“db” in physical Noise Levels, Analog Audio Equipment, Digital Sound Software. What are these and how they relate? Why are conversations at “60dB” and why is a Digital Software scaling it from negative to zero?

Question

If in Digital Sound Software there’s a meter from -60 to 0, what’s the best “range” (for the lack of knowledge) of sound someone can record at? Considering that people who will listen to that recording can adjust their speaker volumes up and down.

In: Engineering

Answer 1

0 is nominal sound. Thats the volume of the source, without any additional amplification or reduction. So you can add decibels or subtract them, which is why 0 is on the middle of a soundboard fader. Decibels also refer to general sound. You can’t really explain what it is without getting into sound pressure level and such. But its basically a measurement of “loudness.” A normal conversation between two people = 60db. A jet engine is about 140. Just know that while you record something, it has an inherent value in db. Then, when you put it through an audio system, if the system is set to 0, you’re going to hear it at the same volume that you recorded it in.