to relieve me of the responsibility of owning such a terrific piece of acoustic history :wink:, and you are right, it looks as if it was never removed from it's case. Not a nick on it, just a few fingerprints! Even the manual feels new. The mic has 4125 786937 etched into it. The calibrator says Type 4230 94dB. 1000 Hz In all honesty, I will take your advice and pick up a radio shack meter, (lest I scratch this baby), and then I will display it under glass proudly in my mixing room. My father passed away last year about this time and this would be a nice way to remember him. He always encouraged my musical ambitions. I had a feeling it was a piece of quality gear, but I had no idea! Since I have gotten your attention, (and as I stumbled here in a quest for knowledge in the construction of a mixing room in my home), perhaps you would kindly offer your opinions on my room efforts (as Gulfo has generously done prior)? Specifically, I am recording tracks in a "proper" studio, but intend to do overdubs and mixing, etc. in my home. I am converting a portion of my basement, this is my original thread: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9635&highlight= I am questioning my construction plan for the walls directly behind my monitors. I am planning "inside out" walls, but since I have the extra space outside the room, I wonder if I should hang some batts of insulation for bass trapping: ...rather than just putting drywall on the outside of those front walls? opinions? Isolation isn't really an issue, just a good room to mix in. And I really am grateful for all your feedback on stuff. My wife thinks I am spending way to much time on the computer, but the information here is both overwhelming and fascinating. I actually am beginning to understand some of the studios I've been in and why things sound the way they do. A little anyway! :D ~ Bill

Since I have gotten your attention, (and as I stumbled here in a quest for knowledge in the construction of a mixing room in my home), perhaps you would kindly offer your opinions on my room efforts (as Gulfo has generously done prior)?

If I had a build going on and Glenn a.k.a gullfo, was taking time to guide me in my decisions, I'd stay with him! He is very good at this.

:twisted: Damned, something tells me I handled this wrongly. My unbounded altruism was somehow toooooooooooo obvious it seems. I must take lessons by these sales guys here, they even seem to believe themselves. And if I throw in an additional T-shirt ???? ...... No...???? :inn:

xSpace wrote:

Since I have gotten your attention, (and as I stumbled here in a quest for knowledge in the construction of a mixing room in my home), perhaps you would kindly offer your opinions on my room efforts (as Gulfo has generously done prior)?

If I had a build going on and Glenn a.k.a gullfo, was taking time to guide me in my decisions, I'd stay with him! He is very good at this.

:mrgreen: You heard ......, you just don't ask some arbitrary beginners. :snack: :? A dB ....., wait ...., here it is ..... page 7, ..... small d and capital B, see ...., has something to do with sound or noise it seems. PS: Glenn can certainly help you

Hmmmm... what kind of T-shirt? :lol: ~ Bill (Yes, I was hoping Glenn would chime in since he is familiar) I passed through Belgium one summer a few years back, traveling from Amsterdam to Paris on holiday. It was a beautiful country. Visited a friend in Scharbeek (?) I think, and went on through Brussels. Saw lots of Cathedrals as I recall! Ha! I fixed my own typo :roll:

You are right, got another great analysis from Glenn on my question! I am a lucky guy. The folks on this board are exceedingly generous. I feel truly blessed. Thanks, ~ Bill

Eric_Desart wrote:

:snack: :? A dB ....., wait ...., here it is ..... page 7, ..... small d and capital B, see ...., has something to do with sound or noise it seems.

when it comes to test equipment, Eric or Jeff are the guy's to ask :idea: actually, when it comes to acoustical knowledge, Eric and Jeff are the guy's to ask :D